2024 will be a Big Year for AR/VR
Michael Torneau, SmartGlassesOn
Published 20:35, Tue January 30, 2024
AR/VR Market Gains Momentum Following CES 2024: New Products and Optimism Emerge
The recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has ignited excitement within the augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) market, with a flurry of product announcements capturing industry attention. Despite XR technologies still being in their infancy, hardware manufacturers are aggressively pushing towards broader adoption, both in consumer and business sectors. At CES, this drive was evident in the unveiling of cutting-edge mixed-reality headsets, smartglasses, and a revolutionary Qualcomm processor slated to power the next wave of hardware releases later this year.
Tuong Nguyen, Gartner’s Director Analyst, emphasized the significance of these announcements in propelling market growth and fostering the innovation necessary for building a robust ecosystem. The resurgence of interest in the metaverse and related technologies, sparked by recent unveilings such as Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest 3 headset, signals a shift in sentiment and renewed public enthusiasm for virtual and mixed reality devices.
Despite encountering challenges in 2023, including an 8.3% decline in device shipments, the AR/VR market is poised for a significant rebound in 2024, according to analysts at IDC. Projections indicate a remarkable 46% increase in sales compared to the previous year, underscoring the industry’s resilience and potential for expansion.
However, Tuong Nguyen of Gartner cautions that mainstream adoption remains a distant goal, with current VR and AR headset adoption rates hovering in the low single digits. Overcoming hardware limitations is just one aspect of the broader challenge; building a robust ecosystem of content, services, and applications is equally critical to driving widespread acceptance.
Nevertheless, the introduction of innovative devices into the market is expected to stimulate interest and foster the necessary innovation across the ecosystem. As Nguyen notes, this influx of new products has the potential to catalyze industry evolution and accelerate progress towards broader adoption.
In summary, the AR/VR market’s presence at CES 2024 signals a promising trajectory, characterized by innovation, optimism, and a renewed focus on creating immersive experiences that captivate audiences worldwide.
Sony Unveils Cutting-Edge 3D Content Creation Device: A Shift in VR Strategy for 2024
Sony, known for its dominance in the gaming sector, is expanding its virtual reality (VR) horizons in 2024 with a bold move towards targeting business users. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the tech giant announced plans to introduce a groundbreaking mixed-reality device tailored for professionals engaged in 3D content creation and collaboration across various industries such as entertainment and engineering. Additionally, Sony revealed a strategic partnership with Siemens to develop innovative industrial AR/VR services.
The as-yet-unnamed mixed-reality device from Sony boasts cutting-edge features designed to revolutionize the way professionals interact with 3D content. Equipped with a high-resolution 4K OLED display and video passthrough functionality akin to Meta’s Quest 3 and Apple’s Vision Pro, the standalone headset promises an immersive and intuitive user experience. Key to its functionality are two controllers—a pointer and ring controller—that enable users to manipulate 3D objects within virtual environments while retaining access to physical peripherals like keyboards.
Set to launch later in 2024, Sony’s mixed-reality device has already sparked significant interest, with early comparisons drawing parallels to leading competitors like the Vision Pro and Varjo’s XR-4. According to insights from ZDNet, the device will not be available as a standalone product but will instead be offered as part of a comprehensive package bundled with Siemens NX Immersive Designer software—an all-encompassing solution for 3D content creation and collaboration.
Sony’s strategic shift towards targeting professional users marks a significant evolution in its VR strategy, signaling a broader commitment to leveraging immersive technologies beyond gaming. With its innovative mixed-reality device poised to disrupt the landscape of 3D content creation, Sony is primed to make a substantial impact on diverse industries seeking to harness the power of VR for enhanced collaboration and creativity.
Qualcomm's Latest XR Chip Hints at Samsung's Upcoming Headset Launch
In a significant development signaling the evolution of virtual and mixed reality hardware, Qualcomm has unveiled its latest chipset, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, which is set to power the next generation of headsets. The announcement, made just ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), sheds light on key enhancements and sets the stage for forthcoming innovations in immersive technology.
The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip boasts several notable improvements over its predecessor, including support for high-resolution displays of up to 4.3k pixels per eye—a significant upgrade from the previous 3k resolution. Additionally, the chipset offers support for up to 12 concurrent cameras, two more than its predecessor, and achieves a remarkable 12-millisecond latency in full-color passthrough, a crucial feature for mixed-reality devices. These advancements align Qualcomm’s specifications closely with those of leading competitors like the Vision Pro, as highlighted by insights from CCS Insight analyst Leo Gebbie.
Notably, Qualcomm’s latest chipset is expected to power an upcoming headset from Samsung, marking a significant milestone in the tech giant’s collaboration with Google to develop a mixed-reality platform. Plans for this joint effort were initially announced in early 2023 but were reportedly delayed following Apple’s unveiling of the Vision Pro headset.
Gebbie anticipates that the Samsung headset, leveraging the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, will deliver impressive performance and capabilities, positioning it as a formidable contender in the standalone headset market. While the exact launch timing remains uncertain, late 2024 appears to be the most probable timeframe for the debut of this highly anticipated device.
Regarding pricing for devices utilizing the new Qualcomm chipset, Gebbie suggests the possibility of a more accessible price bracket—a development that could democratize access to advanced VR and mixed-reality experiences. As the industry awaits further details on upcoming headsets powered by the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, anticipation continues to build for the next wave of immersive technologies poised to reshape the way we interact with digital content.
AR Smartglasses Take Center Stage at CES: Xreal Air 2 Ultra and TCL RayNeo X2 Lite Lead the Charge
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) witnessed a surge of augmented reality (AR) smartglasses, with notable offerings such as Xreal’s Air 2 Ultra and TCL’s RayNeo X2 Lite captivating attendees with their innovative features and sleek designs.
Priced competitively at $699, the Xreal Air 2 Ultra smartglasses cater primarily to developers but will also be accessible to consumers upon their anticipated launch in March. Featuring a lightweight Wayfarer-style titanium frame weighing just 80g, these glasses offer a comfortable and stylish alternative to bulkier headsets. The Air 2 Ultra enables users to seamlessly overlay digital objects onto the real world, including the display of a virtual monitor and spatial videos created on iPhones. However, unlike competitors like the Vision Pro and Quest 3, the Air 2 Ultra requires tethering to a smartphone, laptop, or PC via a USB-C cable—an aspect that may pose limitations for some users.
Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, lauds Xreal’s strategic move with the Air 2 Ultra, which marks the company’s return to 6 degrees of freedom (6-DoF) functionality after abandoning the feature since the launch of the Nreal Light in 2019. Sag notes that the Air 2 Ultra complements Xreal’s existing product lineup, offering a “good, better, best” range of AR headsets and enticing customers to upgrade with its enhanced capabilities.
Formerly known as Nreal, Xreal’s evolution from wearable displays to computing-enabled smartglasses reflects its commitment to advancing AR technology. While challenges such as limited field of view and the need for further software ecosystem development persist, industry experts like Greengart praise the hand tracking functionality and impressive image quality demonstrated by the Air 2 Ultra, highlighting its potential for immersive AR experiences.
With AR smartglasses gaining momentum and vendors like Xreal and TCL pushing the boundaries of innovation, the future of augmented reality looks increasingly promising, offering users a glimpse into a world where digital and physical realities seamlessly converge.
Source: Matthew Finnegan, 2024 will be a big year for AR/VR, but mainstream adoption will lag, Jan 17, 2024, <https://www.computerworld.com/article/3712164/2024-will-be-a-big-year-for-ar-vr-but-mainstream-adoption-will-lag.html>