The big news is coming: Towards the end of the month, leading headset vendors will be unveiling new headsets in various phases. This comes just in time, as Connect runs at the end of September and companies in the XR industry and beyond are using the mainstream enterprise event to get the word out about their solutions.
Despite being a consumer-focused product, Meta’s Quest range is still the most popular brand in the XR headset sector, and any really big news will catch the eye of other market players.
However, the market is a bit subdued at the moment as companies prepare for big news. Stay tuned as some changes in the market could slip through the cracks before you know it.
NVIDIA Blackwell delays impact Meta and Microsoft XR/GenAI targets
NVIDIA’s highly anticipated Blackwell chipset is delayed due to design flaws. The roughly three-month delay could pose a challenge for companies like Meta, Google and Microsoft that are eagerly awaiting the release as they compete in the rapidly evolving field of AI innovation.
A NVIDIA spokesperson said:
As we have previously stated, demand for Hopper is very strong, extensive sampling has commenced at Blackwell and production is expected to increase in the second half of the year.
NVIDIA introduced the Blackwell chipset at GTC earlier this year, emphasizing its potential for parallel use cases bridging XR and AI in business contexts. With current GenAI advances, chipsets like Blackwell are likely to become more valuable and in demand. Despite delays, NVIDIA is committed to meeting that demand.
Additionally, XR companies like Microsoft and Meta are investing in AI-powered XR services. Access to powerful GenAI chipsets and supporting hardware could be critical for the adoption of smart glasses and VR headsets. Hopefully, the Blackwell delays won’t hinder Meta and Microsoft’s XR goals.
Introducing the Pico Tease MR/VR headset
This week, headset maker Pico hinted that a new device will be announced on August 20 at 2:00 p.m. China Standard Time. The company shared a mysterious image on its social media channels with the quote “Reality, amplified.”
No further details were revealed about the post, but the timing of the announcement is strategically ahead of Meta Connect 2024. Moreover, the August 20 unveiling date comes shortly after HTC VIVE teased the upcoming release of a “groundbreaking” headset in a YouTube video.
This suggests a growing interest among XR hardware vendors to coordinate hardware releases around the preparation and hosting of Meta Connect 2024, possibly in the hope that Meta’s event will reignite general interest in XR. This trend is similar to the way XR companies coordinated their releases with WWDC and Vision Pro news earlier this year.
Meta Connect is scheduled for September 25-26, 2024. The event will showcase Meta’s latest digital solutions from its social media and XR portfolio.
Microsoft orders mixed reality displays from Samsung
Microsoft is in the process of purchasing OLED display panels for an as-yet-unreleased MR headset/device.
Interestingly, they’ll get the OLED panels from Samsung Display, a subsidiary of Samsung that plans to launch its own XR headset later this year or early next year.
The exact quantity of Microsoft’s OLED order is currently unknown, but insiders believe the order is for several hundred thousand units, as reported by Korean outlet Elec. However, the deliveries do not necessarily mean that Microsoft will soon unveil an MR headset.
According to Elec’s sources, Microsoft is likely to unveil a device equipped with OLED panels “in the year after next at the earliest.” This news comes shortly after Microsoft filed patent applications providing a possible first look at a pair of augmented reality smart glasses.
Meta’s Horizon OS debuts on third-party VR headsets
Reliance Jio has partnered with Meta to launch the Horizon OS platform on a new Jio-branded XR device. This move involves porting the Quest-based framework to a third-party VR headset. The decision follows Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Reintroducing the Horizon platform as an open service to encourage VR content creation on third-party headsets beyond the Quest ecosystem.
The focus of the partnership is to bring the Horizon service to a new Jio VR headset. This announcement comes just a year after Jio launched its VR headset JioDive to complement its Smart Glasses product.
At the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023, Jio unveiled the Jio Glass, a spatial computing device, for the first time. In addition to its range of electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones and broadband tools, the company has entered the XR market with the Jio Glass head-mounted display.
Reliance Jio has acquired the Jio Glass solution to support XR development in India and among its global customers. The company is working to create an ecosystem of hardware, software and solutions to advance XR technologies.
