What a whirlwind of a week it’s been! Busy with work but in that great way where everything is charged with excitement and new developments. Just when I thought my plate was full, Meta dropped a bombshell by rolling out camera access for Quest, and I had to dive in. It’s been a week packed with fascinating developments in the XR world, so let’s delve right in. And make sure to stick around because there’s a giveaway at the end!
The Week in XR News
Niantic’s Big Move: Selling Its Gaming Division
In a surprising turn, Niantic has offloaded its entire gaming sector, including the popular Pokemon Go, to Scopely for an eye-popping $3.85 billion. Scopely is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, leading to a scenario where Pokemon Go now essentially belongs to the Saudi royal family. Niantic is pivoting sharply to focus on advancing its geospatial tech, marrying AI, AR, and spatial awareness through a spin-off, Niantic Spatial, starting with a hefty $250 million fund. This is a bold gamble, moving away from the secure revenue that Pokemon Go provided. While I’m thrilled to see such strong faith in AR’s profitability in the near future, the absence of that cash cow could spell trouble if AR takes longer to gain traction. Hats off to John Hanke for this gutsy pivot—whether it succeeds or not, it’s a gutsy move worth respect.
Meta Unleashes Passthrough APIs for Quest Devices
Meta finally opened the floodgates by releasing the Passthrough APIs, letting developers access camera frames so their MR apps can adapt to real-world surroundings. This feature, included in the Quest and Quest 3S SDKs, is a leap that many have eagerly awaited. Though it’s still in an experimental phase—with apps using it barred from the Horizon Store for now—it’s a big step, with Meta usually lifting such restrictions after a short period. As developers and the community reel with excitement, my detailed blog post will help you get started with this fresher-than-fresh tech.
VR Game Madness at the March 2025 Showcase
Jamie Feltham’s VR Games Showcase once again crammed in plenty of updates about what’s on the horizon for VR gaming. Though no earth-shattering announcements dominated, several intriguing ones still caught my eye. Games like "Stay: Forever Home" with its adorable VR doggo, and the chilling "Slender: The Arrival VR" set to haunt your dreams soon were some highlights. There’s also a new glimpse of "Hitman: World of Assassination" for PSVR 2 to whet your appetite. Dive through the details via the links below, and choose your favorites.
Ultraleap’s Disheartening Demise
Ultraleap, once a promising startup in haptics and hand tracking, is now being sold off in parts. News broke that they’re selling their hand-tracking tech development section to Roli, a music tech company. A tragic end for what used to be a beacon in XR tech, with many talented friends of mine now displaced.
Samsung’s Enigmatic Move in VR
Samsung appears to be gearing up Project Moohan with its first-party motion controllers. It seems a wise decision as controllers typically translate better for porting content from other systems like Meta Quest. We await more clarity on whether these will be bundled with headsets.
Meta’s Horizon Worlds Stumbles
Meta’s Horizon Worlds is hitting some rough patches, not least because of a lack of enthusiasm from its own developers. Imagine a team taping over headset sensors just to fake usage—ouch. This disconnect signals deeper issues, which reports say stem from developers unsuited for virtual world creation. It begs the question: why not channel those energies into boosting the Quest ecosystem?
Key Industry Nuggets:
- Google is eyeing to acquire AdHawk Microsystems, demonstrating its commitment to innovative tech with $115 million on the table.
- Valve’s upcoming “SteamVR Link Dongle” could change the game for wireless VR reliability.
- Meta’s new SDK update brings microgesture detection—a tiny yet fascinating leap for seamless interactions.
Here’s to hoping for optimistic news overshadowing the setbacks from people like Phaser Lock and People Can Fly stepping out of VR. Despite these industry tremors, good vibes are on the horizon with some futuristic experiments, like a biological computer integrating neurons with silicon and communication through dreams—clearly, science fiction is becoming fact.
Capping off with the Mythic Realms giveaway, a pair of keys up for grabs if you’re quick enough. It’s a wild time to be in XR, balancing awe and anticipation for breakthroughs while navigating the practicalities and passions that drive the industry forward. Keep your curiosity sharp and your VR gear ready!
P.S. In these trying times, consider making a donation to the Red Cross in Ukraine. Your contribution can make a world of difference.
(Header image by Niantic)
