Meta and Apple's MR headsets hit the market, and the Metaverse is bustling again?

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Source: Divine Translation Bureau

The original title "Meta released the MR head-mounted display before Apple, and the meta universe is lively again? "

Could Reality Pro be the Metaverse's iPhone moment?

It has been nearly two years since Facebook changed its name to Meta and entered the metaverse, and today Zuckerberg suddenly announced on his ins that Meta Quest 3 will be sold at a price of $500 this fall, and Quest 3 will become Meta Considering that Apple will release the long-rumored Reality Pro headset next Monday, the meaning of Meta's confrontation with Apple is very obvious. Compared with the AI boom brought by ChatGPT, "Metaverse" seems to be an outdated concept. Will the tit-for-tat confrontation between Meta and Apple make the "Metaverse" that has been silent for a long time start to shine again? Will the next generation of platform changes really come as expected? The content of the following article is compiled.

Just when the "Metaverse" had all but disappeared from the headlines, a long-rumored new release seemed poised to bring it back to life. Today, let's talk about what's been happening in the virtual and mixed reality world lately, and whether Apple can find a mainstream use for this game-changing headset.

Next Monday will mark the start of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. Unlike most years, this year hardware is expected to take center stage, rather than the software updates that typically dominate the keynote. After more than seven years in development, Apple is reportedly planning to release a headset called the "Reality Pro," priced at around $3,000, that will serve a variety of productivity purposes. (Apple will almost certainly not use the word "metaverse" in any of its marketing materials, though that might come in handy for those of us who write about the field.)

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has revealed nearly all the details about the device, which will offer features like FaceTime calls in virtual reality, immersive video, and external displays that connect to Mac computers. However, Apple has yet to find a "killer app" for the device -- one that would justify its premium price tag while driving consumers to an enticing experience for everyday use, Gurman reported in January.

Reports in the virtual reality space often focus on sales numbers, but using numbers should be more interesting. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that six months after purchasing Meta's $400 Quest headset, more than half of it was no longer in use, proving that the novelty of such experiences often comes quickly. disappear. (Perhaps, this also reflects how quickly the many inconveniences of using the device can add up.)

It’s been nearly two years since Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company then called Facebook would turn to building a “metaverse.” A year and a half after the COVID-19 pandemic, when hundreds of millions of people are still working remotely from home, the timing of Facebook's pivot to the Metaverse seems opportune. During the pandemic, video chat and digital entertainment are some of the only ways to connect us with others. It's reasonable to assume that with next-generation hardware and software advances, these experiences will be radically improved and take up more of our time.

However, a lot has changed since 2021. As the world gradually reopens, enthusiasm for certain types of digital experiences has waned. Zoom, which once represented investors' belief in the internet's increased productivity, peaked at $559 in October 2020, and is now trading at just $67.83. Huge, interconnected virtual worlds get a lot of attention in Roblox and Epic Games' Fortnite, but they're still standalone 2D experiences. (Roblox shares are also down a third of their peak.)

Determined to lead the expected platform shift, Facebook, which has rebranded itself as Meta, has about 80% of the market today with its Quest and Quest Pro headsets, according to estimates from market research firm IDC. But sales of headsets fell 54.4 percent year-over-year, according to Reuters, and Meta's Reality Labs division saw revenue drop 50 percent last quarter compared to the same period last year.

Released last year, the $1,500 Meta Quest Pro aims to expand the headset market beyond gaming, which is where people spend the most time with headsets. But sales forecasts suggest a lackluster response to features such as virtual desktops and virtual reality conference rooms. (In an early episode of my podcast, we had a discussion in one of the VR conference rooms; I remember this experience mainly because at the time, it was so difficult to get everyone's equipment setup to work thing.)

One of the big takeaways from the AI boom of the past six months is what it looks like when consumers are actually excited about something. ChatGPT is a product that people mention in their daily lives, even before they learn I'm a tech journalist; about seven months after launch, 12% of Americans use it at work. It's very interesting that after all the billions of dollars in hype around virtual reality and cryptocurrency, the product that really caught the world's attention was a text box.

That said: Apple has a huge challenge here. The company's near-term goals are cautious. (As Mark Gurman reported last month, "Originally, it hoped to sell about 3 million units a year at first, but has since reduced that estimate to about 1 million units, then 900,000 units. By comparison, The company sells more than 200 million iPhones a year.”) However, Apple envisions a future in which knowledge workers wear such headsets all day long.

But this is not possible in the short term. The headset looked too bulky, had too little battery life, and reportedly had too many design compromises to appeal to only the most ardent of early adopters. Combined with the lack of a killer app, it suggests that Reality Pro benefits Apple more as a reason to draw customers into the display area of Apple's retail stores than as a business product like the iPhone.

At the same time, Meta will continue to make efforts at the lower end of the market. Today, the company announced that the Meta Quest 3 will be available this fall for $500, featuring a more powerful processor, an improved display, and a thinner design. (The company also cut the price of the Quest 2 headset by $100.) It's unclear whether Meta or Apple will be able to address consumers' tendency to buy these devices and then throw them in a drawer and forget about them. (I sincerely hope that Meta or Apple can make virtual reality chats as engaging as Google did with light field display technology in "Project Starline." [Google Starline uses high-definition cameras, 3D images and depth sensors to achieve provides a realistic virtual meeting experience.])

That being said, Monday isn't the right time to judge Apple's success, nor is it the day the Reality Pro goes on sale. Version 1.0 of the company's products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch, often have glaring limitations. Only through continuous iteration and the support of third-party developers can Apple's devices finally break through. In my own case, I waited until the fifth-generation Apple Watch was released, which was the first watch with an always-on display. Today, I simply can't imagine not having this device on my wrist. The Apple Watch unit brought in $41 billion in revenue last year. It's clear that the product was a success in the end.

Unless ChatGPT becomes sentient, this technical and creative challenge could take four years or more for any company to achieve a true VR-centric platform shift. While the Metaverse disappoints in some respects, the incremental year-to-year improvements are palpable to anyone willing to observe the field.

Whatever the odds, Apple usually ends up getting the hardware right. The thing to remember on Monday is that even in this situation, the end of success is still far away.