Virtual assistants expected to top virtual reality in holiday sales

A man plays a video game with the Oculus Rift VR headset at the E3 Electronic Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Virtual assistants are set to pummel virtual reality headsets in the fight for consumer dollars this holiday season, while smartwatches drive wearable sales. Drones may fly under the radar, though. 

Interviews with nearly two dozen analysts indicate high hopes for holiday electronics sales, but estimates of what will be the hit have changed.