'Lord of the Rings' director: Mixed reality will replace mobile phones

Mixed reality devices like HoloLens and Magic Leap are still in their infancy. HoloLens developer editions are available now for $3,000, while Magic Leap has yet to unveil its secrets. Despite this, many people have already started to pay attention to this technology, one of which is Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. In an interview with Wired, Peter Jackson said: "I think mixed (augmented) reality is more exciting than virtual reality.

Mixed reality doesn’t take you to a new world, but adds new elements to the real world. This way, you have more flexibility and can add as many things as you want. You can add a talking figure to the desktop, or replace the walls of the room with floor-to-ceiling windows so you can see the clouds in the sky.”

He said: "When you wear a Magic Leap headset, you can watch the construction of the Empire State Building in fast forward. You can also walk on the modern streets of Chicago and watch gang members shooting with machine guns. This technology can be used for education, entertainment and tourism. In 10 years, I believe that mixed reality companies like Magic Leap will lead the development of the times, just like smartphones today."

Jackson is a consultant to Magic Leap, and his visual effects company Weta Digital is developing a virtual world called "Dr. Grordbort."

Despite the huge investments in mixed reality, consumer products are still far behind virtual reality. Cardboard and Gear VR have been in circulation for a long time, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive were officially launched this year, and PlayStation VR will be available to consumers in October.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.