Our tech columnists look ahead to an Apple headset, Netflix password crackdowns, the next DALL-E and more. Big layoffs at Meta, Amazon, Snap and others? A global crypto fraud set in the Bahamas? Elon Musk buying and running Twitter? Look, not even Nostradamus could have seen all that coming.
Of course, that’s what we love about this annual exercise, where our team sits around a crystal ball, roasting AI-generated marshmallows and predicting what’s to come in the new year. Some of what we expect will make your life easier (see: better smart-home tech and AI tools), some will present some new challenges (see: password-sharing crackdowns and the U.S./China tech divorce) and some will just continue to be wildly unpredictable (see: Elon Musk and crypto).
The Metaverse, Now More Than Just Meta
It’s true. For the last twoyears, we’ve said this is the year for virtual and augmented reality. But in 2023 we’re confident: headsets that give you a choice of VR (where you’re in a virtual world) and AR (where the virtual is overlaid in your real world) are coming. And they won’t just be from Meta, current holder of 90% of the VR market, according to research firm IDC.
In January, HTC will unveil a VR headset, which, like Meta’s Quest Pro, has outward-facing cameras so you can also see colorful digital objects overlaid in your real space. Then there’s Apple. Reports from analysts and media outlets point to the long-awaited mixed-reality headset coming later in the year. It will be equipped with an array of cameras, high-resolution displays and immersive versions of FaceTime, Maps and more, according to Bloomberg. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
Meta will continue to explore the metaverse—with legs. The company plans to add lower extremities to its now legless avatars in the new year. It will also release the next-generation Meta Quest, its more affordable VR headset.
