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I’ve touched down in Italy again, feeling a bit weary but overall very content. I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with your loved ones and, in general, are doing well. You know, one of the reasons I’m riding this wave of happiness is that my piece on Android XR’s camera frame permissions has been spotlighted in some major publications like Road To VR, Upload VR, and Android Authority! It’s pretty awesome to have those 15 minutes of fame now and then. 😊 So, with all this happiness in mind, let’s dive into the top XR news from the past week!
Top news of the week
Ray-Ban Meta achieves 2 million sales
During this week’s Q4 2024 earnings call, EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri had high praise for the success of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. They’ve reached a whopping 2 million units in sales, a figure I had previously heard through the grapevine. Milleri highlighted that along with the strong sales, user retention is on the rise, making it a truly promising product.
Given these achievements, Luxottica plans to double down on this venture by scaling up production to surpass 10 million units by the end of 2026. This milestone has undoubtedly fueled a surge in the smartglasses market. At CES, many startups showcased their own AI-powered smartglasses. We’ve also caught wind of whispers about major players like Apple and Samsung dabbling in this space too. However, I advise caution against getting swept up in the hype. The success of Ray-Ban Meta largely stems from the popularity of the Ray-Ban brand, bolstered by EssilorLuxottica’s robust distribution network, rather than Meta’s involvement.
If we’re being realistic, despite Luxottica’s ambitious target of producing 10 million annually, it doesn’t hold a candle to smartphone figures. This suggests a gradual adoption rate for these devices. I’m hopeful they’ll find their footing, but this is contingent on a steadily expanding market in the coming months.
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Other relevant news
Meta is reportedly developing humanoid robots
According to Bloomberg, Meta’s Reality Labs, also responsible for XR headsets, is working on humanoid robots. These futuristic robots, driven by AI, aim to assist with daily household tasks. Reality Labs’ involvement isn’t coincidental; AR and VR headset data, alongside input from Project Aria glasses, is invaluable for training these robots.
However, Meta does not intend to manufacture these robots themselves. They’re focused on building the essential components—AI systems, sensors, and software—allowing other companies to take the baton in creating and marketing the robots. This strategy likely stems from Meta’s experience, which highlighted the complexities and costs involved in hardware ventures. Personally, I find this rumor a bit perplexing. Given Meta’s current XR challenges and ongoing quarterly financial strains, launching another costly tech line seems like a risky move.
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Apple to enhance Vision Pro with Apple Intelligence
Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to integrate Apple Intelligence into its Vision Pro headset, alongside a new guest user mode and a spatial content app, potentially as early as April. These additions might be available to developers in beta this week. In unrelated developments, Apple is seeking a partner in China to imbue its devices with AI, considering Tencent and Bytedance among potential collaborators. Such AI integration aligns well with buzz about the next-gen Vision Pro, which could feature an M5 chipset.
Incorporating Apple Intelligence would be a significant step forward, boosting Apple’s competitive edge against Google, which highlights Gemini integration as a key strength of its Android XR system. As you can see, heavyweights like Meta, Apple, and Google are striving to upgrade their offerings as swiftly and efficiently as possible.
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Streamlining smartglasses development with AugmentOS
Mentra has unveiled AugmentOS, a smartphone app designed to streamline smartglasses app development. The core idea is to facilitate the creation of a single application using the AugmentOS SDK that runs across various smartglass models. Having partnered with Vuzix, Mentra ensures that apps on AugmentOS will be compatible with the Vuzix Z100, in addition to Even Realities G1 and Mentra Mach1. While they claim compatibility with Ray-Ban Meta, this isn’t reflected on the official list of supported models, raising some skepticism.
I believe this initiative is a fantastic one. The current smartglasses boom comes with uncertainty regarding app development. The fragmented ecosystem complicates the creation of apps across different glasses models. AugmentOS and its SDK aim to bridge that gap, providing a versatile platform for cross-compatible smartglasses applications. Though it’s unclear how extensively this project will be adopted, it’s undoubtedly a positive stride forward. I’m eager to see more innovations in this direction.
More about Mentra and Vuzix’s partnership on AugmentOS | Visit the AugmentOS official site
News worth a mention
PSVR 2 sees a holiday sales boost
This year, Sony saw a significant boost in PSVR 2 sales thanks to a hefty price drop from $550 to $350. Amazon US sales charts reveal that the headset’s peak sales during the 2024 holiday season were five times that of the previous year. While still trailing behind Quest’s impressive numbers, it’s a promising trend. However, Sony’s future plans for the headset remain unclear. I believe a permanent price cut could do wonders for its popularity.
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Anduril takes over the IVAS project
Defense tech firm Anduril, founded by Palmer Luckey, now spearheads the IVAS project, earlier managed by Microsoft. While Microsoft will continue providing Azure cloud services, all hardware and software will now come from Luckey’s startup. This likely connects to Luckey’s hint about developing a new military headset; Microsoft’s augmented HoloLens didn’t meet soldiers’ needs, while Anduril’s version might be a suitable fit. It’s interesting—Luckey boldly claimed, "I am, after all, the best head-mounted-display designer in the world." Now, the delivery must match the hype.
Learn more about Anduril’s IVAS management on Road To VR | Anduril’s IVAS project management—Upload VR
Wonderland Cloud: A hosting service for WebXR applications
Create Worlds, the developer behind Wonderland Engine—a game engine aiming to become the Unity of WebXR development—launches Wonderland Cloud. This hosting service is tailored for WebXR apps, featuring offerings like dedicated multiplayer support and spatialized voice chat for multiplayer experiences. Undoubtedly, this service will simplify the development of WebXR experiences.
Learn more about Wonderland Cloud’s launch | Wonderland Cloud official site
RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090
This week, YouTubers delved into performance comparisons between NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 and RTX 4090 in VR settings. Unsurprisingly, the newer model shows superior performance.
Comparison insights: RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090
Exploring 50+ VR communities
An insightful article by Bobby Carlton from a few months back emphasizes the value of VR communities for adults and seniors. While the spotlight often shines on younger generations and their viral games like Gorilla Tag, VR use spans all ages, with a strong community of users over 50. The piece highlights the VR applications they find most appealing—no surprise, fitness and social apps are favorites.
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Watch an NBA game on your desk
The official NBA Apple Vision Pro app now introduces Tabletop, a diorama-scale virtual portrayal of the game you’re watching live. Imagine a mini version of the playing field on your desk complete with 3D-rendered players—live! This intriguing feature is thanks to special cameras installed in NBA arenas. While visually captivating, a full match in this format might be less appealing than immersive TV displays, yet it’s a remarkable addition alongside the larger virtual screen.
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Horizon Store sale bonanza
Until February 23, the Quest Store features a notable sale, discounting popular titles such as Among Us VR, Ultrawings 2, and LEGO Bricktales.
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First hand-tracked PSVR 2 game
Quietly introduced by Sony in December, PSVR 2’s hand-tracking support now graces its first title: Waltz Of The Wizard. The game receives a free update adding hand-tracked interactions, perfect for its magic-based combat system. A developer-shared video demonstrates PSVR 2’s hand-tracking quality, which surpasses Quest’s in some cases—benefiting from the PS5’s processing prowess.
Find out more about Waltz of the Wizard’s hand tracking on PSVR 2—Road To VR | Understanding hand tracking on PSVR 2 vs Quest 3
Important content updates
- Skydance updated Behemoth with over 700 bug fixes and enhancements.
- Alien Rogue Incursion debuted on Quest, but lighting issues skew the experience. Survios promises a patch next week.
- Into The Radius 2 enters Early Access on Quest Q2 2025, priced at $39.99.
Details: Behemoth patch | Alien Rogue details | Patch promise for Alien Rogue | Into The Radius 2 Early Access
Ready At Dawn’s intriguing VR project
In a bittersweet revelation, we learned this week that Ready At Dawn was crafting a groundbreaking VR game before Meta disbanded the team. Co-founder Andrea Pessino shared during an interview that the studio was in the midst of developing an "incredibly revolutionary VR game" when it was shuttered. Given Ready At Dawn’s track record with titles like Lone Echo and Echo Arena, this lost project’s potential feels immense. Unfortunately, Meta likely deemed the project’s escalating costs unsustainable amid tight budgets.
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Content tidbits
- The Midnight Walk, a claymation adventure, debuts on PSVR 2 & PC VR May 8, 2025, costing $40.
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic heads to PS5 and PC on June 13, though PSVR 2 mentions were removed.
- Onward’s big 2.0 update is imminent after a year without updates.
- Selina: Mind at Large, a VR puzzle adventure, launches February 20 on Quest.
- Dreams of Another, with unique point-cloud graphics, lands on PSVR 2.
- Resist enhances for PlayStation VR2.
- Licenced by Atari, I, Robot gets a PSVR 2 remake by Jeff Minter.
- DodgeCraft tests reflexes in a new VR sports training game now available on Quest and PSVR 2 for €13.
- Indie development shines with StellarPlans, a sci-fi VR shooter by a solo creator, landing on Quest March 7.
- Tactical shooter Tier One: Direct Action, inspired by ArmA and Rainbow Six Siege, launches next week in early access on Quest for $13.
- Calming mixed reality puzzle WET hits Quest Store for Quest 3 / 3S, free for 30 days.
More insights: The Midnight Walk | Five Nights at Freddy’s | Onward | Selina: Mind at Large | Dream of Another | Resist | I, Robot | DodgeCraft | StellarPlans | Tier One | WET | XR News Round-Up
Content reviews
- Stupid Cars is a charming game where you control traffic through car speed adjustments, blending simplicity with genuine fun.
- TouchDesk offers a remarkable app for Apple Vision Pro, enabling desk drawing using finger inputs, functioning alongside other spatial experiences.
Reviews: Stupid Cars | TouchDesk
Additional news
- John Carmack’s proposals to formalize community ports of Doom and Quake were unsuccessful.
- Dbrand introduced an innovative faceplate for the Apple Vision Pro.
- Crytek and Unity announced job cuts.
- Horizon Worlds unveiled whimsical new avatars, including Captain America.
- A universal VR mod for Godot, UGVR, debuted.
- A creative tool allows 3D model visualization from Blender in mixed reality on Quest 3.
- Watching RotoVR designed for flying was a highlight this week (thanks Ivan Aguilar for pointing it out!)
Explore further: John Carmack’s effort | Dbrand launch | Crytek layoffs | Unity layoffs | Horizon Worlds avatars | UGVR | Blender visualization tool | RotoVR flying mod
Partner and friend updates
- Prima Immersive elevates video quality on Apple Vision Pro.
- The Prima Encoder, described as a pioneering immersive video encoder, supports 8K per eye with lower bitrate yet superior fidelity.
- Aviar introduces an all-in-one VR training setup.
- Beloved VR community member Vivian Chazen brings The Petty Playbook to Kickstarter, offering a whimsical way to process heartbreak.
Details: Prima Immersive news | Aviar’s VR training kit | The Petty Playbook on Kickstarter
A touch of XR humor:
- Share alternative Valentine’s ideas through a funny link.
- Experience the humor of moving excessively in VR via this link.
- Check out a Horizon Worlds ad so awkwardly executed it feels like an inside job by VRChat link.
- A humorous take on spending your last dime on VR link.
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