Wow, what a whirlwind of a week it’s been on the gaming front! Busy doesn’t even begin to cover it. And just when I thought my schedule was bursting at the seams, Meta decided to drop camera access for Quest—how could I possibly resist diving into that? So, let’s explore this week’s hottest XR news. Trust me, you’ll want to stick around till the end because there’s a giveaway you don’t want to miss!
Top Stories from the World of XR
Niantic’s Big Move with Scopely
In a surprising twist, Niantic has sold its entire gaming division, including the iconic Pokémon Go, to Scopely. The deal? A whopping $3.85 billion. Now owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Pokémon Go finds itself answering to quite the royal ownership. Niantic, meanwhile, is turning its focus entirely towards geospatial technologies, whereby AI combines with AR, spatial intelligence, and geolocation. This bold stride includes launching Niantic Spatial with a healthy $250 million in initial funding. It’s a vast leap forward, and honestly, it raises eyebrows. While they’ve parted with a cash cow like Pokémon Go for a tech that’s yet to turn profit, it clearly marks an ambitious bet on the future of XR. This could be monumental if AR starts generating returns in the next few years. Though, without Pokémon Go’s safety net, they’re diving headlong into AR with bated breath, hoping the market evolves sooner rather than later. One must tip their hat to John Hanke; the audacity and vision required for such a pivot are commendable. Regardless of what comes next, that’s bravery.
You can check more details on Niantic’s decision in articles by Road To VR and Upload VR.
Meta’s Camera Game Changer
Meta has officially rolled out Passthrough APIs, opening up camera frames for developers. This means MR apps on Quest now have the smarts to "see" their surroundings and act accordingly using AI/ML models. They’ve embedded these updates in the Quest and Quest 3S SDK and runtime, even throwing in some handy samples. The creative chaos that followed in the community is worth noting—tutorials are cropping up everywhere (including a detailed blog post I’ve worked on). Meta’s approach demands user consent for camera access, streamlining it through familiar elements like Camera2 on Android or WebCamTexture in Unity, which eases cross-platform development. However, as with most pioneering features, Passthrough Access comes flagged as Experimental, preventing app store releases, although historically, such bans are often temporary. Patience will be our companion here.
Roberto Coviello and Upload VR provide some valuable insights into this release and its preliminary experiments.
VR Games Bonanza at the March 2025 Showcase
Let’s talk about the VR Games Showcase, curated by Jamie Feltham. It was a buffet of tasty updates. While nothing jaw-dropping surfaced, certain revelations piqued my interest:
- The heartwarming “Stay: Forever Home” brings adventures with a digital canine friend to Quest in April. A new trailer just dropped.
- PSVR 2’s Hitman: World of Assassination has a killer trailer, building the hype for its March 27th debut.
- Memoreum, a sci-fi survival horror game, is set for a September release on Quest, with an enticing trailer now available.
- Slender: The Arrival VR is targeting PS VR2, PC VR, and Quest launches this spring—I shudder thinking of Slenderman in VR!
- Flat2VR Studios is broadening horizons by adapting flat games like Out of Sight and Surviving Mars into virtual adventures.
This is just scratching the surface—dive into all the juicy announcements in articles from Upload VR and various studios’ updates.
Ultraleap’s Unfortunate Demise
In bittersweet news, once promising startup Ultraleap is being disbanded for its assets. Known for its cutting-edge haptics and hand-tracking, parts of the company have been sold. Their hand-tracking division goes to Roli, taking with them a skeleton crew of 24 employees post-layoff. Their intellectual property remains in flux, sold off to SIM IP, pending a formal conclusion. Without an official comment from Ultraleap, this development is as disappointing as it is mysterious.
Samsung’s VR Plans
Samsung appears to be preparing for an upcoming headset, reportedly introducing controllers with model ET-OI610 as part of Project Moohan. It seems they aren’t following Apple’s hand-tracking-only route, though shipping details remain elusive. This inclusion is a boon for developers aiming to easily convert content from other platforms like Meta Quest.
Meta’s Horizon Worlds Challenges
A rather unexpected revelation concerning Horizon Worlds has surfaced—a report points out why it’s not flying off the shelves like Meta hoped. Among the biggest shockers? The developers themselves aren’t huge fans of virtual worlds. In fact, it seems they resorted to tricks, like taping headset sensors, to fake engagement. Such apathy within a development team is alarming, compounded by a lack of virtual-world expertise. This paints a grim picture of Horizon’s potential, though why Meta continues to push it is anyone’s guess.
Google Eyeballs AdHawk
Google’s making moves! They’re reportedly investing $115 million to acquire AdHawk Microsystems, developers of a non-optical, laser-based eye-tracking system. While less precise, it’s a privacy-friendly, power-efficient alternative for XR applications. This financial leap affirms Google’s vested interest in XR evolution.
Valve’s Connectivity Leap
Rumor has it Valve is tinkering with a “SteamVR Link Dongle.” This would facilitate a direct Wi-Fi link between headset and PC, enhancing the wireless PC VR experience. Fingers crossed, we might see this tech grace the upcoming Deckard headset.
Meta’s Microgestures Enter the Scene
Beyond cameras, Meta slipped another cool tool into developers’ hands—microgestures. This tech tracks minute finger movements, offering new, subtle ways for users to interact with MR applications, hinting at a smoother, more intuitive VR experience.
Delay Woes for Immersed’s Visor
Immersed’s Visor headset faces more delays, now with production slated for post-summer. Meanwhile, the company’s financial transparency on platforms like Wefunder is adding to investor anxiety. Despite an ambitious crowdfunding venture, it’s still uncertain how they’ll stabilize pre-launch. Communication with the community needs urgent improvement, with concerns being raised about censorship within company forums.
Adios to More VR Companies
This week, more veteran VR companies like Phaser Lock and People Can Fly announced exits from the VR scene, citing economic strain and dwindling investments from hardware makers. It’s not encouraging, especially with heavyweights like Meta purportedly tightening their purse strings.
In the Realm of the Weird
Let’s wrap with some wildly weird tales that caught my eye:
- Meet the $35,000 CL1, a pioneering biological computer blending silicon with living neurons—utterly mind-boggling!
- And how about dream-communication experiments? Yes, we’re talking actual conversation between dreamers. Imagine WhatsApp intruding into dreamland!
In lighter news, MAGE brings 120Hz physics chaos to Quest 3, proving sometimes less (general-purpose tech) really is more.
The Immersive Apple Vision Pro Experience with Metallica
Apple’s foray into immersive music experiences has been a hit, thanks to an 8K 3D video and spatial audio concert of Metallica in Mexico. Despite some critique of its cinematic overuse, its effort is still lauded.
Catch a Sale—and Exciting New Games!
Swing by for killer discounts on Steam and the Horizon Store. Grab Half-Life: Alyx at a steal of $18. Plus, keep eyes peeled for fresh content with games like “BEATABLE” launching on April 10, and RoboCop hitting arcades by late 2025.
Final Thoughts and the Mythic Realms Giveaway
Ahead, Mythic Realms offers a compelling mixed-reality gaming experience. Grab a free key if luck’s on your side, or simply show support for developers through purchase.
Thank you for riding along through the week’s revelations. As always, let’s spread positivity by helping those in need, like the folks in Ukraine. Be it through fundraising or small contributions, your help makes a difference.
For those curious about anything or wanting to support content creators, check out what’s trending, and keep gaming alive!
Let’s keep our VR/I innovation train rolling, alright?
Fun, Fun, Fun in XR
In the mood for some giggles? Check out these lighthearted links, because who says tech can’t have a sense of humor!
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(Header image credited to Niantic)
