Though it’s not the most bustling moment for the XR (Extended Reality) sector, the recent April Fool’s Day stirred up some excitement! Additionally, a few noteworthy updates have emerged. I’ll unpack all of them in today’s roundup to ensure you’re aware of every intriguing development in XR this week.
Weekly Highlights
Meta’s Latest Smart Glasses Might Hit a $1,400 Price Tag
According to a Tuesday report by Bloomberg, Meta has some intriguing, and admittedly surprising, plans for its upcoming smart glasses, which are set to debut this year. Codenamed "Hypernova," these glasses are essentially a bulkier evolution of the Ray-Ban Meta line, featuring a single display that presents visual data to only one eye. The display sits in the lower field of vision to avoid obstructing the line of sight, requiring users to look down to view information. Commands are executed via touch-sensitive temples or through a companion neural wristband. As for the camera, it’s reportedly getting a bump to something akin to the 2021 iPhone 13’s capabilities. There’s a plan for a dual-display model to emerge in 2027, which aligns with the expected tech progression for the smart eyewear.
The twist? These glasses will sport a Meta brand instead of Ray-Ban, which could deter style-conscious buyers since the Ray-Ban name was a key selling point, alongside Essilor Luxottica’s distribution prowess. An even bigger surprise is the reported price, ranging from $1,000 to $1,400. Despite their tech capabilities, it’s a steep price for glasses mainly designed to display notifications and capture images/videos. This price bracket might curb consumer enthusiasm unless a flashy brand logo like Apple accompanies them.
Traditionally, you’d expect developers, often eager for new hardware, to be early adopters of such pricey tech. But these glasses likely won’t generate interest among developers, since Meta reportedly curates the available apps, like its current Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
While skepticism is warranted given the speculative nature of reports, if true, these purchases seem niche at best. Enthusiasts can opt for the original Ray-Ban Meta for media functions, developers have more open platforms like products from Brillant Labs to fiddle with, and quick-phone-notification seekers can simply choose smartwatches—all possibly at a lower collective cost than the Hypernova.
April Fool’s Hilarity Strikes the XR Community
This year’s April Fool’s Day felt particularly lively within the XR community. More participants, unlike the usual suspects of myself and a few fellow enthusiasts, joined the pranks this year. Highlights included my faux announcement of the Decagear launch, a humorous claim by Sebastian Ang (MRTV) of being Pimax’s new CEO, and Ndreams teasing a sequel to Synapse exclusively for Google Cardboard. Voodoo DE unveiled a peek at an ultra-advanced device. Even beyond XR, tech players got in on the fun. For instance, Razer showcased their imaginary "Skibidi" headset, designed to decode and translate Gen Z lingo—a feature that many adults might find handy in bustling virtual environments like Gorilla Tag. Enjoy a few handpicked April Fool’s gags by checking the links below!
Could New US Tariffs Drive Headset Prices Up?
This segment of the newsletter arrives amid a tough financial landscape courtesy of newly imposed US tariffs, foreshadowing turbulence across global stock exchanges. If these measures persist, they could significantly impact electronic devices, including XR headsets. American companies sourcing components or engaging in manufacturing in Asia might encounter increased costs, often recouped by raising consumer prices. For instance, once Meta exhausts current Quest 3S stocks, expect the cost to soar to around $500.
XR directions hinge heavily on cost-effectiveness due to its non-essential nature in consumer life; price sensitivity is high. Quest 2 and Quest 3S experienced solid sales by maintaining competitive pricing, essential in an industry striving for mainstream adoption. Tariff-induced cost increments could slow sales and hamper XR progress at an already sluggish time. A permanent tariff scenario would dampen efforts to rejuvenate the XR landscape. Let’s hope for a short-lived upheaval; otherwise, it risks broad adverse consequences for the industry.
Noteworthy Mentions
- Apple’s VisionOS 2.4 updates promise innovative features, including text and image tools and a new Spatial Gallery.
- The Quest ecosystem presents a mixed bag, with games like "Gorilla Tag" thriving while others face declining interest and financial strains.
- The larger screen of Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 renders previous Labo accessories incompatible, with no replacement currently planned.
- Developers are collaborating to enable PSVR 2’s eye-tracking capabilities on PCs, offering potential cost-effective eye-tracking solutions.
- The ingenuity of Quest’s developer community shines through ongoing experiments with camera technology, yielding groundbreaking prototypes.
- Researchers unveiled a promising haptic skin, simulating tactile sensations with inflatable dots on fingertips—though commercialization remains distant.
- Ruff Talk VR’s gaming showcase highlighted exciting indie VR titles.
- Several VR gaming titles and simulators are set to launch on Quest, maintaining momentum for the platform.
Reviews in Brief
- "Pinball FX VR" excels in delivering a dynamic pinball experience with a cool mixed-reality twist.
- "Wanderer: Fragments Of Fate" offers an engaging puzzle-based journey with some areas needing improvement.
- Upload VR praises "Hitman World Of Assassination" for PSVR 2 as a solid gaming experience.
Additional Updates
- A new Quest controller mimics the exact size and weight of a real gun, designed by ACE in partnership with SIG SAUER.
- The “Squid Game VR” experience achieved over $30M in revenue from Sandbox VR ticket sales.
- Virtual Desktop’s recent update enables virtual monitor spawning on Macs, pushing technological boundaries.
- A study reveals that contemporary kids display a lesser tendency towards motion sickness than adults.
- HTC celebrated 9 successful years of its Vive product line.
From Our Partners
I’ve been approached by a startup, Mixed Reality Tech, founded by a seasoned XR entrepreneur. They offer an on-demand QA testing service for XR apps, evaluating them on various headsets to highlight bugs. If you need such services, feel free to reach out.
A Bit of XR Humor
- A clever take on how to alleviate motion sickness, one field of view improvement at a time.
- Imagine if humans were programmable with LLM prompts—a hilarious consideration.
- A peek into my hopeful future looked curated for optimism.
- Spotting a Terminator from a human has never been breezier, thanks to innovative thinking.
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(Header image courtesy of Razer)
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