The tech field has been evolving rather quickly recently. One has to be swift to observe new trends, launches and announcements that all give shape to what’s coming next. And while these new dimensions present us with new possibilities, sometimes it can get a bit chaotic. The new spectrum of experiences that immersive technology brings offers many variations, forms, levels of interactivity and they influence the sensory spectrum differently. What is remarkable about this, is that each of them tackles a different challenge across multiple sectors and industries.

The world has many problems, and some of them (not all) can be fixed by technology. Issues with optimization of operations, organization, speed, sequencing, connectivity, remote management are examples that can be attempted to be fixed or at least elevated by new technical solutions. And what is crucial in this from the consumer perspective is identifying the right modality – that means choosing one out of many available. From the developer perspective, one has to have a good eye and sense for what the product is supposed to solve – and ultimately what the customer will purchase.

In this article I will like to look at various influencing factors that play a role in building technical solutions in a rapidly evolving market — to build a solution that is technologically sophisticated but at the same time marketable within current conditions.

Delving into the very essence of these transformative technologies, we need to  examine the definitions and scopes, gain insights into their growing markets, and identify the fundamental factors shaping their adoption and growth.

Hardware Advancements

With hardware advancements we have many nuanced facets: display and rendering technologies, sensor and tracking innovations etc. Coming in diverse forms — headsets, glasses and suits. Performance has a significant impact on reduced costs and heightened performance has an overall influence on where the XR and immersive technology market is going.

Display and rendering technologies represent a critical pillar of hardware advancements, because they fundamentally shape the immersive experience itself. The evolution in display technologies has led to:

• Expansion of the field of view — refers to widening the angle through which a user can perceive virtual or augmented content. A larger field of view allows for more immersive and natural experience (natural to the human perception), making the virtual elements appear more integrated with the sensory field.

• Reduction of latency – refers to minimizing the delay between a user's input and the system's response. Actions like head movements or interactions in virtual environments must be swiftly reflected via the circuit, making lower latency crucial to prevent disruptions and lagging.

• Higher refresh rates — refer to the number of frames or images displayed on a screen per second. A high refresh rate means that the display updates more frequently (typically measured in Hertz), providing more fluid visual flow. (ex. a display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz refreshes the image 90 times per second). High refresh rates reduce motion blur, enhance depth and create a more realistic viewing. Lower refresh rates cause flickering, discomfort or motion sickness, particularly in fast-moving or highly interactive XR applications. 120Hz or even higher is a good range to high-quality product.

Complementing the display and rendering technologies are the sensor and tracking innovations. These target the precision and accuracy of motion sensors, important for real-time tracking of movements and gestures. The best hardware currently on the market mimics natural human behavior, which opens many doors to diverse upgrades in many sectors where XR is applied.

At the moment, three months after, the market is still reacting to the launch of the augmented reality device by Apple (June 2023), which initiated a surge of changes for other developers and suppliers. Many companies stopped and redirected their R&D activities, others threw themselves into building more affordable models. At this point we see the process of democratizing access to XR devices and making them available to a broader audience. The cost reduction is the primary objective, but combined with improvements in performance enhances the value proposition of XR technologies in general. Current models already offer higher frame rates, improved graphics quality and decreased latency, so it is safe to assume that we will soon bridge the gap between cost and performance, and pave the way for increased user adoption (and eventual mass adoption similar to smartphones).

Platform Development and the Role of User-Generated Content (UGC)

The domain of content and platform development covers a myriad of aspects — user-generated content, media and entertainment applications, enterprise use cases spanning training and design, social applications. They play a critical role in platform adoption, with each facet being a vital building block.

User-generated content is what democratizes creativity, because it allows users to actively participate in content creation, and by extension platform development. If the builders manage to gather a flourishing community of creators, they create channels for a unique content to flow into the XR ecosystem. This phenomenon has a dual advantage:

1. it enhances the volume and variety of available content

2. it augments user engagement and immersion by providing personalized experiences

User-generated content comes in various forms (creating virtual spaces, objects and other elements), and cultivates diversity and collaborative systems within virtual communities. These are the main domains where this is of major importance:

Media and entertainment applications

This is where the type of consumption and interaction with content is important. With VR and AR interactive advertising and storytelling, traditional media are being pulled into a new type of engagement. Virtual 3D has seen a particularly remarkable transformation, and it is now a reported phenomenon, that users are out of curiosity opening up to media and entertainment. There has been a wave of ad blocking and a creeping irrelevance of advertising often seen as spam, but digital advertising content and experiences can actually deliver information that users need.

Enterprise applications

While media and entertainment are major players, enterprises are a critical segment that often goes overlooked. XR tech is being integrated into various industries in design and engineering realms, where it enables visualization and iteration of creations in a three-dimensional space. These applications boost productivity, cut costs, and improve outcomes across multiple sectors.

Social applications

Social XR has emerged as a fascinating dimension linking technology and human connection. XR-driven social platforms focus on enabling interaction, communication, and collaboration in virtual space. They will be redefining social networking within the immersive space, which will alter the sense of presence via 3D.

Critical to their success and accessibility is the platform adoption. Operating systems and app stores serve as gateways, and determine the reach and distribution. Lately we have been several tech giants leading the way towards XR, developing dedicated platforms and or setting an example by adopting immersive technologies. This sends a signal that the industry is evolving, which further propels development of unified and user-friendly ecosystems to make the technology more accessible.

TAKEAWAY

There is a symbiotic evolution of hardware, content and platforms that stands as a testament to the dynamic progress of XR. The advancements in hardware, from displays and sensors to diverse form factors deliver a framework for immersive experiences in a form of content that engages the audience.

The tapestry of content spanning user-generated creativity, media applications, and enterprise use cases showcases the versatility and real-world impact of XR technologies. It is what drives the platform adoption and what facilitates accessibility and seamless integration, ensuring a cohesive ecosystem. To embrace and support it entirety, optimizing this triad of hardware, content, and platforms is needed.

Title image credits: Bullpen