AR Advances at CES 2024

The annual CES expo brings the brightest new ventures in the technology space to global attention. From announcements of new products and showcases of incredible prototypes to invitation-only conferences on every aspect of the tech industry, CES is always loaded with the latest tech and points to the near future of VR and AR (or whatever today’s consensus term to replace “AR” is).

CES 2024 was another opportunity for fans of the expanding virtual technologies and content space to get even more excited about an already promising year for VR and AR. However, It pays to note that as the technology advances, the terms VR and AR may lose meaning and be replaced. The buzzphrase this year for VR-minded CES attendees was, after all, “spatial computing.”

Space is the Place

Spatial computing may have first hit the ears of much of the general population when Apple announced its Vision Pro device, but to many others, it has been a known concept for some time. Poised to supplant the terms augmented reality and mixed reality, spatial computing was everywhere at CES 2024. From automobiles guided by AR apps to a wealth of smart glasses to a 3D projector that creates its own huge screen, it was clear that, indeed, space is the place where technology truly leaps forward.

The most obvious spatial computing devices may be head-mounted wearables, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of surprises in store for those keeping abreast of developments in smart glasses. ASUS boasted of its AirVision M1 glasses and their ability to give you mobile screen access in complete privacy. Weighing just 60g, RayNeo X2 Lite may be the lightest pair of smart glasses to offer a micro-OLED full-color waveguide display and 12MP camera. For the more active user, Vuzix Ultralite S may be their best bet at integrating spatial computing into their athletic endeavors.

Then there was possibly the most exciting pair of smart glasses unveiling of CES ‘24: Xreal Air 2 Ultra. Available for preorder now and shipping at the end of March, Air 2 Ultra can be used with a Samsung Galaxy S22 or S23, utilizing OneUI 5.1/6.0 and a Snapdragon processor. Designed with developers in mind, Air 2 Ultra allows for hand and head tracking and brings 6 DoF, plane detection, image tracking, and spatial anchor features.

All of these devices point to AR – excuse me, “spatial computing” – becoming the dominant virtual field and suggest a solid base of technology onto which porn can be developed. AR porn is already proving quite impressive, and from here, the only way is up!

XR for Enterprise

Sony showcased a forthcoming XR headset that curiously paired a fairly traditional hand controller with one more unique: a ring. Aimed at the enterprise market, the as-yet-unnamed device runs Android and uses the just-announced Qualcomm XR2+ Gen 2 chip and an 8K display with two 4K OLED micro displays. The display portion of the headset also flips up to enable the user to naturally engage with their real environment while the controllers can quickly be adjusted to be out of the way of, say, a hand typing on a keyboard.

These features may seem minor but will add plenty of versatility, crucial when developing AR apps that successfully bridge the divide between the virtual and the real. Especially exciting is the fact that Sony declared the device “dedicated to interaction with 3D objects.”

AR in Aid

Oculenz, a headset that uses pixel manipulation that overlays high contrast images onto an alternate field of view, compensating for vision loss caused by Advanced Macular Degeneration, was one of a handful of spatial computing devices shown at CES ’24 hoping to benefit the disabled.

EyeCane smart glasses from Cellico also hope to substantially improve the mobility and independence of vision-impaired users. Similar to Oculenz, EyeCane uses a 4K camera to capture environmental images and beams them back to the user, allowing them to see what would normally lie outside their functional field of view. EyeCane was the recipient of an Innovation Award this year in the field of Accessibility & Aging, Digital Health, and Wearable Technologies.

Before Your Very Eyes

The Brelyon Ultra Reality Display, a curved monitor, offers users a 122” virtual reality viewing experience without a headset. A patented supersonic light-field expansion technology grants users access to immersion and depth like never seen before. While this may seem like something that would require a huge amount of space, the device itself can fit on a desktop even though it delivers a panoramic view.

Notable for taking VR content out of a headset and onto a more standard desktop monitor, Brelyon Ultra Reality Display may soon be filling game arcades.

Currently aimed at enterprise use but eventually targeted for consumer availability, the device may be a few years away from becoming commonplace.

For VR porn, especially longer viewing sessions, something like this device could be the perfect fit for many users who grow tired of wearing a headset after comparably short periods.