Post by account_disabled on Feb 19, 2024 20:12:59 GMT -8
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was excited to introduce his company's Quest 3 virtual reality headset, which starts at $499 and will begin shipping in October. His company touted the growth of its virtual reality app store, Quest Store, which has generated $2 billion in sales since its debut in 2019, up from the billion the company announced last year during the conference. The big difference this year compared to the 2022 event is that attendees have a much clearer idea of Apple's next entry into the virtual reality market. The iPhone maker announced its Vision Pro mixed reality headset in June at a spectacular price of $3,499 when it goes on sale next year. While it's Apple's first major foray into virtual reality, the company's long-standing dominance in premium consumer devices and winning reputation in hardware has created a buzz that was missing from Meta's previous industry events.
Virtual reality and mixed reality are expected to remain niche markets for years to come, but conversations with nearly a dozen attendees who gathered at Meta's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, this week show that the tone is changing for VR developers and companies regarding the potential for expansion. industry. “There is surely Job Function Email Database curiosity with Apple entering the market,” said Tom Symonds, chief executive of UK-based virtual reality firm Immerse. "Apple has always been able to bring hardware and software together seamlessly." Prior to Apple's Vision Pro announcement, the VR industry was going through something of an identity crisis, with venture capitalists pulling out their investments along with the decline in Web3 and related crypto projects. Meanwhile, Meta has been losing billions of dollars per quarter building its vision of a metaverse, and Zuckerberg has shown no interest in slowing down, frustrating many Wall Street investors who only see increasing costs.
Apple CEO Tim Cook with the new Apple Vision Pro headphones. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | fake images Although Apple's product won't go on sale for months and it's unclear how many people will want or be able to buy it, the company's entry has given a sense of legitimacy to some of Meta's efforts. In addition to showing off its latest headphones this week, Meta unveiled the newest version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses, developed with EssilorLuxottica. The new glasses, which will cost $299 when they become available for purchase on October 17, use Meta's artificial intelligence software via a smartphone so people can identify landmarks or translate signals when looking at various objects. 'Pushing the bar' It would have been a "huge loss of confidence" if Meta had stopped investing heavily to boost the virtual reality market, said Aneesh Kulkarni, chief technology officer at virtual reality training firm Strivr.
Virtual reality and mixed reality are expected to remain niche markets for years to come, but conversations with nearly a dozen attendees who gathered at Meta's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, this week show that the tone is changing for VR developers and companies regarding the potential for expansion. industry. “There is surely Job Function Email Database curiosity with Apple entering the market,” said Tom Symonds, chief executive of UK-based virtual reality firm Immerse. "Apple has always been able to bring hardware and software together seamlessly." Prior to Apple's Vision Pro announcement, the VR industry was going through something of an identity crisis, with venture capitalists pulling out their investments along with the decline in Web3 and related crypto projects. Meanwhile, Meta has been losing billions of dollars per quarter building its vision of a metaverse, and Zuckerberg has shown no interest in slowing down, frustrating many Wall Street investors who only see increasing costs.
Apple CEO Tim Cook with the new Apple Vision Pro headphones. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | fake images Although Apple's product won't go on sale for months and it's unclear how many people will want or be able to buy it, the company's entry has given a sense of legitimacy to some of Meta's efforts. In addition to showing off its latest headphones this week, Meta unveiled the newest version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses, developed with EssilorLuxottica. The new glasses, which will cost $299 when they become available for purchase on October 17, use Meta's artificial intelligence software via a smartphone so people can identify landmarks or translate signals when looking at various objects. 'Pushing the bar' It would have been a "huge loss of confidence" if Meta had stopped investing heavily to boost the virtual reality market, said Aneesh Kulkarni, chief technology officer at virtual reality training firm Strivr.