If the XR audience was expecting a lull in updates and announcements from important technology leaders with the holiday season quickly approaching, they’d be wrong.
This week has proven to be a dark horse when it comes to announcements. With CES just around the corner, major XR companies are preparing for 2024. 2024 looks set to be a breakthrough year for XR. With the imminent arrival of a rebranded industrial Metaverse and the growing likelihood of mainstream adoption of MR headsets, XR may finally reach its breakthrough moment outside of the gaming market.
On the other hand, as market competition intensifies, so does the pressure. Major companies like Apple are sending employees to stores across the U.S. to train employees in the use of new MR headsets. Meanwhile, a major XR company plans to exit a leading headset brand due to poor sales.
Will the XR market be Shark Tank in the new year? As competition increases, the answer may be yes. By December 2024, the XR market and its leaders may look very different.
Pico 5 Obsolete
ByteDance announced that it would not be releasing Pico 5 because Pico 4’s revenue was not meeting expectations.
However, ByteDance plans to release an updated version of Pico 4, but did not provide any details.
The company is also working on a VR headset project called Swan, which is still in an experimental and conceptual stage, so no release date is indicated yet.
Additionally, Pico has halted development on its Beat Saber rival, the Ubisoft-hosted Just Dance VR game.
Previous reports suggested that ByteDance plans to lay off 20 to 30 percent of its workforce by 2023, but a recent report from The Information suggests that number is expected to be much higher.
Apple prepares retail stores for Vision Pro debut
Apple is preparing to launch its Vision Pro device, which was announced earlier this year. The company has not confirmed a specific launch date, but is aiming to launch the product in March 2024. Despite some production setbacks, recent developments suggest that Apple is ready for the proposed launch window. The company demonstrated this in the new year by introducing Vision Pro training sessions to familiarize retail associates with the new product.
Apple is known for the expertise of its in-store retail associates on its portfolio of products such as iPhone and Mac. However, Vision Pro’s new spatial computing framework requires specific training that Apple will provide to retail staff prior to product launch. Apple will organize a two-day training session for U.S. store employees and will send headsets and experts from headquarters to train employees.
According to the report, training will take place in mid-January to show retail staff how to set up the headsets for individual potential buyers. This training ensures a great introduction to the device and helps customers overcome common obstacles such as motion sickness and other difficulties during the headset setup and onboarding process.
Apple employees help set up devices in stores so potential buyers can experience the company’s unique spatial computing outlook. This approach can help drive XR education, ensure hardware adoption by potential buyers, and demonstrate the productivity benefits of MR headsets to customers.
For the first time in Meta’s next headset
In a lecture session at the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences. Douglas Lanman, Meta President and Director of Display Systems Research at Reality LabsThe company announced that it has developed a prototype device called Mirror Lake that offers an improved level of immersion over previous devices.
According to Lanman, the proposed innovative MR headset could be built using today’s resources. Lanman showed off a 3D rendering of the Mirror Lake device in action during a session discussing the “visual Turing test,” which aims to create XR visual displays that are indistinguishable from real life.
Douglas Lanman added:
We are doing well. We have continued to focus on all of these issues. How close are you to passing the (visual) turning test? Probably not that close. This is a grand dream. With dozens of prototypes, we will eventually get there. But we are getting closer. Here’s a rendering (the Mirror Lake prototype) of a device we had a few years ago that we felt was practical to build now. It uses holocakes (lenses), it uses multi-view eye tracking, it uses backpass, it uses existing hardware components. – I think the industry is ready to move to another plateau.
Mirror Lake could potentially solve one of the most important issues with XR headsets when it comes to business use: size, weight, and intrusive design. Smart glasses are also attempting to solve this problem, but headset manufacturers must improve the wearability and usability of VR/MR headsets to ensure practicality in environments such as factory floors.
Orlando’s Groundbreaking Digital Twin Project Named Top Technology of 2024
The Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP) is an organization focused on economic and community development. The company uses digital twin and XR technologies to promote regional growth by improving the local economy, attracting businesses, creating jobs, stimulating investment, and strengthening competitiveness. do. .
Fast Company recently recognized OEP’s digital twin as one of the next “big things” in XR technology in 2023. It’s been a busy year for the XR industry, with groups like OEP, Microsoft, and Meta working tirelessly to revive the sector with significant workplace presence. XR Solutions.
Tim Giuliani, President and CEO of OEPFast Company named OEP’s digital twin the “Next Big Things in Tech.” It “demonstrates the strength of Orlando’s technology and innovation ecosystem, including some of the most innovative companies in the world,” and “recognizes that our region is growing and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in experiential entertainment and immersive, data-driven economic and community development.” “It is a cutting-edge technology that expands and shapes the future.”
“Additionally, this win further solidifies Orlando’s reputation as a metacenter for the digital revolution and highlights how innovation makes Orlando incredibly real,” Giuliani said.