5G+AR/VR/XR = Reality
Research: Emily Rawson
Originally published Oct 22, 2021
You’ve heard the buzz about 5G — but what is this misunderstood global wireless network, and how is it transforming the future of technology and media? 5G is the 5th generation mobile network, following its predecessor 4G LTE. The newest wireless technology is meant to deliver higher data speeds, ultra low latency, and massive network capacity. At surface level, this innovation allows users to do things like download and stream content at much faster speeds, but the advantage of speed erodes overtime. A deeper level advantage at the forefront of 5G technology is the increase in the widespread use of on-the-go XR technologies.
XR stands for extended reality and encompases all immersive technologies, including VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), and MR (mixed reality). Currently, XR technologies are used through various media platforms. VR is popular in gaming, with companies like Oculus and Sony creating headsets to make users feel as though they are fully immersed in the virtual video game setting. Less data-heavy forms of AR are popular on social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, where users can put interactive filters on themselves and the space around them. Although XR technologies are popular on various platforms, the data-heavy ones are hard to replicate for an onthe-go experience. The technologies that require lots of data to be processed are hard to replicate without the power of a PC, and the XR technologies that are used without power from a PC lack resolution and graphics performance.
All aspects of AR, VR, and MR are data-heavy, which is why it makes them harder to use without a strong network. 5G’s faster connections, drastically reduced latency, and increased number of connected devices contributes to the creation of a more seamless and high-performance XR user experience. Processing capabilities, which were previously embedded into the device, can now be shared and transferred to the network and the edge cloud, through what is known in the industry as the “Cloud XR.” With the emergence of 5G and the opportunities it creates for an innovative, portable XR experience, we could see a move away from typical 2D apps that are normally used on smartphones, to 3D applications accessed through XR technologies. With XR, people can view these 3D applications through wearable XR technologies as virtual displays in the real world. Companies like Qualcomm have been developing XR viewers that connect a person’s smartphone to XR wearable glasses that can be used for on-the-go activities.
Entertainment
The transition to on-the-go XR technologies opens up many doors in the entertainment world. Gaming will be played everywhere while still maintaining optimal resolution and graphics performance. Streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ can incorporate XR into their content for a more immersive experience. The way TV shows and movies are filmed could completely transform as XR technologies rise, and we see a shift to a more immersive streaming platform. Holoride, a new technology from Audi, combines VR games with real vehicle data, developing immersive onthe-go entertainment for passengers. The company created a headset that uses feedback movements and navigational data from the real world and incorporates them into the entertainment they are streaming.
Sports streaming services will also be able to use XR technology to their advantage by letting viewers watch games as if they are in the stadium themselves. This could completely shift the sports broadcasting and streaming industry to a different kind of viewing experience. This is the same for concerts as well. Ticket companies could charge different prices for “virtual seats’’ offered in an XR online experience. This would allow them to go beyond the tickets available for sale, and would give viewers the opportunity to attend a concert from a different state or country. Although we have seen people do “virtual concerts” during the Covid-19 pandemic, very few were actual XR experiences. This is mostly because XR headsets and equipment aren’t widely used. As 5G expands, XR technologies will become more popular, making more fans interested in attending XR concerts and offering them more immersion than they’d get via a livestream.
News and Information
The adoption of on-the-go XR thanks to 5G could vastly change the way we get our information. We have already seen the switch from paper to online news, but now there may be a shift even further to news on XR platforms. The possibilities are endless of how XR technology could be used to receive information. XR glasses could display news stories related to your interests or based on the area you are in, by displaying them on walls around the atmosphere you are located. 2D apps that were once used to translate languages and help navigate areas could be transformed onto 3D platforms. The connectivity of 5G and XR technologies could help journalists when conducting news stories. Reporters won’t have to leave the office and could just virtually go to the scene of a story.
Positioning
With the normalization of 5G, brands will have the opportunity to personalize advertising even more than before. 5G technology is bidirectional, which can lead to more meaningful and targeted ads. An example of the advantage of bidirectional technology would be as a person approaches a billboard, their car can send signals to the billboard containing the driver’s data. The billboard could then use that data to generate and display a targeted ad back to the driver. XR viewers could use the same bidirectional feedback to change the retail industry by being able to incorporate virtual ads into users’ shopping experiences. As a person walks down a mall strip, their viewers could display different promotions on top of the store signs, or if a person is looking at a new pair of pants, their XR viewers could analyze the pants and show them similar styles for cheaper prices at nearby stores.
Technologies like the XR viewers could change the way we access and view media. Instead of using a phone to view information, people will be able to interact with applications through their viewers, and XR will become part of the everyday world we see and interact with.
