This week, two different but related events caught my attention about the world of immersive experiences or, how Meta likes to call them, the “Metaverse”.

On one hand, a colleague gave me a demo and a refresh in Microsoft Mesh, a Microsoft 3D platform aiming to revolutionize collaboration in distributed work environments. On the flip side, I read several articles that proposed other opinions on immersive experiences, especially from the hardware side.

One is a Wired article reviewing Apple’s new augmented reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, set to be available on February 2 (in the US only). Another one is a post by Alex Kantrowitz on his newsletter “Big Technology” titled “Tim Cook’s Apple Has Been Meta’s Best Friend. Completely By Accident.” The last one highlighting on how Apple, accidentally, has been helping Meta grow in this area.

What if we overlooked the potential of immersive experiences?

These developments lead me to ponder an intriguing question: what if we had previously overlooked the potential of immersive experiences and the Metaverse? It seems now we are catching up, exploring new frontiers in technology and human engagement.

It’s interesting to note how often we overestimate what is in the media spotlight, the hype, and underestimate what is not. If a technology or trend gets a lot of media attention, we automatically consider it important. Conversely, if it goes unnoticed, we ignore its potential.

I remember someone once told me, “If news makes it to the TV news, it’s already too late to invest in it”. This statement is thought-provoking. Imagine if we had all invested 1,000€ in Bitcoin before it became a mainstream topic on the news.

After an initial hype and widespread interest in the Metaverse, especially following Facebook’s rebranding to Meta in 2021, the world had somewhat forgotten about this tentative of innovation. It was just an announcement, by the way.

However, there’s an important aspect to consider: perhaps, now, the concept of the Metaverse is becoming more tangible than when Meta changed its name and the same is true for the concept of immersive experiences. The rebranding was part of the company’s shift in focus towards building the Metaverse, a shared virtual environment born from the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and digital reality. The name change aimed to reflect this broader vision beyond just the Facebook social media platform.

Some viewed this as overly futuristic, but with Microsoft and Apple showing greater interest, it's clear that immersive spaces and visors are becoming a reality, transforming how we engage with digital content and others in an “enhanced” world.

This truly seems to be an interesting new starting point for immersive experiences and for Meta the most Metaverse moment, since the company embarked on its journey into the Metaverse.

Immersive experiences have been in the viewfinder of Big Techs. For example, Microsoft is previewing its Microsoft Mesh, a platform aimed at reinventing how we interact in virtual environments. Apple developed the Vision Pro, an augmented reality visor that promises to open new frontiers in user experience. And finally, Meta continues its journey in the Metaverse, investing resources and energy to realize this vision of a shared and immersive virtual environment. These efforts show immersive experiences are a field of interest for major tech companies, each of which is contributing to shaping the future of this technology.

Feel the co-presence in a world of flexible work

In a year that has seen a significant emphasis on artificial intelligence, there’s a detail that may have gone unnoticed by many. During the opening speech of Microsoft Ignite, the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, made a significant announcement.

During the speech, Satya said that Mesh is something Microsoft has been working on diligently behind the scenes. This moment is relevant because, despite the lack of extensive media coverage, it highlights the importance Microsoft is placing on immersive experiences. The mention of Mesh, without a big media splash, suggests a quiet but determined focus on these technologies, which could have a significant impact on the future of digital interaction. As Satya says, “Presence is, in fact, the ultimate Killer Application“.

Immersive 3D experiences for the workplace are a reality with the potential to revolutionize how we work and interact with colleagues soon. This captivating world can break down current barriers in hybrid meetings, where some take part remotely and others are together physically, and in fully virtual meetings.

I often take part in virtual-only meetings, but I feel a strong connection with my colleagues thanks to office interactions and social conversations beyond work. However, I think of information workers who mainly work remotely, away from their team, and sometimes in a different country. The ability to express themselves in ways different from the current 2D technology, which is less spatial, will surely be a factor in greater aggregation and synergy. This will enhance connections, boost engagement, and unify everyone in a virtual space that provides a consistent and immersive experience.

Microsoft Mesh aims to revolutionize virtual meetings. The goal of Mesh is to provide an experience similar to a Microsoft Teams meeting, but with an added dimension. This technology allows users to interact in a three-dimensional virtual space, where they can feel closer and more connected despite physical distance. The promise of Mesh is to combine the best of traditional virtual meetings with the immersive 3D experience, creating a more engaging and productive work environment. In this way, Microsoft Mesh not only improves communication and collaboration among team members but also enhances engagement and the effectiveness of work interactions.

I feel lucky to have tried Microsoft Mesh, and I really enjoyed it. One of the most intriguing aspects was designing a Teams avatar that accurately represented me. I want to clarify a detail: to create an avatar, Microsoft Mesh isn’t necessary; you only need to download an app from the Teams Store called “Avatars”. Once you create the avatar, you can use it both in an immersive experience and in a normal call on Teams. The experience is now more engaging and personal. It’s fascinating to see how technology is advancing in this way, allowing us to express our digital identity in virtual environments.

In the photo, here I am represented by an avatar, or at least something that resembles me. I believe that in the next 2-3 years, we will see significant progress in this area, with the ability to ‘avatarize’ our photos to create an avatar that truly represents us. This process is like the ‘Personal Voice’ feature of Microsoft Azure AI Speech Service, a service that allows you to generate a replication of your voice (or that of your application’s users) in a few seconds. By providing a one-minute audio sample, you can use it to generate speech in any of the over 90 languages supported across over 100 locales. The prospect of having an avatar that really looks like us and a digital voice that accurately replicates our own is an exciting development, opening new frontiers to personalize our digital experiences.

When I entered the immersive experience offered by Microsoft Mesh, I felt like I was inside a video game, having to move using keys and shift my view with a mouse (or other keys). I particularly appreciated this aspect: being in a three-dimensional space while still maintaining a two-dimensional view, with no visor or additional hardware beyond my PC. This allowed me to move and interact in the virtual space intuitively. Looking to the future, it’s likely that technology will strengthen to allow more immersive and engaging use, by example assuming we will wear visors, but at the moment I don’t feel confident we can use a visor for an extended time in daily life, both in family and work environments. At the moment, I see visors to have limited usability suitable for specific and niche contexts, like for usage by front-line workers or just to have fun.

The ability to engage in real meetings in virtual social areas through Microsoft Mesh is a feature that I found captivating. In these areas, a presenter can share their screen while sitting in a designated spot, while other participants can sit on chairs in a setting reminiscent of a virtual theater, focusing on the meeting. An interesting aspect is that if you speak, everyone can hear you in the immersive space. However, you can also choose to enter the 'Teams Meeting area”, a virtual room that confines conversations and prevents them from being heard outside. This creates a dynamic and interactive environment that allows for more engaging participation and greater privacy when needed.

Immersive Experiences and Visors

It’s interesting to note how Meta’s expectations regarding the Metaverse in 2021 haven’t fully materialized. Meta seemed to bet on the Metaverse as the next “industrial revolution”, leading many to believe it would be so. However, reality and the market have proven otherwise: the Metaverse hasn’t taken off as Meta hoped, and there has been no industrial revolution, at least until November 2022. That’s when OpenAI released an early demo of ChatGPT, which quickly went viral, with users sharing examples of its capabilities. Since then, Generative AI has become an integral part of projects for large enterprises and small-medium companies, even reaching consumers with products like Microsoft Copilot. As I mentioned a few days ago, we cannot overlook the fact that Generative AI is a thing.

Compared to three years ago, both the times and technology are more mature. Those who were skeptical about immersive experiences when Meta announced its intention to develop a Metaverse may now be less so. It’s true that we are still in a “preview” phase, but observing the concrete possibilities of the technology changes the perspective. While some comments criticize the immersive experiences for their lack of fluidity and realistic avatars, they still recognize the importance of taking the first step with a trial. This openness towards the technology is a positive sign showing greater acceptance and growing interest in the potential of immersive experiences.

It’s important to consider that testing an immersive experience as an early adopter is more complex than trying out a generative AI application like ChatGPT. Generative AI platforms achieve success and rapid spread, especially in the initial phase, because they do not require any additional hardware to use them. If you want to try ChatGPT, all you need to do is create an account with an email and password, and it’s free. To fully experience immersive environments, there are some technical requirements to meet, and if you want to play the total game, you need to buy a visor. This difference in accessibility might be the factor influencing the adoption rate and spread of the two technologies.

Visors for immersive experiences represent a particular market at this historical time, mainly targeted towards early adopters. To experience a full immersive environment, visors are essential, but they come with challenges. They are often large, expensive, and sometimes resemble ski masks, which can limit their appeal and usability to a broader audience. Most importantly, these devices do not allow for an “hockey stick growth” of the market, which is a rapid and significant expansion. The main reason is that people ultimately need to decide to purchase them. The barrier to entry can hinder the widespread adoption of these technologies, causing slower market penetration compared to products with lower initial costs.

2024 marks a turning point for immersive experiences with Apple’s entry into the market through the launch of its Vision Pro, initially available only in the United States. This event is significant because it involves a company with a powerful presence in the hardware market now offering its own product. Two factors amplify Apple's significance:

• users acknowledge and value Apple’s design and philosophy.

• it’s the first Apple Visors. For many, an important event.

Although the price of $3,499 makes the Vision Pro a product far from being accessible to the masses, it still represents a significant start. But Apple’s presence in the immersive experience sector has the potential to generate wider interest and spur investment and innovation from other companies (even if the Vision Pro will lack some Apps at the beginning, like Netflix, Youtube and Spotify).

I also believe that Apple Vision Pro is not solely dedicated to either the corporate world or the consumer world, but I believe is Apple's intention to provide a first approach to the product.

I wanted to compare the new headset from Apple, Vision Pro, with Meta’s Quest 3, the visor from Meta. Although the Quest 3 is significantly less expensive than Apple’s (about $499.99), from the presentation and some reviews I’ve read, Meta’s headset seems to create a more alienating experience from reality. This might just be my impression, but it seems to be confirmed by review sources. Another noteworthy aspect is that Apple’s Vision Pro does not require additional hardware beyond the headset itself and allows users to navigate the operating system using gaze or natural hand gestures. In contrast, Meta’s Quest 3 requires two joysticks to be held in the user’s hands. This difference in the control interface could have a significant impact on ease of use and immersion in the virtual experience.

To compare Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest 3, it’s important to note that both are quite bulky and have significant limitations in terms of battery life, besides the inherent challenges of being headsets. These factors can affect daily user experience. For those interested in inquiring deeper into these issues and getting more detailed reviews, I recommend reading the ones published by Wired. There, you’ll find in-depth reviews of the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3, which can provide further insights and useful information to better understand these devices.

Adopting Immersive Experiences

So, what if we missed immersive experiences in the past, and now we are recovering? Considering the presented analysis, it’s clear that immersive experiences are no longer just the stuff of science fiction. They’re here, and they’re gradually becoming more accessible, thanks to advancements in technology and the efforts of tech giants like Microsoft, Apple and Meta.

However, we are still in the early stages of this transformation. The adoption of immersive experiences comes with challenges: the cost, the need for additional hardware, and the learning curve associated with these new technologies.

These obstacles may slow down the spread of these experiences, but the potential for a significant impact on how we interact with the digital world is undeniable. We may soon find ourselves in a world where immersive experiences become an integral part of our daily lives. …And just realize immersive experiences plus the power of AI!

This is the time to explore, be creative, and actively take part in building an immersive future that can enrich our lives in ways we can only imagine today. Let’s take by example Microsoft Mesh. Now we can truly interact with our colleagues in a more effective way, even if they are far away. Whichever way you look at it, it’s a win.