Each year, the media hype cycle picks a new trend that takes over tech and investor discussions. Last year, it was Generative AI, and the year before that, it was the Metaverse. With the buzz surrounding Apple’s long-awaited entry into the virtual reality space this year, the phrase on everyone’s lips is Spatial Computing.
As this technology starts crossing into mainstream use cases, from productivity and education to entertainment and even gaming platforms like 22Bet, the conversation is shifting from “What is it?” to “How soon will it change everything?”
The talk focused on Tom’s yearly AR/VR predictions. His predictions have been so accurate that many call him ‘The Man From The Future.’
Spatial Computing Steals the Spotlight from AI
Each year, the media effectively has the capacity for one thing. Then, there is hype and centralization of discourse over that singular topic. Apple is officially stepping into the VR world with its Vision Pro headset. They want to use “Spatial” terms instead of AR, VR, MR, or XR. Apple is committed to redefining the space. The company has deliberately avoided using common terms like AR, VR, MR, and XR to describe it. This likely allows Apple to win SEO, reinvent semantics, and put the industry’s discourse.
That’s why this year’s buzz is all about “spatial computing.”
Recent tech trends like the Metaverse, Web3, and AI are merging in spatial computing.
Tom points out that Apple is great at shaping the language of new tech. Using “spatial” shows how tech can now understand and interact with 3D space. This is possible because of advances in AI and machine learning.
Spatial computing is the way technology links to and makes sense of the world we live in.
Prediction: Spatial Computers Give Us a Glimpse into The Future of Work.
While not new (by any means!), the acceptance of MR (sorry, Apple!) devices in the workplace and for training is becoming normalized. Now, it’s important for investors to know that companies are growing and raising late-stage capital through these enterprise applications.
For example, in Q4 2023, Transfer raised a $40M Series C led by ABS Capital for a VR-based skills training platform. Tom once gave an AWE Keynote titled “The Death of Reality.” He talked about how textbooks and videos might fade away. This change happens as we simulate learning more in AR and VR. Immersed has worked on this for years. Now, the Vision Pro can connect with MacBooks and display text in 3D at high resolution. This makes it feel much more real. This could well be a ‘bottom-up’—rather than employer-mandated—adoption of VR for work and productivity. Amy sees these applications as promising, though she believes they’ll take time to develop and scale fully. Amy thinks we are getting a “glimpse” of the future. Right now, the cost and comfort of devices hold us back.
Prediction: Reliving Memories Will Be Spatial Computing’s Breakout Feature
At the Vision Pro launch, Apple showed demos that let users relive memories. These memory experiences are taken with the spatial cameras on the iPhone 15 and Vision Pro.
For Tom, this use case is significant. It reminds him of older tech, like the InstaOne camera. This tech can elevate something essential to computing: photos. Apple’s full integration of iCloud Photos and the iPhone 15 Pro camera is a big deal. It almost removes all friction for Vision Pro users to experience spatial memories. Integrating the iPhone with the Vision Pro is a clever move on Apple’s part. Tom believes we’ll see immersive integrations in Macs, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. He also notes that Meta hasn’t explored this with the Quest headsets. So what about investors?
Tom believes Vision Pro could be a significant new opportunity, as in the early days of the iPhone App Store. Smartphone apps are now abundant, and many users are fed up with downloading new ones. Mixed reality headsets could open new doors for developers. Big tech firms are diving into this market.
Amy, yet, is more cautious. She believes AI still makes more sense now. Vision Pro shipments are low, and there’s no clear way to make money yet, especially at the seed stage.
Apple developers could get a jump on adapting iPhone or iPad apps for Vision Pro. They have a vast App Store audience ready to back them. But Meta’s ecosystem is also growing fast. Developers are making good money from VR apps and games. There’s still space to shine with about 700 apps on the Quest Store. That’s still a tiny number compared to the massive 1.8 million apps available on the iOS App Store.
