Could Apple’s Vision Pro Completely Change the Augmented and Virtual Reality Market?
For more than seven years, people have been expecting virtual and augmented reality to become the next two major technological platforms. The platforms have always been linked, and the success of one is likely to boost the other. This has led to projections that there will be a huge boom, with the combined market expected to be worth $451.5 billion by 2030.
Apple recently announced its Vision Pro, which is set for release in 2024. This new headset has the potential to flip the script on the AR and VR debate, as it combines the two and offers mixed reality instead. If it’s a success, the combination of AR and VR could be the future, rather than the two platforms existing separately.
Augmented and Virtual Reality Had Been Expected to Boom
With Apple’s product still in its infancy, it could be a while before it has a massive impact on the technology market. AR and VR have a serious head start on mixed reality, thanks to their widespread integration with games up to this point. Key areas of the gaming industry have already worked to incorporate these platforms, helping them inch closer to the mainstream.
The mobile industry has been a huge catalyst for the growth of AR, with titles like The Walking Dead: Our World and Jurassic World Alive using the technology in innovative ways. Users can hold their smartphones up and see zombies and dinosaurs superimposed on their real-world surroundings. This experience will become even more immersive when AR glasses become mainstream, as users will be able to simply look around to see the digital projections.
Gaming is also helping to push VR forward. PlayStation VR has already brought about some immersive versions of popular series, with Batman: Arkham VR being a prime example of an early mainstream option. The online casino industry is also expected to play a huge part in VR’s rise. Vegas online casino games like slots and tables helped push the smartphone market forward and are always looking for new ways to become more immersive. A VR experience could add to their popularity along with other features like deposit matches and free spins.
Some leading developers in the sector have already started working on innovative games that incorporate the platform, and these will be ready to hit the market when the devices become essential household items.
Apple’s Vision Pro Could Lead to a Rise in Mixed Reality
It’s no secret that Apple has been working on its own headset for some time, but nobody quite anticipated the Vision Pro. The tech giant had taken out various patents that led experts to believe that it was creating two separate devices – one for AR and one for VR. Instead, the innovative company decided to combine the two mediums and develop a mixed-reality headset.
No matter what Apple had come out with, it was expected to be a game changer in the AR and VR market. The behemoth has a history of leading the way with tech developments; and the iPhone could be credited with igniting the smartphone boom in the 2010s. The original iPhone brought in various features that no other companies had conceived of at the time; and this led other developers to spend years scrambling to catch up.
The same thing could be the case with the Vision Pro. There are already plenty of things to get excited about with the new device. For instance, it has 23 million pixels that can offer 4K resolution to each eye; something that has been unheard of in the industry up to this point. The main selling point is that it will blend high resolution digital content with your own physical space; meaning that it could completely negate the need for computer and smartphone screens. Users will be able to control the device using their eyes, hands, and voice, and it reportedly feels highly intuitive.
Vision Pro Could Potentially Flop at First
There are a few factors that suggest that the Vision Pro won’t be an instant hit. Indeed, it could take a few years for it to disrupt the equilibrium in the AR and VR market. The first stumbling block for Apple’s technology is its price. The potentially revolutionary headset will start at a whopping $3,499 when it releases in the USA next year; meaning that a vast number of Apple customers will be priced out.
This makes it ten times more expensive than some VR headsets; and it will be hard for everyday people to justify this spending. The headset battery is also a concern. Not only is it an external battery pack, but it only lasts for two hours. This speaks to how powerful the headset is but will undoubtedly reduce its practicality for many people. It’s likely that most people will wait and see just how good Apple’s new features are before spending the money.
It’s also worth noting that the iPhone wasn’t a smash hit when it was first released in 2007. Apple only shipped 1.39 million units for the first generation that year. It didn’t take off in 2008 and 2009 either, with 11.63 million and 20.73 million sales in those years respectively. From 2011 onwards, the iPhone became too hard for many people to ignore. There were 72.29 million sales that year and then 125.05 million the next. This was coupled with more people purchasing the older generations for cut prices; and it meant that the proportion of smartphone users who owned an iPhone expanded exponentially throughout the 2010s.
Conclusion:
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Vision Pro initially flop in the same way; and then mirror the trajectory of the iPhone over the next ten years. However, a key difference is that when the first iPhone launched; the Apple ecosystem was nothing like it is today — there was not even an app store. Early users of the Vision Pro will be instantly thrown back into the Apple ecosystem in a very exciting way. Users will be able to access to Safari, FaceTime, a host of third party apps; and connect to their MacBooks just by looking at it. So whether the Vision Pro will shake up the AR and VR market on launch is a mystery; but it will definitely play a large part in moving the industry forward.
