It’s hard to imagine that almost a decade has passed since the launch of Oculus Rift, but here we are nonetheless. As time goes on, augmented reality technology is slowly getting within the consumers’ reach, with prices dropping and bugs getting ironed out with each subsequent year. But how far have we come in regard to its development and what does the future have in store? Read more below!
Early augmented reality gizmos first surfaced in the 90s
In the 90s, we were first introduced to Arcade Virtuality Systems, followed by Nintendo’s Virtual Boy in 1995. However, none of these were received particularly well by the public, which led to a long break between developments. Read This Article to find out more about why the Nintendo Virtual Boy didn’t work out.
Fast forward to 2012, and we saw a Kickstarter campaign promising high-tech VR technology that would later become known as the Oculus Rift. And as it turned out, an opportunity to enjoy an alternate, virtual reality without having to spend a small fortune, was an intriguing one indeed. Although the earlier versions had their fair share of technical shortcomings, it seemed as though the solution had always been within an arm’s reach, given enough time to allow for sporadic tweaks and technological improvements.
In particular, the earlier models were criticized for carrying too high of a price tag, which was quite a deterrent to many who would otherwise have given one a shot. The fact that navigating your way through the virtual worlds was somewhat clunky didn’t help either. The refresh rate also left something to be desired.
AR is still struggling in the current times
Despite numerous improvements to the hardware itself, controlling scheme, refresh rates, eye tracking, and various other aspects, augmented reality is still trying to find its place in the consumer world. So given that all of the issues have more or less been addressed, what is the true reason for this? Have gamers simply forgotten all about it and its initial hype?
The most likely explanation is that there are not enough AR-supported gaming titles out there that would merit obtaining one of these devices. Even though it takes little to learn how to play roulette online, which is an accessible way of experiencing the thrills of casino gaming only AR technology can give, it’s safe to say the we are going to need an influx of fresh gaming titles that appeal to the general public. Titles such as Elite Dangerous, Beat Saber, and Robo Recall are all great examples of this in their own regard, but the market is thirsting for more.
The future of AR
Despite being almost a decade away from its initial baby steps in its latest installment, the AR technology has not reached its fullest potential yet, although experts remain confident this is bound to change in a couple of years. But alas, the issue remains – there is a serious lack of titles to choose from. And it’s not doing the industry any favors.
Still, there may be a saving grace that’s called cloud streaming. Being subscribed to such a service would effectively eliminate the need to acquire an expensive device, because the heavy lifting of hardware processing and rendering would be done in the cloud. The final graphical output would be streamed straight into the AR headset or glasses, which would be incredibly affordably priced as a result.
Sounds great, right? If it weren’t for one glaring issue; namely, the lag that is an inevitable part of streaming, at least in the current state of technology. Even so, this may improve in the future as the tech industry already has a couple ideas on how to cut down the lag to negligible levels.
All in due time.
Conclusion
For those with money to spare, the current AR gizmos are a great choice if you’re a tech freak who can’t get enough of the latest digital fix. As for the global market acceptance, we are likely just a footstep away from seeing it.
