Operation of consumer choice platform is not a linear development, but, like a wave after wave of the past is a PC, Internet and mobile devices, and the fourth wave, is likely to be the wave of three overlapping: virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR).
According to a report VentureBeat, observe the wave can be found in the past, all kinds of product or technology is not alone, but with other products.
PC wave occurred in 20 years ago, accelerate the development in the 1990 s; Internet, but 5 years time, in 2000, is a sharp turn. Smart phone after its launch, grew in 3 years time, bring a lot of innovation.
Today, VR and AR is still in the early stages of the development of science and technology market. By 2018, both the low-order Cardboard to higher-order HoloLens, user base 100 million I'm afraid not. The industry revenue about billions of dollars in 2016, by 2017, perhaps 2018 could be a turning point.
VR is to make the users immersed in the virtual world; AR is a virtual objects overlapping with the things in the real world; MR is the real world, into the real virtual objects, looks like really exists in reality.
At present there are two forms of VR, the first is a game consoles and PC, the second is the mobile device. Game consoles and PC VR provides the best user experience, but the limitation is that Sony PS4 global number only about 40 million units, and can match the PC is less than 20 million sets of VR.
Mobile VR price only $99, some even free, but the user experience cannot be compared with the VR games consoles and PC. But the future things may change, because smart phone makers face profit growth stagnation and compression, must now rely on mobile VR to grow.
AR and MR face different challenges, the consumer market is not ready, I'm afraid behind VR about 18 to 24 months. So, AR and MR owners hope to start from the corporate market, looking for sources of revenue.
To tap into the consumer market, there must be a star device, long-lasting batteries, networking capabilities, powerful application (App) ecosystem and telecoms allowance, etc. Now, I'm afraid to 2018 years to achieve.
In the long term, AR and MR have a chance to replace smart phones. But by 2020, even if the user has the opportunity to break, but compared with smart phones and tablet market, the entire user base is still very small; Much erosion mobile market, until 2025, I'm afraid.
VR is still the entertainment market, dominated by games, movies and theme parks, AR is a chance to win more market. While this AR cost is high, the price of hardware with smart phones, with prices to create a lot of revenue.
AR software and services, may be like now mobile market, AR of large scale will create enormous business opportunities for the mobile Internet industry. AR users will be TV, enterprise, advertising and all sorts of App industry LTD. Amazon (Amazon) and alibaba also has a new platform, you can sell to the user.
Now VR, AR, and MR is still in the early development stage, the next few years stepped into the stage of "in the face of facts". What will the future wave of development, is still to be seen.
