{"id":5295,"date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hedgehoglab.com\/vr-ar-mr-new-innovations-in-hardware\/"},"modified":"2023-08-28T11:37:36","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T11:37:36","slug":"vr-ar-mr-new-innovations-in-hardware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hedgehoglab.com\/vr-ar-mr-new-innovations-in-hardware\/","title":{"rendered":"VR\u201a AR & MR: new innovations in hardware"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As regular readers of our blog will know\u201a we’re huge fans of immersive tech – Virtual Reality\u201a Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality – which we believe will shape the future of business and entertainment. The research backs us up; according to the data platform Statista\u201a headset sales will hit US$3.2bn this year\u201a and accessories sales US$564m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile\u201a a number of powerful devices – from the Oculus Rift<\/a> to Nokia’s Ozo<\/a> – are gaining market traction. And\u201a through the likes of The Void<\/a>\u201a we’re seeing how so-called ‘hyper reality’ experiences can be offered in entertainment settings far removed from the home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s little wonder\u201a then\u201a that a growing number of events are dedicating a serious chunk of their agendas to immersive tech developments\u201a from Mobile World Congress to the Game Developer Conference\u201a which hosts a sister event aimed at VR developers. Much of the talk recently has been about the innovations in hardware – so let’s have a look at some key announcements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Oculus has cut the price of the Rift<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since its launch\u201a the Oculus Rift has been among the leading VR headsets\u201a offering a high end experience – for a high end price tag. The company\u201a however\u201a has reduced the latter by $100\u201a both for the headset itself and for the Touch motion controllers. That means the whole system can be bought for$598. Not exactly cheap\u201a but considerably less expensive than the HTC Vive\u201a and just $100 more than the PlayStation VR. In our view\u201a this should open up new avenues for the tech\u201a bringing quality Virtual Reality to a much wider market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Microsoft headsets set for release<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2016\u201a Microsoft said it would be partnering with device makers to launch a VR headset that would pair with Windows 10 PCs running Windows Holographic Shell. The company has now confirmed development kits will be released this month\u201a with the headsets themselves following before the end of the year. The devices\u201a which start at $299\u201a will be built to be tethered to desktops\/laptops and\u201a acting like external monitors\u201a will provide an opaque view that cuts off the user’s physical surroundings. This\u201a of course\u201a contrasts to Microsoft HoloLens<\/a>. which blends virtual ‘holograms’ with full visibility of the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. New Gear VR will have its own controller<\/b> <\/p>\n\n\n\n