The XR Week Peek (2021.07.26): Facebook aims at the Metaverse, Quest 2 goes MR, and more!

I’m incredibly happy about having been hosted by Sebastian Ang (MRTV), one of my favorite VR content creators, in his weekly podcast on Youtube! We spoke about AR and VR for 2 hours and we were having so much fun that we could have gone on for other 2 hours without problems! If you want to watch the video of the recording, you can find it here:

And now, let’s start speaking about the best AR/VR news of the week!

Top news of the week

Zuckerberg says that in 5 years Facebook will be a “metaverse company”

The most viral XR article of the week has been an interview that Mark Zuckerberg had with The Verge. It’s a long post, in which Mark details the vision for the future of XR and for the “metaverse” that Facebook is going to follow in the upcoming years.
 
Notwithstanding the public excitement for this interview, I’ve found it mostly useless: 95% of the content is fluff, things we’ve already heard a million times, or corporate PR. Luckily there is 5% of information there that I’ve actually found interesting.
 
95% of the content is about the vision of the future “metaverse” in which we all are always in XR, we work, we connect with other people physically distant away, we attend events, we play multiplayer games, etc… all in XR. I mean, we all already knew this, Mark. The claim reshared by many people from the article is that “five years from now […] people will primarily think about us as a metaverse company, rather than a mobile internet company”. Everyone went crazy for this but saying it in other terms, it just means that they plan to go from being a 2D social media company that depends on other platforms to be a XR social media company with its own platform.
 
Yes, it is a sign that Facebook is all in for XR, as someone made me notice, but hiring 10,000 people and losing billions every year in R&D and hardware sold under cost wasn’t already a clear sign of it? Zuck also didn’t address much the theme of privacy and how much data harvesting in VR could be dangerous. Probably the sentence “five years from now people will primarily think about us as a company harvesting data on the metaverse, rather than doing it on mobile phones” wouldn’t have sounded much sexy, so he avoided speaking about this. He basically dodged all harsh questions, and just proposed to us the typical bleached perfect version of a perfect future all made in Facebook. He seemed like Mr. Cocteau in the movie Demotion Man.
 
In the useful 5% part of the interview, Mark expresses very practical considerations about the present and the future. Some key points are:

• Facebook can’t solve all the problems regarding moderation in all social environments… as the police in a physical city, they can hope to reduce crime at a minimum, but it will never be zero
• Creating AI tools to provide effective automatic moderation requires years of research, so moderating social media posts requires time
• Facebook is for a more open and interconnected metaverse. Mark hints to the facts that he would like his metaverse (i.e. Horizon or its successors) to be available on all platforms, like the Facebook app is available on all platforms nowadays
• He also thinks that there won’t be only one metaverse: like now there are many messaging apps and social media, there will be more “metaverses” in the future. He also thinks that for this to work, there should be interoperability between them (so if you buy an item on one, you have them on the others too)
• Mark also warns not to be too idealistic about the metaverse: he says there will be siloed metaverses too, like today there are closed platforms. He stresses that he wants his metaverse not to be like these ones… but I also have to remember you that currently, Oculus is the most closed VR platform.
• The quote I loved the most of the article is this one “Hopefully in the future, asking if a company is building a metaverse will sound as ridiculous as asking a company how their internet is going”. In the future, the metaverse will sound to us something as obvious as using an internet connection. This is fascinating
• Another good quote is about XR giving more equal opportunities to all people: “some of the research that he’s done shows that the zip code in which you were born and raised is highly correlated with your future mobility and what your income is going to be. And I think that that just goes against the sense that we have in this country that people should have equal opportunity.”. After having said this, he stressed how XR could destroy all spatial barriers, enabling also people born in an unfortunate part of the world to have more chances to succeed in their future.

Let’s see how things will turn out to be in the future… I’m sure that the reality will be different from how Mark is imagining it…

More info

Other relevant news

Oculus Quest 2 goes 128GB and MR

The Oculus Quest 2’s update pace is always impressive: every month we have new features to play with.
 
In this new update V31, we have new features that make it easier to invite people to play games with you, new facilities for Messenger in VR, and the possibility of saving your passwords in Oculus Browser. There are all nice-to-have features, but we have had also three big game-changing news about the Quest 2 that are much more important.
 
The first one is a software update in V31 that enables passthrough APIs (only on Quest 2). That is, when Facebook will update its SDK, developers will be able to develop applications that have the passthrough vision as background… basically AR/MR apps. The Quest 2 will so officially become a hybrid VR/MR headset, even if the passthrough is currently low-resolution and black and white.
 
I think it’s interesting for two reasons:

• First of all, it’s a new opportunity for content creators that so will be able to craft a new kind of XR content. We have seen that hands tracking has enabled new kinds of experiences that we hadn’t even thought of before (think about the great experiments by Daniel Beauchamp), and I’m sure that the same will happen with passthrough AR, too;
• Facebook is building a platform that will work for all future headsets. Sooner or later, on the Quest 2 Pro or Quest 3 there will be high-res color cameras, and at that time we will have proper MR on the Quest. Many people are also wondering if this update has been made as an answer to the rumors about Apple’s upcoming hybrid MR visor.

At the moment the passthrough possibilities are very limited, also because for privacy reasons, Facebook doesn’t allow the app to access the camera frames, so you can’t perform any kind of environment understanding. I hope environment understanding facilities will be provided by Facebook itself in the future, otherwise, this passthrough risks feeling very limiting for us devs. These privacy restrictions also prevent you from shooting videos of the MR content you create on the Quest (this is very bad for content creators that so can’t showcase their work properly, effectively reducing also the marketing power of this MR update). Luckily there are some workarounds, and for instance a nice hack by Avi Barel gives you a way to shoot nice colored videos about it with your smartphone.
 
A final world on passthrough: I and the whole team at NTW worked on passthrough on Focus+ for our game Hitmotion: Reloaded in 2019, so I’m pretty excited by it, and I’m happy that after 2 years even Facebook is implementing it…
 
The second big news about the Quest actually surprised me: various rumors hint at the fact that the baseline version of the Quest 2 is going to be updated from 64GB to 128GB. I wasn’t expecting this, but it makes a lot of sense considering that VR games are growing in dimension, and 64GB starts feeling really limiting (I’m constantly on the verge of having no space on my device anymore). I completely approve of this move, it is a nice gift for all the future VR newcomers.
 
The third big news is that Facebook is deprecating its proprietary native APIs in favor of OpenXR. This means that Facebook is completely adopting the OpenXR standard and this is amazing news for all of us in the industry. OpenXR is succeeding and this can end the fragmentation in the XR market. The only problem is now the transitional phase, with all developers that were using these APIs (directly or via game engines) that will have to port their software…
 
With these updates on the software and hardware side, it becomes always more difficult for other companies to compete with Facebook…

More info (Oculus Quest v31 update)
More info (Passthrough APIs on Quest)
More info (Avi Barel’s hack to shoot MR videos)
More info (Rumors on 128GB version of Quest 2)
More info (Facebook deprecates its native APIs)

Lone Echo 2 is coming for Rift on August, 24th

Finally, we have a release date for the last exclusive PC VR game by Facebook: Lone Echo 2 is going to release on the Rift Store for $40. To entice people to buy the second episode, the first one has been discounted to $10.
 
Lone Echo 2 has been the “Duke Nukem Forever” of VR, and it has been constantly delayed from the expected 2019 release period. The reason is that Facebook, which acquired the developer Ready At Dawn, is now focusing only on the Quest platform, and so a PC-only game was surely not its priority. But now finally it is going to be released.
 
It is the last great PC VR exclusive (at least from Facebook), and it marks the end of an era for VR. Will PC VR still be able to thrive without these big games funded by Facebook? I guess we’ll discover that in the next months. For now, let’s all enjoy this game, which I think will be a masterpiece like the first episode.

More info (Lone Echo 2 Release Date)
More info (Lone Echo 2 is the last PCVR game by Facebook)

Avi Bar-Zeev writes some harsh truths about Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg depicts in his words a perfect future happy metaverse by Facebook, but we all know that this is not what is going to happen.
 
Avi Bar-Zeev knows that too, and he has written an interesting blog post predicting how Facebook will behave in the upcoming years. People always seem surprised when Facebook announces something that was obviously in its masterplans (e.g. the Facebook login, or the ads in VR), so he has written his expected roadmap about what Facebook will do from now to 2030. It’s very practical, harsh, and reasonable: you won’t like what you’re going to read, because the truth hurts. Sentences like “With eye-tracking (ET) and a few well-placed sensors, they’ll learn our unconscious reactions to anything we see. This is immediately helpful to learn which ads work for each of us, so we get more of the stuff that works” or predictions like the one that companies may use the avatar of a relative/friend of yours to propose your products to buy as a more effective ad would cause you a bit of disgust. But at least you know now what you are going to expect in the future, and you can be prepared. A friend of mine hadn’t managed to read beyond the 2023 predictions because what he had read was already too much for him.
 
In another interesting article, the same author underlines that given current Facebook’s expenses, to recoup the money invested in hardware with the earnings of the Quest Store, Facebook should expect every Quest user to buy $5000 of VR content. Since this is not going to happen, most probably the Quest store is not enough to make Facebook earn back the money it is investing in XR, and so all the investments it is doing are clearly devoted towards the future… that is the future ad business.
 
If you are wondering why we should listen to the words of Avi Bar-Zeev, well… he helped in shaping the HoloLens, recently worked on XR glasses prototypes at Apple… and also Facebook wanted to hire him to lead its AR program. He’s someone that knows well what XR is.
 
Regarding his job interview with Facebook, he tells that when he asked the question “If we figured out a new business model that didn’t involve selling ads but was just as lucrative, would you switch?”, he got the answer “We’d do both”. That is, Facebook will NEVER abandon its ads business. Maybe it will become a metaverse company, but it will still be a metaverse company that sells you ads. And if you believe anything else, you are just naive.

More info (Facebook’s XR roadmap)
More info (Reasonings on Facebook’s earnings)

Holoride is going to release its Elastic SDK

Holoride is one of the most original VR startups out there. It got popular during CES 2019, and then, even if it had not new PR stunts, it kept working under the hood on its products and now it is ready to release its devkit and its SDK.
 
If you forgot what Holoride is, I’ll summarize it here. The idea is that if you are the passenger in a car, you can entertain yourself with virtual reality. But instead of watching 360 movies, you play games. And in these games, you move coherently with the movements of the car. That is, if the car accelerates, your character accelerates in the game, if the car turns left, you turn left too. Since your physical and virtual movements are always coherent, you shouldn’t suffer from motion sickness. The idea is cool, and everyone that has tried it has come out impressed by it.
 
Of course, there are also some concerns. Developing a game that works with movements not provided by the player is tricky from a game design standpoint. From the security standpoint instead, some community members pointed out that it’s risky for passengers not to be able to see what they have around in case of an accident. These are all problems to be figured out. But for sure the concept remains intriguing and very original.
 
Holoride has now announced that it is working with Unity and Pico to release its Elastic SDK and offer devkits to let developers create experiences for the Holoride store, that will also be powered by blockchain. The popular studio Schell Games is working on some games for Holoride and its founder is super enthusiastic about it. There is a page on Holoride’s website when you can subscribe to be notified when there will be further info, and of course, I immediately entered my email. I would love to try making some prototypes for it!

More info

News worth a mention

Epic Games acquires Sketchfab

Epic Games continues its shopping amongst interesting startups: after having acquired ArtStation in the past, now it has just acquired Sketchfab. Sketchfab is one of the leading platforms hosting user-created 3D models, and it is compatible with many engines. Acquiring it, Epic secures a great source of assets for the developers using its Unreal Engine, and also the connection with many talents. Of course, this acquisition is related to Epic’s master plan of creating its open metaverse.

More info

Lynx provide more details on its MR headset in a recent interview

Lynx CEO Stan Larroque has just provided a bit more information on its upcoming MR glasses in a Youtube interview on the Rendered Reality channel.
 
Some interesting new details that have been unveiled:

• The FOV is the same of Quest 2
• The price is “what the Quest 2 would cost if it wasn’t selling at a loss”. The exact value has not been disclosed, though
• There is an important partnership that will be revealed this August
• They are evaluating compatibility with TG0’s Etee controllers

More info

Discover some original VR influencers

XR influencers lists have often many names in common, that’s why I am happy when someone tries to make a list with names that are not usually mentioned. I want to report to you two original lists that I have found lately:

• Avi Bar-Zeev’s list of 50 people in XR that deserve more recognition
• Eddie Avil’s list of top Asian influencers mostly focused on India and China.

It’s good when new people get recognition for their work in the community!

More info (Avi Bar-Zeev’s list)
More info (Eddie Avil’s list)

Netflix will probably focus on mobile gaming

After the hire of Mike Verdu, we all hoped that Netflix could enter into VR gaming soon. Actually, it seems that the first focus of the streaming company will be on mobile gaming.
 
Kudos to Mathew Olson of The Information, that has reported this in his always amazing newsletter “In a new letter to investors, Netflix announced that its expansion into gaming will begin with mobile titles — that could leave room for a smartphone AR title, but don’t hold your breath for a “Stranger Things” VR game as a subscription perk any time soon.”

More info

Discover two interesting experimental projects

Browsing Reddit I have found two cool experimental XR prototypes that you can even try yourself:

• A free opensource markerless motion tracking system that can work with just 4 off-the-shelf cameras (for a value of just $100 in hardware). This can be important for offering full body VR solutions in the future (e.g. for VRChat);
• A video player powered by Machine Learning that tries to add depth to your videos, so that they become more immersive in VR. This is highly experimental, but I think it can be cool to try.

More info (Motion tracking system)
More info (Video player adding depth)

New research is carried on about haptics

This week I have found information about some cool research that is happening on haptics:

• In Australia, a research center is working on a fully synthetic skin that can either help disabled people or be used as a way to wear smart gloves (you wear this skin over your skin and this layer can for instance analyze what you are touching)
• In China, there is undergoing research on how to transmit tactile feedback over the web. That is, if I touch virtually another player in an experience, how to transmit and recreate my touch on the body of the other player so that the sensation feels real and the latency is low.

More info (Synthetic skin)
More info (Virtual touch)

Fracked is the game of the moment

The game that has been mostly discussed this week, apart from Lone Echo 2, has been Fracked. The new game from nDreams, currently a PSVR exclusive title, is going to be released on August, 20th for $30.
 There is a free demo you can play if you have a PlayStation, and all the reviewers have praised its graphics, its many locomotion mechanics, and the interesting way through which you can take cover behind objects by grabbing them. It’s a game to keep an eye on!

More info (Fracked release date)
More info (Fracked preview on Road To VR)
More info (Fracked gameplay on Upload VR)

Some news on content

• Owlchemy Labs (the studio behind Job Simulator) has teased it is working on a new game
• “After the fall” is ironically coming after the fall
• Roguelike bullet-hell game Yuki has been reviewed by both Upload VR and Road To VR with very positive feedback
• I Expect You To Die 2 is releasing on all major VR headsets on August 24th, where it will be priced at $25
• The second episode of Space Explorers: The ISS Experience is available to stream for free in Oculus Venues on Quest
• Joy Way has announced a new game of its: Outlier. It is a shooter game with some interesting VR mechanics, but it also looks very motion-sickness inducing
• “The Last Video Store” is the Blockbuster shop simulator you didn’t know you wanted

More info (Owlchemy Labs)
More info (After The Fall)
More info (Yuki on Road To VR)
More info (Yuki on Upload VR)
More info (I Expect You To Die 2)
More info (Space Explorers 2)
More info (Outlier)
More info (The Last Video Store)

News from partners (and friends)

This year I’m going to be a judge for AIXR’s VR Awards for the third year straight. I’m incredibly proud of that. This week AIXR has announced the finalists for all the prize categories and I want to make big compliments to all the team that did it to this stage!
Learn more (Discover the finalists)

The Secret Of Retropolis is an indie game with retrogaming vibes that is now out on Quest and Steam VR. If you loved point-and-click adventures (like me), you should check it out!
Learn more

My friends at HaptX, that are making cool haptic gloves for VR, have just received new funding of $12M to continue working on their amazing hardware. Kudos to them, and especially to the CEO Jake Rubin, that I interviewed some months ago.
(Disclaimer: Jake, the CEO of HaptX, is a Patron of this blog)
Learn more

Some XR fun

This is not a blog, this is a metaverse
Funny link

I wonder if there were more RMAs for Oculus Elite Straps or Valve Index Controllers…
Funny link

The situation of SuperHot on Steam is super hot
Funny link

Has this roundup been useful for you?

If the answer is yes, please consider donating to The Ghost Howls on Patreon, so that to support my efforts in informing the XR community!
 
Here you are the people and companies that made today’s roundup possible (thank you all!):

• DeoVR
• Raghu Bathina
• Jonn Fredericks
• Jean-Marc Duyckaerts
• Reynaldo T Zabala
• Ilias Kapouranis
• Michael Bruce
• Paolo Leoncini
• Immersive.international
• Bob Fine
• Nikk Mitchell and the great FXG team
• Jake Rubin
• Alexis Huille
• Jennifer Granger
• Jason Moore
• Steve Biggs
• Niels Bogerd
• Julio Cesar Bolivar
• Jan Schroeder
• Kai Curtis
• Francesco Strada
• Sikaar Keita
• Ramin Assadollahi
• Jeff Dawson
• Juan Sotelo
• Andrew Sheldon
• Chris Madsen
• Tracey Wong
• Matthew Allen Fisher
• Horacio Torrendell
• Andrew Deutsch
• Fabien Benetou
• Tatiana Kartashova
• Marco “BeyondTheCastle” Arena
• Eloi Gerard
• Adam Boyd
• Jeremy Dalton
• Siciliana Trevino
• Alex P
• Sb
• Vooiage Technologies
• Caroline
• Liam James O’Malley
• Paul Reynolds
• Hillary Charnas
• Wil Stevens
• Matias Nassi

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(Header image by Facebook)