XR weekly round-up: Meta sells fewer Quest 3S than expected, PSVR 2 gains momentum, and the first VR hit of 2025 is here
Arken Age impresses in our review, PowerWash Simulator VR is out and Pimax finds new investors — the XR news of the week.
In our weekly "XR Update" overview, you will always find the most important XR news from the past week with a brief summary. If you are interested in a topic, click on the link to the full article in the relevant paragraph. As usual, we provide you with background information and opinions in addition to the facts.
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Content
MIXED reader questions
Which technology will prevail? VR, MR or AR?
A MIXED reader asked us which technology is the future: VR, MR or AR? We look at the perspectives of the technologies.
MIXED comment
Every now and then, virtual reality shows its potential
Tomislav's first big VR surprise of the year made him think outside the box of the Meta Quest and hasn't let go since. Read his commentary to find out which VR game reminds him what a beautiful experience more graphically and technically sophisticated VR titles can be.
MIXED Reviews
Arken Age review: VR sci-fi bombast polished to a high gloss
Arken Age is the new game from the developers of Shadow Legend. In our review, the sci-fi adventure proves to be graphically successful and extensive in terms of content, with a strong focus on combat and exploration.
Short Review: Become a bouncer in the viral VR hit "I Am Security"
In the VR game I Am Security, you take on the role of a bouncer. You are responsible for security and have to scan guests and confiscate unwanted items. The game is on the list of the most used apps as well as the lists of the best-selling games of the week.
Short Review: What's the mixed reality Minecraft Discovery 2 good for?
With Discovery 2, you can let off steam creatively in Minecraft style and even in mixed reality. Discovery offers 215 different building blocks. However, the unique selling point is the mixed reality mode, which shows a circular section of the world.
Short Review: VR extraction shooter Anomaly for Meta Quest gets off to a strong start
Anomaly skillfully combines PvP and PvE with an apocalyptic setting. We tried out the VR shooter and tell you why it has the potential to be a hit.
XR hardware: News on VR, AR and mixed reality headsets
Rumor: ASUS and Meta are building gaming VR headsets with eye and face tracking
ASUS is developing a self-sufficient gaming headset based on Horizon OS. The first specifications have now been leaked. The headset is being developed under the code name Tarius and ASUS is planning to integrate eye and face tracking.
XR market and business news
Meta Quest 3S is not (yet) a game changer for the VR industry
Meta Quest 3S should help the VR market reach new heights. Initial signs indicate that this has not (yet) been achieved. The number of app downloads and sales on Amazon actually fell compared to the previous year.
Is Playstation VR 2 about to make a comeback?
Some VR games are more successful on PSVR 2 than on Quest, although the potential buyer base is much smaller. The VR game Swordsman VR sold better on Playstation VR 2 than on Meta Quest in December. Is a radical change imminent?
Pimax makes a splash: millions in cash injection for China's leading VR headset manufacturer
Pimax has raised $13 million in a financing round to drive XR development on a global scale. The VR headset manufacturer has an impressive growth record: It has almost doubled its turnover in each of the past three years.
Well-known VR studio Soul Assembly lays off employees
Soul Assembly lays off employees. The studio behind VR games such as Just Dance VR, Drop Dead: The Cabin and Last Stand confirmed the move to UploadVR and is downsizing by 15 percent.
VR games and XR apps: all the latest news
End of PowerWash Simulator VR: developer pulls the plug
FuturLab is discontinuing support for PowerWash Simulator VR. The VR implementation is not profitable. CEO Kirsty Rigden cites the reason that PowerWash Simulator VR "costs more than it earns". Future DLCs and updates for the VR version will no longer be available.
Video game Oscars: these VR games are nominated in 2025
VR games are more strongly represented at the D.I.C.E. Awards 2025 than ever before, which indicates a growing recognition of the medium. Batman: Arkham Shadow is up against AAA games in two categories. Underdogs and Alien: Rogue Incursion are also nominated several times.
Playstation VR 2: Aliens storm the charts
Sony has published the top downloads of Christmas 2024. Alien: Rogue Incursion shares the top two places with Beat Saber. Skydance's Behemoth made it to number 3 in the USA and number 4 in the EU.
Meta Quest: Asgard's Wrath 2 Studio turns its attention to next major VR project
Work on Asgard's Wrath 2 has been completed. Meta's VR studio turns its attention to the next major project. In future, Sanzaru Games will only deliver updates that fix bugs. New content is no longer planned.
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