XR weekly round-up: Photo leak shows controversial VR headset, Pico 4S teased and Meta closes a VR studio
Meta negotiates with Jio and closes a VR studio, Pico teases new VR headset, PSVR 2 becomes PC-compatible and innovative XR apps are released — the week's top XR news stories.
In our weekly XR Update, you can always find the most important XR news of the last five days with a short summary. If you are interested in a particular topic, click on the link to the full article in the relevant section. As usual, we provide you with background information and opinions in addition to the facts.
Have fun browsing!
Content
XR hardware: News on VR, AR and Mixed Reality headsets
Exclusive photo leak of the Immersed Visor
A leaked photo provides the first insights into the internal hardware of the compact Immersed Visor VR headset. The image shows components such as cameras for tracking and eye-tracking as well as a fan, which indicates progress in development. The market launch of the lightweight 4K VR headset at a price of less than 1,200 dollars planned for October thus seems more realistic.
Valve plans hand tracking for Steam Link and SteamVR
Valve is probably working on the integration of hand tracking for Steam Link and SteamVR. This would enable new input methods for PC VR and adapt SteamVR to modern standards.
Pico 4S: New VR headset to be unveiled soon
Pico teases the launch of a new product, presumably the Pico 4S. Leaks point to improved mixed reality functions and a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip, which could bring the headset technically on par with the Quest 3.
Possible new features for Meta Quest
Datamining of PTC update 69 indicates upcoming features for Meta Quest. These include "Seamless Multitasking" for bringing panels into VR apps, spatial audio for panels, native Windows desktop streaming and possibly a beta version of Codec Avatars. However, the implementation of these features is not guaranteed.
Playstation VR 2: PC connection was planned from the start
Sony Interactive Entertainment confirms that the PC compatibility of PSVR 2 was planned from the outset. However, there are doubts as to whether Sony seriously planned the implementation from the outset or only realized it due to sluggish sales.
XR market and business news
Meta negotiates with Indian tech giant about VR headset with Horizon OS
Meta is in talks with Indian company Jio about potentially licensing its XR operating system Horizon OS for a new VR headset. Details are still unclear, but the partnership could expand Meta's reach in the Asian market.
Meta closes VR studio Ready at Dawn
Meta has closed the renowned VR studio Ready at Dawn in order to comply with budget limits. The studio was known for titles such as Lone Echo and Echo Arena, but has been unable to publish a native quest game since its acquisition by Meta in 2020.
VR games and XR apps: All the latest news
Sci-fi VR experience focuses on animal rights
PETA's VR app "When They Came For Us" lets users discuss morals and ethics with an alien AI. The immersive role-playing game aims to raise awareness of animal rights by putting people in the position of animals.
Underworld Overseer brings Dungeon Keeper to VR
The VR game Underworld Overseer adapts the game principle of Dungeon Keeper for virtual reality. Players can interact with their own hands and have to defend a dungeon against intruders. It will be released on October 31 for Meta Quest and Steam.
CleaXR makes vacuuming an experience in mixed reality
The mixed reality app CleaXR for Meta Quest visualizes cleaned surfaces in real time while vacuuming. The app is still at an early stage of development, but shows the potential of mixed reality for everyday tasks.
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