Back from my trip to Italy, despite feeling a bit worn-out, I’ve returned with joy. I trust you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with your loved ones, and hope you’re generally in high spirits. Part of my own delight comes from my recent article on Android XR camera frame permissions, which received attention from notable publications like Road To VR, Upload VR, and Android Authority. Moments like these, where you get a brief taste of recognition, bring a certain thrill. Now, let’s dive into this week’s juiciest XR news!
Top News of the Week
Ray-Ban Meta Hits 2 Million Sales
During EssilorLuxottica’s Q4 earnings, CEO Francesco Milleri expressed excitement over the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which have sold an impressive 2 million units—a figure that aligns with prior insider information. Such retention and sales volume marks a product’s success, prompting Luxottica to eye a production target exceeding 10 million units annually by 2026. This success spurred a wave of new smartglasses at CES, with whispers of tech giants like Apple and Samsung joining the fray. While the hype is real, it’s important to remember much of this success leans on Ray-Ban’s reputation rather than Meta’s, questioning if others can mirror this triumph.
Despite the ambitious production targets, these numbers pale in comparison to smartphones; thus, device adoption grows slowly, though I remain hopeful they’ll gain momentum over time.
More info
Other Relevant News
Meta Venturing into Humanoid Robots?
Bloomberg reports that Meta, through its Reality Labs, is delving into humanoid robots designed for household tasks. Leveraging data from their AR and VR gadgets, Meta’s focus remains on developing the core technology rather than venturing into manufacturing—possibly from learning the arduousness and expense prevalent in hardware industries. While I’m intrigued, tackling another costly tech innovation amid Meta’s existing XR challenges seems risky.
More info
Apple’s Ambitious Vision Pro Plans
Bloomberg sources suggest Apple is enhancing its Vision Pro headset by integrating Apple Intelligence, adding guest user modes, and launching a spatial content app, potentially releasing a beta soon. Talks are underway to introduce AI via Chinese partners like Tencent or Bytedance, ideally leading to an M5 chipset-powered Vision Pro. Such integration could counter Google’s Gemini integration, fueling fierce competition among tech titans Apple, Meta, and Google.
More info
AugmentOS: Bridging Smartglasses Development
Mentra recently rolled out AugmentOS, a smartphone app aimed at simplifying smartglasses app development, ensuring app compatibility across various models like Vuzix Z100. Although claims it supports Ray-Ban Meta are disputable, this initiative seems promising amidst the fragmented smartglasses ecosystem. Time will tell if developers embrace this cross-platform solution.
More info (Mentra and Vuzix partner on AugmentOS)
More info (AugmentOS official website)
News Worth a Mention
PSVR 2: A Holiday Sales Surge
Discounted from $550 to $350, PSVR 2 sales soared during the 2024 holiday season, boasting quintupled sales figures compared to 2023. Though Sony’s future plans for the headset remain unclear, a permanent price cut seems enticing.
More info
Anduril Assumes IVAS Project Control
Defense company Anduril, founded by Palmer Luckey, has taken over the IVAS project from Microsoft, now spearheading hardware and software development while Microsoft continues providing Azure cloud services. Luckey seems poised to deliver a solution better catered to military needs.
More info (Anduril to manage the IVAS project—Road To VR)
More info (Anduril to manage the IVAS project—Upload VR)
WebXR Hosting from Wonderland Cloud
Create Worlds unveils Wonderland Cloud, a hosting solution tailored for WebXR applications, featuring added services like multiplayer voice chat. This innovation simplifies the deployment of WebXR experiences, bolstering Create Worlds’ game engine ecosystem.
More info (Create Worlds launches Wonderland Cloud)
More info (Wonderland Cloud official website)
RTX Showdown: 5090 vs 4090
YouTubers have been exploring how NVIDIA’s burgeoning RTX 5090 fares against the 4090 in VR scenarios, with the shiny new model evidently excelling.
More info (RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090—Comparison 1)
More info (RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090—Comparison 2)
The 50+ VR Community
Bobby Carlton’s insightful piece from a few months back shines a spotlight on VR communities beyond Gen-Z, revealing an enthusiastic crowd aged 50 and above, especially fond of fitness and social apps.
More info
Bring NBA Match to Your Desk
The official NBA app on Apple Vision Pro now lets you enjoy live games on your desk, presenting a miniature 3D playing field. It’s a captivating feature, though full match viewing likely remains better suited for larger screens.
More info
Horizon Store’s Big Sale Alert
Running until February 23, the Quest Store is slashing prices on games like Among Us VR and LEGO Bricktales.
More info
PSVR 2 Introduces Hand-Tracked Game
Waltz Of The Wizard is now PSVR 2’s pioneer hand-tracked game, enhancing its magic-based combat system, and reports indicate hand tracking rivals that of the Quest.
More info (Waltz of the Wizard gets hand tracking on PSVR 2—Road To VR)
More info (Waltz of the Wizard gets hand tracking on PSVR 2—Upload VR)
More info (Hand tracking on PSVR 2 vs Quest 3)
Important Content Updates
- Skydance enhances Behemoth with over 700 fixes
- Alien Rogue Incursion’s release on Quest falls short due to poor lighting, with a promised patch
- Into The Radius 2’s anticipated Early Access on Quest in Q2 2025
More info (Behemoth Patch)
More info (Alien Rogue Incursion launches on Quest)
More info (Alien Rogue has subpar graphics on Quest)
More info (Alien Rogue has an incoming patch)
More info (Into The Radius 2 is coming to Quest)
Ready At Dawn’s Unseen VR Marvel
Ready At Dawn was on the brink of something revolutionary in VR gaming before Meta closed the studio. Co-founded by Andrea Pessino, the team had put together games like Lone Echo and Echo Arena, amplifying the sense of loss over this untapped project. Sadly, financial concerns likely derailed it.
More info
In the midst of the dynamic XR world, such innovations and stories highlight the relentless pace of this arena. As always, gratitude is due to my supporters and followers who help sustain my work. I’d also urge you, like every week, to consider donating to those affected by the crisis in Ukraine via the Red Cross. Every bit of help counts.
Thank you for keeping up with the journey of XR advancements this week. Until next time, stay curious and supportive.
