Google is known for launching ambitious new projects, but it also cancels them frequently. A recent example is Stadia, a game streaming service that was announced with great hopes a few years ago. However, the project was shut down at the start of 2023 after millions of dollars were spent on it. Now, the company has canceled its plans for another project: The next-gen Google augmented reality glasses. Here are the details..

Google Cancels Next-Gen Augmented Reality Glasses, Pivots to Software Development

AR, VR, and MR glasses are more popular today than ever before. Facebook’s Quest series and Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro are just two examples of the many exciting developments in this space. However, Google has made a surprising decision, the company has canceled its plans for next-gen augmented reality glasses.

Google had been working on a project called Iris, a pair of ski goggles-like device that would overlay digital information onto the real world, such as directions, translations, and other useful data. Project Iris was expected to be a major competitor to Apple’s Vision Pro. However, the project faced some challenges.

Google employees became frustrated with the constant changes to the strategy for Iris. This led to low morale among the team. Furthermore, in 2021, Clay Bavor, Google’s head of AR/VR, left the company. This made it even more difficult to move forward with the project, and it was eventually cancelled. However, this does not mean that Google has given up on AR/VR technology.

The company is now focusing on developing software platforms for AR, such as Android XR. This platform will allow developers to create AR experiences for a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and headsets. The future of AR is still uncertain. However, with the continued investment from companies like Google, AR is likely to become a more mainstream technology in the years to come.

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