2016 has been a great year for virtual and augmented reality. As promised, the likes of Oculus VR, Google Cardboard, HTC Vive, and Samsung Gear VR excited the hearts and minds of both critics and enthusiasts. PlayStation also made inroads into the VR arena with the PS VR, which has helped revolutionize the way we play and interact with our favorite video game titles.
The wild success and popularity of Pokémon Go also threw AR into the limelight, which has encouraged many R&D companies to look into ways of coming up with AR-friendly gadgets and technology.
Even with all the milestones the industry has accomplished this year, 2017 promises to be a better year for VR and AR. Here, we take a look at some of the juicy advances that we can expect in 2017 from the worlds of AR and VR.
1. Apple VR (or AR maybe?)
Apple has always been known to be a trendsetter in computing. So when everyone was coming up with all kinds of VR and AR gadgets over the past year or so, Apple's loud silence was hard to ignore.
Speculation was rife. Was this one of the rare instances when Apple was caught flat-footed? Not likely.
Apple's product development process is normally very secretive, as was the case with the iPhone 6 and 7. So just because Apple isn't churning out gadgets for VR and AR, doesn't mean they don't have anything in the works.
If the comments made by Apple CEO Tom Cook are anything to go by, we should see something from Apple within the AR realm in 2017 or 2018. There are rumors about Apple's next AR-based project, Apple Glasses, which is bound to have a resounding effect on the industry.
In the short-term, Apple is rumored to be working on integrating augmented reality into the iPhone camera app, which should help to familiarize millions of iPhone users with AR before the Apple Glasses are launched.
All in all, it should be a fun year for Apple's loyal customers in the augmented reality arena.
2. Microsoft VR Headset
Microsoft has made its presence felt in the VR and AR scene in 2016 with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive but is also set to make an even larger impact with the Microsoft VR Headset. These VR headsets will be among the cheapest in the market, with prices starting at $299.
Additionally, these lowly-priced VR headsets will work perfectly with low to average spec computers, which is unlike other VR hardware that often require ultra-fast processors and RAM chips. You will need something like 4GB of RAM, quad-core CPU or a dual-core with hyperthreading, a GPU with DirectX 12 support, and a USB 3.0 port to use the VR headset with your PC.
3. Magic Leap
Magic Leap is a $4.5 billion start-up whose existence has been doused in mystery for the past couple of years – for good reason. The company is said to be working on cutting-edge mixed reality technology (a mix of AR and VR) that will allow you to project virtual screens into thin air – something only seen in movies.
This technology will come on wearable glasses and will allow the user to superimpose virtual environments on the physical world via a photonic light field chip, which is basically a special lens.
Magic Leap hasn't revealed any leads on pricing yet, but more details should be coming in during the first few months of 2017.
4. Bricks and Goggles
Imagine exploring different areas of your home before actual construction begins and making changes to the virtual design. Bricks and Goggles promises to give you a virtual tour of your home before construction, an improvement from regular 3D designs produced by CAD software.
This company will allow you to upload CAD and BIM designs of your home which are then converted into virtual reality formats ready for exploring. You can then use your Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, or other VR gear to take virtual tours of your home designs.
Companies such as Bricks and Goggles will play important roles from the software end to help in the uptake of VR and AR as a whole in 2017.
Conclusion
A while back, few would imagine that the movie world of The Matrix would actually become reality. That world is here, and it looks better than anyone could ever have imagined. Going into 2017, AR is poised to move further into our personal and professional lives, with manufacturers and developers looking to merge the best of the virtual and realistic worlds.