Feeling much better these days, I’m back on schedule with this newsletter (yay!). This week’s been quite fulfilling for me: professionally, I’ve shared some exciting updates about camera access in Android XR (more on that later), and personally, I made a tasty Italian pasta dish for friends here in China—thanks to some ingredients I brought from home. Let’s hope the upcoming week is just as great for all of us!
Top News of the Week
Meta Quest Ecosystem’s Delicate Situation
Henry Stockdale of Upload VR has penned an insightful article on the challenges facing the Horizon Store. Recent changes, including merging with App Lab and altering the interface, have made it difficult for Quest developers to get their games noticed. This lack of visibility has resulted in revenues dropping by 50-80% compared to earlier in 2023. Two months back, I touched on similar concerns on my blog. Meta urgently needs to update the Horizon Store to enhance discoverability and not just focus on promoting content from Horizon Worlds.
Meta’s response? A blog post celebrating the "great year" for Quest 3 and Quest 3S, pointing out changes in store demographics. A large portion of the new users this year are kids, drawn to simple, free-to-play games. Meta’s essentially saying they’re catering to this audience. For developers of premium, high-quality games, it’s a tough market.
While XR’s growing youth market is promising, Meta needs to balance this with support for premium content developers. The issue isn’t the kids but the store’s effectiveness. Developers experiencing huge drops in revenue only started after store changes in 2024.
There were also recent layoffs at VR studios like SideQuest and nDreams. If this continues, developers may pivot away from the Horizon Store or even platform shift altogether. Developers and the community are pushing back, advocating for buying premium games and uninstalling Horizon Worlds for better search results. Unfortunately, this upheaval coincided with Mark Rabkin, Meta’s VP of XR, departing for family reasons, adding instability.
For more, check out the original articles on the situation from Upload VR, Road To VR, and others.
Other Key News
2025: XR’s Crucial Year
Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, sent a memo labeling 2025 as a decisive year for XR. While it reads like a motivational boost, the reality might differ. XR is evolving gradually, with expected 2025 highlights but no earth-shattering moments. Meta’s hefty spending on XR—projected to reach $100 billion—aims more at long-term growth than immediate breakthroughs.
There’s chatter suggesting Meta might pivot away from VR to smart glasses, spurred by Boz’s mention of potential failure. John Carmack commented on the memo, critiquing Boz for emphasizing "MR" over VR and the continued push for Horizon Worlds on mobile disrupting Meta’s broader objectives.
Apple’s Intentions with PSVR 2 Controllers
According to Marc Gurman, Apple is still working on integrating PSVR 2 controllers with its Vision Pro, likely selling the controllers separately. An update might coincide with VisionOS 3’s announcement at WWDC in June.
Camera Access in Android XR
Google confirmed to me that Android XR will grant camera access similar to phones. Developers will have to get user permissions to access headset cameras, facilitating more authentic mixed reality experiences.
Worthwhile Mentions
Quest Game Optimizer Hits 100K Users
Amid all the challenges, here’s a positive: Quest Game Optimizer, which enhances Quest performance, reached 100,000 users even without being a storefront app. Kudos to its creator!
John Carmack’s Insights
John Carmack recently claimed on X that "standalone VR was the biggest win that VR ever had," with Beat Saber playing a more crucial role than Half-Life: Alyx in driving adoption. He makes a valid point about Beat Saber’s influence but recognizes Alyx’s role in showcasing VR’s potential to dedicated gamers.
Ray-Ban Meta Super Bowl Ads
Meta released two Super Bowl ads for Ray-Ban Meta glasses featuring celebrities. While entertaining, they aren’t groundbreaking, but hopefully, they raise awareness about smart glasses.
Spatial.io Ventures into Gaming
Spatial.io, after several pivots, is seeing success with its new game, Animal Company, reminiscent of Gorilla Tag. It’s uplifting to see them find their niche.
VR Welcomes Civilization VII
The beloved Civilization series is embracing VR with Civilization VII coming to Meta Quest, available in both MR and VR. As a longtime fan, this news is heartening!
Content Highlights
- Synth Riders is putting a spotlight on Super Bowl LIX with a Kendrick Lamar event on Apple Vision Pro.
- Harpagun, a VR arcade shooter, enters early access on Quest this February 13.
- Indie project Duet is developing a co-op game embracing silence before communication between players.
- COLD VR offers a fresh take on SUPERHOT, although some levels demand more polish.
On Another Note
- Steam is now alerting players if early access games remain unchanged for over a year.
- Stereopsia and AWE Europe have merged into UnitedXR, based in Brussels.
Support XR Developers
The XR development community needs your help more than ever. Support them by purchasing games, leaving positive reviews, and spreading the word. Your support makes a big difference!
Humor in XR
Check out some humorous takes and memes circulating in the XR community, guaranteed to lighten the mood!
Donate For Good
This week, I’m shifting the spotlight from donations to my blog to those in need due to conflict. Please consider contributing to the Red Cross’s efforts in Ukraine. Thank you to all my Patreon supporters for your unwavering backing!
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine
(Header image by Meta)
