CES 2022: 5 takeaways from the giant tech trade show

Still, there was plenty of talk about the products on display this year. Here are 5 takeaways from the giant tech trade show:

Everyone wants a piece of the metaverse

For example, the VR2 Sense controller features eye tracking and headset feedback that amplifies the sensations of in-game actions from the player. The company said in a press release that gamers can feel a character’s “elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward.”

“This is the first time in a while that we see a new and strong topic emerging at CES, as for years this has always been about AI, internet-of-things or autonomous vehicles,” said Pedro Pacheco, senior research director at market research firm Gartner. “At the moment, many companies are including Metaverse on their long-term tech roadmap thinking about how they should bring it to life.”

Cars takes center stage

Dystopian tech

While some of the innovations presented an optimistic vision for the future, others made the future (and even our current pandemic reality) look a bit more bleak.

Take the “Vision Omnipod,” a concept LG announced this week. The autonomous vehicle — which is not yet an actual commercial product — features a fridge, a chair that reclines into a bed, a screen that passengers could use to watch movies or access games and other virtual spaces, and an AI assistant that could keep people entertained, help them work out or order them food. Loved quarantining all by yourself at home during the pandemic? Then maybe you’ll enjoy hiding in this high-tech solo pod forever.

Other companies introduced more realistic but still unsettling products, including a charging station that purports to be able to prevent your phone or smart device from listening in on sensitive conversations. (While tech gadgets listening to users is a longtime fear, it’s mostly unfounded, though the concern itself points to our sometimes strained relationship with technology.)

If that’s not enough, there was also a stuffed animal, named Amagami Ham Ham, that will nibble on your finger to relieve stress because that’s apparently where we’re at after the chaos of the past two years.

Changing form factors isn’t just a gimmick

Tech companies have been experimenting with foldable technology for the past few years, but many companies like Samsung showed off improved versions at CES 2022 that highlight how the niche market is evolving.

Other companies like Dell embraced products that cater to the hybrid work trend. Dell’s Concept Flow connects and disconnects laptops from a second display based on proximity, and Dell’s movable Pari webcam prototype attaches anywhere, whether it’s on the side of a computer screen or above a drawing pad if you want colleagues to see notes in real time during a meeting.

Small businesses step out of Big Tech’s shadow

In typical years, much of the attention during CES is directed at the biggest names in tech, and there were concerns that this year’s event would fall flat after major exhibitors such as Meta and Amazon pulled out days before it started. But for the companies that decided to stay the course and attend in person, some said those empty showroom floor spaces were actually a boon.

“Normally, when you come to a CES, it’s dominated by the biggest technology companies,” making it harder to get media attention, said Richard Browning, chief marketing and sales officer at Nextbase, which launched a new smart dash camera called Nextbase IQ at CES this year. But this year, the company’s new product got more press than expected in part “because a lot of the major brands haven’t been here in person,” he said.

While tech giants have plenty of other ways to reach audiences, CES is a crucial international venue for smaller players to reach consumers and industry partners.

In-person attendees said that despite the smaller overall attendance, those who were on the ground were more open to discovering new technologies and engaging more deeply. And some companies said the virtual elements of the show were less appealing after nearly two years of regularly showcasing their tech over Zoom meetings and other virtual forums.

In fact, after this year, some like GAF Energy’s DeBono see potential for a new (if improbable) future for CES conferences where the “hordes of people” who just want to see the newest TVs and other common gadgets stay home, and only those who really want to see new innovations make the trip to be there in person.

“CES will persist and I think the proportion of true innovation to just iteration will increase,” he said.