Returning to Italy, I’m exhausted but content. I trust you had a lovely Valentine’s Day with your loved ones and are doing well in general. Curious about what’s been keeping my spirits high? My piece on Android XR’s innovative camera frame permissions recently garnered attention from renowned publications like Road To VR, Upload VR, and Android Authority! It’s delightful to enjoy a brief moment in the spotlight. 😊 Now, with a heart full of joy, let’s delve into this week’s top XR news!
Top News This Week
Ray-Ban Meta Sells 2 Million Devices
EssilorLuxottica’s CEO, Francesco Milleri, proudly announced during the company’s Q4 2024 earnings call that Ray-Ban Meta glasses have achieved impressive sales, hitting the 2 million units mark. This aligns with whispers in the supply chain, suggesting a retention rate that’s equally commendable. Successful sales and retention like this are the backbone of a hit product.
Milleri revealed plans to invest more in Ray-Ban Meta, targeting a production increase exceeding 10 million units by the close of 2026. This success has undoubtedly fueled excitement around smartglasses. At CES, I noticed numerous startups unveiling AI smartglasses, alongside rumors of major players like Apple and Samsung joining the fray. However, I caution against falling for the hype. Ray-Ban’s fame is a major contributor to Meta’s success—elements other tech brands might struggle to replicate.
Moreover, expanding production to 10 million annually is impressive, yet it still doesn’t rival smartphone sales, indicating these devices are moving forward incrementally. While I hope they catch on, consistent market growth is imperative to validate their potential.
Meta’s Reported Humanoid Robot Venture
Bloomberg reports Meta’s Reality Labs is delving into humanoid robots, leveraging data from AR and VR headsets and Project Aria glasses. While Meta isn’t interested in manufacturing the robots, its goal is to develop essential AI systems and sensors for others to build on.
Personally, I’m puzzled by this move. Given Meta’s ongoing XR challenges and financial losses, venturing into another complex tech area appears risky with uncertain returns.
Apple Enhances Vision Pro with Apple Intelligence
Bloomberg states Apple plans to integrate Apple Intelligence into Vision Pro headsets and update features. This software enhancement, likely in beta soon, aligns with rumors of a Vision Pro model featuring an M5 chipset.
Introducing Apple Intelligence to Vision Pro would significantly boost Apple’s competitive edge, particularly against Google’s impressive Gemini integration in its Android XR OS. This fierce competition urges major brands to refine their offerings swiftly.
AugmentOS Unveils Smartglasses Development Platform
Mentra’s latest launch, AugmentOS, provides a unified platform for developing smartglasses applications. Partnering with Vuzix ensures compatibility across various models, though its claim of supporting Ray-Ban Meta is questionable. Nonetheless, AugmentOS addresses the fragmented smartglasses application ecosystem, promoting cross-model compatibility. I’m eager to see its adoption, as it’s a promising start toward unified development.
Noteworthy Mentions
PSVR 2’s Holiday Sales Surge
A significant price drop propelled PSVR 2 sales in 2024, showcasing a fivefold increase during the holiday season compared to 2023, according to Amazon US sales charts. These figures, while not at Quest’s level, are impressive. Perhaps, a permanent price reduction could further boost its success.
Anduril Now Leads the IVAS Project
Palmer Luckey’s defense company, Anduril, has taken over Microsoft’s IVAS project hardware and software mantle, while Microsoft remains the cloud provider. It’s plausible Luckey’s grand claims about the new headset’s development will face immense public scrutiny, given his ambitious rhetoric.
Wonderland Cloud’s Specialized WebXR Hosting
Create Worlds launches Wonderland Cloud, enhancing WebXR development with optimized hosting and specialized multiplayer services. This service simplifies WebXR application development, indicating a step forward in WebXR ecosystem collaboration.
Next-Gen NVIDIA RTX Comparison
In a dual YouTube analysis, NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 demonstrated superior VR performance over the RTX 4090. These findings undoubtedly favor the more advanced model.
The Power of VR Communities
Bobby Carlton’s article underscores the vibrant VR communities among the 50-plus demographic, emphasizing their participation in fitness and social applications. Despite the younger generations stealing the spotlight, these communities present a thriving user base in VR.
NBA Virtual Tabletop Experience
The NBA’s Apple Vision Pro app now features a Tabletop option for games, offering an exciting mini-playfield view. While it’s a fascinating addition, the traditional TV viewing remains unmatched for full immersion.
Horizon Store’s Sale Alert
Significant discounts are currently available on the Quest Store, featuring popular titles like Among Us VR and LEGO Bricktales, until February 23.
PSVR 2’s First Hand-Tracked Game
The magic-based game Waltz Of The Wizard introduced hand-tracking on PSVR 2, demonstrating remarkable performance. The PS5’s power certainly contributes to its superior tracking capabilities compared to Quest.
Content Updates
Skydance’s Behemoth receives a massive update with significant improvements, while Alien Rogue Incursion requires lighting adjustments. Meanwhile, Into The Radius 2 prepares for its Early Access release on Quest.
And more releases are on their way—from Midnight Walk’s adventures to Five Nights at Freddy’s new iteration—and the tactical Onward Update alongside other exciting VR content developments.
Other Updates
John Carmack’s push to officially port Doom and Quake remains unfruitful, while Dbrand and Crytek announce significant changes. Additionally, Horizon Worlds and Godot’s UGVR mod unveil intriguing updates.
Partner and Friend Updates
Immersive video creators, The Spatialists, debut with incredible visuals, while Aviar simplifies VR training installations. Vivian Chazen’s new Kickstarter project, unrelated to VR, also seeks support.
Fun and Community
Celebratory XR content brings humor and highlights the ongoing generosity needed in supporting Ukraine through the Red Cross. A special thanks goes to my Patreon members for their invaluable support.
For those interested, here’s how to assist Red Cross in Ukraine.
Header image courtesy of Meta.
