The appeal of the $3,500 device, which could see a more affordable equivalent next year, hinges on the quality of the content — much in the same way that the iPhone’s success hinged on the ubiquity of its App Store, Delahunt points out.
At the same time, general interest in metaverse fashion and NFTs has waned (Syky primarily sells digital fashion as NFTs, often with a physical counterpart), and brand participation in digital fashion has largely shifted to gaming. At the same time, innovation budgets have shifted from the fantastical to the practical, often through the lens of how artificial intelligence can create efficiencies out of sight of the customer.
Syky was designed with spatial computing in mind, so it makes sense to lean on the AVP from the start, especially because Syky’s audience overlaps with that of AVP owners. (Apple typically works closely with those developing new apps for the Vision Pro.) While luxury brands and traditional retailers are hoping to attract a new, affluent, tech-savvy customer base via the device, Syky’s audience is already closer to AVP’s, meaning digital fashion collectors are also likely to be mixed reality enthusiasts. That overlap could be an advantage for Syky, or it could mean it’s preaching to the converted, which presents a challenge in scaling the digital fashion audience to the mainstream.
While this is the first digital fashion app to be integrated into the device, pioneers in traditional fashion, beauty and retail have gotten in on the action. Elf Beauty, Alo, J Crew and Mytheresa have all opened virtual boutiques, in collaboration with virtual store tech company Obsess. Gucci showed off a beautified version of its short film introducing new creative director Sabato De Sarno, while Balenciaga just launched an app that features runway shows and playlists.
So far, most AR and VR experiences have suffered from software issues, physical comfort issues and sometimes underwhelming content, creating barriers to mass consumer adoption, says Molly Burke, senior retail analyst at Software Advice. Being able to shop or be inspired by brands in an immersive way that goes beyond what they can experience on existing digital platforms could help, as could a more personalized shopping experience, she adds. “If brands want consumers to shell out money for VR hardware, they’re going to have to offer more.”