An Odyssey in Pixels: The Transformation of Travel in the Mixed Reality Era

In 2013, Google debuted Google Glass, a brand of smart glasses that allowed wearers to communicate with the Internet via voice commands. The glasses were a major step toward ubiquitous computing, a concept in which computers and the Internet are accessible anywhere. Ultimately, the glasses were discontinued in 2015 after the prototype failed to gain traction due to privacy concerns, a high price tag, and clunky design. Google released two Enterprise Editions for business use, but sales were suspended in March 2023. ¹

One of the major challenges Google Glass failed to overcome is that it wasn't clear how people would use them. The glasses weren't technologically advanced enough to warrant regular wear, and Google Glass faced privacy pushback because people could secretly record others without their knowledge. At a time when the term “augmented reality” (AR) was just beginning to go mainstream, Google Glass “solved” a problem that people really didn't have at the time—video calling, for instance, wasn't nearly as ubiquitous in 2013 as it is today.

One decade (and one pandemic) later, the way we interact with virtual reality (VR) and AR is far different. Several VR headsets, such as the Meta Quest Pro and HTC VIVE Pro, are priced for at-home use, and the quality—and quantity—of virtual content is far greater. Although most people think of VR in the context of gaming, Apple's forthcoming Vision Pro headset suggests a shifting tide in the way the general public interacts with mixed reality, or the blending of physical and digital worlds. While Google Glass was perhaps ahead of its time, the product also suffered because it asked wearers to treat the glasses like an extension of their phone or computer. In comparison, a mixed reality headset such as the Vision Pro invites wearers to immerse themselves fully in other worlds—ushering in new possibilities for the yet-untapped field of digital travel.

In the past, the concept of digital travel was firmly relegated to the realms of science fiction. But the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a crucible, motivating people to “travel” as best they could from the safety of their homes. In 2020, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's digital team reported a 4,106% growth in streaming viewership, with YouTube video views up 150%. ² With this shift in how people consume content, VR headsets today are uniquely positioned to improve telepresence: that is, an individual's psychological response to the sense of being in a remote space. ³ Of the various components that can contribute to telepresence, a few of the most important include perceptual realism and sensory experiences in virtual environments. ⁴ Immersion is a key part of telepresence. In order to experience a distant place and the events presented there effectively, people need to feel as if they are freely moving through a space and that their physical actions correlate with sensory feedback. ⁵ If the wearer is sightseeing in a new environment and encounters a door, they expect to be able to walk to the front door and enter the building.

Studies have supported that digital travel can convey enjoyable, memorable experiences. ⁶ While it's doubtful that digital travel can replace in-person travel altogether, the Vision Pro introduces several compelling elements that could make digital travel better. Vision Pro doesn't require a controller; cameras located along the bottom of the headset track a person's hands and register gestures. The wearer can operate the headset via their eye movements, hands, or voice. Without having to fumble with a controller, users can more effectively explore new locations and feel more present. The headset also allows users to make hyper-realistic digital avatars so they can have more realistic video conversations. As opposed to Meta's cartoonish avatars, hyper-realistic digital avatars allow people to see subtle nonverbal cues better that help translate meaning, such as a slightly raised eyebrow or—better yet—hand movements. We're not far off from a future where someone is interested in learning about traveling to a new location, video chats with a travel agent, and takes a virtual trip to preview the place before they book their travel—all within the same headset.

Vision Pro's features can also improve digitally “traveling” to conference calls during the workday; being able to see one's coworkers in their office virtually, register their facial movements and hand gestures, and walk them through a presentation can help foster greater connection and collaboration in remote workplaces. The problem, of course, is the price. Vision Pro is set to retail for $3,499 when it is released in early 2024—a steep jump from Meta's $999 Quest Pro. That price point means that Vision Pro will not democratize digital travel, but it will bring valuable features to the general public that may inspire competitors to innovate—with more affordable headset options.

Online media has introduced new ways of producing, distributing, and sharing information. The way the public interacts with video calls and entertainment has shifted in the past several years, underscored by the pandemic. Immersive VR can make it easier for people to explore new settings and interact with others, and although Vision Pro's price point makes it inaccessible for many, the features it offers may trigger much-needed innovation in the mixed reality space. Google Glass solely endeavored to augment one's reality. But by offering new ways to feel immersed in a new setting, mixed reality headsets of the near future can help people feel like they have traveled to far-off locations, visited a local concert, or participated in a high-stakes board meeting. They can be there without actually being there.