Today is the day we celebrate the Italian Republic, so theoretically I should be on holiday, but actually I’m here, writing this article to inform you about the most interesting things that have happened in XR in the past week!
As usual, I will be very informative for you all, my human readers, but it seems that I’m also doing that for my AI readers, considering that someone just sent me a screenshot of ChatGPT suggesting that he read one of my articles…
Top news of the week
Meta and Anduril partner to build headsets for the US Army
When I woke up a few days ago and saw a picture of Palmer Luckey and Mark Zuckerberg smiling together, I thought I was still dreaming. When I realized I was awake, I thought I was drunk. But then I realized it was all true: Zuck and Palmer have actually created a partnership, and so they are friends again.
Nothing creates best friends like multi-billion-dollar contracts from the US Military. Anduril is a company at the forefront of military innovation, using all the available technology. Meta is the market leader in XR. A partnership between the two seems the best option to create an innovative XR headset for the US Army. The idea of this consortium is to basically replace the role that Microsoft had in building glasses to augment the potentialities of soldiers, in the program that was once known as IVAS and whose name is now SBMC (Soldier-Borne Mission Command).
Upload has a very fascinating theory about this partnership. According to the XR magazine, Anduril may have chosen Meta because of its Project Orion glasses, which can provide a very wide field of view thanks to the use of Silicon Carbide lenses. Silicon Carbide is very expensive, so Orion has a price that is rumored to be above $20,000. This price is totally unfeasible for the general audience, but it is something the military sector can afford to spend. This would allow the military to have cutting-edge XR technology for its soldiers, and at the same time would allow Meta to start creating the supply chain to build Silicon-Carbide glasses. Meta could so kickstart the production of Silicon Carbide lenses at a small scale, and use the military contract to improve the processes, reducing the costs and increasing the volumes. This would allow Mark Zuckerberg’s company to create a viable path to build a consumer-oriented Orion in the next few years. I don’t know if this is actually Meta’s plan, but it is for sure an intriguing possibility.
More info (Meta and Anduril partner for the US Military — Road To VR)
More info (Meta and Anduril partner for the US Military — Upload VR)
Other relevant news
XR magazine MIXED shuts down
I’m still in shock about the news I received last night: the German XR magazine MIXED has stopped operating. The pages are still live, but the magazine has been basically shut down. Tomislav and Josef, who were the main team behind it, are going to work for Heise Online, which is a big online tech magazine in Germany, and will report about AR and VR.
The reasons for the shutdown are the ones you can imagine:
- Google’s latest algorithms are killing small publications to favor big magazines, Reddit, and sponsored insertions. We all had a big drop in organic views lately
- AI chatbots are substituting Google, and are just reporting (i.e. stealing) the information we write without making people go to our websites
- Young audiences favor videos over text, so the true stars of the field are always YouTubers and TikTokkers
Add to all of this the fact that Virtual Reality is not in its golden age anymore, and that VR teams are usually on a budget and don’t have much money to give to online magazines, and you obtain a lethal mix that has killed one of the best XR publications around here.
I’m very sad about this piece of news: MIXED was truly a good magazine, and the guys behind it were very nice guys. What’s happened is just unfair. And being another nerd guy who just likes to write online about XR, I feel all the pain of the editors, and I feel like their failure is a bit like my failure. It also makes me a bit angry that it seems that no one cares about this news, and the tweets where MIXED shared about the shutdown just got a bunch of likes. This is also unfair, considering that these people worked overnight to deliver the articles to inform the XR community.
Anyway, the only thing I can do now is to wish the best of luck to everyone who took part in MIXED, hoping that one day they could come back and make a living out of XR.
More info (MIXED shuts down)
More info (The final article of one of the editors)
A benchmark for Project Moohan headset got spotted
A benchmark on Geekbench matching the model number of Project Moohan has revealed details about the upcoming headset by Google, Qualcomm, and Samsung.
The benchmark revealed the headset mounts a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen2, which is not a surprise, considering we all knew this for ages. But it also unveiled that the operating system will be a modified version of Android 14, and that the headset has 16GB of RAM.
The more we go on, the more we discover about this device…
News worth a mention
The trilogy of Pimax drama
This week, the VR company getting the most attention is Pimax, but not for good reasons. Being Pimax the messy company we all know, it has not made one, but even THREE huge PR mistakes in just one week. I think it’s a record.
So, what happened during this week that will make Pimax win the Guinness World Record for the most WTF week for a VR company?
- A couple of its employees thought it was a good idea to start telling some community people that they could have earned money by writing articles about their experience with Pimax, as long as 70% of the article expressed a positive opinion. Of course, this practice is very shady, and the community backlashed as soon as it was made public. The problem is, the official PR of Pimax, i.e., Jaap, never approved this practice. It was just a few Chinese employees who thought it was a genius idea, because such systems are kinda tolerated in China, so they tried to replicate them with the Pimax western community. The problem is that this practice, called astroturfing, is even illegal here in the West. I don’t think these people will win the “employee of the month” this month. Probably not even the next one. Jaap tried to explain the situation on social media, but as usual, no one believed him, and the comments to the various articles about it were not the kindest I have ever read.
- The company invited the YouTuber VooDoo to visit its factory outside Shanghai. VooDoo made a video about the process he saw, and of course, was fascinated by seeing a clean room for the first time in his life. But it seems someone was less fascinated: among his viewers, there was a person who is an expert about clean rooms, who noticed the clean room was not as clean as it should have been, because there were dust particles in it. It seems this guy made some comments on the YouTube channel saying that the clean room was bad, and these comments disappeared. So he went back on Reddit, creating what would have become the most liked post of the week, in which he screamed about the scandal of Pimax not having a real clean room and VooDoo censoring any bad comments about Pimax. The chat of that post is a carnage, with the poor VooDoo defending himself, claiming he never reported any post, and the VR community claiming he’s a shill, a fraud, and even a puppy of the CCP(!!!). Another nice day in the VR forums…
Fun fact: I asked Pimax to visit the factory when I was in Shanghai, too, but I had to give up this idea because the factory was too distant and I was too tired. I was a bit sad at the moment, but now I’m like SUPER happy not to have gone there, because this way I have avoided the wrath of the mighty experts of clean rooms - Pimax sent a headset to a YouTuber for a review, but the headset was damaged. They sent him the parts to repair it, but then they bricked his headset remotely. Seriously, what the hell. Since he wanted to play it nicely, he published a post about it, highlighting how Pimax is bad. Since the Reddit community was already hot for the previous two episodes, it responded to the post expressing all its disappointment (to say it kindly). I guess that insulting Pimax is now the national sport on Reddit
I don’t even know how to comment on this. Seriously… it is just a giga-mess that only Pimax could manage to achieve. It’s like a record, they deserve a prize. Contrary to the community, I believe there is no malicious intention from the company; it’s just that it can make a mess like no one other in the XR space. I guess next time I go to China, I’ll gift some antacid tabs to Jaap… like, a mountain of them…
More info (Pimax and the astroturfing drama)
More info (Pimax and the clean room drama)
More info (Pimax and the broken headset drama)
Meta plans to open its physical stores
According to a report from Business Insider, Meta is planning to open new physical stores of its. We are not talking about demo booths inside Best Buy or some pop-up stores, but more something akin to official Meta stores. Currently, Meta has a single permanent Meta Store in Burlingame, California, but the company plans to open more of them because it realized that people need to try its glasses and headsets before buying them.
On one side, I think it’s a good idea, because XR hardware must be tried to be understood. On the other side, considering that the Meta/Facebook brand is very controversial, I’m not so sure these branded stores may be a success. Apple stores are great because of the Apple brand, but there is no other brand like Apple in tech. Meta is selling its Ray-Ban Meta so well through the distribution network of Luxottica, so I wonder why they should change this strategy…
Sony is discounting PSVR 2
PlayStation VR2 will be on sale for $350 for the next two weeks as part of Sony’s Days of Play 2025 sale. The sale is available on PlayStation Direct and on partner retailers. It’s a $50 discount, which is not bad at all.
Raindance Immersive is about to start
Raindance Immersive, which is the immersive branch of the Raindance Festival, is going to be live from June 6 to June 29 on VRChat. The physical event is going to be in London, from 19 to 22 of June. Some XR standalone applications and VRChat words will be featured in the festival: discover them all on the official website of the event.
Some intriguing news about content
- Cortopia Studios, the team behind GORN 2, announced it’s working on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game called “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: Empire City”. There is not even a trailer about the game yet, just a few shared screenshots. We know the game will feature both a single-player mode and a co-op mode and that it is slated to land on Quest and SteamVR headsets sometime next year. When I was young, the Ninja Turtles were super famous, so I think many millennials will absolutely want to play this game! I’m myself pretty excited about it
- A rumor states that a Deadpool VR game may be in the works by Twisted Pixels and it should be officially announced before the end of this week. Someone even claimed to have tried this game. If it comes out, it would be pretty huge: Deadpool is one of the most loved superheroes, and a VR game about it has the potential of being a huge success in the VR community, and also to convince some people to buy the headset just for it. Fingers crossed that the rumor is true…
More info (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle game)
More info (The rumor about the Deadpool VR game)
More info (Someone claims to have tried the Deadpool VR game)
Some intriguing news about storytelling content
- Bono: Stories of Surrender, the first-ever feature-length Apple Immersive Video, is out now on Apple Vision Pro
- D-Day: The Camera Soldier is a spatial documentary out now exclusively on Apple Vision Pro. It mixes 2D videos, immersive videos, and 3D-recreated environments
- The Reality of Hope is a moving documentary about the story of a person who decides to donate a kidney to a friend of his on VRChat. It’s very fascinating
More info (Bono: Stories Of Surrender)
More info (D-Day: The Camera Soldier)
More info (The Reality Of Hope)
Some news about gaming content
- Shooter game Hard Bullet, previously available only on PCVR, has been released on Horizon Store for Quest 3 and Quest 3S, priced at $20
- Unseen Diplomacy was one of the first VR experiences to include a unique room-scale locomotion method that “redirected” the user by warping and manipulating the game’s various rooms around you. This year, the game is getting a sequel for Steam and Quest
- Flatscreen game World War Z is getting a VR version, bringing the iconic swarm of zombies to Quest and SteamVR headsets on August 12th
- Animal Company, the very popular social VR game for Quest, just got an ‘Arena Mode’ update, adding a PvP gaming mode
- Team Beef is releasing soon a VR mod for Counter-Strike, coming to Quest and Pico headsets
- The Phoenix Gene, a narrative third-person shooter, launches on Quest for $24.99 on June 5
- FYR: The Lost Island is a narrative horror experience that puts you in the shoes of a Norwegian islander who returns home to find that things are not as he left them. A free demo is available, and the full game is coming later this year
- Unnerving walking simulator POOLS VR just got an update, adding VR to it
- Don’t Move is a ‘test your nerves’ PC VR game that challenges you to stay perfectly still, regardless of what comes towards you. A demo of it is available now
- Into The Darkness, a physics-driven action game with a campaign and sandbox mode, is now available on Steam Early Access
- Inspired by Wing Commander and X-Wing, Alliance Peacefighter brings a story-driven space sim to PC VR on June 4
- Upload VR published its usual XR News Roundup post with some minor XR news
More info (Hard Bullet)
More info (Unseen Diplomacy 2)
More info (World War Z VR)
More info (Animal Company)
More info (Counter-strike)
More info (The Phoenix Gene)
More info (FYR: The Lost Island)
More info (POOLS)
More info (Don’t Move)
More info (Into The Darkness)
More info (Alliance Peacefighter)
More info (XR News Roundup)
Some reviews about content
- While still in early access, Out Of Sight VR is already an enjoyable game, and it makes a very interesting use of its mechanic of seeing the action of the game from the point of view not of the character (the little girl), but of her teddy bear
Other news
Axel Wong describes what is the best waveguide design for smartglasses
Is Immersed working on robots now??
Virtual World Society is running an auction for people that want to see the real Sensorama
News from partners (and friends)
MovieFlo.ai is a platform to generate movies with AI
Mystic Moose has launched MovieFlo.AI, a platform to help creators generate movies and films with AI. The idea is to transform the ideas of amateur filmmakers into stunning visuals and videos instantly. MovieFlo.AI aims to offer an all-in-one tool that gives creatives the power to bring their ideas to life, from concept to video, without the traditional barriers to entry.
Read the 3rd part of Chris Koomen’s story
Chris Koomen, who has been doing innovative experiments with the application of immersive technologies in the aviation sector, is sharing the personal story of his career on LinkedIn. This week he has published the third part, and there I discovered he even collaborated in the creation of Google’s Tour Creator…
Phygtl Is Hiring!
Who We Are
A Silicon Valley-Based Startup on a mission to transform digital engagement from the ground-up by merging the physical and the digital world. A Creator Platform for next-gen to ‘Socialize.’ With former leaders from Amazon, Riot, Ubisoft, Samsung, and a strong Advisory Board from Nike, Lego, Coca-Cola, and Mastercard, led by a serial-entrepreneur with 2 exits, UC Berkeley Faculty, 2x Author, we are handpicking brilliant minds and devoted souls like you to join the team.
Who Are We Looking For
Unity Developers (both Junior and Senior levels)
Join our Unity team and be at the forefront of innovation in the global mobile-AR industry. If you’re passionate about fine-tuning Unity components and creating groundbreaking AR experiences, we want you to be a part of our team, shaping the future of engagement.
Contact me and I’ll forward your CV to the team!
Some XR fun
A very serious marketing video
Funny link
I’m not sure if this is a VR setup or a way to summon Satan…
Funny link
Donate for good
Like last week, also this week in this final paragraph I won’t ask you to donate to my blog, but to the poor people who are facing the consequences of the war. Please donate to the Red Cross to handle the current humanitarian situation in Ukraine. I will leave you the link to do that below.
Let me take a moment before to thank anyway all my Patreon donors for the support they give to me:
- Alex Gonzalez VR
- DeoVR
- GenVR
- Eduardo Siman
- Jonn Fredericks
- Jean-Marc Duyckaerts
- Reynaldo T Zabala
- Richard Penny
- Terry xR. Schussler
- Ilias Kapouranis
- Paolo Leoncini
- Immersive.international
- Nikk Mitchell and the great FXG team
- Jake Rubin
- Alexis Huille
- Raghu Bathina
- Chris Koomen
- Cognitive3D
- Wisear (Yacine Achiakh)
- Masterpiece X
- Dimo Pepelyashev
- Carol Dalrymple
- Keith Bradner
- Jennifer Granger
- Jason Moore
- Steve Biggs
- Julio Cesar Bolivar
- Jan Schroeder
- Kai Curtis
- Francesco Strada
- Sikaar Keita
- Ramin Assadollahi
- Juan Sotelo
- Andrew Sheldon
- Chris Madsen
- Horacio Torrendell
- Andrew Deutsch
- Fabien Benetou
- Tatiana Kartashova
- Marco “BeyondTheCastle” Arena
- Eloi Gerard
- Adam Boyd
- Jeremy Dalton
- Joel Ward
- Alex P
- Lynn Eades
- Donald P
- Casie Lane
- Catherine Henry
- Qcreator
- Ristband (Anne McKinnon & Roman Rappak)
- Stephen Robnett
- KaihatsuJai
- Christopher Boyd
- Anonymous Supporter
- Giuseppe Pippi
- Mark Frederiksen
- Sb
- Boule Petanque
- Pieter Siekerman
- Enrico Poli
- Vooiage Technologies
- Caroline
- Liam James O’Malley
- Hillary Charnas
- Wil Stevens
- Francesco Salizzoni
- Alan Smithson
- Steve R
- Brentwahn
- Michael Gaebler
- Tiago Silva
- Matt Cool
- Mark G
- Simplex
- Gregory F Gorsuch
- Paul Shay
- Matias Nassi
And now here you are the link to donate:
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine
(Header image logos by MIXED and Heise Online)
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