AR Glasses: The Future of Virtual Reality
I’ve tested various VR headsets, demoed mixed reality apps, and repeatedly use my AR smart glasses for entertainment. But it wasn’t until today that I got to experience the newest technology in AR glasses, and I’m hooked.
The Latest Snap Spectacles
I spent an hour with the newest (fifth gen) Snap Spectacles, a real AR glasses developer kit that does not just play a movie on a large virtual screen. Instead, it features sophisticated interactive AR apps complete with hand-tracking in a wireless package.
A New Era in XR
It’s made me rethink claims from the likes of Mark Zuckerberg that we’ll all be wearing AR glasses in a decade. I’ve gone from a gentle skeptic to hoping greater than ever that the AR revolution is closer than 10 years away.
Multplayer AR: The Future of Socializing
The star attraction was by far and away multiplayer. XR multiplayer is nothing latest to me, but these AR experiences are fundamentally different. We were there together each in real life and virtually, and it was amazing.
More to Come
While testing Snap’s specs, I also had the prospect to talk with Snap’s Director of Computer Vision Engineering, Qi Pan, and Niantic’s Peridot Executive Producer, Alicia Berry, who admitted that there are hardware obstacles still to be overcome.
Conclusion
The way forward for AR glasses is exciting, but it surely’s not without its challenges. The glasses aren’t uncomfortably heavy, but they’re bulky and loads less stylish than normal eyewear. However, as Alicia Berry put it, it’s a crucial goal of their eyes. We’re all hunched over our phones on a regular basis, and AR glasses allow us to "look up" and still get all of the digital advantages we have been accustomed to. There’s no word yet on after we’ll get our hands on consumer-focused versions of those latest Snap Spectacles, but I’ll be able to get in line to snag a pair. And I feel everyone else will need to too.
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- Peridot Beyond – Experience the Magic of Multiplayer AR from Niantic on Snap’s Spectacles – YouTube
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