Owlchemy: Vision Pro Represents a Significant Leap Towards Mainstream Virtual Reality Adoption

Rumors suggest that Apple's Vision Pro is set to be shipped outside the US, three months after its American launch. This development could heighten demand for the product, which has been considered a niche item due to its high price point of $3,500. The studio behind VR hits Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator, Owlchemy Labs, has been working on porting these games to Apple's headset. CEO Andrew Eiche believes that the strategy has always been for the studio's games to be on as many platforms as possible, focusing on the future and the potential of Vision Pro to reinvigorate the popularity of XR. Eiche sees the Vision Pro as one of the biggest steps towards mainstream adoption, citing its low friction and ease of use. The device works with hand tracking and does not require controllers, making it a strong selling point. Reducing friction is key to mainstream adoption, according to Sandra Marshall, Owlchemy's COO. The journey to mainstream adoption is not without its challenges, with high expectations for each new headset to become the one that reaches mainstream adoption. The Owlchemy team believes that the usefulness of VR needs to rise, and there will be an inflection point when the device becomes useful enough that the friction is worth it. They also think that the introduction of more multiplayer games and mixed reality will contribute to the growth of VR. The team is working on a multiplayer project that uses hand-tracking, announced at Gamescom 2022, and hopes to continue contributing to the march to mainstream adoption. The conversation also touches on the trend of hype cycles, with Eiche seeing the trend going the same way it did for VR, where the hype eventually crashes, and only the truly useful applications remain.