As Apple prepares to launch Vision Pro, a potentially revolutionary device, there is growing conjecture over who might pose a threat to the tech titan in the immersive tech space.
Considering Apple’s history of controlling a number of industries, one important question is whether Vision Pro will face serious competition.
An era of lightning-fast technical development is witnessing the rise of augmented reality’s titans. As Apple explores augmented reality, rivals might have to step it up to match Apple’s inventiveness.
In light of this, CES 2024 was the perfect venue for making some informed assumptions about whether Vision Pro will face significant early competition when it launches in February.
Despite the fact that I missed my first CES in over 20 years this year due to a family issue, I was able to obtain an online viewpoint to carefully and intelligently respond to your topic.
Let’s investigate the state of the IT sector, looking at possible competitors and distinctive qualities that might make the Vision Pro stand out. Here are the key lessons I learned.
The Asus AirVison M1
Compared to virtual reality or mixed reality headsets, the Asus AirVision M1 wearable display more closely matches the definition of smart glasses. These displays are more suited for making virtual screens than 3D movies, albeit you can wear them like glasses.
With a Micro OLED display with 1080p quality for each eye, the user of the AirVision M1 can see both the screen in front of their eyes and their immediate surroundings. With a brightness of up to 1,100 nits and 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, that screen is just as stunning.
The 57-degree vertical field of view is said to be larger than the 40 degrees of conventional AR glasses and the 55 degrees of normal vertical sight.
Instead of a single display, users can build many virtual screens around themselves and monitor the location of the source device with three degrees of freedom. Through a USB Type-C port hidden in the frame, the local device is connected to a host.
Users can control the playback of content and switch between displays using a multifunctional touchpad on the side of the frame. In addition, speakers and noise-cancelling microphones are included with remote conference equipment, and 3D viewing is a possibility. Asus said nothing about availability or price.
“Nameless” Headset from Sony
Sony, which already manufactures PlayStation 5 headsets, announced that it will collaborate with Siemens to create a system for producing 3D content. Though it currently doesn’t have a name, the headgear is characterized as a “high-quality XR head-mounted display and controllers dedicated to interaction with 3D objects.”
This stand-alone helmet, which has six external cameras and sensors and a 1.3-inch 4K OLED microdisplay, allows users to see through it to watch their surroundings. While the ring controller is used to manipulate objects, the pointing controller is designed for precision work.
It can generate realistic 3D objects and human faces in real time by utilizing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 Platform along with Sony’s proprietary rendering technologies.
Unlike the PlayStation VR headset, this new version is meant for content production, which includes creating and modifying 3D models in a virtual or mixed reality setting.
Xreal Air 2 Ultra Xreal built on the relative success of the company’s first edition of its AR glasses by showcasing its second generation at CES. The Xreal Air 2 Ultra was the star of the CES show after the introduction of the Air 2 and Air 2 Pro in December.
The Ultra model, an AR glass made of titanium, is the company’s major venture into spatial computing and offers a number of upgrades over the Air 2.
Two 3D cameras on either side of the device map the environment, giving the glasses six degrees of freedom for complete positional tracking. The cameras are also used for tasks like hand tracking and gesture recognition.
Each eye is powered by a tiny 120Hz refresh rate, 1080p resolution Sony OLED display, which reduces to 90Hz in 3D mode. A 52-degree field of vision, 500 nits of brightness (250 nits in 3D mode), and three adjustable dimming levels are all features of the glasses that aid in immersion. The onboard directional audio system has two microphones built in to further improve privacy while in use.
The spatial computing components will work with the Samsung S22 and S23 at first, as well as a “Xreal custom computing unit” that is being developed. When connected to a Mac or iPhone via USB-C, it can be used as a video output, and Nebula for Mac is supported in beta.
For $699, developers can place pre-orders for the Xreal Air 2 Ultra, which will ship at the end of March. This product is intended more for developers than the general public.
This New AR/VR Chipset from Qualcomm May Disrupt the “Apple Cart”
That name appears once again. With the introduction of the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform at CES 2024, Qualcomm created quite a stir in the AR and VR headset market.
Qualcomm believes that by offering a new single-chip architecture with multiple implications for performance, product design, and battery life, it can power new technology that improves mixed- and virtual-reality experiences.
With 15% faster GPU frequency and 20% more CPU frequency than similar devices, the Plus model—which is based on the XR2 Gen 2—allows the chip to deliver up to 4.3K per eye resolution. Its degree of photo-realistic resolution makes it an attractive rival to Apple’s Vision Pro.