March has finally come to a close with a glorious day, marking not only the completion of one of my projects but also the perfect time to dive into the latest AR and VR news. Let’s also spare a moment to talk about all the buzz surrounding Studio Ghibli and AI.
This Week’s Highlights
Samsung’s Leap into XR Glasses
Rumor has it that Samsung is gearing up to roll out its XR glasses later this year, as reported by ETNews, a Korean media outlet. The specifics are still under wraps—whether they are AR glasses or smartglasses isn’t clear, but what’s intriguing is their ease of use with embedded cameras and sensors to track users or their environment. The project bears the codename "Haen," meaning "coast" in Korean. Samsung has dabbled in XR glasses before, indicating that they’re crafting something potentially revolutionary. Should Samsung reveal both their MR headset, Project Moohan, and the Haen XR glasses this year, 2025 might well be Samsung’s triumphant return to the XR arena.
(For more details: Samsung XR glasses — Road To VR | Samsung XR glasses — Android Authority)
Vivo Ventures into Mixed Reality
Vivo, a dominant smartphone manufacturer, has set sights on the mixed reality domain with their incoming headset, Vision. This gadget, whose exterior was recently revealed, bears a striking resemblance to Vision Pro—and even shares the name! With a planned launch in the middle of 2025, it seems Vivo is joining the growing list of major companies stepping into the XR fray.
The Evolving Meta Quest Ecosystem
Touching on Chris Pruett’s GDC insights regarding the Quest ecosystem’s trend toward free-to-play, largely due to a surge of younger users, I stumbled upon an interesting facet highlighted on Meta’s blog. Besides the youthful crowd, a growing wave of adult users entitled media consumers are emerging. Unlike their "VR Elite" predecessors, those in this new group see their headsets as an enhanced medium for viewing TV and films rather than hardcore gaming. This segment, mostly 30-something men, is rapidly developing into a formidable demographic with a penchant for sophisticated viewing experiences. By 2027, Meta forecasts these individuals will be a pivotal community within the ecosystem. Consequently, the impending Quest 4 may well cater more extensively to movie enthusiasts, aligning it directly with Apple’s Vision Pro strategy. As a developer, navigating such shifting market dynamics poses challenges—should I focus on game development or pivot towards media-centric content? It’s a puzzling but exciting crossroads.
Noteworthy Mentions
-
Apple’s WWDC: Slated for June 9, Apple’s WWDC is set to unveil visionOS 3. However, coinciding with AWE, juggling both events might be tricky for some.
-
Pimax Crystal Super’s Arrival: Mark your calendars for April 7, as Pimax’s Crystal Super, a high-resolution wide-FOV headset, begins shipping.
-
PlayStation Spring Sale: Until April 23, Sony’s sale extravaganza offers 60+ PlayStation VR2 titles, including hits like Alien: Rogue Incursion.
- The Polys and WebXR: Celebrating its fifth installment, The Polys awarded the crème de la crème in WebXR, bringing deserved attention to this burgeoning tech.
Valve’s Game Silence
David Heaney penned an intriguing critique regarding Valve’s silence in XR content post-Alxyx five years ago. Despite holding the purse strings and benefiting from Steam sales, Valve’s reticence to further enrich the VR landscape remains a mystery. This silence begs the question—why does Valve escape the criticism often directed at other players like Meta?
Unique Camera Access Experiments
Heightened camera access on Quest has sparked creative feats, and I’m thrilled to highlight a few: a developer managed to mimic real-world elements virtually, another deduced environmental lighting via camera data, and yours truly experimented with vision filters maintaining depth perception.
Content Releases and Updates
-
Star Wars: Beyond Victory: An exciting new mixed reality playset aligning with Han Solo prequel story levels arrives exclusively on Quest.
-
Hitman World of Assassination: New VR DLC for PlayStation VR2 is available at $10, garnering positive early feedback.
-
System Shock 2 VR Canceled: Meta halted support for this and other VR projects, despite an upcoming remaster launch on Steam.
- RoboCop VR Woes: The expected game won’t see daylight due to IP rights issues, creating quite the scandal.
Upcoming Games and Content Updates
Here’s a glimpse of exciting stuff on the horizon: HARD BULLET’s arrival this spring on Quest 3, Onward’s major 2.0 update, and the upcoming No Man’s Sky: RELICS are just snippets of what’s unfolding. From avatars inspired by “Avatar: The Last Airbender” to the delayed release of Vertigo 2, the content pool continues to evolve.
Reviews Worth Reading
Recent reviews spotlight titles like Pinball FX VR for its faithful MR/VR recreation and Boxed Out’s captivating blend of simplicity and challenge as a puzzle game inspired by Tetris.
Other Tidbits
Infinite Reality’s acquisition of Napster, formerly our go-to music platform, intends to create a social music domain offering virtual concerts—which sorts of makes me reminisce about my days working on virtual concerts. Meanwhile, riveting discussions are happening—from the advances in AI by Meta’s Reality Labs, to dialogues on Reddit about the current state of adult XR content for women. Also noteworthy, Cyan, the developer of Myst, faced the tough decision of reducing its team by half.
Finally, let’s lend a helping hand—not just to this blog, but to the folks in Ukraine dealing with the tribulations of war. Supporting the Red Cross might make a real difference. Thank you to all my Patreon supporters for your contributions, and if you wish to aid further, here’s the link to donate.
Stay Innovative
Share these insights with fellow explorers of the future, and let’s continue to pave the way in our vibrant XR landscape.
