I hope summer’s treating you well, or at least without too many mosquito bites. Anyway, you might find these XR updates worth your time. Oh, and there’s a giveaway somewhere in here. Keep your eyes peeled!
Top Stuff This Week
Datamined Gems from Quest (Image by Meta)
So, Luna’s been poking around Upload VR again. Her findings? Hmm, let’s see…
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Horizon Home is getting a facelift or something. They say it’s going to be all social and lively. It’s like Horizon Worlds crashed into your living room. Portals and 2D apps? Yup, those too.
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The plaza in Horizon Worlds? Total makeover. Now you’ll see your home space dangling like a distant island in the sky. It’s all about connectivity, I guess.
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New "Events Arena" in Horizon Worlds. Sounds like a concert hall for VR?
- Remember Hyperscape? Looks like it’s morphing into Horizon Photoreal. Scan places with your phone, upload ’em, and voilà! Virtual tourism, anyone?
It’s all very speculative. Luna’s got the scoop, but it’s not gospel. Yet.
Smart Moves by Brilliant Labs (Image by Brilliant Labs)
Cue dramatic music—Brilliant Labs is launching new smartglasses on July 31st. Given their past hits like Monocle and Frames, this new piece of tech is stirring up buzz. Open ecosystem for developers? Fingers crossed. Bobak Tavangar’s doing an AMA on Reddit too—grab a virtual seat.
Some Quick Shoutouts
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Sharp’s VR Controller? (Image by Sharp) It’s weird, looks like a glove-controller hybrid. Haptic feedback is their game, priced at ¥100,000 (~$680). Will they nail it? Time will tell.
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Meta’s Wristband Tricks Meta’s talking gestures with their upcoming EMG wristband—writing, rotating, tapping. Sounds bizarrely intuitive. Can’t wait to see how awkward my own gestures look.
- Google’s Fancy Prototypes Word is, Google showed off lab prototypes at TED and I/O. They’ve got some tricky Raxium microdisplays with 1% yield. Lab geek stuff, you know.
Save the Date for VR Games Showcase
Summer 2025 event kicking off August 12th. Expect big reveals and updates. You might want to catch that pre-show too, if indie games are your jam.
Shop till August 10th! Pico Summer Sale’s On
Got a Pico headset? Lucky you! Check out the sale, snatch up to 50% off certain titles. Your wallet might not cry too hard.
Real Golf Meets VR with Putt Window
Quest 3 game’s letting you use an actual putter and golf ball. Mixed reality? Sure. Just remember your living room isn’t a golf course.
Sad News: Dungeon Full Dive’s Farewell
TxK Gaming Studios is bowing out. Dungeon Full Dive’s ending, but their $50 GM Edition is becoming free next week. Kudos to them for that but raising $250K isn’t enough to keep such an intricate VR platform alive.
Tidbits
- Sound Bath Experience TRIPP team’s new relaxing project.
- Eldramoor MMORPG Raised $170K—skeptical if it’s enough.
- Billie Eilish in Three-Dee Filmed for Meta Quest.
- Rec Room’s AI Buddy Comes with the Plus subscription. Hello, Roomie!
Game Talk
- Pirate: Republic of Nassau Fun pirate escapades with Caribbean flair. Way to make history immersive?
- Dreams of Another Moves the story forward with a… gun? Sounds deep.
- Elsewhere Electric Asynchronous and intriguing, needs some fine-tuning though.
- Clone Drone in the Hyperdome Action-packed VR delight with roguelite mode.
Geeky Updates
- DannieVR on Xiaomi AI Specs Did you catch his thoughts?
- Viture’s Brightness Boast Tempting, right?
- VR File Manager Easier sideloading of APKs.
- Pimax’s Special Offer Switch to Crystal Light for less.
- Bhaptics Suit Review
- Rayneo Air 3S Teardown
- VR Training Guide Practical take on corporate VR.
- Google AI Fashion Try-On Because "does this suit me?" just got a software revamp.
A Bit of Fun
Seems folks have some quirks they like to indulge in VR. It’s a brave new world, or just a strange one?
Giving Back
Not asking for donations here, because if you could spare it, support someone in need, like those affected by the war in Ukraine. The Red Cross is doing vital work if you’re looking for a good cause.
And a heartfelt thanks to all my Patreon supporters. You rock.
Now, here’s hoping something in this chaotic info-dump brightens your day—or at least entertains you for a bit. Remember to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Cheers!
