Introduction to Mixed Reality
The release of the Meta Quest Pro has brought the term mixed reality to the forefront of the virtual reality space. While the Meta Quest 2 and PICO 4 have some mixed reality capabilities, and the Microsoft Hololens 2 was released earlier, the Quest Pro represents the primary try and bring mixed reality to the mainstream. But what’s mixed reality, and the way does it differ from virtual reality and augmented reality?
Mixed Reality vs Augmented Reality vs Virtual Reality
To understand mixed reality, let’s first define virtual reality and augmented reality. Virtual reality (VR) is a completely immersive world that’s created by hardware and doesn’t herald elements of the true world. Augmented reality (AR), then again, adds digital overlays to the present real world. Mixed reality (MR) lies somewhere in between, adding overlays and real-world objects right into a virtually rendered world.
Examples of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality
Virtual reality is sort of a computer-simulated environment where you’re an energetic participant. Augmented reality is like using Snapchat filters or playing Pokémon Go, where digital information is added to the true world. Mixed reality is like playing a virtual video game and having the ability to grab a real-world object, like a water bottle, and use it in the sport.
Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Plans
Microsoft was certainly one of the primary tech firms to embrace mixed reality with its Hololens and Hololens 2 headsets. Although the high price point limited its appeal to the enterprise arena, Microsoft has not abandoned the mixed reality arena. Instead, the corporate is concentrated on providing software to the market leader in mixed reality hardware, which is currently Meta.
Partnership between Meta and Microsoft
The partnership between Meta and Microsoft is predicted to bring significant advantages to the mixed reality market. At Meta Connect 2022, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella joined Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on stage to debate their future plans, which include adding 2D versions of Microsoft Office 365 and Xbox Cloud Gaming to the Quest platform. This collaboration may also extend to mixed reality, with Microsoft Teams being designed to be fully immersive on the Quest Pro.
Apple’s Take on Mixed Reality
Apple has been rumored to be working on two devices on the mixed reality spectrum: the Apple Glasses, that are strictly AR devices, and an Apple VR/AR headset, which could be a pure mixed reality headset. Apple’s focus is on making a device that’s as immersive as possible without fully extracting the user from the true world.
Apple’s Vision for the Future
Apple CEO Tim Cook has indicated that the corporate’s focus is totally on AR and mixed reality, somewhat than virtual reality. Cook has also overvalued the flexibility of Apple’s existing devices to offer users AR experiences, with quite a few AR applications and devices available.
Mixed Reality’s Wide-Scale Adoption
Mixed reality is more likely to be the longer term of the virtual reality market, with IDC forecasting that AR year-over-year growth will begin to outpace VR as soon as 2023. However, wide-scale adoption remains to be far-off, mainly because of the high cost of VR and mixed reality headsets.
Challenges and Opportunities
The cost of VR and mixed reality headsets is a major barrier to adoption. However, innovation and competition are driving the market forward. Meta is making moves towards a mixed reality future, and Microsoft is open to providing software to anyone with a major market share. This means increased access to several types of applications and more use cases for this still nascent technology.
Conclusion
Mixed reality is an exciting and rapidly evolving field that has the potential to revolutionize the way in which we interact with technology. While there are still significant challenges to beat, the partnership between Meta and Microsoft, and Apple’s entry into the mixed reality market, are expected to drive innovation and adoption. As the technology continues to advance and costs come down, we are able to expect to see more widespread adoption of mixed reality devices and applications. Ultimately, the longer term of the digital world is more likely to be shaped by mixed reality, and it’s going to be exciting to see how this technology evolves and changes our lives.
