Project Moohan shows Samsung doesnt understand what makes the Meta Quest 3 special and I don't think AI will rescue it

Date:
Fri, 13 Dec 2024 16:51:21 +0000

Description:
Samsung and Google's VR headset could be a mistake, but the glasses sound sweet.

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Samsung and Google have finally announced Project Moohan , their long-awaited XR headset collaboration, and Im cautiously optimistic that Meta might
finally be facing a true challenger to its XR throne, if only because Im a little tired of recommending whatever the latest Quest VR headset is as the best option for people to buy theyre awesome, but some variety would be
nice.

However, Im concerned that the two companies might already be making the same blunders as Apple has with its Apple Vision Pro . Im not talking about price at least not yet, because we dont know how much Moohan will cost (a word of advice, Samsung: it had better cost less than $1,000) but rather I'm looking at a factor thats just as important: software.

I test a lot of VR headsets, and my main issue with every non-Meta device is its software. When it comes to standalone headset experiences the Quests offering is second to none thanks to its massive library, which offers
variety and is well stocked with exclusives you cant get anywhere else.

Project Moohan will reportedly boast a massive suite of Android apps of its own at launch, but much like the Apple Vision Pro these will be ports of existing phone and tablet apps. Yes, interacting with them in VR would bring novelty; however the Vision Pro has proven that novelty alone is not enough
to shift units and make a device feel like a worthwhile alternative to our phones, tablets, and laptops. (Image credit: Future)

What we really need are bonafide Moohan exclusives; Im talking Google's and Samsungs rivals to the likes of Batman: Arkham Shadow . By releasing Moohans developer kit now the companies are at least giving app creators a head
start, so they can hopefully have some awesome exclusives ready for launch day, which at the moment the companies have suggested will be some time in 2025.

That said, Apple gave developers an early development kit too, and it proved not to be enough. A lack of time was certainly a factor software development doesnt happen overnight, and less than 12 months' notice has clearly proven insufficient in the case of the Vision Pro.

Financial risk plays a part too. Developing an app isnt cheap, and developing it for an unproven system carries more risk than normal you cant accurately judge what your expected revenue will be if you have no idea how many people will own the system. As we've seen, the way Meta has found to get around this chicken-and-egg situation is by having its Reality Labs division throw money at VR and MR software studios in exchange for exclusive access to their creations on Quest.

Yes, theres a fiscal recklessness to Metas Reality Labs gambit that division of its company is hemorrhaging cash at a scale that even the most dodgy disruptive Silicon Valley startups could only dream of but its paying off.

Given what the Quest 3, Quest 3S, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are capable of, it's impossible to look at a rival in their respective categories XR or AI wearables and recommend anything else. So Google and Samsung might want
to throw their collective wallet around if theyd like to achieve the results Meta has. Gemini in VR, so what? (Image credit: Google) You cant just say AI and call it a day

Google and Samsungs gambit instead seems to be the promise of AI
functionality facilitated by Gemini. However, simply announcing that "Gemini will see what you see and hear what you hear," and refusing to elaborate isnt giving developers or us much to go on.

Meta AI exists on Quest and it isnt exciting, so forgive me if I think the prospect of Gemini on Moohan sounds as thrilling as watching paint dry.

If Gemini offered some tangible potential use cases that Google and Samsung were talking about an example I frequently point to is a chatbot which could generate virtual objects you can interact with that are based on your prompts
Id maybe be less skeptical. But simply saying Moohan has AI and calling it a day wont cut the mustard. Smart AR glasses are coming, too but no timeline
has been set (Image credit: Google)

If, though, we're talking about the AR glasses weve been promised by Samsung and Google, thats a whole different ball game. A personal assistant who can share your experiences to help inform its responses such as to give
real-time advice like what groceries to pick up for a meal or how to get to a destination on time based on crowds and delays, or give on the fly details about a landmark youre passing thats actually useful. But an in-the-home headset having those same capabilities isnt all that useful.

To that end theres a question as to whether Samsung and Google much like Apple even want to make a headset. I dont believe headsets are on their way out much like how phones and laptops coexist, I believe AR glasses and XR headsets will stand side-by-side but it does seem like Google and Samsungs expertise would lend itself to the more on-the-go AR glasses.

This chimes with what the two companies have told us about their headset and glasses so far, and it's the AR glasses that Im most excited about trying, with Moohan, despite launching first, feeling like a less interesting afterthought.

With so many unknowns around Moohan I'll reserve judgment for now but Google and Samsung will need to tread carefully, otherwise their Vision Pro competitor might turn out to be a Vision Pro clone in all the wrong ways. You might also like Quest 3 YouTube app update finally adds an essential VR
social feature Meta Orion: if this is a prototype the finished product will
be incredible Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are getting even more AI features



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/project- moohan-shows-samsung-doesnt-understand-what-makes-the-meta-quest-3-special-and -i-dont-think-ai-will-rescue-it


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