Samsung Glasses Mixed Reality Headset: What We Know So Far

Although it was a bit late to the game, it was unsurprising that the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset blew people’s minds the moment Apple officially revealed its existence and features. It has definitely caused many players in the market to rethink their designs and strategies, including Samsung who was supposedly close to announcing its own XR or eXtended reality hardware. The initial expectations were along the lines of a full headset not unlike the (Facebook) Meta Quest 3 or Samsung’s own defunct HMD Odyssey, but it seems that Samsung was “inspired” by its biggest rival to go back to the drawing board. While still largely a mystery, some of the pieces are falling into place, laying the foundations for what will soon be called Samsung Glasses.

Designer: Samsung

What: The Design

There is still some debate on what specific area of the umbrella eXtended Reality (XR) space Samsung’s headset will be aiming for. Based on a recently leaked prototype, it would have leaned more on the virtual reality side of the equation, with outward-facing cameras to allow wearers to see a glimpse of the world outside. This is the conventional HMD or Head-Mounted Device design and something Samsung is already familiar with. But with rumors of Samsung reviewing the device in lieu of the Apple Vision Pro, you can expect some big changes in terms of design.

Image courtesy of Brad Lynch

A recent trademark filing in the UK reveals that Samsung is calling dibs on the “Samsung Glasses” name. The description, which covers VR, AR, MR, and XR, isn’t exactly telling, but it does suggest it will take on a form closer to smart glasses. Considering the necessary hardware involved, it won’t be something simple like Ray-Bans or Google Glasses, more like, well, the Apple Vision Pro or the Meta Quest Pro. While not completely comfortable or portable, this design at least opens the door to AR and mixed reality more than a typical VR headset.

Apple Vision Pro

Apple Vision Pro

How: The Specs

In addition to the usual processors and electronics needed to drive such a mixed reality headset, Samsung Glasses will succeed or fail depending on the optics it uses. The prototype mentioned above lists micro OLED displays, pancake lenses, and cameras for eye and hand tracking, all of which contribute to a more immersive experience when viewing and manipulating digital objects. Samsung was reportedly planning on using a 2022 processor to power this headset, but Apple’s challenge has it mulling over a more capable chip it could use instead.

Samsung Odyssey+

Samsung Odyssey+

One thing that Samsung might be doing differently from Apple is having the battery built into the headset, though mounted on the rear rather than the front. While this naturally adds to the weight of the device, its location attempts to at least balance the load on both sides. It also makes the Samsung Glasses a bit more portable since it doesn’t have to rely on an external battery connected via a cable.

Meta Quest Pro

Meta Quest Pro

When: The Date

With the Apple Vision Pro’s market launch nearing, Samsung really doesn’t have much time left to put out its own take on the eXtended Reality space. Insider sources claim that the date has been pushed back to mid-2024, in contrast to Apple’s launch sometime between January and April. That’s not to say that Samsung is taking it slow, as developers are allegedly told to finish their XR apps by November. There will be an internal launch next month, so we might get a few more unofficial sneak peeks of the device.

Samsung GearVR

Samsung GearVR

Of course, most of these are still conjectures based on a variety of unofficial sources, so there is still plenty of room to hope for a better device. Conversely, Samsung’s track record with the Gear VR and, later, the HMD Odyssey doesn’t inspire much confidence. The design of the headset is critical for comfort, but it will be the software that will determine whether such a piece of hardware will actually entice buyers in the long run.

Apple Vision Pro

The post Samsung Glasses Mixed Reality Headset: What We Know So Far first appeared on Yanko Design.

Samsung XR wearable could become an industry response to Apple’s MR headset

Samsung just announced quite a number of new devices, including its usual Galaxy S flagship smartphone trio. While this is normal fare for Samsung this time of the year, it made a few choice statements that suddenly got heads turning and, to some extent, scratching. Samsung practically revealed that it is working on an “extended reality” or XR wearable device, pretty much a headset, something that it hasn’t done in half a decade. While it was mostly an announcement of intent rather than a teaser of an actual product, it name-dropped a few big names in the tech industry as its partners in this endeavor. While the fact that Samsung is again making a headset isn’t really a world-shattering revelation, the timing of all these hints seems to be a little bit too convenient not to put it in light of Apple’s own upcoming mixed reality device.

Designer: Samsung (via The Washington Post)

Samsung is really no stranger to such headsets and is probably too familiar with their problems as well. It started out with the smartphone-powered GearVR, which it worked on together with pre-Facebook Oculus back in 2015. And then there was the HMD Odyssey which was one of the few Windows Mixed Reality headsets that launched and sputtered out. In both cases, the tech giant has taken a step back along with the rest of its peers, making this announcement all the more intriguing and suspicious.

These days, there are very few notable players in the VR and AR space, with Meta (formerly known as Facebook) and HTC Vive still competing for top slots. Microsoft has pretty much forgotten about its HoloLens, and Google is being typically Google-ish about its remaining ARCore platform. Surprisingly, these are the very same companies that Samsung will be working with for its XR wearable, bringing the who’s who of Big Tech together with a single mission.

Details about the device itself are scant, but Samsung did let it out that it will be powered by a Qualcomm chipset and run an unannounced version of Android made specifically for headsets. More important than the hardware, though, Samsung’s name-dropping is meant to suggest that it is establishing a more stable ecosystem before it actually launches the product. The reason why many attempts at this niche market failed was that they were too focused on the product without an ecosystem giving it a reason to exist in the first place.

Apple isn’t going to have that problem when it launches its own MR device this spring, given how all its products pretty much live within Apple’s universe. Its rivals, however, don’t have something like it and will have to join forces to deliver something worthwhile. Of course, these companies, Apple included, still need to make a convincing argument about why you would want to wear a screen on your face. And as these same companies experienced, that’s not a particularly easy proposition to sell.

The post Samsung XR wearable could become an industry response to Apple’s MR headset first appeared on Yanko Design.

Camera-maker Canon enters the metaverse game with their mixed-reality headset MREAL X1

Canon seems to be following its competitor Sony’s suit by betting big on the metaverse.

There was a time when Canon dominated the camera space. Now, with every smartphone having its own computationally-optimized camera system, it seems like Canon’s parade is getting a little rained on. The company’s finding new avenues for its imaging technologies and systems, however, and it seems like the metaverse may just be the best new territory. At CES this year, Canon announced a few VR/AR focused devices, a notable one being the MREAL X1, their mixed-reality headset and technology that Canon is betting on to revolutionize a variety of sectors, like retail, exhibition, medical, and other experiences. “MREAL is unlike anything Canon has ever developed, a premium visualizer/simulator that helps account for limits of scale, perception, analysis, and participation, and provides superb, almost life-like image clarity and color accuracy,” Canon mentions.

Designer: Canon

The MREAL X1 is a relatively slim headset that doesn’t cover your entire peripheral vision. Instead, it presents you with virtual elements just within your area of focus (58° x 60°), so you can see important elements in front of you, rather than all around you. Elements within the virtual space are interactive too, as the video above demonstrates how customers can visualize cars without there actually being a physical car in the space. They can tap on the car to have it change color, and even sit inside it, experiencing the interiors in an incredibly immersive way.

The MREAL X1 is currently in its market research phase, and it isn’t entirely clear if this will ever be released as a consumer device, or if it’ll be reserved for enterprise use. Consumers, however, can get a taste of the MREAL X1 at Canon’s booth in CES. The company collaborated with M Night Shyamalan to create a mixed-reality experience around the filmmaker’s upcoming movie Knock at the Cabin. “Visitors to the booth will be able to experience a break-in scene from the movie Knock at the Cabin as if they are a character in the movie”, Canon says.

The post Camera-maker Canon enters the metaverse game with their mixed-reality headset MREAL X1 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Pokemon GO creator Niantic Labs is making an AR headset for outdoor use

Pokemon is an extremely large gaming franchise, but despite its popularity, only those who would label themselves as gamers would actually have any first-hand experience with it. That was, of course, until Pokemon GO exploded to the point that many smartphone owners have met a virtual critter or two at least once in their lifetime. It has been more than six years since then, and AR game developer Niantic Labs has attempted to recreate that magic with other popular franchises with very little success. To its credit, it hasn’t given up on its AR dreams just yet, and its next big moonshot is an AR headset that’s specifically designed to be worn and used outdoors.

Designer: Niantic Labs

Many people might be surprised that Pokemon GO would be considered an augmented reality game, mostly because it doesn’t fit the image of what an AR application or game should look like. Although it does technically add a virtual layer on top of reality, mostly through location data, most people presume that AR would mean seeing those digital artifacts right in front of our eyes and not through smartphone screens. That would, of course, be ideal, but we still have ways to go to get there, especially with the current generation of AR headsets.

There are already a number of AR headsets available in the market today, but very few are designed for casual use. The majority are, in fact, made to be used indoors, often in professional or industrial settings, where bright sunlight isn’t a problem and comfort is almost secondary to utility. For Niantic Labs’ purposes, however, comfort and convenience are actually the top priorities, and it has designed working prototypes around those requirements.

The prototypes the game developer showed off definitely look sleeker and less bulky compared to many AR and VR headsets. It balances the weight of the headset by moving some of the parts to the back of your head rather than having everything in front. The two parts are joined together by what seems to be a flexible band covered with fabric. That might not be a good idea, though, considering how that material will come in contact with sweat and dirt most of the time.

The most important part of Niantic’s demonstration is that, at least according to the video, the prototypes work as advertised already. Wearers can clearly see both the real world as well as virtual objects like robots and ninjas outdoors in bright light. Unsurprisingly, the most prominent application of this device revolves around AR games, but navigation and mapping are also perfect for outdoor AR headsets like these. Niantic Labs hasn’t given any timeline for this hardware, and it remains to be seen whether it will be able to truly pull it off and, more importantly, make a profit from it.

The post Pokemon GO creator Niantic Labs is making an AR headset for outdoor use first appeared on Yanko Design.

Meta Quest Pro is an expensive gamble on the future of the metaverse

Although almost everyone still refers to it as Facebook, changing its official name to Meta shows just how much the company, or at least CEO Mark Zuckerberg, believes that the metaverse is the future not just of computing but also of social. After a few months of hype and buzz, some of the narratives around the metaverse have died down a bit. There is even news that Meta itself is taking a step back to reflect on its grand plans. That’s not to say that Meta has given up on those ambitions, though, and it is, in fact, making an even bigger gamble on that future. It has just launched a new mixed reality headset that aims to take the metaverse beyond games and entertainment, but it carries a rather high price that almost makes that dream even more unreachable for most people.

Designer: Meta

The Meta Quest Pro is the latest headset to come from the company formerly known as Facebook, and it combines two of its major designs and strategies when it comes to virtual reality. Like the Quest 2, the Quest Pro is a standalone device that doesn’t require tethering to a PC that would limit the wearer’s mobility. Like the old Oculus Rift system, however, it boasts enough power and features that enable a wider variety of experiences and, in Meta’s words, enable the metaverse.

It definitely looks refined and more streamlined than even the Meta Quest 2, so you finally won’t look ridiculous wearing one for “serious business.” It’s no longer front-heavy like almost all standalone VR headsets due to the battery being relocated to the back of the strap, creating a more balanced design. Pancake lenses also help make the entire assembly thinner while also providing an even better view of the wearer’s field of vision. More than just the design upgrade, however, the Meta Quest Pro also offers more power and flexibility in how it mixes the virtual and the real.

Full-color outward-facing cameras, for example, will let you see the real world beyond the headset, allowing Meta’s system to seamlessly merge virtual objects with physical ones or vice versa. Inward-facing cameras, on the other hand, are able to track not only where your eyes are pointing but also your expressions that can be reflected on your avatar’s face. Even the new controllers themselves have their own cameras so that they can keep track of their location and position independently and more accurately.

All of these do translate to a metaverse-oriented device that offers more flexibility and more options that go beyond the usual applications of VR and AR. In fact, Meta envisions the Quest Pro more as a productivity and work tool that can help you get your job done, no matter where you are in the physical world. All that power comes with a hefty price, though; $1,499, to be exact. That’s almost four times the price of the $399 Meta Quest 2, but it does also pack a lot more features. Still, it’s a pricey investment even for companies who might be able to afford it, especially for a metaverse future that few people can see.

The post Meta Quest Pro is an expensive gamble on the future of the metaverse first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rumen is a universal helmet-ready AR headset that’s perfect for technical applications

Ever wonder why we don’t have readily available AR glasses already? You could go buy the Oculus or the HTC Vive right now online or at your nearest retailer, but there’s no Hololens or Magic Leap headset available quite yet. The answer is simple – it lies in the killer app. The ‘killer app’ is that one app that absolutely drives the sales of a product. For the iPhone, you’d think it’s the camera, but it’s actually the app store. For the Nintendo Switch, it was initially The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and then Animal Crossing, for the Oculus, it’s clearly Beatsaber and Supernatural. What’s the equivalent for the AR headset? Maps? Well, maps are pretty useful on the phone the way they are. Translation? It’s useful, sure. But it isn’t the killer app. The killer app for AR, you see, isn’t a consumer-targeted appp. It’s actually more enterprise-focused. AR headsets can help enterprise teams achieve things they previously couldn’t. Surgeons can now observe and dissect human bodies in AR, aerospace engineers can analyze complex systems too, and technical teams can train junior staff through AR. The applications for AR are much more valuable to businesses than to consumers, which is why Microsoft doesn’t sell the Hololens 2 as openly. Even the Magic Leap headset is geared towards businesses and not consumers.

Rumen was designed for enterprise use too, but is less ‘AR Glasses’ and more ‘AR Headset’. With a universal design that fits on heads, caps, and even hard-hats, Rumen was designed with a pivoting visor that can be popped down when you need it, and moved back up when you’re done. This way, you’ve got an AR headset that doesn’t perpetually sit in front of you, and also allows you to wear glasses, safety goggles, etc.

Designers: Hoyeon Shin, Seunghyun Hwang, Siwook Lee, Jihyun Hong

Rumen’s industrial appearance isn’t an accident. It’s designed to be more utilitarian than stylish, hence its appeal. It fits around heads and even helmets, with a band that goes around the sides and even over the top. Control knobs just above each eye let you calibrate your Rumen and an HUD on friction hinges can be either brought into your POV or moved upwards to prevent it from obstructing you. A head-mounted screen projects data onto the HUD, and on either side of the screen are flashlights that allow you to work in low-light conditions without needing a head-mounted lamp too (after all you wouldn’t be able to strap a lamp over the headset).

The adjustable clear display lets you overlay virtual elements on top of reality.

Rumen fits easily on top of all sorts of helmets and hard-hats.

A close-up of the adjustment knob, with a view of the LED flashlight in front.

While the idea of seeing virtual pokemon prancing about in your real world seems like something people would readily pay for, the applications in the enterprise sector are much more promising to AR headset makers. Practically any profession could benefit from augmented reality, be it the medical profession, engineering, design, aerospace, transportation, or even regular technical industries.

The post Rumen is a universal helmet-ready AR headset that’s perfect for technical applications first appeared on Yanko Design.

This AR visor cap concept looks like an acceptable middle ground

Given today’s limitations in technology and manufacturing, AR glasses similar to Tony Stark’s are still a matter of science fiction. We are getting closer to that ideal, but it’s impossible to jump forward into the future without leaving the present behind without a solution. AR headsets today, even those that should leave you free to experience the world around you, are still bulky and uncomfortable to wear, which means they are less likely to be embraced by the people who should be using them. There is, of course, no shortage of ideas on how to address that problem while waiting for the perfect pair of augmented glasses, and one, in particular, seems to take inspiration from a more familiar visor cap.

Designers: Cheolhee Lee, Junsik Oh, Soyoung Lee

Even the lightest AR headset feels like you’re donning a piece of armor like a helmet, preparing to jump into battle. The ones that do try to make you look and feel like a bee or someone wearing military-grade night-vision goggles. In both cases, the hardware makes no effort to hide that it’s pushing a screen in your face, getting in the way of the rest of your vision. Not a problem when you’re leisurely enjoying the Metaverse, but a dangerous situation to be in when you’re walking around a factory.

The TNTN AR headset, in contrast, is designed with industrial work environments in mind. It looks more like a sun visor or visor cap, and to some extent, it wears like one as well. It wraps around your head like other AR headsets but sits slightly higher than most. Most importantly, however, the heads-up display doesn’t completely block the wearer’s line of sight and occupies only a small portion of their vision.

To some extent, this AR headset is really designed to only augment reality rather than replace it, adding information that only appears near the top of one’s field of view. This allows wearers to be more aware of their surroundings, which could be critical in applications where AR is already in use today, particularly in industrial fields.

The TNTN is specifically designed for comfort and usability, though all AR headsets will probably claim to be similar. Similar to a visor cap, the strap extends and retracts, though it’s probably made of more durable material than rubber. This allows the headset to fit any head and can even fit around safety helmets.

1

Despite being designed for industrial workers, it’s not difficult to see the TNTN being used in other fields as well, especially where awareness of the real world is just as important as seeing the virtual overlays, such as in operating rooms. The flexibility of the headset’s design also means that wearers won’t have to sacrifice their safety or even their style. The TNTN AR headset definitely looks like an acceptable compromise until we finally get our stylish Ray-ban AR glasses.

The post This AR visor cap concept looks like an acceptable middle ground first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple WWDC 2022 is just around the corner: What Product Designers Need to Know

WWDC is always an exciting time for Apple fans. Although the event is primarily aimed at developers, hence the name, there is always something that can be gleaned from what Apple reveals, both on stage and sometimes behind closed doors. Sometimes, there is a new device to pine for in the months ahead, though most of the time, the focus will be on new user experiences delivered through the next releases of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. This year is no exception, of course, though whispers seem to be more subdued and modest than before. That said, there are still a few interesting things that could be announced this Monday, including some that will affect product designers in one way or another.

Designer: Ian Zelbo (rendersbyian)

2022 MacBook Air Colors

Apple broke tradition last year when it announced the new iMacs that came in a variety of colors. As a company best known for its almost clinical choice of colors, this unexpected move seemed like a nod to the candy-colored iMac G3 of old, as well as the more colorful iPhone 5c. Given this sudden change in direction, it wasn’t surprising when rumors started popping up about the MacBook Air getting the same colorful treatment.

Unfortunately, the last-minute word from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is less than encouraging. Despite hopes, dreams, rumors, and drool-worthy renders, the journalist and industry tipster claims that those reports were “probably exaggerated.” Instead, he believes the 2022 MacBook Air will still come in the same trio of hues, namely space gray, silver, and gold. The only change, he says, is that the gold would look more like champagne.

Though the absence of colorful options might be disappointing, the expected arrival of a notch might be even more devastating. The design has been widely debated on the Internet, but Apple might not be backing down from it, at least not yet. Either way, the notch has forced many apps to design around it, changing the user experience, for better or for worse.

AR Headset

The Metaverse isn’t ready yet for Apple, at least not in the way that most people presume the Metaverse to be. Apple is a big believer in augmented and mixed reality, and it’s no secret that it is working on its own AR platform behind the scenes. It’s just not ready to come out with its own headset yet, not even a prototype, so AR hopefuls will have to wait yet another year, or possibly later this year.

That doesn’t mean Apple will be silent on the AR front, though. Its focus will instead be to arm developers with the weapons they need to tackle the problem of adapting their apps for an AR future. Apple already has laid some of the groundwork for these, enabling iPhones and iPads to become windows into this mashup of the real and the virtual. New tools are expected to be announced at WWDC, including one that gives apps the ability to react to QR codes. This, for example, could kick off an AR experience after a user scans a QR code printed on a piece of IKEA furniture.

iOS 16 Always-on Display

The next version of iOS 16 will reportedly gain a capability that the Apple Watch has long had. With Always-On Display or AOD, the iPhone screen could keep on running even when you don’t see anything but will barely consume any power. It can also only light up the specific pixels required to display a notification or some widget with important information.

Designer: Apple

It’s a feature that’s a long time coming, but it remains to be seen whether it will be a battery-saver or a battery-drainer. Accessory makers, particularly for cases and docks, as well as app developers, might try to take advantage of this new capability by allowing the iPhone to function as a smart display when docked or by showing only a portion of the screen through a cutout of a folio case.

iPadOS 16 Multitasking

The next version of iOS for iPads will take Apple’s tablets one step closer to becoming a full computer replacement. iPadOS 16 might include more powerful multitasking features, including one that will allow owners to run apps in floating windows that they can resize and move around, similar to desktop platforms like macOS and Windows. There seems to be a bit of controversy regarding this feature and its impact on the iPad as well as the relationship between macOS and iPadOS, but it is generally being welcomed by iPad Pro owners who have been using the tablet as their bread and butter device.

The iPad Pro has long been a favorite among designers of all trades as a mobile workstation that can almost replace their laptops. These upcoming multitasking improvements could become a game-changer for them, allowing them more control and freedom in their workflows. That said, it will most likely require developers to also adopt those new features, and the user experience for these products could change in a drastic way soon.

The post Apple WWDC 2022 is just around the corner: What Product Designers Need to Know first appeared on Yanko Design.

These mixed reality glasses give a different peek into the Metaverse future

Not all AR glasses need to be stylish or classy. Some actually need to be rugged enough to survive the real world.

Talk around the Metaverse has many of us dreading how the future will have screens literally in our faces even more than ever before. Of course, the ideal future also involves stylish glasses and less conspicuous headsets, perhaps even contact lenses that will let us experience a different reality in the midst of real reality. That might be fine for most people, but the Metaverse is unlikely to make certain industries disappear, especially the ones that work on the infrastructures that will make the Metaverse even possible. For many in those industries, normal smart glasses just won’t do, which is why this mixed reality and AR smart glasses put a more rugged spin on the narrative, even if it does end up looking a bit more like a cyberpunk prop.

Designer: Hatch Duo

In order to make augmented and mixed realities more accessible and more mainstream, the industry first needs to make headsets and glasses for these less cumbersome to use, not to mention less expensive. We haven’t reached a point yet where one can conveniently wear AR gear as easily as a regular pair of specs, but that is the goal of many device makers and platform developers. That said, not all potential users of AR services need fancy glasses, especially those that are often exposed to less favorable working conditions.

Just like industrial workers often need more rugged phones, they also need more rugged AR equipment. Even Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap, two of the very few headsets catering to these users, might actually be less sturdy for comfort. The ThirdEye Gen MR X2, in contrast, is designed exactly for rough environments. It’s thick, rugged, and almost menacing, but it’s also meant to be more comfortable and easier to use.

The visor, for example, has two layers, one providing the actual HUD (heads-up display) while the other acts as a protective shield for both the eyes and the display. The rather bulky frame includes all the hardware necessary to run MR and AR experiences, so you won’t have a cable precariously dangling from your body. And instead of joysticks or even gloves that tie up the wearer’s hands, the glasses has buttons on its frame for some important actions while also relying on gestures to control the software running on the device.

The ThirdEye X2 looks like a mix of the bulkiness of current-gen headsets and the sleek, smart glasses of the future. Its form, however, is designed not just for comfort but also for safety, with possible expansions for attaching safety helmets. At the same time, there’s almost a geeky appeal to the black and orange smart eyewear, like a mix of retro design and futuristic cyberpunk. It’s an interesting design hybrid, one that might actually become more common as we trek the road towards that AR future everyone loves to talk about.

The post These mixed reality glasses give a different peek into the Metaverse future first appeared on Yanko Design.

Magic Leap 2 AR headset will try to make the Metaverse feel more welcoming

The Metaverse sounds fascinating and all that, but you probably won’t be too enthusiastic about it if you’d be forced to wear a clunky headset just to dive in. Fortunately, that won’t be the case soon.

Although the term has become a rather controversial marketing buzzword only recently, the technologies that serve as the foundations for the Metaverse have been around for a much longer time. Virtual and augmented reality companies, in particular, have been trying to sell their ideas and products to consumers and enterprise customers long before Facebook decided to change its name. Neither VR nor AR, however, have really become that mainstream yet, mostly because of the bulky headgear they require you to wear, which is why Magic Leap’s second AR headset is making a big splash in more ways than one.

Designer: Magic Leap

The biggest and most obvious change from Magic Leap’s first-gen headset is the reduction in size and the more approachable design. The original Magic Leap already looked a tad more refined and polished compared to other AR headsets like the Microsoft Holo Lens, but the Magic Leap 2 shaves that further down to something that feels like wearing headphones, just around your head instead of over it. It’s a bit of a magician’s trick of misdirection, though, because the Magic Leap 2 simply relocates some of the hardware elsewhere.

The Magic Leap 2 still requires you to have an external, puck-shaped device that holds most of the processing power of the headset. The headset and the puck connect via a cable, but you can clip the computing module anywhere on your body. It’s not as wireless as we’d like it to be, but it’s the only usable compromise available for now.

The optics of the new Magic Leap headset has also improved in leaps and bounds. It has a larger field-of-view, which practically means that more augmented or virtual data can be overlaid on real-world objects, making the experience look and feel more seamless. The most important and most impressive part, however, is the dimming capability of the lenses.

Augmented reality requires that light actually goes through the lenses, in contrast to VR’s opaque display, though that also means that the digital overlays are difficult to see in bright daylight. The Magic Leap 2 allows the wearer to dim the lenses like transition glasses so you can make out the virtual objects more clearly. In fact, the dimming almost turns the AR headset into a VR one, though not to the complete occlusion of the real world.

Magic Leap says that most of its improvements were made to cater to its primary target audience in the Health, Manufacturing, and Public sectors. It might be quite a while before it decides to serve the consumer market again, after its catastrophic first attempt, but changes go a long way in preparing the technology for regular people. And when regular people start embracing these technologies more, the chances of the Metaverse’s success increase as well.

The post Magic Leap 2 AR headset will try to make the Metaverse feel more welcoming first appeared on Yanko Design.