​Killing 'Project Iris' can be a Blessing in Disguise for Google

Google has scrapped its latest augmented reality (AR) headset, according to a report by Insider. The publication reported that the project was shelved earlier this year following layoffs, reshuffles, and the departure of Google's AR/VR chief Clay Bavor, according to three people familiar with the matter. However, Google is yet to confirm or deny whether Project Iris has been shelved.

This can be a blessing in disguise for Google as its main rivals Meta and Apple haven't been able to leave a mark in AR/VR wearables and are still finding their feet.

In Apple's recent WWDC event, they introduced their Vision Pro AR/VR headset. In contrast, Meta announced the upcoming release of their Meta Quest 3 headset in the fall and also reduced the price of the Quest 2. From Meta's perspective, it was the key to entering the metaverse imagined by Zuckerberg. 

The verdict on metaverse in the market is that it is dead. "The Metaverse is now headed to the tech industry's graveyard of failed ideas," wrote Insider in their report. 

While Apple's Vision Pro is costly, Meta's Quest series does not come up with a strong use case apart from gaming. The Apple Vision Pro provides a mere two hours of usage without being connected to a power source, which falls short of even watching a complete movie on OTT platforms or lasting through a flight.

VR/ AR Headsets aren't the future 

There isn't much evidence currently that proves people would regularly love to wear headsets for a long period of time. Sitting in front of a laptop/ desktop for long hours in itself is a cumbersome task, just imagine wearing snorkel-shaped Apple's Vision Pro. 

Several users of Meta's Quest 2 complained about motion sickness. 

In a world that we currently live in, it is already going far away from reality with many of us mindlessly scrolling social media apps on our smartphones. The distinction between reality and the virtual world has already started to blur. With these AR/VR headsets coming into the picture, the differentiation will be erased and virtual reality will become a part of the real world. 

Anand Mahindra, chairman of Tech Mahindra expressed his concerns on Vision's Pro launch by tweeting "And what about community-watching of movies & sports matches? Will that now be replaced by a roomful of zombies wearing headsets?" 

Even if we forcefully come to accept that VR/AR headsets are the future. It would take a substantial amount of time for the common public to own it. Apple's Vision Pro AR/VR headset comes with a staggering price tag of $3,499, which can make anyone feel anxious. To put it in perspective, you could buy four iPhone 14 units with that amount and still have money left over.

In my understanding, VR/AR headsets are just a gizmo that won't pass the test of time. That explains why even Cook was not wearing the headset at the event.

Google's not so good experience with Glass

Google is not new to the market of eye wearables. They came up with Google Glass in 2013 but it failed to achieve success. As a result, Google restricted its usage to only enterprises. 

The failure of Glass can be attributed to the creators' oversight in defining and validating the target users and the specific problems the product aimed to address. Rather than focusing on providing real solutions and value, they mistakenly relied on the product's hype and assumed it would naturally appeal to everyone. 

One can easily draw parallels between Metaverse's and Glass's failure. 

Google isn't fully out of the game 

Google is playing safe by partnering with Samsung, and Qualcomm to create a mixed reality platform. They aren't not fully into the game but also aren't out. 

As per the report, Google has shifted its focus from hardware to software. The company is currently developing a "micro XR" platform intending to license it to various headset manufacturers, similar to how Google offers the Android operating system to a wide range of smartphone manufacturers.

That being said the real use case from Metaverse is yet to be discovered and possibly with Google playing too safe, Meta and Apple might take the lead.