At the Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain last week, Samsung CEO, Han Jong-hee hinted at a potential augmented reality (AR) headset that supports multi-user Metaverse experiences.
The exec said at the MWC as reported by the Korea Herald’s Investor,
“(Metaverse-related, AR devices) are now the talk of the town, so we have buckled down to a task to cope with the trend. It won’t take too long. We are striving for perfection as we gear up for the launch”
Previously, Samsung entered the extended reality (XR) marketplace with the Odyssey and Gear VR, which debuted in November 2017 and November 2015, respectively, prior to the Metaverse and virtual reality (VR) boom that Meta fuelled following their monumental Connect event late last year.
Meta is developing various XR wearables ahead of the public release of Horizon: Worlds – the firm’s highly-anticipated Metaverse platform. The Menlo Park-based firm is working on Project Cambria, a premium VR headset featuring MR capabilities.
Additionally, Meta is developing Project Nazare, a pair of powerful AR smart glasses that enhance everyday life with overlays and voice-activated digital assistants. Furthermore, Meta is quietly releasing an XR smartwatch this summer that supports AR and VR applications.
The news comes after Apple delayed its long-awaited mixed reality (MR) headset to 2023, following numerous production issues. Also, Google is shipping an XR head-mounted device by 2024.
Debut Samsung Hardware in the Metaverse
The news comes after Samsung debuted last month the Galaxy S22 smartphone series and Galaxy Tab S8 tablet on Decentraland, a popular Metaverse space.
The South Korean firm unveiled the devices at Unpacked 2022, a fully digital event on the Metaverse platform. Samsung recreated its New York City flagship store on Decentraland as a digital twin for the occasion.
The digital twin, called Samsung 837X, operates as a virtual showroom that accommodates various company events such as featured quests, NFT prizes, product drops, and live performances for Decentraland attendees, according to the company.
The Decentraland platform remains a favoured space for businesses and users after reportedly securing roughly 300,000 monthly active users and 18,000 daily active users as of December 2021.
