China Quarterly - Big boom, new specs

Welcome to the China Quarterly, a regular insight into the activities of the Chinese market. The Immersive Wire will provide insights into one of the largest VR markets in the world, and share what could be learned from the movements. Got any feedback? Let us know at tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com. 

Sylvan Shen, Features Editor at the Immersive Wire

UNITE 2024 in Shanghai's Tech Summer

Unity's annual conference, UNITE 2024 Shanghai, concluded successfully on July 23-25 at the iconic Bund. Despite the sweltering 35°C heat, over 4,000 attendees flocked to the three-day event, which featured 7 keynote talks, 3 developer workshops and approximately 100 presentations. These sessions showcased the latest advancements in Unity's engine, as well as developments in gaming, education, and automotive sectors. Antonia Forster, a senior XR technical specialist at Unity and keynote speaker, remarked, "The real highlight? The amazing people. The Chinese developer community is so incredibly welcoming, warm, and talented." 

Unity’s dominance in China's XR landscape is evident. A recent survey revealed that 78% of Chinese XR developers use Unity as their primary development tool. The localised "Unity China Engine (Tuanjie)" launched this year has seen nearly 120,000 downloads. It’s rapidly becoming the go-to platform for creating XR experiences across various applications, including WeChat mini-games and OpenHarmony systems.

The conference also showcased exciting demos, with Rokid unveiling its Rokid AR Lite (covered in last quarter), following a successful Kickstarter funding that raised £922k. Educational institutions such as China Academy of Art presented "Foldiverse", an AR origami application designed to assist autistic children, powered by Rokid AR technology. 

UNITE 2024 has set the stage for a year of advancements in immersive technologies. As the industry moves forward, we anticipate an increasing number of exciting projects emerging from this vibrant community, extending well beyond this summer's gathering.

China’s ‘Big-space VR’ Boom

China's VR industry is demonstrating a lucrative new business model known as "big-space VR”. This concept offers multiplayer VR experiences in large spaces where players can physically move and interact within a shared virtual environment. The trend is gaining significant traction across China this summer, particularly through strategic partnerships with cultural and tourism sectors. It is largely led by Horizon of Khufu, which attracted over 110k visitors and generated more than £3.2M in ticket sales during its 11-month run in China. 

Why are they successful? The popularity of these projects stems from their focus on Chinese cultural heritage sites and traditional culture. Examples include experiences based on the Sanxingdui archaeological site, and the classic Chinese mythology "Shanhai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas)”. The blend of ancient wonders and cutting-edge tech is captivating audiences, especially young, tech-savvy customers eager for unique experiences. The industry's growth is further supported by government policies that recognise the potential for cultural promotion and tourism development. Rapid technological advancements in VR hardware and software are also contributing to the sector's expansion.

While challenges remain - such as unestablished industrial standards, and high costs for equipment and technology - this VR sector shows immense potential for innovation and market growth. As the fusion of ancient wonders and cutting-edge technology reshapes how we interact with history and culture, we anticipate seeing more high-quality works in this field.

China’s Rising Star in XR Glasses

VITURE, founded in Beijing in 2021, has quickly made its mark in the XR industry. Building upon the success of VITURE One XR Glasses, recognised as one of TIME Magazine's 200 Best Inventions of 2022, the company launched its new flagship VITURE Pro XR glasses in August at $459.

VITURE Pro's strength lies in its comprehensive ecosystem. The Pro features an ultra-clear display, a wearable neck-mounted computing unit, and supports remote playing PS/Xbox/PC games via 5G/WiFi. As an official partner of PSPlay with remote streaming and cloud gaming support, VITURE has benefited from the recent surge in PS5 sales driven by the Chinese 3A RPG game "Black Myth: Wukong".

Innovations also include the Mobile Dock for Nintendo Switch split-screen gaming and SpaceWalker, an XR spatial multi-screen software compatible with iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. These features make the VITURE Pro equally suitable for gamers and working professionals.