This year will be full of technological advancements, as a group of new devices will be launched, starting with the promised “Apple” Vision Pro.
However, the adoption of what is known as Extended Reality (XR) devices “which is the term used to cover reality technologies (Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed)” is still in its early stages, nevertheless, there are active efforts to spread it among consumers, as evidenced in the Consumer Electronics Show, were CES saw the announcement of new mixed reality headsets and smart glasses, as well as a new Qualcomm processor that promises to power an entire generation of such devices.
After the cautious and "hesitant" reactions that were met with the Metaverse and its related technologies in recent years, it seems that the mood has changed today, after the unveiling of Apple's Vision Pro, and also, the Quest 3 From Meta, and Ray-Ban smart glasses, where they received very positive reviews, which ignited interest in virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) devices again.
So far, no one has yet announced the entry of a product similar to the Apple Vision Pro headset into the market this year, but some have begun developing their product, while other companies are developing different equipment to avoid direct collisions with Apple.For example, Sony still focusing its ambitions for virtual reality in the field of electronic games, but this will change in 2024. The company announced at the Consumer Electronics Show that they are planning to target users in the business world with a mixed reality device to create 3D content and facilitate cooperation between professionals, in the fields of entertainment and engineering.
Sony also announced a partnership with Siemens to develop industrial services supported by virtual and augmented reality. Furthermore, Sony revealed that they are preparing to launch the device in 2024. It appears that this device will not be sold separately, but rather in a package with the NX Immersive Designer software from Siemens.
It should be noted that the new Sony device uses the Qualcomm “Snapdragon XR2 2nd Generation” chip intended for virtual and augmented reality devices. Qualcomm has unveiled its new processor, pledging that it will support the next generation of headsets.
Also, it is expected that Qualcomm's latest chip will power a new device from Samsung, developed in the framework of a partnership with Google to create a mixed-reality platform. It seems that these plans, which were previously announced at the beginning of 2023, were postponed after Apple announced “Vision Pro.”
The announcement issued by Samsung about its development of a headset equipped with the Snapdragon XR2.
The Consumer Electronics Show also witnessed the display of several smart glasses, most notably “Air 2 Ultra” developed by “XREAL” company, and “RayNeo X2 Lite” from TCL.
The Air 2 Ultra which is made of titanium, provides a lightweight alternative to heavy headsets and allows the users to see digital objects (such as a large digital screen) installed in the real world, and watch spatial videos designed on the iPhone.
2024 presents a unique opportunity for technology with major players making strategic moves, technological advancements addressing key challenges, and potential for diverse applications. This year could be a turning point for extended reality.
However, overcoming accessibility, content, and technical hurdles will be essential for XR to truly enter the mainstream.
*Image designed using Canva
