As the holiday season quickly approaches, it’s time to not only wrap up the year but also embrace the spirit of giving. Tomorrow, I’ll be dedicating a special post to sending warm holiday wishes your way. Today, though, I’m playing Santa by hosting not one, but two exciting giveaways. We’ve got keys up for grabs to redeem two fantastic XR games, and you won’t want to miss out! Be sure to read through this entire roundup to find out how you can join in on this festive fun.
Top News of the Week
Meta Reflects on Its Successful 2024 and Gears Up for 2025
Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, recently published a comprehensive post summarizing the company’s achievements over the past year and offered a glimpse of what’s ahead. His commentary, alongside insights from Mark Rabkin, VP of MR/VR, and Janko Roettgers’ Lowpass newsletter, covers familiar topics like the Quest 3S launch, currently the market’s most cost-effective mixed reality headset. Beneath the promotional rhetoric, there are some valuable tidbits that I’ve sifted through to share with you.
The Quest 3S has been performing well in the market. Boz expressed optimism about its sales, noting a strong Black Friday weekend and anticipating a wave of new activations during the holidays. It’s going to be interesting to compare these sales figures to those of the Quest 2 from previous years.
Interestingly, many Quest 3S buyers are new to the Meta ecosystem. According to Rabkin, a significant portion of these purchasers didn’t upgrade from the Quest 2, suggesting they are either newcomers to MR/VR or have switched from other brands. The affordability of the Quest 3S appears to be attracting fresh faces to the XR scene.
Meta is aware that younger users are now a significant segment within the Quest community, reshaping the store’s economy. Kids are gravitating towards social and cooperative multiplayer games and free-to-play content, pushing titles like Gorilla Tag into the limelight. Conversely, adults over 25 are increasingly leaning towards entertainment-focused experiences.
In response to this shift, Meta is strategically supporting developers creating sought-after apps in social gaming, MR-first, and other genres. So if you’re considering developing a title with Meta’s backing, focusing on these areas could be beneficial.
The top immersive apps on Quest 3S are currently Gorilla Tag, YouTube VR, and Horizon Worlds, indicating a sustained interest in media consumption via VR/MR headsets. The rising popularity of Horizon Worlds could suggest it’s gaining favor among younger users over VRChat.
The Ray-Ban x Meta smart glasses have been well-received, and recent AI enhancements boost their appeal. Boz hints at future AI tools that proactively assist users throughout the day, potentially increasing glasses’ roles as integrated lifestyle devices. While fascinating, this raises privacy concerns.
Meta’s leadership in XR is challenged by looming competition from Apple and Google, who are set to make waves in the XR market. As Bosworth remarked, “There’s real stakes now,” and the company must stay ahead to maintain its leading position. This competition benefits consumers and developers by driving innovation and quality.
Learn more [here](Boz’s post on Meta’s blog), [here](Lowpass newsletter episode), and [here](Mark Rabkin’s comments on X).
Other Relevant News
The Growing Importance of Spatial Intelligence
The synergy between AI and XR is proving groundbreaking, with Spatial Intelligence at its forefront. This concept, involving AI-driven spatial understanding, is gaining traction. Just this week, two notable studies caught my eye.
First, Niantic’s intriguing blog delves into Large Geospatial Models, utilizing LLMs for spatial understanding. They highlight that, despite extensive player-contributed scanning, a comprehensive map of every global inch remains elusive. AI helps fill these gaps by using existing knowledge of common structures, like churches, to recreate 3D spaces from limited data.
Meanwhile, New York University introduces VSI-Bench, a benchmark for evaluating spatial understanding in AI systems. They propose enhancing LLMs for better spatial recognition, a crucial trend for XR’s future that I’m excited to watch unfold.
Find more [here](Niantic Large Geospatial Model) and [here](VSI-Bench benchmark about spatial understanding).
Notable Mentions
8K Camera for Apple Immersive Video Available for Pre-order
Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive camera, designed for shooting 8K VR180 for Apple’s Immersive Video, is now available for pre-order at $30,000. This high-tech camera, featuring stereo lenses and capturing at 90 FPS, is an investment for professionals, coinciding with updates to DaVinci Resolve to support its format.
Explore more [here](Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera — Road To VR).
Meta Introduces Audio-to-Expression Feature
Meta’s new SDK feature enables full facial animation from audio inputs, surpassing the previous lip-sync capability. It’s a remarkable AI-driven addition available freely to developers within Meta’s SDK.
Read more [here](Meta’s post).
Steam VR Stuttering Issue May Be Solved
Users, including myself, have faced performance lags using Quest with SteamVR via Link. A user claims disabling the MotionSmoothing feature resolves the issue, a tip many Redditors report has worked for them. Hopefully, Valve investigates this further for a permanent solution.
Details are [here](Reddit Thread).
Digital Model of Tokyo Available for Free
Tokyo’s entire city point cloud data is freely available, offering opportunities for AI spatial modeling, city digital twin development, game settings, and more.
Learn more [here](Digital Tokyo Model).
Meta Winter Sale
Celebrate this Christmas season by snagging significant discounts on VR games like Demeo, Asgard’s Wrath 2, and Assassin’s Creed VR via the Quest Holiday Sale.
Find discounts [here](Quest Holiday Sale — Road To VR).
Upload VR’s Favorite Games of 2024
At year-end, Upload VR has spotlighted the top AR/VR games of 2024, awarding best titles in various categories. Curious about the Best VR Game? A hint: it starts with “Bat.”
Check it out [here](Upload VR Awards — Categories 1).
Alien Rogue Incursion Release Review
Alien Rogue Incursion has debuted, ending 2024’s lineup of anticipated games. However, reviews suggest that Batman Arkham Shadow is the standout hit. While other games like Behemoth shine in certain moments, they somewhat fall short overall. The market will grow but maybe not as rapidly as hoped.
Read more reviews [here](Alien Rogue Incursion review — Road To VR).
Upcoming and Released Content
New and exciting games such as COLD VR and Figmin XR have hit the market, with standout features and varied pricing. Grimlord, an action RPG, enters full release, while Zenni Vision VR lets you screen your vision from home.
Discover new releases [here](COLD VR).
Content Reviews
Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable struggles with polish, Green Hell VR introduces an engaging co-op mode, and COLD VR offers a creative spin on SUPERHOT VR, though it needs refinement.
Dive into reviews [here](Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable).
Additional News
Genesis, an open-source engine for animated 3D worlds, has been launched. Moreover, OpenAI’s o3 model promises significant enhancements. AEXLAB’s VR shooter Vail has hit a revenue milestone, and Tom’s Guide compares XREAL One with Viture Pro AR glasses.
For more, check [here](Genesis open-source engine).
Partner News and Giveaways
PatchWorld has undergone a significant update, becoming fully playable with hand tracking and offering various integrations, now discounted by 50% until January 6, 2025. DeoVR is hosting a CES afterparty, and I’m offering free game keys for Home Sports and Party Versus.
[Join PatchWorld on Quest Store](PatchWorld on Quest Store).
XR Fun
In the spirit of laughter, indulge in these humorous XR snippets:
- Reality humor [here](Funny link).
- A peek at Zuck’s "wild wheels" [here](Funny link).
- Hilarity when monkeys want to game without Quest [here](Funny link).
- A playful jab at AI substitutions [here](Funny link).
- A comically naïve ChatGPT moment [here](Funny link).
Donate for a Cause
I’d like to take a moment to draw attention to those in need: Please consider aiding those affected by war and conflict. Your donations to the Red Cross can make a difference in Ukraine. Links for support are available below. I also extend heartfelt thanks to all my Patreon supporters for their continued contributions.
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine [here](Red Cross Link).
(Header image by Meta)
Note: This blog contains affiliate links that help sustain its content. Clicking on these links supports the blog at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure available [here](full disclosure link).
