Many people ask me: Uwe, what do you think of the Metaverse? Will it be something? Okay, actually no one asks me, but here are my 5 cents on the topic: I have produced various 360° videos and a VR and AR app since 2017 (thanks to Viacom/MTV/paramount and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH) I own the Oculus Quest 1 and 2. How often do I use them? For a while quite often, now less. This is not because I don't find the technology fascinating. I also think there are very good experiences and great games for it.
But how high is the threshold to put on a VR headset? According to Mixed.de, the typical VR user's usage duration was 6 hours per month a while ago. I admit, the survey is from the Rift era. However, my screen time on my smartphone is 105 hours per month. For the web, it is said that every additional click to the target causes 50% of users to drop out. Every click is a new threshold in use, where people drop out.
- The headset is taken out of the case Controllers are taken out of the case
- The headset must be charged
- The controllers must be charged
- Space must be available or created in the living room or safe location
- Any location is not suitable for use
- The correct position must be taken (standing/sitting)
- Headset is put on, controllers are taken in hand Headset is raised by pressing a button or
waking up from standby
Compared to this, there are much fewer steps with a smartphone:
- The smartphone must be charged
- The smartphone is taken in hand
- Face ID opens the phone
- App is opened by swipe or tap
Immersion in the 360 degree sphere itself is also a hurdle. I often don't feel like "completely out of the world". Sometimes the emergence back into the real living room is also a threshold. Both of these do not exist with a smartphone.
On the other hand, AR is more accessible:
- The smartphone must be charged
- The smartphone is taken in hand
- Face ID opens the phone
- App is opened by swipe or tap
- Smartphone must be held in a specific position for the app to work
- Tracking must work, otherwise the contents swim around on the screen
AR filters are of course omnipresent on #tiktok or #instagram, but usage is limited to a few seconds. Most filters here are selfie filters and accordingly small in scope and immediately available with the smartphone selfie camera. The range of more complex AR filters/apps for the front camera, on the other hand, is rather small. With our Yung Hurn AR app, we quickly reached the maximum app size of 2 GB and some users had problems with it.
In conclusion, VR and AR both have their pros and cons. VR offers a more immersive and interactive experience, but the threshold for use is higher and the range of content is currently limited. AR, on the other hand, is more accessible and can be used on a smartphone, but the range of content is also currently limited and the experience is not as immersive. Both technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with the digital world, but it remains to be seen whether they will achieve mainstream adoption.
Thanks,
Uwe
