Augmented reality and virtual reality: why these technologies became the stars of CES 2023?
HTC made perhaps its biggest announcement in the field of virtual reality and augmented reality at this year’s show. But it was far from the only company to enter the pool of these technologies. HTC
Virtual reality and augmented reality have been poised to revolutionize consumer technology for years. While we can’t yet tell if this year’s CES will be the tipping point that sends these technologies into living rooms, there were tons of announcements that will help make augmented and virtual reality the successor to smartphones.
HTC’s new VIVE XR Elite is an all-in-one XR solution
The modular design is just one aspect of the new helmet that sets it apart from current offerings. HTC
It should come as no surprise that HTC is at the top of this article. The VIVE XR Elite is a headset packed with exciting and never-before-seen features. Whether it’s a modular design that allows it to be worn as glasses or a traditional VR headset, or the use of adjustable lenses that help glasses wearers see more clearly, VIVE XR Elite brings a number of improvements to Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.
ZDNET’s Jason Hiner tests the HTC Vive XR. June Wan/ZDNet
The headset’s price tag of around $1,100 also puts it well below its most obvious competitor, the enterprise-grade Meta Quest Pro from Meta. The price drop comes with the loss of eye and face tracking (HTC plans to add it via an accessory), but it also brings it closer to the price range customers were already willing to accept for previous models, including HTC’s original VIVE.
The price and feature set combine to see if HTC will reclaim leadership in the consumer VR sector, or only time will tell if the Meta or one of the new entrants we’ll discuss below will take that crown.
TCL: explosive device
The company’s NXTBear S glasses can create a virtual 130-inch screen from any video source. Photo: TCL
While everyone knew HTC was planning a big announcement, TCL surprised many by unveiling a trio of living room devices.
The simplest and most readily available are the NXTVear S glasses shown above. They fill the increasingly popular niche of truly non-AR glasses that provide a lightweight virtual display for your smartphone, tablet or handheld game console.
The RayNeo X2 glasses do not yet have an estimated release date. Photo: TCL
TCL also introduced a pair of real virtual reality and augmented reality devices. TCL RayNeo X2 glasses promise a full augmented reality experience in a form factor that can be mistaken for standard features at first glance. The company highlighted things like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 (Augmented Reality 2) core and micro LED-based wave transmission optics, while promising practical tasks such as translating texts in a foreign language, in front of the audience or assistance for navigation. in the city.
Learn more about TCL RayNeo X2 glasses
Finally, a full-scale VR solution, the NXTBear V headset showcases what TCL has in store. Impressive specs like a weight of 236 grams and a pixel density of 1512 ppi could shake up the industry if they can make it from a concept to a real offering.
Razer is finally introducing its accessories for virtual reality
Razer’s first two VR accessories built into the Meta Quest 2 / Razer, the headband and face interface
Despite being one of the biggest gaming peripheral manufacturers on the planet, Razer had nothing to do with the virtual reality and augmented reality sector before this year’s show. That changed when, among its many new products, Razer revealed plans for a pair of Meta Quest 2 accessories.
Two new offerings include a headband that promises to provide superior comfort and better weight distribution than the default elastic strap, and a new facial interface that’s said to be softer for sensitive skin and more effective at blocking unwanted light.
Razer hasn’t yet announced pricing or dates for any of these offerings, but expects them to be available in the early months of 2023.
Lumus is pushing the dream of truly discreet augmented reality glasses
Most likely, you will have to invade the user’s personal space to distinguish it from ordinary glasses. Photo: Lumus
One of the biggest hurdles that augmented reality technology like current wearables has to overcome is its tendency to make the user seem like a weirdo. At CES 2023, Lumus demonstrated a new optical engine that can be hidden in the upper corner of the eyeglass lens, wrapping its wave transmission technology into a package so small.
It may soon be possible to wear augmented reality glasses without looking like you’re disguised as a cyborg. Photo: Lumus
The new Z-Lens system offers 2048 x 2048 resolution, a 50° field of view and more than 4000 nits per watt of LED illumination for full-color AR content. So everything projected onto your lens should be sharp and clear, even in direct sunlight.
We are still only in the prototype stage, but the technology is functional and ready to be integrated into the offerings of the major players that we constantly expect to disrupt the augmented reality and virtual reality market (yes, everyone is waiting to see what Apple can do. ).
Other announcements you missed
The Holoride system aims to bring VR gaming to your car, hoping it won’t make you puke. Chloride
CES brings so much news and product announcements that it’s easy to miss some things. It’s often half-heard ads like these that can turn an entire industry upside down within a few years. Let’s take a look at some of them at this year’s event.
Holoride’s Upgrade Kit can bring virtual reality gaming to any car
The Holoride Retrofit kit revolves around a base unit not much bigger than a hockey puck. Chloride
Holoride creates virtual reality experiences in cars. It might sound like a car-sickness disaster, but the company’s technology allows it to create “elastic content” that adapts in-game or in-app actions to the actual movements of the user’s car. The result is an experience that many testers describe as relaxing, not as nauseating as you might think. At this year’s CES, Holoride debuted its new Retrofit system, which allows virtual reality experiences to fit any vehicle.
The puck-shaped device that powers the entire experiment weighs less than a kilogram and is designed to be attached to the windshield using a suction cup. It then uses Bluetooth technology and a 14-hour rechargeable battery to connect to the user’s virtual reality headset and provide the data needed for Elastic Content’s experiences. The Retrofit is available as part of an $800 bundle that includes the HTC VIVE Flow headset, or as a standalone unit for $199.
Thanks to Magic Leap, augmented reality is entering the operating room
Imagine your doctor being able to see real-time health information about you just by looking at you… The Magic Leap
There is probably no place on earth where a user needs to be more confident in their tools than in the operating room. That’s why it’s so impressive that Magic Leap’s latest augmented reality headset, the Magic Leap 2, is certified to IEC 60601.”other clinical settings.”
Magic Leap and its partner SentiAR have already developed a software solution for the device that allows surgeons and clinicians to view live clinical data and images without taking their eyes off the patient. The companies say the solution could make even difficult tasks like inserting a catheter into a patient’s heart easier by providing a 3D map of the organ overlaid on top of the doctor’s view.
Somnium Space brings modularity to the basic PCVR.
The headset is designed to be both open source and easily modifiable. Somnium Space
Somnium Space is an act that most people have probably never heard of. The company has been making virtual reality headsets for some time, but has been plagued by supply chain issues that have caused it to delay development of a fully standalone unit. Fortunately, he was able to go ahead with a PCVR headset for use with a computer at this year’s show.
Playable wired or wirelessly, the Somnium VR1 has some impressive key features like a 2880 x 2880 resolution, 120-degree field of view, and eye and hand tracking. However, what sets it apart is the modularity of the device. Between the trio of 10Gbps USB-C ports and three modular docking points for connecting accessories, the device has the potential to be suitable for a wide range of virtual reality and augmented reality scenarios.
The company even supports the possibility of 3D printing accessories for users’ headphones, further expanding the use cases and potential convenience. Somnium Space wasn’t ready to commit to a specific price or release date just yet, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for.
Source: “ZDNet.com”
