19 Jan 2024 | Mike Boland

AWE Talks: What's in Store for XR in '24?

XR Trends

Key Takeaways
– Spatial computing continues to see both promise and peril as we enter 2024.
– What defines the industry now? Inbar and Emrich weigh in on 10 key trends
– Starting with the first five trends (6-10 covered in part 2 of this series)... 

1. 2024: A Breakthrough Year for XR?
– XR is seeing momentum as it collides with AI and excitement builds.
– This was seen at CES where XR and smartglasses made a big splash.
– XReal Air 2 Ultra and Sony's new enterprise play were show favorites
– Apple Vision Pro has also sparked XR excitement on a larger scale. 
– There's also evidence in figures & projections from research firms.
– After a dip in '23, some are projecting hardware shipments to grow 46%

2. 2024: The Year of Spatial Computing?
– "Spatial computing" isn't a new term but it sees mainstream recognition.
– Emrich: the term will be this year's media darling, propelled by Apple.
– Transitioning from all the acronyms will make it more mainstream-friendly.
– This also broadens the opportunity into orbiting sectors, including AI. 
– This also includes everything from autonomous vehicles to filmmaking.

3. 2024: The Year of Mixed Reality?
– There's been some naming confusion but MR is finally coalescing.
– It has come to denote devices that perform both AR and VR. 
– Quest 3, and other passthrough AR devices, helped solidify this. 
– As a result, passthrough AR (MR) will be a new standard in VR.
– Seeing the real world by default also makes VR less isolating. 
– MR also accelerates AR and represents the latest stage in its journey.
– Inbar: MR is the realistic stepping stone to the AR that we all want. 

4. 2004: The Year of AI + XR?
– Despite linkbait headlines, AI doesn't replace XR but enhances it. 
– In fact, XR can be seen as the front end, or GUI, of AI. 
– Similarly, AI can be the brains of XR, amplifying its capabilities.
– Gen AI can also support XR developer workflows as a "copilot." 
– Emrich: spatial computing could outpace AI in 2024 in mindshare.

5. 2004: The Year of Apple Vision Pro?
– AVP has already injected broader excitement and attention in XR.
– Regardless of unit sales, Apple's classic "halo effect" will have an impact.
– This is 40 years after the introduction of the Mac, a symbolic milestone.
– But don't measure it on a pass/fail basis... this is the start of a slow process.
– This year, it could be more of a dev kit for developers to gain their footing. 
– Then again, it could be like the iPhone's first year of cultivating user habits. 
– Either way, AVP will realize greater value when spatial apps are plentiful.
– Meanwhile, consumers may need 2D apps as baby steps towards that day.

For more color from Emrich & Inbar see the full video below, and stay tuned for part 2 of this series... 

   

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