The optimism surrounding VR circa 2016 was not met by reality, as adoption rates remained low, “with less than one in five Americans having ever used VR as of 2023,” Max Kraynov writes for Entrepreneur.
Apple’s new mixed-reality (AR/VR)headset is expected to be unveiled at Apple’s WWDC 2023 event in June and will reportedly retail for around $3,000.
[W]ith WWDC around the corner once again, 2023 may be the year VR re-enters mainstream consciousness as Apple brings its pioneering marketing and pricing strategies, acclaimed hardware design and sleek UX (user experience) into the virtual world…
[O]ne of the key success factors for Apple’s device will be how long people can actually use it without discomfort. For many, this is currently only around 15 minutes, and it seems Apple can’t afford to release a device with such high fatigue potential…
Another battle Apple faces globally is the lack of free time that many people experience today. The 4-hour life concept suggests a typical worker has only four free hours a day, and Apple’s VR headset will be fighting for a chunk of that time against a heavily saturated entertainment tech market (in addition to other pastimes). User experience will be essential for the device to be used repeatedly, even in short session…
So, as Apple prepares for WWDC in June, throwing its headset into the ring, we’ll almost certainly see a spike in VR-focused discussion and debate. However, unless content, comfort, technological advances, cost and strategy are all perfectly aligned, chances are this launch and the mainstream interest in VR may become just another short-lived spike.
MacDailyNews Take: In early 2021, The Information reported that the Apple headset would include more than a dozen cameras for tracking hand movements and showing video of the real world to people wearing it, along with ultra-high-resolution 8K displays and advanced technology for tracking eye-tracking technology with a price point around $3,000 making the product an enterprise-focused offering, not for the consumer market.
If priced at $3,000, we expect Apple’s headset will, in part, exist as a means for developers to build the next killer AR apps for true, light, powerful Apple smartglasses to come later.
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