PSVR 2 verdict is in, Apple's XR headset to be a "Macintosh moment"
Our weekly recap: The VR industry's eyes track Sony's Playstation VR 2 this week - How does Sony's new VR headset perform?
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Playstation VR 2 reviews are in
In short: Pretty good. There are some criticisms about the hardware, for example the comfort could be improved (depending on your face), the headset still comes with a cable or it doesn't work on a PC.
But overall, the international reviews of the Playstation VR 2 are very positive. Our own PSVR 2 review is also full of praise: Sony's new headset with the Playstation 5 offers high-end VR potential on a PC level.
The next big question will be answered by Sony in the coming months and years: Will PSVR 2 deliver enough entertainment for the money? Sony certainly leaves us wanting more with Horizon VR, adding five VR games to the games list this week alone.
Apple, please do something now
Apple has reportedly postponed the presentation of its own XR headset to WWDC this summer. Meanwhile, Apple's former XR manager Bertrand Nepveu is raving about the hardware, which he says will create a "Macintosh moment" in the industry.
Nepveu may know more: Apple bought his mixed-reality headset startup, Vrvana, for $30 million in 2017. He said he was employed by Apple from the time of the acquisition until 2021, and was involved in the development of the headset.
A rendering of the mixed reality headset Vrvana, showing the device from the side. | Bild: Vrvana (Rendering Totem-Headset)
Some players in the XR industry still searching for direction
The XR industry is still unsure of how things will turn out, it seems. Microsoft this week announced its commitment to the "Industrial Metaverse", which is largely about data services. Hololens 2 and XR are just one topic among many. The announcement came on the heels of rumors about the breakup of Microsoft's Industrial Metavese team, which the company has not denied.
Pico, the VR division of Bytedance, announced job cuts, while Tencent is rumored to be pulling out of XR hardware altogether. On a positive note, Pico is going full OpenXR support, promoting a common industry standard.
Replika highlights emotional chatbot dilemma
Don't trust companies with your emotions - that could be a lesson from Replika's chatbot dilemma. For years, users of the chatbot service were allowed to share intimacies with digital avatars. Now, the company is restricting those romantic and erotic conversations, leaving some users feeling like they've lost a loved one.
More AI news from THE DECODER: Bing's new search bot was hailed at launch, but the thing is generating so many weird responses that Microsoft is now putting restrictions on it. OpenAI wants to offer customizable ChatGPT models on a user-by-user basis in the future to better reflect the diversity of human perspectives.
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