![[PlayStation 5] Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter – A Comprehensive Review](https://www.truegames.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/PlayStation-5-Tails-of-Iron-2-Whiskers-of-Winter-360x180.jpg "[PlayStation 5] Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter – A Comprehensive Review")
Today marks the final day of Italy’s vibrant Carnival celebrations, where the streets are alive with festivity. While the excitement unfolds outside, I’m opting for a quieter celebration, indulging in some traditional sweets typical of this season. In addition, I have something else to celebrate: Feedspot has ranked me third among its top 60 Virtual Reality websites, right behind industry leaders Road To VR and Upload VR. It’s quite something to see my site listed, even if there are some oddities, like the inclusion of the outdated Oculus site, and notable absentees such as MIXED, which I personally consider superior. While it’s clear I might not exactly deserve this high ranking just yet, I’ve decided to bask in this moment. It recognizes eight years of hard work as a dedicated blogger, and I couldn’t have achieved it without your tremendous support. Thank you all for helping me reach this milestone!
Top News of the Week
Valve Deckard may hit the market in 2025 for a price tag of $1200.
In a fresh twist of rumors surrounding Valve Deckard, the buzz this time doesn’t originate from our regular sources. Instead, data miner "Gabe Follower," known for credible leaks, suggests the device should debut in 2025 with a price around $1200. Gabe Follower also hints Valve might release games or demos already tailored for Deckard, including possibly a demo from the Half-Life universe according to Tyler McVicker (Valve News Network). The Deckard is expected to operate on SteamOS, akin to the Steam Deck, and should support Steam Deck’s flatscreen games but on a VR platform, made possible as its Roy controllers mimic gamepad controls. Despite its premium price, billed at $1200, Gabe Follower believes it’s still sold at a loss, indicating Valve is packing this headset with high-end specs sure to thrill diehard fans.
Further Reading: Valve Deckard Launch | Half-Life Demo Details
Other Significant News
Sony permanently knocks down the price of PSVR 2.
At long last, Sony has decided to cut the PSVR 2 headset’s cost for good. From this month, the headset is priced at $400 (€450 / £400 / ¥66,980), applicable whether you’re buying just the headset or the bundle with the Horizon Call of the Mountain game. Previously more expensive than the PS5, the PSVR 2 has seen better sales following recent discounts. Despite its limited library of exclusive games, it offers a healthy selection of titles, and thanks to the PC adapter, one can play PC games on Steam. I think $400 is a fair price, and while I’m not predicting a sales explosion, PSVR 2’s ecosystem seems poised for improvement.
Find Out More: Sony’s PSVR 2 Price Cut
Meta pushes further into Free-to-play.
Meta is encouraging developers to embrace the free-to-play model due to the younger demographic of Meta Quest users. According to a recent X post, free-to-play experiences now dominate over 70% of the activity on Quest. Fast Travel Games has made Mannequin free-to-play, and Owlchemy Labs’ Dimensional Double Shift, another free game, has topped 500K downloads, demonstrating the strategy’s effectiveness. However, some thoughts come to mind regarding Meta’s statement. Firstly, if you heavily promote the free Horizon Worlds experience and allow a flood of low-quality free content in the Horizon Store, it isn’t surprising that free playtime increases. While this trend seems inevitable, the push clearly facilitated its rise. Secondly, I’m curious about revenue figures. If a game gets plenty of play but yields minimal revenue, the studio won’t last. Meta doesn’t specify revenue data, which might suggest less-than-stellar results, skewed heavily by Gorilla Tag’s success. Hence, I urge Meta to disclose the median revenue for free-to-play games on the Horizon Store. It’s crucial information for developers contemplating this business model.
Learn More: Free-to-Play Insights | Mannequin | Dimensional Double Shift Downloads
Meta introduces Aria 2 glasses.
Meta has unveiled Aria Gen 2 glasses, building on the previous Project Aria. Remember, Aria isn’t a commercial gadget, but rather eyewear equipped with numerous sensors for research. Aria records data about bodily and environmental interactions, beneficial for developing AI models from a user’s perspective, particularly in AR. Aria Gen 2 boasts improved specs, including an upgraded sensor suite: RGB camera, position and eye-tracking cameras, spatial microphones, and various other sensors. New additions include a photoplethysmography sensor for heart rate, a contact microphone isolating the user’s voice, and onboard speakers. The pivotal advancement is a potent Meta chip allowing on-device positional, eye, and hand tracking, plus speech recognition, moving from merely data collection to real-time processing. Despite the advancements, the device remains lightweight at just 75g, with 6-8 hours of active usage. Currently, Aria is available only to close partners, but wider access is anticipated this year for research institutions.
More Details: Aria Gen 2 Specs and Innovation | Availability for Researchers
Meta updates its portfolio for education and enterprise.
In a noteworthy update, Meta has expanded its offerings for educational institutions and enterprises. The Meta For Education program, now generally available after extensive beta testing, facilitates headset purchases for schools and includes two key services. One is an MDM solution for managing and deploying content across student devices, and the other is access to a catalog of educational content from Meta and partners. Collaboration with VictoryXR has led to the creation of over 30 “metaversities” using the Engage XR platform, offering digital twin campuses for remote interactions. Meta adds that VR in education is effective, citing engagement and academic performance improvements among students and teachers. However, as always, I am cautious about statistics from headset vendors and wonder about the objectivity of the analysis. Meanwhile, Meta has overhauled its business services under "Horizon Managed Solutions," offering user and device management, custom stores, and support. An exciting update allows integration with third-party MDM solutions like ArborXR and Microsoft Intune, allowing enterprises to retain their existing systems, significantly enhancing Meta’s appeal to businesses. Pricing details, summarized by Upload VR, are insightful and suggest competitive positioning within the market.
Get More Information: Meta For Education Overview | Horizon Managed Solutions Update
Noteworthy Mentions
HTC unveils "VIVERSE Worlds."
HTC has launched "VIVERSE Worlds," a platform aspiring to become the "YouTube of 3D Content" (surely reminiscent of many similar claims). It’s a web-based platform hosting 3D and VR experiences, simplifying integration via iFrames into websites and allowing user access to experiences without installations. The performance is enhanced by streaming technology that optimizes polygon rendering. It’ll be interesting to see if this approach will stand out.
Discover More: HTC VIVERSE Worlds
AMD rolls out new graphics cards.
AMD is releasing its RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards, unveiled earlier at CES, with a shipping date of March 6 at $550 and $600 respectively. They aim to rival NVIDIA’s RTX 5070 series not only in price but performance too. The cards sport second-generation AI accelerators that drive FidelityFX Super Resolution 4, AMD’s counter to Nvidia’s DLSS, and support for DisplayPort 2.1a, capable of operating future high-spec VR headsets.
Explore Further: AMD’s Graphics Cards
Play Windows games on Pico 4 Ultra with Winlator.
A YouTube video by Virtually Real showcases running Crysis on the Pico 4 Ultra using Winlator, a Windows emulator for Android, with successful tests on games like Fallout 3. This development could pave the way for playing older Windows games natively on this headset!
Check It Out: Play Games on Pico 4 Ultra
Community Insights
Concerns grow over Horizon Store content curation.
There is rising discontent within the XR community regarding the Horizon Store’s curation, plagued by low-quality shovelware. Instances of Gorilla Tag clones make up too much of the new content. This dearth of high-quality, innovative titles is frustrating many, and it’s an issue that Meta needs to address.
Join the Discussion: Horizon Store Issues
Meta phases out Move.
Meta is discontinuing Move, its fitness tracking app on Quest, citing outdated technology. This haunting decision mirrors Meta’s earlier trajectory of eliminating YUR, a startup, for launching Oculus Move, which is now also being abandoned. It’s a reminder of the perils startups face when larger tech giants make unilateral decisions.
Read More: Move Discontinuation
Meta unveils work on realistic avatars.
In collaboration with the University Of Munich, Meta Reality Labs has unveiled Avat3r, a project that creates realistic avatars from just four iPhone photos, accurately mimicking facial expressions. This impressive development owes its realism to innovative rendering techniques.
Explore the Research: Realistic Avatars
New directions in VR taste simulation.
Ohio State University has embarked on fascinating research into virtual taste simulation using an e-taste interface, releasing flavor particles into the user’s mouth to mimic experiences like lemonade or coffee. It’s a field in its infancy, but research like this shows potential.
Find Out More: Virtual Taste Research
Featured Reviews
Discover "The VR Critic".
Fans of VR reviews rejoice! Dr. Luke Buckmaster, an Australian VR enthusiast, has launched "The VR Critic", a new site dedicated to comprehensive VR experience reviews. It’s been four years in the making to ensure a robust launch, debuting with over 100 reviews. Best of luck to this exciting new venture!
Explore: The VR Critic
Content Highlights
Steam Next Fest unleashed over 20 free VR demos.
Stratogun, a throwback shoot ‘em up, launches with VR support in 2023.
Sportvida CyberDash offers an intense physical challenge and stress relief, coming to Quest and PC VR next month.
Orion Drift, by the creators of Gorilla Tag, enters Early Access.
Symphoni mixes conducting with spellcasting in a mixed reality rhythm game, launching March 6 at $19.99.
Kendrick Lamar’s "Not Like Us" adds to the Beat Saber DLC collection.
GORN 2 will bring its signature combat to Meta Quest, Steam, and PlayStation VR2 later this year.
Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate plans a March 27 Quest and PlayStation VR2 release.
Alien: Rogue Incursion’s latest Quest 3 update includes atmospheric improvements and fixes.
Farming Simulator VR is now available on Quest for $25.
Upload VR presents its regular "XR News Round-Up".
Get the Full Story: Steam Next Fest | Stratogun | Sportvida CyberDash | Orion Drift | Symphoni Game Details | Beat Saber DLC | GORN 2 Info | GORN 2 Gameplay | Wanderer Release | Alien: Rogue Incursion | Farming Simulator VR | XR News Round-Up
Content Reviews
NinjaGuyVR critiques every Steam Next Fest VR demo, uncovering numerous issues.
Both Upload VR and Mixed reviewed Orion Drift, finding early promise but a need for polish and onboarding improvements.
Retronika provides thrilling racing action with visually impressive challenges.
Detective VR offers an engaging detective experience in mixed reality, though room for gameplay improvement remains.
Dive Deeper: Steam Next Fest Reviews | Orion Drift by Upload VR | Orion Drift by Mixed | Retronika | Detective VR
Miscellaneous Updates
GTA 6’s ambitious "Project Rome" could transform it into a metaverse platform.
VR shows promise for aiding lucid dreaming.
Stress Level Zero shares insights on why solely targeting PC VR is unsustainable.
Lumus boasts a waveguide with impressive field-of-view fitting glasses form.
Google may be internally testing boards for future Snapdragon XR2 Gen 3 chipsets.
Stay Informed: GTA 6 Metaverse | Lucid Dreaming with VR | Stress Level Zero’s Perspective | Lumus Technology | Google’s XR Board Experiment
From Our Partners and Friends
Cause+Christi presents "SHIP HAPPENS"
Creative powerhouse Cause+Christi, in collaboration with HTC VIVERSE, rolls out "SHIP HAPPENS", its inaugural WebXR-delivered escape room game, free to play. The year 3025 sets the scene, with you as an Earth-born engineer waking up to a missing crew and a disordered ship. Dive into this intriguing interactive adventure!
Learn about SHIP HAPPENS: Discover | Play Now
A Dose of XR Humor
You can put your faith in OpenAI. Kind of…
Watch the fun
At least she excels in the culinary department…
Watch the hilarity
Everyone adores Horizon Worlds. Sort of…
Chuckle here
Current state of VR game studios illustrated.
See the humor
Support for a Cause
As has become a tradition, I’m wrapping up by urging contributions to urgent causes, specifically the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Please consider aiding the Red Cross to support those affected. Find the link below.
I must also extend heartfelt gratitude to my Patreon supporters who fuel my journey:
Patron List
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine
(Header image courtesy of Afference)
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