VR headsets
What’s the difference between AR and VR?
Virtual Reality = everything around you is CG and it looks real
Augmented Reality = CG is added to a real background (pokemon go, directions while driving)
Mixed Reality = the virtual and real objects can interact with each other
Virtual Boy (1995) - Nintendo
Price: $180 in 1995 ($370 now)
Why do you think these VR glasses failed?
stand - weight
colour of games
friends
Each Virtual Boy had a warning:
“Children under 7 can’t use this. It may cause serious damage to your vision or hearing”
“Some people may feel fatigue or discomfort if you play for a long time. You MUST take a break after 15 minutes”
The Game Boy (1989) sold 118 million units in total
How many units of Virtual Boy were sold?
Nintendo sold 770,000 units world wide.
Google Glass (2014)
Price: $1,500
Time magazine called this “the best invention of the year”
What is google glass?
What could it do?
What do you think of the design?
What do you think people can use it for?
Would you buy this?
In 2015 Google Glass sales ended.
Why do you think Google Glass failed?
price
design
use cases
privacy
There weren’t so many use-cases for google glass. Some states and countries (UK) banned google glass while driving because it could distract people.
People were worried that someone wearing Google Glass could secretly be recording them. Many public places (hotels, restaurants) started banning Google Glass and people called users “Glassholes.” Even Google started using the term for people who misused the product.
In 2017 Google started selling Google Glass again but it targeted businesses.
What do you think it was used for?
The glasses could be used to…
scan barcodes hands-free
give directions for items in a factory
show manuals for machines during repairs
call for live assistance in repairs
Can the business-version be a success?
In March 2023 Google announced they would stop selling google glass again.
PSVR (2016) - Sony
Price: $399
Who is the target of this VR headset?
Do you think this was successful?
PSVR
PSVR2
This headset was more affordable than it’s rivals (HTC’s Vive and Meta’s Oculus) because it connected to a playstation.
It sold about 5 million units in it’s lifetime
Sony released PSVR2 in 2022 for the PS5
Vision Pro (2024) - Apple
Price: $3,499
Have you heard about any of the feautres of this?
Based on the pictures, can you explain the features of the Vision Pro:
Play video games on a huge virtual screen
You can see see other people and objects in your room.
You can have clear conference calls without multiple monitors
You can see multiple screens clearly at the same time. (You don’t need a 2nd monitor in your house)
Your apps will appear in front of you around your room. You can select the apps just by looking at them and clicking your fingers. How does the technology work?
You can watch movies on a huge screen
You can take 3D videos to relive memories.
You can connect it to your Mac to have a giant display
It has a portable battery so you can take it anywhere (2-4 hours of battery life)
Would you use this?
Do you think this will be a success?
Who should Apple target?
Most of the reviews have been very positive
At the initial launch Apple’s target was 3 million units in the first year however the target has been lowered to 900,000