Could this be a cautionary tale for another recently turned VR-maker tech giant?

  • be_excellent_to_each_other@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    As an OOOOLD geek who has listened to the promise of VR for decades, it’s AR I’m excited about. Give me lightweight glasses that provide an overlay to interact with either everything or even only specific things and I am so there.

    I don’t mean something like Google Glass, I mean more like an affordable, compact Hololens. (and I hate MS, but damn Hololens is cool)

    Edit: I probably used a couple too many 'O’s there. I’m OOLD, not OOOOLD yet. ;-)

    • FREEZX@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Had the opportunity to try out and develop for the hololens 2. I don’t dig it at all. It’s still big, has a tiny field of view, and when I compare it to VR, it’s so much less immersive. Not that it’s not impressive technology - it totally is. The best IMO would probably be a mix of both - high FOV, direct, no-camera passthrough that can be blacked out on demand. Meanwhile, VR is king, although a bit of a niche because of all the setup, required room etc.

      • I was just using it as the only example I know of that has really demonstrated some of what AR can do. I agree (based only on what I’ve seen) that it’s not ready for primetime, and plus it’s expensive.

        However - my son has a Quest 2, we’ve played it, I love it. But whereas I can’t imagine wanting to spend my day in VR all day every day, even if it were smaller and lighter, I would LOVE to reach the point before I die where everyone has some normal looking glasses (or even contacts) that are adding a functional or decorative (but mostly functional) layer over everything they do all day long - that seems both useful and futuristic in a way that could be a paradigm shift as big or bigger than smartphones were.

        VR is cool, it’s fun, and I’m sure it will get cooler and more fun - but while I am guessing it really will finally revolutionize gaming someday, and may also revolutionize very specific industrial or medical uses, AR seems (to me) like it’s got a lot more potential to become ubiquitous and life-changing for more people in more circumstances.

    • mack123@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Lol, but I get that. A proper affordable heads up display will add so much more value to my life. I ride motorcycles and that is where it can be really useful. A Kickstarter tried ot a while ago with a helmet,but that flopped badly. A pair of glasses that will fit in my helmet, beaming useful info to my eyeballs could be lifesaving.

      I had a long rural night ride a while back and it was bloody tricky navigating with the mounted phone. Not out of choice, more of a needs must scenario. The Gaiman map app was very useful in indicating the road ahead, bit the split attention needed was insane.

      Another 90s geek chirping in.