Virtual Perceptions

By Tom Ffiske // 27 May 2020New to the newsletter? 

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THE BIG STORY

AWE hit the internet like a truck, carrying a tonne of news. As Charlie Fink noted, it will test if virtual conferences will work. But for me, what I find interesting is the variety of new headsets being announced at the event. One HMD is a social competitor that may struggle. The other will raise eyebrows. Let's start with the XRSpace Mova, a headset developed by a former exec at HTC. The unique sales proposition is that the company wanted to create a slick, good-looking headset where people will converse in a massive virtual world. The headset is for socialisers, chilling in virtual reality in a well-specced standalone headset. Think of it as the Oculus Quest, only slightly better and more expensive. Oh, and it has 5G as well, for the few people who are accessing the network.The 5G element is very progressive, if ahead of its time. 'For network operators, this is an attractive offering at a time when they are desperately looking for unique services to promote their 5G networks,' said Leo Gebbie, senior analyst of wearables and VR at CCS Insight. And the selling-point is the expansive and detailed virtual world (called Manova) which people reside in as well. But apart from that, I can't see it matching the value proposition of the Oculus Quest, which also offers an untethered way to socialise in virtual spaces. The market has established and cheaper competitors that offer similar headsets; how can it differentiate itself? Another headset will be announced later this week as well, which I cannot detail yet. But what I will remark on is that new headsets continue to capitalise on certain components to target markets. A hardcore gamer? Here is a tethered option with your monster PC. Want to chat with friends? Have a go with the XRSpace or Oculus Quest. Or perhaps just watch movies? The Oculus Go is great value, if limited in capabilities. I say this because commentators will say that the future of VR is standalone. I agree. But for now, there is still a sizable audience that are happy to connect to their PCs and play great experiences. As new audiences emerge, inevitably the dynamic will change. But as one spokesperson said, 'everyone likes different flavours.' Keep that in mind this week.

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OTHER STORIES

• Future Visual joined the Weavr consortium. The team will stand alongside the Avengers-like team of companies pushing esports forwards, such as ESL, University of York, dock10, REWIND, Focal Point VR, and Cybula.

• Vobling, one of HTC's partners, has created a sophisticated VR-based training tool that lets you train against emergency fires across multiple scenarios. I look forward to trying it out as it looks awesome, though I don't think it includes the PR fire currently happening at Downing Street.

• A few lightweight VR/AR headsets that connect with phones are due to release later this year, Qualcomm said. Think of it like wearing specs, with the power running in your pocket. Qualcomm is an avid supporter of immersive tech, and it's great to see them continuing support.

• OVR Technology announced the release of its Architecture of Scent platform, which can 'replicate complex sensory experiences in the digital world.' While stories on smells can be a bit weird, any innovations should be welcomed as plenty of studies show a link between immersion and our other senses. We'll see how good it is.

PEOPLE MOVES

• Immerse hires Bill Finegan as EVP North America. His role will be to "help Immerse develop a strong proposition alongside a brand that stands out in this rapidly developing market."

AKI JÄRVINEN - THE IMMERSIVE WIRE INTERVIEW

Aki Järvinen is a Senior Experience Researcher, Immersive at Digital Catapult. He helps UK businesses adopt AR and VR, and push their boundaries at the company through design and research.

FINAL WORD