Though the Apple Vision Pro brought a much needed spark back to the XR (Extended Reality) industry, it saw poor sales because of its exorbitant price tag. But apart from the cost, a lot of people also tend to stay away from XR because of comfort issues. And Apple seems to have a solution in mind: holographic projectors.
We’ve all seen the science fiction movies where an AI brings up fancy holograms for the characters to poke and prod at. Well, we’ve got to the AI part, where’s the holograms? Thing is, everyone has their own idea for the future of computing.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is convinced that Mixed Reality is the way forward. The company has spent the last 10 years working on Orion, a pair of AI-powered AR smart glasses. But while Orion is being perfected in the labs, Meta is bringing extremely affordable VR to the masses to get them accustomed to spatial computing.
Meta Quest 3S is the cheapest standalone VR headset on the market. | Video credit — Meta
Apple initially wanted to work on something similar to Orion as well, but the company was limited by the technology of its time. The Apple Vision Pro was a compromise according to Bloomberg’s industry insider Mark Gurman. Clearly, this compromise doesn’t have a lot of takers.
Apple's new plan
An illustration by Apple of what it’s working on. | Image credit — Apple
Gurman claims that Apple is still working on smart AR glasses behind the scenes, but recent patent filings paint another picture as well. Patent ‘12118675’ is the latest, detailing a system of holographic projectors that project visuals onto walls, ceilings, floors and certain flat surfaces like tables.
Of note is Apple’s unique approach to this system: with low and high resolution visuals being projected for different surfaces. For example, tables will get high resolution projections for use while walls will get lower resolution visuals to set the mood. The patent also shows projectors being used to view content that another person is viewing in XR.
I think what Apple is working on won’t really replace dedicated XR hardware but may serve to augment it as more and more people adopt spatial computing. It also fits in with the smart home market that the company has recently taken an interest in: for example, the iPad robot.
The only way this can really take off, in my opinion, is if Apple is able to project true 3D holograms with depth. Then we won’t have to worry about bulky headsets or misplaced glasses because our entire house would be a VR box.
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Abdullah is an ardent believer in the future of VR, and can't wait to see what more it brings to the table as technology improves. He enjoys covering new software releases in the XR industry, as well as major news about hardware and companies focused on VR.
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