Sony partners with Theta for 3D NFTs exclusive to its Spatial Reality Display

The electronic manufacturer announced it has linked up with Theta in an SRD NFTs project
The NFTs will be hosted on ThetaDrop

Japanese consumer electronic products manufacturer Sony has partnered with Theta Labs, creator of the decentralised video streaming network Theta to launch two collections of 3D NFTs, exclusively designed for display on its Spatial Reality Display, SRD.

Sony’s SRD is the electronic giant’s display that allows users to view objects in 3D without the glasses or all the complicated gear associated with the ‘usual’ experiences in virtual reality.

Its operation is such that it tracks the movement of the eyes and tweaks the display perceived by the user as they move/ tilt their head. This tablet-like device enables users to gain the sensation of a solid 3D object, which is the tech to be exploited with the NFTs in the pipeline – they would be displayable and ‘manipulatable’ via the SRDs.

The underlying technology employs mixed reality to enhance the feel of the NFTs, allowing users to perceive these valuable collectibles in an experience they can almost touch.

One of the collections would be a limited edition dubbed ‘The Tiki Guy,’ a 3D Tiki mask. There’ll be only ten of these, but it even gets juicier for the holders of Tiki Guy NFTs with a US shipping address, as they’ll also gain a free SRD device!

Beyond the industrial space, into the virtual world

The launch of NFTs on the SRD will extend the utility of these devices. Since the tech was first introduced in 2020, it has often been advertised as an industrial tool for designers, engineers, and art creators. However, with the evolution of NFTs, these immersive devices are set to break the bounds of the industrial space into the virtual world.

The VP of business development at Sony, Nick Colsey, believes NFTs will provide just the perfect demonstration of the potential of SRD technology, especially in the metaverse and in enhancing the experience of NFT holders/ collectors.

Better, but we’re still in the pricy waters

For $5,000 apiece, the average enthusiast will likely be priced out. However, the price implications go beyond just that!

Given that we will be getting NFTs in 3D, let alone the fact that they will only be displayable on SRDs, holders would be restricted in the utility they derive from their tokens. For instance, they won’t be able to flaunt them on their social media profiles or other media platforms such as screens. Theta does well enough in that there’s a 2D version of the NFTs, but the catch is they’ll come at an extra cost. Also, the interoperability limitations mean that NFT holders will be curtailed from migrating their tokens across virtual platforms.

On the bigger perspective, by enabling the metaverse to host users without necessitating overly burdensome hardware, Sony’s SRD has opened a gateway to solving a complicated challenge that has time and again plagued these virtual spaces. The tech allows the interaction of the physical and virtual worlds, as has been attempted by augmented reality start-up Anima.