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Comment by jayd16 | Hacker News Reader

Way too ambitious but maybe they'll be as big as a semi popular game console by then.

I don’t think it’s that ambitious. Cambria is standalone, has colour pass through for mixed reality and has balanced the weight distribution better by using pancake lenses and putting the battery on the back. It will certainly be usable while sitting or standing still anywhere, although people will look at you weird if you do it in a coffee shop. It took Meta 3 years to get there from Quest 1 so I’d say given 5 years and some decent sales they could get it down to something that wouldn’t look too strange and would be comfortable enough to wear all day and would work while walking although I imagine that would pose similar risks as walking while using your phone. Instead of black rectangles we’ll be seeing ski-goggles everywhere.

>similar risks as walking while using your phone

Much less risky than walking while looking at a phone. This will be a heads-up display after all.

>we’ll be seeing ski-goggles everywhere

Ski-goggle? That won't fly. I expect it'll be a slimmed down version of the Magic Leap 2.

Maybe it’s just me but the magic leap 2 looks way dorkier than a good pair of ski goggles. You could probably make them look more like shield sunglasses if you prefer that vibe.

It's not intended as a fashion accessory. But neither were smartphones.

A co-worker had a Newton in 1994. We all thought it was the dorkiest thing we ever saw - him holding and looking at that thing. Little did we know.

I’d argue that if you wear it, especially in a highly visible location like over your eyes, then it is a fashion accessory. Like a hat or glasses it may serve a purpose but that doesn’t negate the need for it to look good.

Fashion will be vastly more important for mixed reality than it is for smart phones. A smart phone is more akin to a watch, fashion wise. You usually only see it when it’s being used. Mixed reality devices will be visible all the time and they will also mediate our social interactions with others.

I expect that there will be only half a dozen different models. They will all be bland and black. But to you point, they will support fashion accessories. Sort of like fashion smartphone cases. Some people will be fine with bland and black.

Don’t forget that reverse pass through may be a thing so you might have a screen on the outside which opens up all kinds of possibilities.

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