ASUS will enter the augmented reality (AR) market soon enough, planning to launch its own AR glasses sometime in 2016.
Not too long ago, ASUS acknowledged that it was considering the possibility of entering the AR market, but didn't outline any clear plans at the time.
Fast forward to present date and ASUS CEO Jerry Shen now has more exciting news to share on the topic. The company held its Q3 2015 investors conference on Wednesday, Nov. 11, detailing its performance and outlook, and Shen said during an earnings webcast that ASUS plans on tapping the AR market in 2016.
"It should be next year when we come out with a product," confirmed Shen, as cited by CNET. "We think AR will be very important for people's lives."
The CEO did not disclose any specific details on the matter, but it's nonetheless good to have confirmation that ASUS will indeed develop and release its own AR headset in 2016.
Previous reports revealed that ASUS was working with Microsoft on some version of HoloLens. Microsoft's HoloLens AR glasses are set to launch in early 2016 at a hefty $3,000 for the developer edition, but back in October ASUS and Microsoft were discussing the idea of collaborating to launch a cheaper variant of HoloLens.
It remains unclear at this point whether the augmented reality glasses ASUS plans to release in 2016 will have any connection with HoloLens. Most likely, ASUS will come up with a new product altogether, developing its own AR glasses.
It's also worth pointing out that augmented reality glasses are notably different from virtual reality (VR) headsets such as the Oculus Rift. While VR headsets immerse the wearer into an entirely digital world, AR combines virtual reality elements with real-life ones. Shen noted that AR headsets will likely be of more use than VR ones.
"You can make a real setting meld together with yourself and the AR portion," explained the CEO. "Internally, we are talking about how to prepare."
It remains to be seen just how ASUS' augmented reality plans will shape up, as no actual details are available at this point. The company is expected to share more information soon.
