Author: XR Today

February 2024 is here, and this month marked the end of a long, long wait for Apple’s Vision Pro. Upon its debut, the device took social media by storm, creating buzz and funny moments for worldwide audiences – many of whom cannot access the designer tech device.However, the optics are positive for now in terms of enterprise and consumer XR markets. While first adopter skeptics exist and the device is far from perfect, the optics are generally positive and excited.These feelings trickle down to broader firms and end-users in the market, as mainstream success and exposure bring XR closer to…

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The Metropolitan Government of Tokyo has introduced a virtual Tokyo Metaverse on Roblox to promote the city as a tourist destination.The interactive portal, “HELLO! TOKYO FRIENDS”, uses AR photography within the leading immersive platform Roblox to provide users with a lifelike sightseeing experience of Tokyo.“MODERN TOKYO” is a cityscape based on Tokyo’s iconic landmarks, such as Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Station, Tokyo National Museum, Odaiba Area, and more, while also hosting a “TREASURE HUNT” activity to learn more about Japan’s capital city.In a press release by the Tokyo Government, it summarises the capabilities and purpose of the app: “This world offers…

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Continuing the large wave of announcements and highlights from the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 conference in Barcelona, Spain, HTC VIVE also introduced new enterprise immersive services for its XR Elite Bussiness Edition product.The new business features from HTC VIVE include a revamped VIVERSE platform ready for productivity and remote collaboration use cases, with new AI assistant features.Cher Wang, the Chairwoman and Co-Founder of HTC, added:Every year, the XR industry is delivering more innovation to support humanity. In 2023 we helped older people to have new experiences while also optimising medical diagnostic tools. We put a VR headset onto the…

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This week at Mobile World Congress (CES) 2024 in Spain, HTC VIVE is showing face with a strong presence as a leading enterprise XR solutions provider reacting to industry trends to create its products.Shen Ye, Global Head of Product at HTC VIVE, talked to CNBC about major XR industry drivers, as the firm also unveiled new details regarding its XR XR Elite Bussiness Edition product at the same event.Notably, a big market shifting factor is Apple’s entry, Shen noted:I think having Apple come in has really validated everything that we’ve invested in, in our hardware, our platform, our infrastructure, and…

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This month, Porsche partnered with XR giant Meta to leverage its Quest 3 MR headsets to create immersive presentations for upcoming vehicles in a bid to showcase how emerging Metaverse services provide business value.The firm uses Meta Quest 3 headsets to create a new method of collaboration and outreach for the automotive industry, from event presentations to engineering walkthroughs.The firm notes that conventional automotive collaboration and outreach processes require “countless” PowerPoint slides – a “status quo ripe for being challenged,” the firm remarked.While Microsoft, Apple, and others are working to improve conventional digital presentation methods with spatial computing variants of…

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The Apple Vision Pro is just around the corner; next week, the major computing firm is set to debut the product for US customers following years of leaks and teasers. Apple’s entry into the market could mean several things; with the brand’s near cult-like following, XR device adoption could skyrocket, and more eyes than ever may become drawn towards Apple’s spatial productivity mission.XR could be facing a mainstream moment this year; with a significant firm like Apple placing a stake in the market and doing it with a strong poise, XR could get the boost needed to reach what seems…

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Today, Microsoft is making its long—awaited Mesh for Teams immersive VR meeting platform available for enterprise end users. The service is now available for clients, allowing them to access Microsoft’s dynamic virtual remote meeting solution via desktop or Meta Quest headsets. The new addition to Microsoft’s popular remote meeting service provides Teams users with immersive virtual meeting rooms and customizable avatars ready to suit a variety of use cases.  According to Microsoft, the immersive Mesh meeting spaces foster various enterprise use cases such as employee onboarding, town halls, brainstorming sessions, team socials, and networking events.  Following a lengthy development period, the…

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The Apple Vision Pro is due later this week, and according to reports from “people familiar” with Meta and its operations, Mark Zuckerberg’s firm plans to become the Android competitor against Apple as the firm enters the XR world.Much like smartphone users are generally pushed to choose between an iOS or Android device, some pundits believe that the headset market will reach the same point as Apple and other major firms invest in XR devices.“Meta employees see the Quest and its software ecosystem emerging as a primary alternative to Apple in the space, filling the role played by Google’s Android…

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Interest in AR smart glasses trends is increasing again in 2024. New vendors and existing XR innovators are exploring the growing market.Events and industry professionals are drawing attention to the growing power of AR, and excitement is growing.Although interest in virtual and mixed-reality headsets has grown faster in the business landscape over the last couple of years, AR is edging back into the spotlight. Right now, countless vendors, including companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Apple, are all driving new interest in AR specs.As the landscape evolves, certain trends have begun to emerge, highlighting the potential direction of the smart specs…

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Earnings calls are out, and usually, the rolling soapbox is an opportunity for a business leader to address the good, the bad, and the ugly of a firm’s recent activities and investments.Microsoft recently released information regarding its recent Fiscal Year 2024 Second Quarter earnings call. The call hits all the expected notes, such as genAI. However, interestingly, despite an increased push towards developing XR solutions since mid-2023, Microsft did not mention its MR/spatial applications, HoloLens 2, or its industrial metaverse roadmap.Regarding Mcrosoft’s recent performance, Amy Hood, the EVP and CFO at Microsoft, noted:This quarter, revenue was $62 billion, up 18%…

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