Wintel Virtual Reality: Intel, Microsoft, & The Plan
Virtual Reality is at the tip of everyone's tongue and Seth Colaner did a great write-up for Tom's Hardware; about some of the efforts from Intel and Microsoft to help capture the market. Seth explains how Intel's approach to VR, AR, or XR is different than that of Oculus. Seth says:
Intel is not going to build and sell Alloy HMDs. Intel is building an Alloy platform that other companies can use as a basis upon which to develop shipping products.
Intel is not going to build and sell mainstream VR HMDs that are effectively lower-end versions of Rift and Vive. Intel is going to develop technology and possibly create prototypes to help develop IP with Microsoft that other companies can use as a basis to develop shipping products.
In both cases, Intel and Microsoft are an item, as it were.
Perhaps a helpful way to understand all of the above is to contrast Intel’s approach with that of a company like Oculus. It is true that Oculus has huge VR plans, but they center squarely on its Rift HMD. It starts with a single product; continues with a platform, a catalog of titles, and additions like the Touch controllers; and ends with--well, no one knows what it ends with yet. In any case, Oculus’ strategy of starting with a Thing and growing from there is what you could call an inside-out strategy.
Intel is taking on VR with an outside-in approach. Instead of focusing on one product, it’s building up a massive portfolio of IP--including RealSense cameras and deep learning--that could be leveraged for numerous aspects of XR.
This is exactly what Intel has done in the PC market: Be everywhere. Be in everything.
Intel is not going to build and sell Alloy HMDs. Intel is building an Alloy platform that other companies can use as a basis upon which to develop shipping products. Intel is not going to build and sell mainstream VR HMDs that are effectively lower-end versions of Rift and Vive. Intel is going to develop technology and possibly create prototypes to help develop IP with Microsoft that other companies can use as a basis to develop shipping products. In both cases, Intel and Microsoft are an item, as it were. Perhaps a helpful way to understand all of the above is to contrast Intel’s approach with that of a company like Oculus. It is true that Oculus has huge VR plans, but they center squarely on its Rift HMD. It starts with a single product; continues with a platform, a catalog of titles, and additions like the Touch controllers; and ends with--well, no one knows what it ends with yet. In any case, Oculus’ strategy of starting with a Thing and growing from there is what you could call an inside-out strategy. Intel is taking on VR with an outside-in approach. Instead of focusing on one product, it’s building up a massive portfolio of IP--including RealSense cameras and deep learning--that could be leveraged for numerous aspects of XR. This is exactly what Intel has done in the PC market: Be everywhere. Be in everything.
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