January 23, 2016

Virtual Reality Gets Real At CES 2016

 

CES 2016 CES 2016

For attendees at CES 2016, one fact was inescapable: virtual reality has exited the “vapor” stage and is moving rapidly into consumer products.  Big names in VR like Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, Technicolor, and HTC Vive, generated a lot of buzz at CES.  Moreover, for those who thought Google and its Cardboard viewer were not as committed to VR as their competitors, Google formed its own dedicated virtual reality division.  The industry is expected to witness profound growth over the next five years, as more consumer devices hit the market.

Juniper Research Juniper Research

 

With market forecasts from Juniper Research and others predicting that 2016 will be a “watershed” year for VR, vendors must get ready to make a play in the burgeoning market, and those strategies were in full view at CES.

VR technology is now poised to transform the entertainment industry by introducing new immersive experiences to mainstream consumers, providing significant opportunities for consumer electronics manufacturers, content creators as well as consumers.

 

Majority of Americans have Experienced VR

 

Many analysts see significant VR uptake over the next five years as consumers benefit from a combination of improved VR technology allied to immersive applications, as well as reduced prices.  Given the current state of the IT product and services trends, virtual reality gear and smart-home products are likely to drive growth substantially in 2016.

Magid Magid

 

About 70 percent of U.S. consumers have played a virtual reality game and nearly a quarter of them said theyre "very interested" in having a virtual reality experience in the home, research company Frank N. Magid Associates concluded in a new report . Another 23 percent of consumers said they were interested in the technology.

 

Oculus Oculus

Facebooks Oculus division said the company’s Rift virtual-reality headset will cost $599 and is expected to begin shipping at the end of the first quarter.  The company began taking pre-orders at CES.

Here are a few VR headlines from CES 2016:

  • With Oculus headsets hitting the market, Fox is launching a Ridley Scott-approved VR offshoot of his Golden Globe-winning space drama “The Martian”.
     
  • That said, AVS Forum’s Mark Henninger noted that Samsung’s VR headsets were popping up everywhere, starting at Technicolor’s private suite. “Whereas I only wore an Oculus Rift once throughout the whole show, I donned Galaxy Gear VR headsets on four separate occasions. The demo in Technicolor’s suite was the first one I encountered. The VR experience I tried combined a D-box motion simulator chair with the Galaxy Gear VR. It was called the Goosebumps VR Experience, and while it did not give me actual goose bumps, I did find it exhilarating.”
     
  • HTC showcased the developers version of its new Vive Pre virtual reality system at CES 2016, Fortune reports. However, the company is giving away 7,000 of the new products to game makers and other creatives this month.
     
  • In an interview with the BBC, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai said developers are working on 100 or more titles for its upcoming virtual reality headset.
     
  • STRIVR Labs has launched a Fan Experience and VR Production division that is creating a fully immersive and interactive experience in partnership with Madison Square Garden and the New York Rangers.
     
  • Osterhout Design Group (ODG) showed off the latest version of its R-7 augmented reality (AR) glasses at CES. Since 21st Century Fox recently acquired a minority stake in ODG, the two companies may take the product to the entertainment market, Multichannel News reported.

Links

http://recode.net/2016/01/12/google-now-has-an-official-virtual-reality-boss-to-take-on-facebooks-oculus/

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5dd3fb1a-b341-11e5-b147-e5e5bba42e51.html#axzz3wOLd8fn2

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/martian-virtual-reality-spinoff-debut-852136

http://fortune.com/2016/01/05/htc-introduces-vive-pre/

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35249215

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160107006354/en/VR-Sports-Training-Leader-STRIVR-Labs-Launches

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2016/01/06/the-oculus-rift-virtual-reality-headset-costs-599/

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/ces-2016-us-virtually-ready-virtual-reality/146708

http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/ces-2016-21st-century-fox-eyes-vr-glasses/396280