3 ms·

hahaha, meta are going to have to actually compete. I suspect the MR experience will suck from apple, but the reality distortion field thats still lingering wil

hahaha, meta are going to have to actually compete. I suspect the MR experience will suck from apple, but the reality distortion field thats still lingering will tide them through. At least we know that the apple device, whilst limited in screens and slam, will have a decent software stack that will put consumer's ease of use first, rather than bullshit promotion driven dev from oculus.

paxys 4y ago
This is in fact the best thing that can happen to Meta. At the moment no one really knows or cares about VR/AR. If Apple successfully takes it mainstream then they would have done what years of Meta's marketing campaigns couldn't, and suddenly they'll have a real market to compete in. Heck they don't even have to be better at it. Playing the Google/Android role is good enough.
- JKCalhoun 4y ago
  > and suddenly they'll have a real market to compete in With ads. Good luck, Meta.
  - smoldesu 4y ago
    FWIW, this is exactly the sort of 400 IQ chess play Mark Zuckerberg has been playing for the past half-decade, and the one this website has kicked the piss out of him for time immemorial. So which is it? Is VR a dehumanizing medium with no redeeming qualities, or is it a horizon of content and potential yet to be unlocked? It feels like HN's opinion on it changes every 15 minutes. Personally, I think VR is a bust. That being said, there is not an ice cube's chance in hell of Apple out-maneuvering Meta here. Zuck will happily pour billions into this spite machine, he already has. On top of that, he has the leverage of a more "open" platform (will Apple give you Root?) and larger install-base. All Zuckerberg needs to 'win' is a cross-platform killer app. If Apple's hardest spin on this is "FaceTime with 3D characters", their product is toast. A cross-platform protocol/experience will become the dominant player, and everyone will gravitate towards the cheapest option.
    - JKCalhoun 4y ago
      I think VR is a bust as well. I assumed however that Zuck would need to see a return on his investment — which hitherto has been in the form of advertising. If we entertain the idea that VR has legs and Apple's is ad-free then I already see a clear winner.
      - smoldesu 4y ago
        If we entertain the idea that VR has legs, Apple needs to be selling 300,000 units per quarter to compete with the Quest's slowest sales period. Advertising or reputation be damned, the Oculus Quest moved a lot of hardware; probably more hardware than Apple's headset will in it's entire product lifetime. If we entertain the idea that VR has legs, Mark Zuckerberg is around the corner with his legs propped up on a mahogany desk with a fat Cuban stogie in his mouth. He really only loses here if Apple fumbles really bad. > which hitherto has been in the form of advertising. Where are you getting that from? Their main revenue outlet is the same as Apple's, payment processing for their store: https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/10/oculus-sold-5-million-worth-of-quest-content-in-first-2-weeks-on-sale/ https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/10/oculus-sold-5-million-wort...
    - jamiek88 4y ago
      Why do people do this? Why place an opinion on ‘hacker news’ as if it is an individual mind? Hacker News isn’t one person constantly changing their mind it’s a hive of constantly shifting debate about a new technology and all that implies. It would be weird if the opinions were uniform and unchanging.
    - illiarian 4y ago
      > All Zuckerberg needs to 'win' is a cross-platform killer app. If Apple's hardest spin on this is "FaceTime with 3D characters" As opposed to Zuckerberg literally pouring billions into exactly poorly executed Facetime with 3D characters that even his own employees are unwilling to use?
      - smoldesu 4y ago
        Touché. I don't have a lick of faith for their Metaverse future, but it's clear now that they were ahead of the game. If everyone is deciding to hop in this melee, my money's on the guy who got there first and built a small fort even when he was ridiculed for it.

paxys 4y ago

This is in fact the best thing that can happen to Meta. At the moment no one really knows or cares about VR/AR. If Apple successfully takes it mainstream then they would have done what years of Meta's marketing campaigns couldn't, and suddenly they'll have a real market to compete in. Heck they don't even have to be better at it. Playing the Google/Android role is good enough.

JKCalhoun 4y ago
> and suddenly they'll have a real market to compete in With ads. Good luck, Meta.
- smoldesu 4y ago
  FWIW, this is exactly the sort of 400 IQ chess play Mark Zuckerberg has been playing for the past half-decade, and the one this website has kicked the piss out of him for time immemorial. So which is it? Is VR a dehumanizing medium with no redeeming qualities, or is it a horizon of content and potential yet to be unlocked? It feels like HN's opinion on it changes every 15 minutes. Personally, I think VR is a bust. That being said, there is not an ice cube's chance in hell of Apple out-maneuvering Meta here. Zuck will happily pour billions into this spite machine, he already has. On top of that, he has the leverage of a more "open" platform (will Apple give you Root?) and larger install-base. All Zuckerberg needs to 'win' is a cross-platform killer app. If Apple's hardest spin on this is "FaceTime with 3D characters", their product is toast. A cross-platform protocol/experience will become the dominant player, and everyone will gravitate towards the cheapest option.
  - JKCalhoun 4y ago
    I think VR is a bust as well. I assumed however that Zuck would need to see a return on his investment — which hitherto has been in the form of advertising. If we entertain the idea that VR has legs and Apple's is ad-free then I already see a clear winner.
    - smoldesu 4y ago
      If we entertain the idea that VR has legs, Apple needs to be selling 300,000 units per quarter to compete with the Quest's slowest sales period. Advertising or reputation be damned, the Oculus Quest moved a lot of hardware; probably more hardware than Apple's headset will in it's entire product lifetime. If we entertain the idea that VR has legs, Mark Zuckerberg is around the corner with his legs propped up on a mahogany desk with a fat Cuban stogie in his mouth. He really only loses here if Apple fumbles really bad. > which hitherto has been in the form of advertising. Where are you getting that from? Their main revenue outlet is the same as Apple's, payment processing for their store: https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/10/oculus-sold-5-million-worth-of-quest-content-in-first-2-weeks-on-sale/ https://techcrunch.com/2019/06/10/oculus-sold-5-million-wort...
  - jamiek88 4y ago
    Why do people do this? Why place an opinion on ‘hacker news’ as if it is an individual mind? Hacker News isn’t one person constantly changing their mind it’s a hive of constantly shifting debate about a new technology and all that implies. It would be weird if the opinions were uniform and unchanging.
  - illiarian 4y ago
    > All Zuckerberg needs to 'win' is a cross-platform killer app. If Apple's hardest spin on this is "FaceTime with 3D characters" As opposed to Zuckerberg literally pouring billions into exactly poorly executed Facetime with 3D characters that even his own employees are unwilling to use?
    - smoldesu 4y ago
      Touché. I don't have a lick of faith for their Metaverse future, but it's clear now that they were ahead of the game. If everyone is deciding to hop in this melee, my money's on the guy who got there first and built a small fort even when he was ridiculed for it.