As the clock winds down on the final day of the year, it’s a reflective time for many of us. If you’ve missed them, I’ve put together a couple of posts that dive deep into my 2024 XR experiences. They’re full of insights about the latest XR events I’ve attended, and a comprehensive look into XR’s landscape for 2024—spoiler alert: it’s a mix of highs and lows. Take a moment to check them out if you can. And beyond that, I hope you spend today celebrating the year’s end with loved ones. Cheers to an incredible 2025! 😊
Top News of the Week
Some Meta Quest Headsets Got Bricked This Christmas
It seems this holiday season brought a bit of a hiccup for some Meta Quest users. A fresh update, version 72, ended up causing some devices to become unusable. This primarily affected headsets that needed several updates at once. Folks encountered a troubling boot message stating the device was corrupt, just when many were hoping to use them as holiday gifts or family entertainment. Naturally, this led to some buzz online, with users airing their frustrations.
Initially, Meta was slow to respond, likely due to the holiday season when staffing was light. Initially, support wasn’t available for devices out of warranty either. However, after significant outcry, Meta recognized the bug, amended the update, and provided guidance to help affected users recover their headsets. In fact, they went a step further by offering those still facing issues a free upgrade to a Quest 3S with credits for the Horizon Store. In the end, Meta addressed the situation well, but this serves as a reminder to perhaps be more cautious with updates, especially near major holidays. One wonders why a large update was scheduled so close to vacation time, a common no-no for tech companies.
Links: Bricked Quest Issue, The Cursed Boot Screen, People Complaining about Initial Responses by Meta, Meta Fixing the Issue, Meta Offering a Replacement Headset
Other Relevant News
Pimax Announces Dream Air Compact Headset
Pimax is at it again; they’ve announced another headset, the Dream Air. Unlike their usual bulky models that cater to wide field-of-view enthusiasts, the Dream Air is designed for a niche interested in devices like BigScreen Beyond or Visor. It comes with features like hand and eye tracking, automatic IPD adjustment, and a self-tightening strap for ease and comfort.
For a more versatile experience, there’s an optional external attachment called Cobb, which can turn the headset into a semi-standalone device, complete with its own battery and Snapdragon XR2 chip. Specs include dual micro-OLED displays, a 102° field of view, and in-headstrap speakers. All this for a planned release in mid-2025 at around $1900, despite Pimax’s reputation for delays.
Community reactions have been mixed, with some curious about yet another Pimax release, while others remain skeptical of their rapid-fire launch strategy. However, Pimax, led by their calming PR face Japp, argues their approach allows them to tap into market wants quickly—the Pimax Crystal Light being a testament to their strategy.
Dream Air may be aiming to rival the MeganeX SuperLight 8K, appealing more to clarity and comfort over sheer FOV. Let’s watch how it pans out; I’m eager to see how Dream Air unfolds and will definitely keep you updated.
Thanks Rob Cole for the tip
Links: Pimax Announces Dream Air, Launch Video, Official Product Page, FAQ, An Analysis of Pimax’s Strategy
Meta Reportedly Adding a Display to Ray-Ban Meta Glasses
After a successful year in 2024, Meta is apparently working on a new model of Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, this time featuring a display for notifications and AI. This isn’t new, but what’s noteworthy is the potential collaboration with Luxottica. If successful, these glasses could reach new fashion heights with such a massive distribution partner on board.
Links: More info
New Devices Are Going to be Announced at CES
With CES right around the corner, excitement is building for a slew of announcements. Companies like Sony, with its intriguing "Create Infinite Realities" teaser, DPVR, and NVIDIA are set to unveil new XR-related products. I’ll be on the ground at CES, so stay tuned for exclusive updates!
Links: DPVR at CES, Sony’s CES Keynote, NVIDIA’s CES Keynote
News Worth a Mention
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Meta Horizon App Rises Up the Charts: It’s no surprise that during the holiday season, the Meta Horizon companion app found itself among the top downloads, signaling strong Quest headset sales.
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Pico’s SecureMR Ensures Privacy with Passthrough APIs: At a recent event, Pico introduced SecureMR, which allows for privacy-conscious passthrough analysis. However, the tradeoff for developers remains access limitations.
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The Bricking of Magic Leap One: Magic Leap’s previous announcement is coming to fruition—the shutdown of support servers for Magic Leap One headsets, sadly rendering them inoperable.
- LiDAR Data Availability: Tokyo’s point cloud data has gone public, prompting viral interest. There are also mentions of LiDAR programs across other countries, opening doors for VPS and digital twin developments.
Road to VR Picks Games of the Year
The team at Road to VR has crowned their "Best" games, with Batman: Arkham Shadow taking top honors for Quest. Check out the rest of the list for some unexpected picks!
Links: More info
Fanatical Launches New VR Games Bundle
Fanatical’s new "Build your own Quest VR Bundle Winter Edition" offers a fantastic deal on VR titles. Choose from their collection at great discounts!
Links: More info
Some News About Content
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Warpfrog’s New Game: Known for "Blade & Sorcery," they’re developing another physics-based, moddable game.
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"Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable" Release: The full ‘Complete Edition’ is out, drawing excitement from fans despite mixed press reviews.
- Game Night for Quest: This local multiplayer game seems perfect for party fun, blending mental and physical challenges.
Links: Warpfrog, Attack On Titan, Game Night
Other News
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Samsung’s XR Headset Is Gaining New Features: It’s being integrated with Google’s Find My Device functionality.
- Quest’s Startup Animation is More Than It Seems: Discovering it’s not a mere video but a full 3D model animation.
News from Partners and Friends
Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season! A heartfelt thank you to all my Patreon supporters who keep me going. No friend features this time, but spread some holiday cheer with a click here for some magic.
Some XR Fun
Feeling a little light-hearted? From AI to Meta Horizon’s amusing quirks, there’s never a dull moment in XR! Enjoy some of the latest laughs and links.
Donate for Good
Much like last week, this section encourages donations to support the Red Cross in Ukraine. Let’s remember those in need during these challenging times. Thank you to my fantastic Patreon supporters listed below for your continued belief and support:
- Alex Gonzalez VR
- DeoVR
- GenVR
- … (and many others)
Here’s the link to help make a difference:
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine
(Header image by Pimax)
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