Consumer virtual reality (VR) headsets took a stride toward the mainstream with the release of Oculus Quest 2 this year, while augmented reality (AR) experiences have been mainly phone-bound—consisting of Snapchat overlays and Apple ARKit apps. Still, some compelling AR and VR content was produced, such as the Solastalgia short film that took honors at the Sundance Film Festival, and Valve’s new game, Half-Life: Alyx . Because of the pandemic, some businesses have begun thinking about bringing far-flung employees together to collaborate using spatial computing. These are the companies whose products did the most to push mixed reality forward during 2020. 1. Snap For bridging reality with mini apps For Snap , 2020 might be remembered for the launch of “minis,” or little third-party apps that run inside the company’s messaging app. The apps can be used in social ways: Two friends can use a mini to figure out a movie to see, and then buy the tickets together. Or two friends might shop for a prom dress together (yes, Snap’s audience skews a little younger). And the developers of these little apps can either bring their own computer vision models or use Snap’s to let users identify places or products in the real world. The company says it’s been working with retailers on ways to keep business humming during the pandemic. For instance it launched a virtual try-on app with Gucci in June. Imagine pointing your Snapchat camera at your feet to see how a pair of Gucci shoes would look on you, then simply pushing a button on the lens to make the purchase. Snap’s AR try-on technology, launched last June, allows you to do just that. With its new Camera Kit tool, Snap is also letting brands like MLB and Nike build Snapchat AR lenses into their own apps, for their communities to enjoy. It’s in a position to do so: Snap has seen a big bounce in usage since people have been trapped at home (with their phones) during the pandemic. The company says its daily active users grew to 265 million in Q4 2020, compared with 218 million a year earlier, average revenue per user is up from 33%, and it anticipates an impressive 50% revenue growth in the years ahead.
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The 10 most innovative companies in augmented and virtual reality