XR weekly round-up: New VR headsets aim to knock Quest 3 from throne & Hitman 3 VR is a disaster
Pico 4 Ultra gets a mixed review, Quest 3 is now the second most popular PC VR headset, HTC teases a new VR headset and Hitman 3 VR is a colossal flop — the week's top XR news stories.
In our weekly “XR Update” overview you will always find the most important XR news of the past week 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.
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Content
XR hardware: News on VR, AR and mixed reality headsets
Pico 4 Ultra Review: The Quest 3 role model remains unmatched
Our review of the Pico 4 Ultra shows that despite more power and mixed reality, the mobile VR headset cannot close the gap to Meta's Quest 3. Only die-hard Pico 4 fans will be satisfied with this upgrade.
Pre-order Pico 4 Ultra now and get the motion tracker and four VR games for free
If you want to see for yourself, you can pre-order the new Pico 4 Ultra VR headset now. Until September 19, you can get the motion tracker and four VR games for free as part of a pre-order bundle. The official sales launch is on September 20, 2024 at a price of €599.
Meta Quest 3 is now the second most popular PC VR headset
After a long neck-and-neck race, Quest 3 overtakes Valve Index to become the second most used PC VR headset behind Quest 2. Pico 4 also performed well in August and now has a user share of over 3 percent.
New HTC Vive to be unveiled on September 18
HTC announces that the new device will be officially unveiled on September 18, 2024. An initial leak suggests that it could be the Vive Focus 4. The new headset will presumably use Qualcomm's new premium XR chipset, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, and is aimed at businesses and professional users.
Meta Quest 3S: Launch is apparently imminent
The US authority FCC has published new documents for a VR headset from Meta. It is highly likely to be the Meta Quest 3S, a significantly cheaper version of the Quest 3, which will replace the sold-out Quest 2. The headset is expected to be unveiled on September 25 at Meta Connect 2024.
Meta Quest 3S: accessories and memory variants leaked
According to leaked code strings, Meta Quest 3S could be released in two storage variants with 128 GB and 256 GB. There are also indications of new accessories for Quest 3S and Quest 3, including an "Open Facial Interface Cushion" and "Open Periphery Facial Interface", possibly for more mixed reality immersion.
Bigscreen Beyond: Delivery of the audio strap started
Delivery of the audio straps for the ultra-lightweight PC VR headset Bigscreen Beyond has begun. Bigscreen writes that hundreds of audio straps have already been delivered to customers and that it expects to be able to deliver 1,000 to 2,000 audio straps every week to make up for the backlog by mid-September.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses: Samsung & Google are likely to launch their own AI headset
Qualcomm, Samsung and Google are working on an AI headset similar to the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. Qualcomm CEO Christiano Amon hinted at this in an interview. According to this, it is to be a new product with new experiences that anyone with a phone can buy.
XR market and business news
Meta Connect 2024: First indications of the program
Meta has published the program for Meta Connect. Among other things, the company will present the "Spatial App Framework", which was teased in April and makes it easier for mobile developers to provide their smartphone apps for Horizon OS. 2D apps are extremely important for Meta Quest in order to keep up with Apple Vision Pro.
VR games and XR apps: All the latest news
Quest Games Optimizer makes VR games sharper, faster and more beautiful
The Quest Games Optimizer takes many VR and MR games to a new visual level and is a must-have for Quest nerds and anyone who wants to get the most out of their headset. It makes it possible to play native Quest games in a resolution otherwise only known from PC VR streaming.
Hitman 3 assassinates Quest 3: Hands off this VR port!
Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded could have been a showcase game for Quest 3. Instead, it turned out to be a disaster. The game has such a low resolution that the game world flickers, people look like mannequins and elements are constantly popping into view, not to mention the graphics bugs. XR Games promises a patch for next week, but it is questionable whether it will bring any significant improvement.
A great VR studio teases a mysterious new project
InnerspaceVR, the studio behind Fisherman's Tale and Maskmaker, has announced One True Path for Meta Quest and SteamVR. The first part of the narrative VR adventure will be released in Early Access at the end of September. It should be full of surprises and delight fans of classic paper-and-pencil games.
I was a VR pet caretaker and didn’t want to stop
In Pets & Stuff, you help neglected pets back on their feet. A feel-good game in a class of its own that is accessible, uses the strengths of VR and is incredibly cute. You take on the role of a pet carer and gradually get to know the job. Virtual reality thrives on hand interactions and so it's great fun to get to grips with the animal and restore it with lots of care and a few strokes.
Playstation VR 2: The horror game “Pools” is perfect for the VR headset
The aesthetic horror game Pools is coming to Playstation VR 2 and PC VR and should particularly shine on Sony's VR headset. It dispenses with a classic story, characters or discoverable notes and clues and instead relies on sounds to give players the feeling of really being there. With its minimalist design, photorealistic graphics and focus on spaces and sounds, Pools is perfectly suited to virtual reality.
Beat Saber receives first “shock drop”: Eminem’s “Houdini”
Eminem's summer hit Houdini is a surprise release for Beat Saber. More to follow. Beat Games is launching the "Shock Drops", a series of hit singles that will be released for Beat Saber without prior notice. The song is now available on all VR platforms that offer Beat Saber.
Star Wars Outlaws is playable in virtual reality with this mod
VR modder Luke Ross brings Star Wars Outlaws to PC VR headsets. His VR mod requires a Patreon membership. Star Wars Outlaws has recently become playable with spatial head tracking and stereoscopy. Luke Ross recommends playing with the gamepad. VR controllers are not supported.
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