Consumer electronics giant Sony has already begun aggressively promoting the possibilities of virtual reality headsets, as well as their own software developer kits, showing how much potential there is in the market to not only push through but stay ahead of seemingly potential competitors.
HTC and Meta are also expected to release their own products soon and other firms like Panasonic, TCL, Kura Technologies and many others that haven’t yet been announced to be involved with VR devices are all set to take significant share from game developers and publishers by 2022 with lighter glasses combining elements of both AR (augmented reality) as well as MR (mixed reality).
Sony Ventures Into VR Headset Arena
Sony, the company that also brought us the PlayStation gaming console and popular entertainment figures like Spiderman and Wonder Woman has announced its new Virtual Reality headset at CES this week.
This comes as Sony and other tech companies like Microsoft face tough competition as they race to compete in the Metaverse: a virtual world of work and play with smart devices.
According to industry researchers, the market for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies is expected to reach $600 billion by 2025.
The addition of VR/AR products by big-name companies such as Sony, Lenovo, HTC, Panasonic, and Microsoft will only strengthen demand for these kinds of cutting-edge extensions of everyday reality!
Sony did not state a release date for its VR2 but said it will be sold with eye-tracking technology and headset feedback so players can feel the pulse of their gaming character rise during intense moments of action or experience the sensation of wind created by an object passing close to her head.
The PlayStation 5 will connect directly with the VR2 and Sony is creating the game “Horizon Call of the Mountains.”
Meta Ready For Metaverse
Last year, when Facebook announced it would be heavily investing in the future of Virtual Reality (VR), the company also revealed it will be creating an exclusive game for its Oculus 2 headset.
The announcement came as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was on stage, unveiling the firm’s latest VR device known as the Oculus Quest, which sold hugely well during Christmas sales this past year.
CTA’s data shows that by 2022 at least 100 million Americans will have used virtual reality products for the first time and a good portion of those consumers are using them already on a regular basis at least once a month.
HTC Gains Foothold In VR Console Market
HTC’s virtual reality efforts weren’t limited to only the VIVE Focus 3 headset this week at CES. They also debuted a wireless Wrist Tracker that integrates with the HMD, allowing users to take advantage of a whole new level of immersion in their VR experiences.
The Wrist Tracker makes it easy for those using the VIVE Focus 3 to interact with and collaborate within VR experiences and aids in health care treatments with its applications in the fitness, occupational therapy, and pain management industries.
HTC teamed up with XR Health, a virtual clinic startup, to design these trackers specifically for healthcare companies.
Cannon Not To Be Left Behind
The camera company Cannon revealed its concept for a virtual reality headset at CES recently.
The device, dubbed “Kokomo”, incorporates immersive 3D video calling experiences with actual face-to-face video calling features.
As opposed to avatars, the software allows users to see loved ones face to face via their own videos.
The company wanted people to forget they are even wearing a virtual reality headset.
Clearly, it realized how significant it can feel not only when simulating one’s appearance but also that of other people both in your own and others’ videos!
Panasonic Says Yes To VR Glasses
Recently, Panasonic announced the second iteration of its Virtual Reality glasses at CES. MeganeX comes with a $900 price tag.
They weigh less than 9 ounces and will offer a built-in function that will allow people who wear vision correction lenses to use it without wearing said glasses.
The VR glasses are powered by Snapdragon XR1, a processor developed by Qualcomm for smartphones and used in the Meta Quest 2 as well as HTC’s Vive Headsets.
Panasonic’s VR glasses are also foldable and have built-in stereo speakers – details regarding the version’s controller were promised ahead of their scheduled launch this year.
TCL Reveals First Smart Glasses for 2022
The Chinese electronics maker, TCL which makes televisions announced it is getting into the virtual and augmented reality world.
The company revealed its first smart glasses at CES. Known as the Leiniao AR smart glasses, the prototype is still undergoing testing, but a teaser video suggested that the glasses are lightweight and can be used to dial into meetings, take and share photos, respond to text messages, display turn-by-turn directions for your surroundings and connect to streaming platforms to play movies and TV shows.
The glasses come with wireless controllers for video games too!
Smaller Companies Make Their VR Hardware Bid
The biggest names in consumer electronics aren’t the only ones getting involved with virtual reality products.
Several start-ups, including one of the honorees for this year’s CES Innovation Award, are working on creating lightweight lighter versions of their own augmented reality glasses.
Kura Technologies, which recently raised $17 million in venture funding, says its glasses weigh less than 3 ounces and have a field of view (FoV) that is equivalent to looking at a 15-inch display from 10 feet away – meaning your eye movements won’t be restricted when looking around the room.
The glasses can potentially replace traditional Skype and Zoom calls as well as help streamline virtual meetings and project presentations through companion mobile apps and other users wearing similar avatars, according to the Startup.
While the gaming and entertainment industry will be the first to adopt this technology, the healthcare industry can benefit from integrating it with its operations.
As the tech trend continues to pick pace, the medical industry will come up with affordable and better headsets that make the process of 3D scanning and printing a lot more viable and efficient.
In fact, we already have VR devices like the Owlet Baby Monitor that can monitor a kid’s heart rate, oxygen level, and temperature.
