The year is rolling into September 2024, and next month will be another busy month for XR. This week, PICO and Snap unveiled big announcements after each firm had a short period of dormancy.
On the other hand, Microsoft might lose out on its most significant partner. All this comes as Meta Connect approaches next month, and next week, HTC VIVE is looking to release details on its next big headset.
Snap to Revive AR Smart Glasses Ambitions
Snap Inc. plans to update its Spectacles product, which provides a consumer-level AR smart glasses experience. The company’s expertise in developing the popular Snapchat social media and marketing platform is reflected in the product.
Snap aims to build on its success with lite AR integrations from Snapchat and enhance the experience with smart glasses for more immersive interactions and content.
After initial interest in 2022, Snap will re-introduce its device when the AR smart glasses market is expected to surpass VR headset shipments. The latest information indicates that Snap will release more details about the AR smart glasses on September 17th, just before Meta Connect 2024. Meta is also expected to unveil its AR and MR hardware.
Qualcomm Joins AR Alliance
The AR Alliance, a group that brings together leaders in the XR industry to drive innovation and success, has announced that Qualcomm Technologies will join as the final founding member of its board of directors. Qualcomm will join the group with other significant players such as STMicroelectronics, Meta, Essilor Luxottica, Corning, Dispelix, Optofidelity, MICROOLED, and Google.
Bharath Rajagopalan, chair of the AR Alliance and director of strategic marketing at STMicroelectronics, said:
The founding members are driving AR together. The promise of AR and its potential industry are so vast that there is ample room for all our member companies to work together. The AR Alliance is the place where concrete work takes place to harmonize approaches for advancing, unifying, and growing the global AR supply chain and accelerating innovation.
Rajagopalan also explained that Qualcomm Technologies is joining the alliance “as they bring a key piece to the hardware ecosystem through enabling platforms for the development of applications, and with their years of experience in this space, their industry-leading technology and deep market experience.”
The AR Alliance aims to boost the global AR market by supporting companies of all sizes and fostering a worldwide ecosystem of hardware, software, and solution providers dedicated to addressing various challenges.
Microsoft HoloLens May Lose its Largest Partner
The US Army is considering new XR hardware partners for its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) initiative roadmap. The armed forces aim to create an MR headset for use in the field. In recent years, the US Army has collaborated with Microsoft and its HoloLens division to develop a customized headset designed to enhance military tactics and situational awareness.
However, reports now suggest that the US Army may seek a new XR hardware partner to develop IVAS: Next, the second version of the military’s immersive head-mounted device. These reports indicate that US Army officials and decision-makers are actively exploring new partner options for IVAS: Next, potentially involving a significant contract. For Microsoft, the US Army IVAS contract was reportedly valued at around $22 billion, a substantial amount for any headset vendor.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s HoloLens and Mixed Reality divisions have faced challenges over the past year as the company has shifted its focus away from XR technologies. Despite this shift, Microsoft is reportedly intent on retaining the US Army contract and not allowing it to slip away.
In an official statement, Microsoft added:
Microsoft fully intends and is prepared to compete for IVAS Next. We remain committed to delivering the industry’s best capabilities for our warfighters.
However, Microsoft will not have an easy battle as roughly 80 firms representing XR and other technology fields are poised to take the contract. One of these companies is Kopin, a group that is experienced in creating military-ready display systems.
PICO 4 Ultra Mixed Reality Headset Details Debut
PICO has introduced its latest mixed-reality headset. This comes after a series of gradual improvements to the company’s XR product lineup, particularly following a challenging period of operations. An exact release date is still pending.
After a period of anticipation, the company unveiled its new PICO 4 Ultra on social media platforms this week. As a leader in XR technology owned by Bytedance, PICO proudly debuted the MR headset just ahead of significant headset launches and industry events from other AR/VR/MR groups.
PICO’s new MR headset will continue the company’s product legacy. The device notably uses full-colour pass-through to create an MR computing environment similar to Apple Vision Pro’s spatial computing objectives. To achieve this MR pass-through, the PICO 4 Ultra utilizes four environment tracking cameras, two 32MP colour pass-through cameras, and an iToF depth-sensing camera.
According to PICO, collecting passthrough cameras allows for high resolution and low distortion, resulting in 8MP, 20.6 PPD, and 72 Hz display quality.
Users can engage with immersive computing elements in a virtual or partially virtual MR space. Additionally, PICO incorporates AI integrations that enable users to create custom immersive work environments.
PICO aims to market its MR headset as a tool for workplaces. The product features a PanoScreen Workspace solution that enables users to complete tasks using various XR external monitors.
Furthermore, the PICO Connect application enables workers to mirror Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android smartphone screens to the MR headset, allowing up to three desktops to be streamed at a time. Notably, the PICO device supports spatial video and photo playback, a Vision Pro feature previously exclusive to Apple.
In a social media post, PICO showcased its compatible Motion Tracker solution, an alternative controller that allows users to interact with various immersive applications using full-body inputs. The lightweight motion tracker, weighing just 27g, offers a seamless input method, with the company highlighting that device pairing takes just five seconds. The device’s other features include a 2160 × 2160 pixel resolution, WiFi 7, spatial audio recording, a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, and 12 GB RAM.
