It was the year of XR. But then, they all seem to be, these days. Strong presences from Meta, Magic Leap, Sony and HTC led the way at this year’s CES, with hundreds of startups picking up the rear. I was dazzled by a few demos, but ultimately left wondering what form a true mainstreaming of AR/VR might ultimately take – if it ever actually takes such a form at all.
There’s something about the technology that feels warm and welcoming, after a long day on your feet, gland handing your way across Las Vegas venues. Strap on a headset and feel the show floor slip away for a minute or two. I believe that most of the people who try these technologies in this context get it, but there are currently far too many barrier to getting these products on most people’s face.
Good VR is still prohibitively expense. Content is fairly limited as well. Both of these factors are moving in the right direction, certainly, but there’s a big, op...
