Is the metaverse (or metaverse) the new high-tech Eldorado? Mark Zuckerberg is convinced of this and has even renamed his company Meta. All the major players are working on virtual, augmented or mixed reality headsets, or even already have a device. All… except one: Samsung – and Apple, but who make no secret of their interest in this field of development.
According to our colleagues from Korea Herald, the Korean manufacturer would rather focus on folding smartphones in an attempt to increase its market share. Analyst firm TrendForce says Samsung only saw a small increase of 0.9% between 2020 and 2021, compared to 25.5% for Apple and 35.1% for Xiaomi.
And even if Samsung quickly develops an XR device (for eXtended Reality, a term encompassing virtual, augmented, mixed reality and all other technologies of this type), the manufacturer will find itself confronted with another problem: the absence of a platform and content to offer a genuine “metaverse” ecosystem.
Kim Gwang-soo, analyst at eBest Investment and Securities, said:
“Big tech companies, rather than smartphone makers, are the main players for XR devices because they have the content and platforms to support it.
Google has its Android operating system, Microsoft has Xbox, and Sony has PlayStation. It’s risky for Samsung to release XR devices, so it has no choice but to stick with folding smartphones. »
Thus, Sony has unveiled its new PlayStation VR 2 headset, while Apple is working on a mixed reality headset, even if the manufacturer does not seem attracted for the moment by the metaverse, and what it implies above all risk of addiction. For its part, Microsoft has teamed up with Qualcomm for its future augmented reality glasses, which will benefit from a specific chip. It should allow the glasses to consume less energy and be lighter. Finally, Meta is developing a new AR/VR headset under the name Project Cambria, which should be launched later this year.
Also see video:
For now, Samsung has just announced that it has invested in Californian startup DigiLens, which makes XR glasses. A solution for the manufacturer would be to join forces with a partner who would provide it with a platform and content for its future XR devices.
But Samsung must not hang around if it wants to take its share of a cake that promises to be very appetizing. The market for XR devices is expected to grow from $31 billion in 2021 to $300 billion in 2024, according to some estimates. The number of devices would increase from 10 million units in 2021 to 70 million units in 2025.
Thus, helmets and XR glasses should become widespread in the coming years and partially replace computers and smartphones. Have you already chosen your avatar?
Source : Korea Herald