7 Reasons You Should Wait for Next-Gen Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is one of the most exciting spaces in tech right now. Not only is it set to revolutionize how we play and enjoy games completely, but it will change how we do business, shop, medicine and healthcare, as well as various other areas. However, some experts believe the average person should wait before jumping on the AR train; here’s why.

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The current state of AR

At the moment, augmented reality is still in its infancy. While we have seen huge leaps and bounds over the past few years, the technology is still in trial and error, and developers still have many kinks to work out.

While some headsets and systems can do the job reasonably well, many are either out of the many people’s price range or are simply not advanced enough to do everything a user wants.

The gaming space is a prime example; if you were to look up “online slots UK,” you would see a massive variety of games and options, even though it is a space many think is relatively limited.

On the other hand, the only AR game many people can name is Pokemon Go. While variation exists, it is still constrained compared to PC or console gaming.

Optics & display

When it comes to AR, your smartphone and a headset or pair of glasses of some description are the two pieces of tech most of us will use AR on. AR glasses and headsets, in particular, are struggling to give people the whole augmented reality experience.

This is because creating a system that can be worn on the face, not overwork the eyes, but still create a detailed digital rendering of the world we see is challenging. It isn’t impossible; a lot of technology needs to go into a small form factor.

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Communication delays & constraints

At the moment, one of the most significant drawbacks of AR is the delays in communication and the communication constraints. For AR to be an effective way to view a world digitally, it must act as our eyes do.

When we look at something, barring any health issues, we instantly see and process it without delays. On the other hand, AR needs fast internet, the ability to immediately obtain and relay information, and ensure the information is 100% accurate.

Internet speeds

The issue of varying internet speeds will affect people differently, depending on where you live. Internet speed is a significant factor in AR, as the internet is where all the information for the system comes from.

Many companies and developers are creating AR cloud systems. Cloud services offer far better internet speeds and resource usage and, by all accounts, should solve the internet issue in the future.

Price

Another massive sticking point for both AR and VR is the price of the systems. The Google Glasses, for example, will set the average person back around $1000, with some higher-end VR systems, such as the new headset from Apple, costing a whopping $3,500. Plus, Google Glasses have stopped being sold, partly because the price was far too much and unjustifiable to many.

For the average person, this is far too much money for something still relatively limited. Only when developers can offer the technology at a more affordable cost will the systems remain expensive once they hit the shelves.

Product range

When you step back and look at the bigger picture, you will see very few options within the AR and VR space. This is because AR and VR are still relatively new, but this leads to increased pricing, and people are forced to choose something that may not tick all of their boxes but still has the AR features they want.

If you look at a PC, for example, there are almost endless choices when it comes to choosing components, each changing how the PC performs. You can spend as much or as little as you want and still get a great experience. Plus, if you shop smart, you can build a world-class PC for less than a piece of AR or VR tech.

Game/application variation

Finally, it is crucial to address what an AR headset and tech can do for the average person who isn’t working in manufacturing or medicine, for example. Gaming and application variation is a huge determining factor for a buyer.

Right now, there is simply not enough variation for an AR system to be worth the money they cost. Potential buyers should wait until game and application technology catches up, as once the uses of the system become varied, said the system will be bought more, which will, in turn, lead to lower prices.

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As mentioned in the beginning, while AR is surging forward to quickly become a norm in society, it makes sense for most people to hold out for a short while. There is no need to wait years, but waiting until AR becomes more mainstream is a great way to go.