It's "ok" (very cool in spurts for sure)
I've tried all the latest stuff aside from the Varjo
It still has a ways to go to be of interest to folks not already using it.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Amazon Hints at Extended-Reality Device as Apple Readies Mixed-Reality Headset
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It's "ok" (very cool in spurts for sure)
I've tried all the latest stuff aside from the Varjo
It still has a ways to go to be of interest to folks not already using it.
And you won't be. The initial units are going to be gobbled up for professional applications. $3K for medical use, for example, is peanuts. They will sell 100K units at that price. More than enough to justify continues development.
Wait two-three years after that for the under-$1K version. By that time all the hot games will demand it for an optimal experience.
Two-three years later it will be in everyday use, either at another price point, or integrated with another technology such as smart phone. The killer app will have revealed itself by then.
The fundamental problem with VR isn’t the price. The price doesn’t help, but the real issue is that the average person doesn't want it. AR might be better accepted, but I doubt it.
Seriously, I cannot wait for any keynote speech, Apple or otherwise that attempts to persuade sensible people to wear massive goggles on their head to look at computer things. It’ll literally be Golden Globe comedy material.
I think AR could be better accepted, but only when using it adds almost no inconvenience or downside. If you can wear a pair of glasses that feels and looks as good as a standard pair you'd wear anyway (or even sunglasses), and it augments your view with overlays of info, on demand? It'll be a bit like the "heads up displays" that project on the windshield of some vehicles. Probably will need to work sort of like Airpods Pro do now, where you could just tap one arm of the glasses to toggle it on and off, or toggle the other arm to select through different sets of information?
I can think of lots of cool things that could be done with this type of setup, but some will require features that are currently only on devices like an iPhone at this time (Lidar, for example). It would be great if you could just look at a package, tap the eyeglass arm, and have it instantly superimpose the box's measurements on top of it.
Oculus was started because a kid couldn’t find any decent VR devices from big tech (or small tech) and ran a kickstarter supported mostly by independent developers and enthusiasts. Most VR games are (at least initially) developed by small developers.
Yeah, Oculus was acquired by the the big evil social media company, but the initial spark of interest didn’t come from the top.
The average person didn’t want a pocket computer until they did.
I get that same feeling. Wouldn't surprise me if they delayed launch even further - maybe wait and see what others have up their sleeves before launching. This would afford launch options: launch as is, reposition launch talking points, rework their concept for a marketable differentiator (less likely at this point - but not unheard of for Apple).
Regardless, Apple is at their best redefining an established market. With AR/VR/XR in its infancy, I could see where they may be a bit more cautious than normal. In the same breath, I'm also fairly certain they are confident in their plan, roadmap, and product and how that fits their ecosystem, entices other to opt in, etc. They're Apple: confidence is soothing they do not lack (which comes with doing your homework).
And somehow... There are still some who think Apple isn't getting into this segment. Nor EVs. 😜
IMHO, it would be irresponsible for them to not get into those segments. I think Apple dropped "computer" from their name because they are an OS company. OS sits at the core of all that they are. It's the heart of their ecosystem. Thus, any segment that is OS-centric is completely worth Apple's eye. That doesn't mean they enter every market that needs an OS. But it's no secret that getting people indoctrinated in the Apple way is pretty paramount to their success. I know that when I interface with tech and it doesn't work a certain way, I wonder how Apple would tackle the same opportuity.
While I have the capacity to understand your point, they said the same about rock 'n roll, the wheel, fire. And yet...
There is no way this will take off for Amazon — the problem for them will be finding engineering talent since they have all gone to Apple or Meta. They both have massive teams working on this, apparently. This report is probably aimed at showing investors that they are investing in an emerging technology, even if there is little chance of it being successful.
cant wait to be able to take a dump and order toilet paper at the same time. the future is awesome.
I think there are a lot of useful/fun VR and AR applications for consumers.
For VR: virtual shopping, tourism, (story) experiences, games, event viewing, and theater screen movie viewing.
For AR, too many to list, but major ones: navigation, virtual computer/device displays, subtitles, and night sky star viewing.
For VR: virtual shopping, tourism, (story) experiences, games, event viewing, and theater screen movie viewing.
For AR, too many to list, but major ones: navigation, virtual computer/device displays, subtitles, and night sky star viewing.
I am not sure if that is true, but assuming it is, we already have sub-$1000 VR headsets and people still don't want them.
You can do that now (starting more than a dozen or so years ago) with any mobile phone.
Simply moving the information on your phone's screen to a set of glasses or goggles is not what augmented reality is about.
As if people are socializing at home while staring at their phones "in the real world"
At least if they release an AR headset, someone out there might finally enjoy those totally painful waste of time AR demos they do at some of the keynotes.
