VR and AR have been a dream for decades, and the technology is here, but there are several things that are not quite right.
Is Apple ready for this market?
The first is the battery life if you want a wireless experience, which is a clear advantage. The second is the size and weight of the headset, and most importantly: the content. When was the last time you looked forward to a VR launch? There is a limit to how many times one is impressed by the bow and arrow gesture.
And the market seems to agree, if these things are the reason and not personal finances: because as of November 25, sales of VR headsets and AR glasses in the US are down almost 40 percent this year. This is according to figures from Circana shared with CNBC. Sales ended at $664 million, down from $1.1 billion last year when sales only decreased by 2 percent.
Timing is everything, and the timing has been poor
Meta is mentioned as one of the preliminary losers, and it’s no wonder: the company changed its name, brand, vision and has spent billions of dollars on what Mark Zuckerberg is sure is the future. It is quite possible, but timing is everything, and the timing seems to have been far from perfect.
“The October debut of Meta’s Quest 3 headset helped lift the VR market over the holiday period, but wasn’t enough to make up for the rest of 2023,” writes CNBC about the headset, which has received good reviews in relation to technological improvements.
Hard to fathom
Speaking of dollar amounts and Meta: Reality Labs, the VR and AR arm of Zuckerberg’s company, has lost around 25 billion dollars since the start of 2022. It is a number that is almost hard to believe could be true. Meta did not want to comment on the figures, but instead pointed out that AI in combination with VR and AR is a long-term investment. And an expensive one at that.
It’s not like other players are doing very well either, including the Sony PSVR2 which is dependent on the Playstation 5. HTC and Valve’s Vive is and will be a niche product, and there are high-resolution and high-priced headsets, but these are products for special interested. 2024 is the year of AI. Perhaps that is what is needed in combination with Apple entering the market?
2023-12-20 14:58:36
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