The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, the world stage for technological innovation held in Las Vegas, was particularly intense and full of interesting products, presented by countless companies and start-ups in the sector.
In this article, we will explore in detail the augmented and virtual reality products that have been presented.
Fitness platform FitXR has announced Slam, a new game studio built for mixed reality. The game has been specifically designed to take advantage of the huge hardware improvements of the Meta Quest 3 headset, which with its six outward-facing cameras allows you to always see your surroundings. Slam allows you to interact with the real space in which the user is, and this is the novelty, instead of being confined to an invented virtual space, you can continue to interact with your loved ones or with the furniture around you. (https://fitxr.com/studios/).
Zappar has introduced, on the other hand, Zapbox, a mixed reality experience. It’s a set consisting of a headset and two Bluetooth controllers. With the help of an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, Zapbox allows for a mixed reality experience. This product is the easiest and most cost-effective way to create and experience mixed reality with just your smartphone, it doesn’t need any complicated hardware or configurations. Using Zapbox’s app, the mount fixes the phone’s screen in front of the user’s eyes, and you can play chess, draw with the Open Brush app, and even create spatial videos on your devices. (https://www.zappar.com/zapbox/).
Sony, on the other hand, has announced a mixed reality headset in collaboration with Siemens. The headset will be able to split the rendering work between the headset itself and the computer with which it is connected, in order to obtain a stable frame rate at all times. Spatial tracking is done using six cameras and sensors, which also provide the functionality of viewing through video. The headset will be equipped with two controllers, one for manipulating objects in 3D, while the other is a pointer for more precise operations. The front of the headset can be lifted, to go from the virtual world to the real one in a short time.
Sony, however, has not only proposed the viewers, in fact, we can mention Torchlight the new display space, created with technologies developed by Sony Group in collaboration with Epic Games and its Unreal Engine that gives the possibility to create 3D graphics in real time. Torchlight allows filmmakers to bring digital scenes to life in a concrete virtual environment based on Unreal Engine and virtual cameras. (https://square.sony.com/ces2024/virtual-production-torchlight/?lang=en-us&utm_source=GLO&utm_medium=SD&utm_campaign=CES24&utm_content=ST_1)
In conclusion, the participation of these companies was a combination of innovation and creativity, emphasizing the constant search for advanced technological solutions to enhance the creative and entertainment experience. The emphasis on augmented reality, virtual reality technologies has been evident, with products such as Torchlight redefining the filmmaking process, allowing filmmakers to view and manipulate digital scenes in real-time. Sony is at the forefront of exploring new ways to engage audiences through immersive experiences, collaborations with game engines, and the creation of interactive spaces. In addition, the focus on eco-sustainability, with the adoption of eco-friendly materials and the reduction of environmental impact, highlights a growing awareness of the importance of balancing technological innovation with environmental responsibility.
Ultimately, CES 2024 emphasized that the future of entertainment will be shaped by a symbiosis between technology and creativity, paving the way for new forms of expression and engagement that promise to fundamentally transform the way we interact with the digital world.
Written by Sara Votta