What Display Daily thinks: Is Sony giving Apple a middle finger or just the realization that it can get more out of maximizing its own proprietary display technology by doing things its own way? Having worked in past lives on CAD systems and even as an OEM for Sony’s displays, I know that the company is very proprietary about its technologies, particularly where it has a significant advantage over the competition. I would imagine that the powers be in Japan didn’t much care for dealing with the demands of Apple, and were probably embarrassed by the news that it couldn’t meet production quotas or deliver the necessary yields on its OLED microdisplays.
Nothing in Sony’s behavior here changes my perception that the Alt Reality business is not really a business that is sustainable long-term as being able to deliver the kind of volumes that would make it possible for all the market entrants to compete effectively. That doesn’t negate the fact that Sony is probably likely to make more money, even at lower volumes, from its own design and that it is, for all intents and purpose, a reference design for other companies to take note.
As for spatial computing, who knows if there is such a thing. Siemens seems to think so, but when was the last time a CAD product got this much mainstream press? Maybe this is a shot across the bow of Samsung, a statement that highlights Sony’s more advanced state of development in OLEDos displays?
Or, maybe this is just CES talking, an opportunity to make some noise and get marketing coverage to a captive audience just as Apple is announcing that it is ramping up to ship its Vision Pro.
All that we can be certain of is that there is an earnest race to find a future with microdisplay technologies that will, at some point, years from now, be the leading edge of bigger display formats. Whether it is MicroLED, OLEDos, or any number of other semiconductor display technologies, CES 2024 seems to be the official starting line for a space race for these technologies.
The question remains, can Sony reclaim past glories in the display industry, and get back on the platform with the likes of Samsung and LG, because it has lagged for a while now?
Sony Launches XR HUD Based on Qualcomm Platform
Sony is in the spatial computing business. It’s got a new spatial content creation system, designed to revolutionize 3D content creation across various industries; its words, not mine. This cutting-edge system comprises an XR head-mounted display equipped with 4K OLED microdisplays and a video passthrough function, along with a pair of specialized controllers for interacting with 3D objects.
The system aims to support creators in sophisticated 3D content creation, specifically targeting industries such as entertainment and industrial design. At its launch, Sony has announced an exclusive partnership with Siemens, introducting a new solution for immersive design and collaborative product engineering, leveraging software from Siemens’ Xcelerator open digital business platform.
Set for release later in 2024, the XR head-mounted display features Sony’s proprietary rendering technology, enabling real-time, high-definition rendering of textures and human facial expressions in 3D. It includes video passthrough functionality and spatial recognition supported by six cameras and sensors. The system’s ring controller allows intuitive manipulation of objects in virtual space, while a pointing controller facilitates precise interactions, catering to creators who use controllers and keyboards in their design processes.
The devices is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform. Apart from the head-mounted display and controllers, Sony has introduced other technologies to support spatial content creation. The mocopi mobile motion capture system, equipped with lightweight sensors and a smartphone app, allows full-body motion tracking.
Sony and its partners will announce additional details, including specifications, launch date, regions, pricing, sales channels, and software compatibility, at a later date.
