Reducing the form factor

I’ve been notoriously quiet on this blog for some time. Whilst I check for updates on the back end of this website every week it has been way too long since I have posted anything. Whilst I started with a flurry filled with enthusiasm my frequency of posting has dropped to near non-existence. The fact that my Quest 3 headset has noticeable dust accumulating on it is a sign of how frequently it has been used of late.

So why this lack of activity? In part this is because of what I perceive as a distinct state of inactivity on the AR / VR and XR front. Over the past 5 years we’ve seen new headsets launched and updated but without any significant advances. Yes, some have included some basic accessibility options such as magnification and screen reading capabilities but all-in-all as a consumer there really doesn’t seem to be much happening.

At least in what I can access from my small corner of the world.

Specifically VR headsets have advanced very little and still present with the same issues they have for some time:

• Their general designs are still an enclosed unit and lack breathability and air flow which are paramount for good eye health.
• They are heavy to wear for extended periods without a counter weight installed.
• They lack significant accessibility options particularly for users with a vision impairment.

Thankfully we’re finally seeing new designs about to hit the market that at least address two of these significant factors around general design and weight. However little detail is still forthcoming on what accessibility features are going to be part of the solution.

Meta’s recent announcement regarding their latest iteration of their VR glasses is a sign of this shift in design thinking: Meta- VR glasses, virtual desktop and AI. They pre-empted their means of interacting with these glasses in changes implemented in the Quest 3 around hand gestures and being able to “ditch” the hand controllers. I was a keen adopter of this when the beta version was released but acknowledge that unfortunately the majority of apps I wanted to use were still dependent on controllers.

Whether Meta have succeeded in this we can only tell when they release the glasses in 2027.