Today wraps up the vibrant Carnival celebrations in Italy, and while the streets resonate with laughter and music, I’m celebrating in my own way—enjoying these delightful traditional sweets. There’s more to raise a glass to today: I’ve been honored with the third spot on Feedspot’s ranking of the top 60 Virtual Reality websites, right behind the heavyweights, Road To VR and Upload VR. I mean, if you check out the list, you’ll see some odd choices—for instance, the defunct Oculus website is still listed. And honestly, I know of some excellent publications, like MIXED, that deserve a mention more than mine. In truth, I probably shouldn’t be sitting in third place, and maybe not even fourth or fifth. But let’s push that aside. I’m going to relish this moment, a nod to the hard work I’ve poured into blogging over the last eight years. A massive thank you for your unwavering support that’s brought me here!
Top news of the week
Valve Deckard may be launched in 2025 for $1200
An intriguing rumor is swirling around the Valve Deckard, and for once, it’s not from our usual grapevine. This scoop comes from data miner “Gabe Follower,” who’s known for sharing dependable leaks. Gabe claims that the Valve Deckard might hit the shelves in 2025 with a price tag of about $1200. What’s more, Valve allegedly plans to bundle completed games or demos optimized for Deckard, potentially including a demo from the Half-Life universe, according to Tyler McVicker of Valve News Network. The device is expected to run on SteamOS, similar to the Steam Deck, making it capable of playing SteamDeck flatscreen games on a large VR screen. This is feasible because the associated Roy controllers mimic gamepad controls. Despite the premium price, Gabe assures that it’s apparently sold at a loss, hinting at some high-end specs that true Valve enthusiasts will appreciate.
Sony permanently slashes the price of PSVR 2
Finally, some good news for VR enthusiasts: Sony has decided to permanently lower the price of the PSVR 2 headset. Starting this month, you can snag one for $400 (€450 / £400 / ¥66,980), standalone or bundled with Horizon Call of the Mountain at no extra cost—I mean, given the pricing, who wouldn’t snap up the bundle? While PSVR 2 has always been a quality headset, its price was higher than the PS5 itself. Once Sony began discounting it a few weeks back, sales noticeably improved, so it’s a wise move to make this price drop permanent. The PSVR 2’s library of exclusive games isn’t massive, but there are plenty of games to enjoy, and thanks to a nifty PC adapter, you can also explore Steam’s offerings. At $400, it seems like a sweet deal. I’m not predicting an immediate sales boom, but the PSVR 2 could indeed cultivate a richer ecosystem going forward.
Quest goes more into Free-to-play
Meta is determined to lean into free-to-play models for Meta Quest, especially given their new, younger audience. A recent statement on X highlighted that over 70% of Quest usage is dedicated to free-to-play experiences. Seeing developers like Fast Travel Games make Mannequin free-to-play and Owlchemy Labs’ Dimensional Double Shift reaching 500K downloads reaffirms that this model works. Yet, even though free-to-play dynamics are growing, I have a couple of thoughts on Meta’s statement. Firstly, with the prominent push to feature the free Horizon Worlds experience alongside the rampant presence of free shovelware content in their store, it’s no wonder free-to-play engagement rises. This trajectory seems inevitable for all stores eventually, but they nudged it along. Secondly, and crucially, where’s the revenue data? If my game attracts players for hours but barely scratches the surface in revenue, it’s hardly sustainable. The absence of revenue statistics in their post suggests perhaps the figures weren’t compelling enough. Even if they were, they’d be heavily skewed by Gorilla Tag’s massive numbers. My query to Meta would be: what’s the median revenue for a free-to-play title on the Horizon Store? That’s the insight we developers need to determine if this business model truly suits us.
Meta announces Aria 2 glasses
Meta has unveiled the Aria Gen 2 glasses, building on the foundational Project Aria. Bear in mind, Aria isn’t a commercial device; rather, it’s designed with numerous sensors for research, capturing user and environmental data to train AI models from a user-centric perspective. This new iteration, Aria Gen 2, comes with upgraded specs, offering a suite of sensors including an RGB camera, position-tracking, and eye-tracking cameras, alongside spatial microphones, IMUs, magnetometer, GNSS, and Meta’s custom silicon. Additionally, it boasts new sensors like a photoplethysmography to measure heart rate and a contact microphone for voice differentiation. Now equipped with onboard speakers, the device stands out with its powerful Meta chip, facilitating on-device tracking and processing, a leap from its predecessor which required external computing for data analysis. Remarkably, all these advancements weigh just 75 grams, allowing for up to 6-8 hours of active use. Currently available to select partners, broader access for research institutions is on the horizon for later this year.
Meta refreshes its enterprise and educational offerings
In its latest updates, Meta has revamped its education and enterprise services. The Meta For Education program is now more broadly available after considerable refinement during its beta phase. Though specifics from Meta were scant, my understanding is it provides schools the ability to purchase headsets with added features. These include an MDM service to efficiently manage device fleets and pre-install educational content for classroom use. Additionally, Meta, partnering with VictoryXR, has developed over 30 virtual "metaversities" via the Engage XR platform, fostering digital twin campuses for remote academic engagement. Meta touts strong engagement and learning enhancements via VR: Of 43 institutions leveraging VR and mixed reality, 87% of students expressed heightened interest, 85% of teachers appreciated the tech’s teaching enhancement, and a 15% bump in academic performance was observed. Naturally, I question the objectivity of such statistics from headset vendors. Meta For Education aligns with the larger “Quest For Business” initiative, now rebranded as “Horizon Managed Solutions.” Key offerings like user management, device management, and support remain, but now with greater flexibility to integrate third-party MDM solutions like ArborXR or Microsoft Intune. This shift is significant—businesses typically have existing MDMs and prefer integration rather than adopting new ones solely for headsets. Pricewise, Meta for Education Quest 3 models are $630, while Quest 3S ranges from $400 to $500 depending on storage. Prices include two years of management services, after which a subscription kicks in. Yet for education sectors, a one-time $100 fee per headset unlocks "lifetime" access, making it a more attractive proposition.
News worth mentioning
HTC launches “VIVERSE Worlds” platform
HTC is back with an intriguing new platform called “VIVERSE Worlds,” aiming to be the "YouTube of 3D Content." (I know, similar claims are a dime a dozen.) This platform hosts VR and 3D content with an innovative twist: it’s entirely web-based. Users can integrate VIVERSE Worlds content seamlessly into websites via iFrame and experience the content without any installations. Thanks to the Vive Polygon Streaming technology, it promises robust performance by streaming only necessary polygons to client devices, keeping experiences lightweight.
AMD is launching its new graphics cards
At CES, AMD had teased the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards, and now they’re here, launching on March 6 with MSRPs of $550 and $600. These cards aim to rival NVIDIA’s RTX 5070, possibly even the 5070 Ti, offering competitive prices and performance. They feature AMD’s second-gen AI accelerators and support for DisplayPort 2.1a, which can push future 4K-per-eye headsets with refresh rates of 120Hz or more.
Winlator can make you play Windows games on Pico 4 Ultra
I stumbled upon a fascinating YouTube video by Virtually Real where they demonstrated running Crysis on the Pico 4 Ultra. The trick? Winlator, a Windows emulator for Android. In the comments, other successful tests for games like Fallout 3 were mentioned. This exciting discovery opens up the realm of older Windows games to be played directly on your headset!
People in XR are voicing concerns
The grumbling within the XR community continues, especially concerning the Horizon Store’s current state of curation. On Reddit and platforms like X, videos circulate showing endless scrolling to find Gorilla Tag knockoffs. In fact, one determined Redditor highlighted that out of 126 recent game releases, 57 had “gorilla” or “tag” in their titles—overwhelming and frustrating by any measure.
Meta is discontinuing Move
Meta’s Move, the fitness tracking app on Meta Quest, is being phased out. According to Meta, Move relies on dated technology, so they’re pulling the plug to focus on runtime improvements. It’s unfortunate if you consider that Meta initially overshadowed the startup YUR to launch their identical service (Oculus Move), only to abandon it now. It might have been better left to the passionate folks behind YUR.
Meta shows its latest work on realistic avatars
Meta Reality Labs, together with the University of Munich, unveiled an intriguing research project named Avat3r. This system can create a lifelike avatar head with just four photos taken from an iPhone—or even a single shot, though the results are less accurate. These avatars mimic user expressions meticulously, with visuals striking thanks to Gaussian Splats rendering.
A new research project with taste in VR
The Ohio State University released an innovative project on virtual taste simulation. Like previous attempts, the interface dispenses tiny flavor particles in the user’s mouth. During one experiment, participants tried flavors like lemonade, cake, and coffee. Though taste tech is in its infancy, it’s encouraging to see progress in this tantalizing area.
Discover The VR Critic
For fans of VR reviews, there’s a fresh offering on the horizon. Dr. Luke Buckmaster, an Australian VR aficionado, has launched “The VR Critic,” a site dedicated to reviewing various VR experiences. After four years in the making, the platform went live last week, debuting with over 100 reviews. Here’s wishing this new venture great success!
Some news about content
-
Steam Next Fest has delivered over 20 free VR demos to eager gamers.
-
Stratogun, a nostalgic SHMUP, is coming later this year with VR support.
-
Sportvida CyberDash promises exhilarating physical challenges, and it’s launching next month on Quest and PC VR.
-
Orion Drift, from the creators of Gorilla Tag, is live in Early Access.
-
Symphoni mixes conducting with spellcasting, releasing on March 6 for $19.99.
-
Beat Saber now offers Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” as a DLC.
-
GORN 2 is expected later this year on Meta Quest, Steam, and PlayStation VR2, boasting familiar yet innovative gameplay.
-
Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate is scheduled for a Quest and PlayStation VR2 release on March 27.
-
Alien: Rogue Incursion’s first major patch for Quest 3 promises several visual and functional enhancements.
-
Farming Simulator VR is available now on Quest for $25.
- Upload VR’s “XR News Round-Up” is a solid source for more minor XR updates.
Some reviews about content
-
NinjaGuyVR explored every Steam Next Fest VR demo and found many wanting in quality.
-
Orion Drift’s Early Access version got mixed reviews from Upload and MIXED, highlighting its ambitious vision but noting areas needing polish.
-
Retronika is praised as a diverse racing action game with appealing visuals.
- Detective VR offers a mixed reality detective role, showing potential despite room for gameplay improvements.
Other news
-
GTA 6 aims to become a metaverse with “Project Rome.”
-
VR shows promise in facilitating lucid dreaming experiences.
-
Stress Level Zero explains the financial unfeasibility of solely targeting PC VR.
-
Lumus has developed a waveguide boasting >75° FOV suitable for glasses.
- Google might be testing boards compatible with Snapdragon XR2 Gen 3 chipsets.
News from partners (and friends)
Cause+Christi launches SHIP HAPPENS
Creative studio Cause+Christi, in partnership with HTC VIVERSE, is debuting “SHIP HAPPENS,” a free-to-play WebXR escape room game. Set in 3025, you’re a lone Earth-born engineer aboard a mysterious transport ship. Sounds intriguing? The game is free to play, so go check it out!
Some XR fun
-
You can always trust OpenAI… kind of! Funny link
-
At least this character excels at cooking… Funny link
-
Everyone claims to love Horizon Worlds… or do they? Funny link
- The current scene for VR gaming studios Funny link
Donate for good
Continuing from last week, I humbly request you consider donating to those affected by ongoing conflicts. Support the Red Cross to aid the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Here’s the link to contribute, and a heartfelt thank you to my Patreon donors for supporting my efforts.
Your donations make a real difference:
(Header image by Afference)
