Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Virtual and augmented reality struggle

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By Stefano Virgilli — Both analysts and consumers have been debating over Virtual Reality’s success. The optimistic ones believe in VR’s potential, and hope that over time — as developers are working on its improvement — the technology will reach the long expected triumph. On the other side, there are people that do not believe Virtual Reality is meant to be a thing in the near future. Instead, they presume Augmented Reality stands a better chance than VR, as it can improve our lives by making things more efficient. Many others wait for completed VR consumers’ products to come out and then considering to buy one.


In previous years, both VR and AR earned great media attention. Consumers got their first pre-ordered VR headset, and analysts almost impatiently expected the numbers of the sales. As the first consumers’ critiques appeared, the public’s opinion divided. After testing the products, some consumers complained about motion sickness, discomfort, and other tech issues that contributed to their disappointing experience. And after an initial good first impression, some people could actually see the pixels on the device. However, manufacturers aim towards improving the experience and fixing all the issues that spoil it.


There is a difference between Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.


Virtual Reality (VR) is an artificial recreation of a real-life situation and environment, by using interactive hardware and software. The users experience the situation as real because it stimulates their vision and hearing. So, when a person uses VR headset, such as Facebook’s Oculus, it enters a whole new environment, an artificially created, where one is able to look around as well as interact if there are features set on the goggles. VR can be used in video games, where it creates and enhances an imaginary reality and is useful when creating a simulated reality for people to practice and train, like pilots. VR is typically used for entertainment purposes.


Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that can be used in real-life situations, especially in the business world — where it transforms the overall functioning. AR combines computer-generated components with real-world situations. It can be used on mobile devices and applications and can do revolutionary things, like pop out 3D images or text.


The main difference between VR and AR is that AR creates a digital experience in the real world, and VR creates a whole new digital reality, where the person shuts down from the real-world and enters the digital one. In some ways, they are similar as they are used to create a new experience for the consumers by using some sort of technology to achieve the desired effect, and have the potential of helping the creation of life-changing innovations in science and medicine.


They differ in their purpose, as AR can be used in many practical situations in real life — like showing directions. It enables people to interact with a digital world through a device and use it to change the reality. And Virtual Reality creates an entirely new computer-generated reality.


Despite the negative comments, many people understand that Virtual Reality products are not that refined for consumers’ products. In 2016, Sony’s PlayStation VR sold 745,434 products, HTC Vive 450,083, and Facebook’s Oculus Rift 355,088. The sales of Sony’s PS VR are the most successful, mainly because it is the least expensive — with a starting price of $400 — and it works with any PlayStation 4 — one of the best game consoles in the world. Compared to Oculus Rift ($600) and Vive ($800), PlayStation VR does not require that high


additional costs — except for the console — as the other two headsets are used on a quality gaming PC that enables the whole experience.


However, it does not mean that if the first pre-ordered Oculus Rift headsets disappointed some consumers, that will continue to be a practice in the future. When it comes to the live pre-orders, Vive sold 15,000 units in ten minutes, and Oculus Rift’s site almost went down because of extremely high traffic. But after the live pre-orders, VR sales decreased. In fact, Facebook CFO Wehner stated “With Rift, it’s really... you know it’s early in the evolution of VR. It’s early to be talking about large volume, so at this point, I don’t think we’re giving a lot of colour around supply chain and that sort of thing. It’s not going to be material to our financials this year.” Also, major companies such as Ubisoft and EA have not involved in VR production, taking the possibility of the devices not selling in the desired


numbers, before they make the expensive investment.


However, many people believe in the technology and see its potential. For now, manufacturers are working on improving customers’ experience and VR is still a work in progress. The decrease in sales might make companies look elsewhere to recover costs. But not all of them.


Sony PlayStation VR has a great chance of success. Overall, it appears that VR will always have its audience willing to enjoy the experience.


— vs.voxlab.net@gmail.com


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