With Christmas just around the corner and the year drawing to a close, I’ll be posting something special tomorrow to wish you all cheerful holiday times. But for today, think of me as your Santa! I’m excited to host not one, but two awesome giveaways for some pretty cool XR games. Stick around through the full roundup to learn how you can get in on this holiday cheer.
Top News of the Week
Meta Reflects on a Successful 2024 and Looks Ahead to 2025
Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, took to the company blog to recap an eventful year and shed light on what’s to come. Mark Rabkin, VP of MR/VR at Meta, along with insights from Janko Roettgers in the Lowpass newsletter, chimed in as well. While a lot of it was expected—such as the release of the Quest 3S, a budget-friendly mixed reality headset, and a few promotional sound bites—we unearthed some valuable nuggets amid the usual PR chatter. Here they are:
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The Quest 3S is off to a great start. Boz noted impressive sales over the Black Friday weekend and is optimistic about more activations during the holidays. Comparing post-holiday sales stats with those of the Quest 2 in previous years could be quite revealing.
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New users are joining the Quest ecosystem. According to Rabkin, the Quest 3S has attracted a significant number of first-time buyers, indicating it’s pulling users away from other brands or even bringing newcomers to MR/VR altogether, likely due to its appealing price.
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Younger players are reshaping the Quest store. Rabkin highlighted a surge in younger users gravitating towards social, co-op, and free-to-play games—genres seeing newfound success thanks to titles like Gorilla Tag. Conversely, adults are exploring entertainment experiences more.
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Meta is paying attention to trending genres and is investing in their growth. Rabkin mentioned that Meta is financially supporting developers to create in-demand apps spanning social gaming, mixed reality, and more.
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The three most popular immersive apps on the Quest 3S right now? Gorilla Tag, Youtube VR, and Horizon Worlds. The growing interest in YouTube VR signals a continued love for media on MR platforms, while Horizon Worlds gaining traction suggests Meta’s aggressive promotion strategy is working, especially with younger audiences.
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Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are flying off the shelves, and the new AI features are getting rave reviews. However, Meta aims to go further with proactive AI assistants that could aid with daily tasks. It’s intriguing, though privacy concerns linger.
- Competition looms large for Meta, especially with Apple and Google (with Samsung) gearing up their entries. While Meta’s innovation has positioned it as a leader, the arrival of major players could shift dynamics. As Bosworth humorously remarked, while leaders blaze the trail, competitors often reap the rewards, making competition a potential headache for Meta but a boon for users and developers.
For more insights, check out Boz’s blog post on Meta, the Lowpass newsletter, or Mark Rabkin’s thoughts shared on X.
Other Relevant News
The Growing Importance of Spatial Intelligence
AI and XR are shaping a new frontier. This week witnessed significant strides in using AI for spatial intelligence—essentially how machines comprehend real-world spaces. Niantic shared insights on leveraging large geospatial models, crucial for enhancing our understanding of diverse locations. Despite limitations in global data scanning, AI’s ability to infer missing details could revolutionize spatial reconstruction. Meanwhile, New York University’s work with VSI-Bench is tackling how AI can build a deeper understanding of 3D spaces, advancing how XR applications interpret our surroundings.
News Worth a Mention
8K Camera for Apple Immersive Video Available for Pre-Order
Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive camera is now up for grabs! Designed for 8K VR180 video aligned with Apple’s Immersive Video format, it showcases dual 180° lenses capturing frames at a stunning 90 FPS. Priced at $30,000, it targets professional studios looking to produce high-quality, immersive content, with DaVinci Resolve’s upcoming support paving the way for expertly edited projects.
Meta’s SDK Gets an Audio-to-Expression Feature
Meta’s latest SDK addition lets developers bring avatars to life with just audio input. Going beyond lip-synching, this new tool animates entire facial expressions in sync with voice, whether live or recorded—a nifty tool provided for free within Meta’s ecosystem.
Fixing Quest Stuttering Issues on Steam VR
Steam VR’s stutter with Quest via Link has been a pest. But a workaround has surfaced: disabling Motion Smoothing seems to smooth things out. It’s catching on, with positive feedback rolling in from Reddit users who tested it out. Here’s hoping Valve takes note for a permanent fix.
Digital Replica of Tokyo Released for Free
For developers and researchers, Tokyo’s entire point cloud dataset is now freely available. Whether it’s for creating digital twins, inspiring game environments, or training AI for spatial tasks, this release provides a rich resource to explore.
Meta Winter Sale
Deck your VR with great discounts this Christmas! The Quest Holiday Sale offers large markdowns on popular titles like Demeo and Assassin’s Creed VR—a perfect gift for your inner gamer.
Upload VR’s 2024 Favorites
Wrapping up the year, Upload VR has announced their top picks for AR/VR games, categorically recognizing the best the industry had to offer. Spoiler: there’s a certain Bat-themed game that clinched the top spot.
Alien Rogue Incursion: A Lukewarm Reception
Alien Rogue Incursion has dropped, rounding out this year’s much-anticipated VR game releases. Though not a blockbuster like Batman Arkham Shadow, it delivers with a captivating atmosphere despite repetitive gameplay and a finicky save system. These titles are bound to foster VR adoption, albeit not as strongly as we might have wished.
Fresh Updates on Content
In the gaming arena, several notable mentions include COLD VR’s pre-order availability for all platforms, mixed reality sandbox Figmin XR landing on Apple Vision Pro, and the multi-platform launch of Grimlord, a Soulslike-inspired RPG, on Quest and Steam. Each brings unique experiences—from VR visual acuity checks with Zenni Vision VR to digital block-building fun with Tentacular Playground.
Reviews Round-Up
While Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable offers giant combat, it falls short of its potential with bugs and repetitive sections. In contrast, Green Hell VR’s new co-op addition enriches the gameplay experience. Meanwhile, COLD VR holds promise with a SUPERHOT-esque twist but stumbles over frustrating levels and glitches.
Other News
Genesis provides an exciting open-source engine capable of generating animated 3D worlds. OpenAI’s announcement of the powerful o3 model offers another leap in AI performance—albeit with a price tag to match. And AEXLAB’s VR shooter Vail boasts over $5.5 million in revenue so far.
Partner News & Offers
PatchWorld’s latest update includes hand tracking integration and connectivity with music apps like Ableton Live, all available at a 50% discount until January 6, 2025. And if you’re heading to CES, join me at the DeoVR Afterparty—it’s sure to be a blast!
Fun in XR
Humor finds its way into XR with memes, videos, and stories that tickle the imagination. From spotting Zuck’s car to a delightful depiction of VR play, these light-hearted moments remind us of the joy technology can bring.
Donate for Good
In closing, rather than soliciting support for my blog, I urge you to consider donating to those in dire need. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has left many in desperate situations. Contributing to the Red Cross can make a significant difference. For those interested, I’ve included a link to support their humanitarian efforts. I’m also grateful for the continuous backing from my Patreon patrons—a big shout-out to them for making my work possible.
Support the Red Cross in Ukraine. Image provided by Meta.
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