I’ve just returned from Italy, feeling exhausted but quite content. Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Valentine’s Day with loved ones and are in good spirits. Now, ever curious as you are, would you like to know part of my current joy? Well, I was fortunate enough to get a little limelight for my piece on Android XR camera frame permissions, with mentions in noted publications like Road To VR, Upload VR, and Android Authority! Sometimes, having that brief moment in the spotlight feels rewarding. 😊 But let’s not dwell on me — let’s delve into the week’s top updates in the XR world!
Top News of the Week
Ray-Ban Meta Has Hit 2 Million Sales
During EssilorLuxottica’s recent Q4 2024 earnings call, CEO Francesco Milleri expressed great satisfaction over the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, celebrating their impressive sales figures of 2 million units. This aligns with whispers I’ve heard through various connections within the supply chain. With both strong sales and user retention, these glasses are proving themselves to be a true success story.
Given these promising numbers, Luxottica has plans to escalate production, aiming for over 10 million units by the end of 2026. The buzz around smartglasses is undeniable: at CES, numerous startups showcased their AI-powered smartglasses, and there are hints that major players like Apple and Samsung are entering the space as well. However, some caution is warranted. The triumph of Ray-Ban Meta owes much to the Ray-Ban brand’s allure and EssilorLuxottica’s distribution prowess. Replicating this success might not be straightforward for other tech giants.
That being said, Luxottica’s ambitious goal of ramping up to 10 million units annually is definitely noteworthy, although still incomparable to the vast smartphone market. It’s a gradual adoption process, and while I hope these devices find broader success, market expansion in the coming months will be the true test.
More info
Other Relevant News
Meta’s New Venture: Humanoid Robots?
Bloomberg reports suggest Meta is venturing into the realm of humanoid robots. These developments are taking place within its Reality Labs division, renowned for its work on XR headsets, focusing on AI-powered robots designed to manage routine household chores. With the valuable data harvested from AR, VR headsets, and Project Aria glasses, Reality Labs might have the key to these robots’ training.
However, Meta seems uninterested in manufacturing the robots itself. Having learned from the XR glasses’ development, the company is aware of the complexities and costs involved in hardware production. Instead, Meta aims to craft the foundational AI systems, sensors, and software that other manufacturers can use to produce and market their robots.
Honestly, I find this rumor a bit puzzling. With Meta already embroiled in XR-related challenges and financial burdens, delving into another high-risk technology sector doesn’t seem particularly wise to me.
More info
Apple to Elevate Vision Pro with Apple Intelligence
In yet another Bloomberg revelation, Apple is allegedly planning to integrate Apple Intelligence into its Vision Pro headset, adding features such as a new guest user mode and a spatial content app by as early as April. A software rollout that includes these updates might arrive in beta for developers soon. Simultaneously, reports suggest Apple is seeking a Chinese partner for AI enhancement, eyeing Tencent and Bytedance as potential collaborators. Tying in with the ongoing speculation about an M5 chipset-powered Vision Pro, this could be a game-changer.
The integration of Apple Intelligence could significantly bolster Apple’s competitive edge, especially against Google, which has integrated Gemini into its Android XR platform. The rivalry between industry giants like Meta, Apple, and Google is driving them to rapidly optimize their offerings.
More info
AugmentOS: A Simplified Path for Smartglasses Development
Mentra recently launched AugmentOS, an app designed for smartphones to facilitate smartglasses application development. The idea is that a single app, crafted with the AugmentOS SDK, should seamlessly operate across multiple smartglasses models. In collaboration with Vuzix, any app running on AugmentOS is compatible with the Vuzix Z100, Even Realities G1, and Mentra Mach1. Surprisingly, the company suggests compatibility with Ray-Ban Meta, though official lists don’t reflect this claim.
This project is a promising stride in addressing the current fragmentation in smartglasses development, offering a cross-compatible ecosystem. While its widespread adoption remains to be seen, it’s undoubtedly a positive development, and I hope more such initiatives emerge.
More info (Mentra and Vuzix partner on AugmentOS) More info (AugmentOS official website)
News Worth a Mention
PSVR 2’s Holiday Season Surge
A price cut from $550 to $350 resulted in a significant sales surge for PSVR 2 in 2024. The device witnessed an astonishing fivefold increase in peak sales volume on Amazon US during the holiday season compared to the previous year. While the numbers still don’t rival Quest’s, they’re impressive. It’s uncertain how Sony plans to navigate its strategies for this headset, but a permanent price drop could be advantageous.
More info
Anduril Takes the Helm of the IVAS Project
Anduril, a defense tech firm founded by Palmer Luckey, is now spearheading the IVAS project, formerly under Microsoft’s purview. Microsoft will still provide Azure cloud services, but hardware and software shifts to Luckey’s team. It appears Luckey was alluding to this when hinting at a new military headset. The previous iteration didn’t quite fit soldiers’ needs, but this new effort might better meet those demands. Luckey set high expectations with remarks like he’s “the best head-mounted-display designer in the world,” so he’ll need to deliver something exemplary.
More info (Anduril to manage the IVAS project – Road To VR) More info (Anduril to manage the IVAS project – Upload VR)
Wonderland Cloud: A New Home for WebXR Apps
Create Worlds, known for the Wonderland Engine, intended as Unity for WebXR development, has launched Wonderland Cloud—a hosting service tailored for WebXR apps. This offering includes not just hosting but dedicated multiplayer services and spatialized voice chat. It’s an intriguing advancement to aid WebXR experience development.
More info (Create Worlds launches Wonderland Cloud) More info (Wonderland Cloud official website)
RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090
This week, a few YouTubers set about comparing NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 with the older RTX 4090 in VR experiences. Unsurprisingly, the newer RTX 5090 came out on top.
More info (RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090 – Comparison 1) More info (RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090 – Comparison 2)
VR Communities Beyond Youthful Audiences
A compelling article by Bobby Carlton underscores just how vibrant VR communities are among adults and seniors. While much focus surrounds Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha, numerous older individuals actively engage with VR, particularly enjoying fitness and social applications.
More info
NBA Games in Miniature?
The NBA’s Apple Vision Pro app now offers “Tabletop,” a diorama-style virtual live game representation. Your table becomes the court, with a live 3D mini-version of the game. It’s a fascinating feature, although I wouldn’t watch an entire match this way—TV feels more immersive. But as a supplementary feature? It’s delightful.
More info
Horizon Store Sales Bonanza
The Quest Store is celebrating a major sale running until February 23, offering discounts on popular titles like Among Us VR, Ultrawings 2, and LEGO Bricktales.
More info
Hand-Tracking Comes to PSVR 2
In a quiet December update, Sony introduced hand-tracking support for PSVR 2. Now, the first game to implement this is Waltz Of The Wizard, bringing hand-tracked interactions via a free update. The game’s magic-based combat system pairs well with this feature, and early footage shows remarkably smooth hand tracking and performance, benefiting from the PS5’s power.
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)
Content Innovations and Updates
Skydance’s game, Behemoth, received a substantial update fixing over 700 bugs and enhancing overall gameplay. Alien Rogue Incursion debuted on Quest, but poor lighting undermines its atmosphere. Thankfully, Survios plans a patch next week. Into The Radius 2 will hit Quest in early Q2 2025, priced at $39.99.
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 Unreleased Masterpiece
This week brought compelling revelations about Ready At Dawn’s canceled project, described by cofounder Andrea Pessino as potentially revolutionary in VR gaming. Known for titles like Lone Echo, it’s a loss that Meta shuttered the studio before this game saw the light of day, likely due to escalating costs and financial viability concerns.
More info
More Content Highlights
-The Midnight Walk, a unique claymation adventure game, will launch for PSVR 2 and PC VR on May 8th, 2025.
-Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic, set to release on PS5 and PC, removed its PSVR 2 listing.
-Onward, the popular shooter, is gearing up for a substantial 2.0 update after a year without major changes.
-Selina: Mind at Large, a VR puzzle adventure, lands on Quest soon.
-Dreams of Another, turning destruction into creativity, arrives on PlayStation VR2 this year.
The vibrant VR ecosystem continues to expand with a slew of new titles across platforms.
More info (The Midnight Walk) More info (Five Nights at Freddy’s) More info (Onward) More info (Selina: Mind At Large) More info (Dreams Of Another) More info (Resist) More info (I, Robot) More info (DodgeCraft) More info (StellarPlans) More info (Tier One) More info (Wet) More info (XR New Round-Up)
Reviews Round-Up
-Stupid Cars offers up a charming traffic management game, delightfully simple yet engaging.
-TouchDesk delivers an immersive way to draw directly on your desk via the Apple Vision Pro, seamlessly integrating with other spatial experiences.
More info (Stupid Cars) More info (TouchDesk)
Additional Updates
John Carmack’s efforts to endorse community Doom and Quake ports within ID Software fell short.
Dbrand releases a strikingly original faceplate for the Apple Vision Pro.
Both Crytek and Unity announced significant layoffs.
New avatar options await in Horizon Worlds, with standout additions like Captain America.
UGVR emerges as a universal VR mod for Godot.
A cool new tool allows for mixed reality visualization of Blender models on Quest 3.
RotoVR modified for flying offers a mesmerizing experience.
Learn More
Partner News
Prima Immersive proudly showcases unparalleled video quality on Apple Vision Pro through The Spatialists’ first immersive episode featuring AJ Lee & Blue Summit. The hugely efficient Prima Encoder compresses 8K per eye 90FPS HDR videos at much lower bitrates, outclassing traditional encoders.
Learn more (Press Release about The Spatialists) Learn more (Hands-on impressions about it on Upload VR) Learn more (Official website of The Spatialists)
Aviar’s VR Training Solution in a Box
Aviar provides an all-inclusive VR training setup for the aviation sector. Clients can effortlessly set up and initiate training right out of the box, optimizing user interaction.
Learn More
The Petty Playbook Kickstarter Launch
Vivian Chazen from the VR community has launched a Kickstarter for a playful puzzle book targeting those with broken hearts or disappointing dating tales. Consider lending her project your support.
Learn More
A Bit of XR Humor
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a twist. Find a funny link. Moving around too much in VR – another chuckle-worthy link. And there’s a tongue-in-cheek Horizon Worlds ad that might just be a VRChat covert op. Check out another funny link for when you splurge on VR tech.
Support a Good Cause
Rather than seeking contributions for my blog this week, I’d urge you to assist those affected by the conflict’s harsh realities. Please consider donating to the Red Cross to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. I extend heartfelt gratitude to my Patreon supporters whose generosity sustains me:
[List of Patreon donors]
And here’s how you can donate:
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine
(Header image by Meta)
This blog contains advertisements and affiliate links. Clicking these links earns me a commission. Find my detailed disclosure here.
Share this with fellow innovators!
Related Content
