This is the first newsletter of Autumn 2021: I think I’ll miss the sun but for sure not the mosquitos. By the way, I wish you a lot of happiness for this new season.
I’m getting busy with some new interesting projects, but at the same time I’m still working on our HitMotion: Reloaded, which is now finally available also in Passthrough Mixed Reality! Get it on SideQuest and let us know your impressions about it!
Before leaving you to the news of this week, I want to thank Avi Bar-Zeev for having included me in this list of top 100 voices in XR together with a lot of people I personally esteem. I also thank everyone of you that supported me in this journey!
Top news of the week
Leaks point to features of Quest 2 Pro (and Quest 3?)
This has been a hectic week for the leaks on the upcoming new Oculus Quest Pro device. Reddit user Samulia and Youtubers Basti564 and Sadly It’s Bradly together hinted at the feature of the upcoming headset. The situation is pretty confused, though, so let me try to explain everything to you in a clear way.
We all know that Facebook is working on a Quest 2 Pro, because Zuckerberg and Bosworth both said this publicly, and we all speculate that it will be announced at the Facebook Connect 2 on October, 28th. Marky Z hinted that the device should feature eye and face tracking, and recent findings in Oculus Quest 2 runtime confirm this. Some sentences found inside the runtime of the headsets also hint at the fact that the Quest 2 Pro should have better ergonomics and granular IPD, and this is to be expected in a “pro” device. This is what it is fairly reasonable to expect from this device with a very high probability. Then this week we had a huge leak that opened Pandora’s box.
Someone leaked on Imgur a screenshot from a call on Facebook Workplace where it is possible to see some Oculus controllers that are completely different from the ones that are on the market today. We don’t know who originated the leak… but honestly, considering the perfect timing to generate hype for Facebook Connect, and the fact that it just shows a bit without showing too much… well, I have some suspects… (Do you remember the “leak” about Quest 2 some days before Facebook Connect 1 and timely before Apple Event? Pepperidge Farm remembers!)
What is interesting about that image is that it shows Oculus controllers that don’t have tracking rings, but onboard cameras for inside-out tracking.
At that point, Reddit user Samulia (who seems to have some sources inside Facebook) posted about “a dream” he had (just a way to spoil information with less risk of being sued) about the new display, tracking system, and features of the upcoming headset. This “dream” seems to be confirmed by the findings in Quest 2 firmware by Youtuber and hacker Basti564.
Taking the pieces of information from all of them, it seems that Quest (2) Pro (codenamed Seacliff or Arcata) should feature:
- Dual-Cell LCD from BOE with an advanced backlight feature that makes the display control the backlight pixel-wise, so it can be dimmed on black pixels. This way black colors truly appear black. The result is a display that takes the best of LCDs and OLEDs
- The same resolution and FOV of Quest 2
- Two side-facing 1K near-infrared 120FPS cameras with laser constellation projection (so there are 2 cameras plus 1 or 2 emitters). Imagine them as two tiny kinects installed on the headset. These depth cameras are used for positional tracking of controllers and the headset. Plus they could be used in the future for environment understanding and reconstruction. Someone also talks about full-body tracking as a future feature
- 4K 120FPS RGB camera for color passthrough and mixed reality, that finally becomes possible in high quality. It is weird that it is only one camera when mixed reality must be stereo. But maybe the system performs sensor fusion between all the three cameras to create a colored stereo passthrough
- Two 480p 120FPS eye-tracking cameras
- Two 400p 120FPS face-tracking cameras
The total number of cameras is seven, the maximum allowed by the XR2 chipset used by Quest 2. The chipset should use two fans and a better cooling system so that to perform at its full power, like in Vive Focus 3.
Its controllers, code named Starlet, should feature:
- A complete standalone system, comprising a local chip, and a lightweight Android version, for onboard computation
- Inside-out tracking with three onboard cameras (the same tracking cameras of Quest 2)
- Precise finger position sensing for all fingers
- Advanced haptics (main, trigger, pinch)
- Fingerprint sensor
These specs aim at a very high-end device, with basically everything that we VR enthusiasts are dreaming about. I remember that some months ago, Youtuber Eric For President tweeted that the headset we were all looking for was coming in September and for a very cheap price. He hinted it was coming undercost from Facebook, and since he was most probably talking about the Quest 2 Pro, I expect this device to be cheap for what it promises… I speculate it can cost around $5–700.
If this happens, Facebook is going to disrupt completely the market, because it would be a headset offering so much for so little price, destroying the competition with Pico and HTC. But this is just a speculation at this time.
It is clear that this “leak” and the subsequent announcements are made as a defensive move against Apple: it is rumored that Apple will launch a hybrid AR/VR headset next year, and Facebook is so moving fast to launch something cheaper and with comparable specifications, hoping to get a first-mover advantage.
BUT, the situation is a bit more confused than it seems. First of all, the above specifications seem a bit too much to be true, especially for the cheap price Oculus has used us to until now. And some things are technically unclear, like if it is technically feasible to have a stereo-colored passthrough with only one RGB camera; or if XR2 can work with all those sensors and still have enough computational power for the applications; or it is possible to track the controllers inside-out when the onboard cameras can have blurred vision due to fast movements and can be occluded by fingers. But it is also true that if the Quest Pro should feature face and eye tracking as Zuck said, and the total number of possible cameras with XR2 is only 7, the possibilities are only two:
- The new headset has 2 eye-tracking cameras and 1 mouth-tracking camera, so it can still have the 4-cameras Insight tracking that we know
- The new headset has 2 eye-tracking cameras and 2 face-tracking cameras, so it must change its positional tracking system. In this case, the fact that controllers track themselves becomes highly probable.
Then, Oculus employee AmitOculus tried to warn the community that Facebook makes lots of prototypes for internal testing, and that not all of them reach the final production. What is found inside firmware tells us what Facebook is working on, not what it will surely ship. He claims to have different controllers than the one in the picture and so says that the leak about the controllers is not true for the Quest Pro.
Yesterday, Youtuber “Sadly, It’s Bradley” claims that the finding in the firmware refers to three multiple display types, so he has a theory that:
- Facebook has already changed the LCD display inside Quest 2 during the production pause with a cheaper model, and this is why now offers a discount of $100 if you buy two Quests, and this is why most probably it will discount the original Quest 2 price at Facebook Connect;
- There is a Quest 2 Plus, with many of the features depicted above, to be released soon
- There is a future Quest 2 Pro, with a smaller form factor, even more features (like environment scanning), and OLED microdisplays. The resolution of these microdisplays should be around 3K x 2K per eye, and the framerate 90Hz. There was a leak about Oculus working on a new kind of innovative lenses, and this would make me think they are pancake lenses to pair with these microdisplays so that to have a headset very small (like one from Huawei, for instance). This model would compete even better with the rumored Apple headset.
Personally, I agree with his theory, but I have a slightly different opinion: the two headsets are not the Quest 2+ and Quest 2 Pro, but Quest 2 Pro and Quest 3. A complete redesign of hardware, with increased resolution and FOV, maybe paired with a new chipset that can work with all these high-density displays (or a phone connection?) makes sense for a new model, so for a third edition of the Quest. The Quest 2 Pro, instead, should be an evolution of Quest 2 devoted to prosumers, and to be launched now, maybe together with Facebook Horizon, that can so exploit its facial sensors.
This would explain also the so many features found in the firmware, and the fact that AmitOculus is saying that the Pro controllers are not the ones in the pictures: it may be that not all the things depicted above are meant for the Quest 2 Pro, but some are actually in the works for Quest 3. This would explain also why Facebook is ordering 20M of the new lenses from its manufacturer… a comfortable small Quest 3 could sell really a lot.
We don’t know how much of all of this is true, but usually, when there are so many leaks, there is always something true about them. So I expect at least 2/3 of what is written here to actually happen. I can’t wait for Facebook Connect to discover more!
More info (Great article on Upload VR on the leaks of Quest 2 Pro)
More info (Quotes from AmitOculus downplaying all the rumors)
More info (Sadly, It’s Bradley about the Quest 2+ and Quest 2 Pro)
More info (Basti564’s findings)
More info (Sadly It’s Bradley on the new display of Quest 2)
More info (Deal on buying two Quest 2 headsets)
Other relevant news
Nreal plans the launch of new AR glasses
Chinese AR glasses manufacturer Nreal has announced new huge funding of $100M, taking its (rumored) evaluation to $700M, very close to the unicorn status.
This is very deserved, considering that Nreal is one of the most interesting AR companies out there because it offers glasses with good visuals and a stylish form factor (read my review here). Plus, it is already delivering, selling in some markets (Korea, Japan, Spain, and Germany) its AR glasses to consumers for a price of around $1000. Nreal has started a trend, and many companies are following its design.
The company is clearly having some logistic issues, though, since it has delayed its release of AR glasses many times, and it has not entered yet a big market like the US or China (weirdly, being the company Chinese). Designing some cool glasses is easier compared to selling them and handling all the distribution and post-sales assistance.
But the company is sharpening its knives for 2022, the year where Nreal glasses should land in the US and China. But most probably, this won’t happen with the Nreal Light glasses we all know, but with a new undisclosed product. Chi Xu, CEO of Nreal, has announced together with the funding that the company is going to announce a new headset this coming week. It will be cheaper and lighter than the current device, and so more suited for a market like China. Probably this is the product with which Nreal aims at penetrating the market, maybe arriving at that $500 price point that it hinted at some years ago.
Let’s see what is going to happen… good luck Nreal!
More info (Nreal gets new funding)
More info (New Nreal glasses are coming this week)
Apple headset may come in second half of 2022
According to Digitimes, which cites supply chain sources, Apple may release its AR/VR hybrid visor in the second half of 2022. This is in line with other rumors and also with Robert Scoble that says that in June, Apple is going to disrupt the market (he’s pretty enthusiast about Apple, you know).
I don’t know if it is true, I’m tired of Apple rumors, but I thought it was worth telling you. Also because the timing is interesting: this would mean Apple coming to the market slightly later than the Quest 2 Pro. It would be interesting to see how these two headsets can compete. Providing that Apple is actually going to launch its product and it is not canceling it.
Valve SteamDeck can run VR, sort of
Valve SteamDeck is being handed to developers and finally, we have the final answer to the question “can it run VR?”. Not surprisingly, it is exactly what Valve said weeks ago “It can, but with various issues”.
At first, we had some Japanese developers showing SteamVR Home working on SteamDeck with a Valve Index attached, and then Denny Unger from Cloudhead Games showed Pistol Whip running on Valve’s console.
Both developers claimed that making VR run on the console was hard, and they had to make some hacks to make things work. But both show that VR experiences, even with some limitations, are working. This confirms that technically the device can run VR games, but it is not practical as a VR console, and not suitable to run its most demanding games (e.g. Half-Life Alyx).
I don’t think this will change anything in the VR landscape, but it is anyway very cool from a technical standpoint.
More info (Japanese devs make SteamVR Home run on SteamDeck)
More info (Pistol Whip running on Steam Deck)
Andrew Bosworth to become Facebook CTO in 2022
Current Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer is going to step down next year, and he will be replaced by Andrew “Boz” Bosworth. Bosworth is the current VP of AR/VR at Facebook Reality Labs and he has become very well-known in XR communities because he often interacted with VR people on social media, becoming the face and voice of the company.
Boz is a person that Mark Zuckerberg trusts a lot and has worked at Facebook for many years. He is in line with Mark’s vision, and he’s an ad guy, so it is not surprising he is getting a promotion. Furthermore, being one of the leading XR executives at Facebook, he is the perfect person to lead the transition of Facebook to become “a metaverse company” (whatever this means). Zuck itself highlighted this in his blog post about the matter, specifying that Boz will still lead AR and VR at Facebook Reality Labs and that his role as CTO will be important to make the company transition towards the metaverse.
What puzzles me a bit is that Boz is not a tech guy, and usually, the CTO is someone with a strong technical background. And I mean, we nerds have only one role we can hold among all the executive team of a company, that is usually comprised only of managers, and Facebook gives that role to a non-techie guy, too? I feel offended…
More info (Andrew Bosworth to become Facebook CTO)
More info (Zuckerberg announcing the new CTO)
News worth a mention
Oculus Go runtime could become available with root access
FRL consulting CTO John Carmack has recently tweeted that the runtime of Oculus Go could become publicly available with root access. The company is not going to open source it (for now), just releasing a build with root access for the user, so people can hack the device as they want, as they can do with a rooted Android phone. This is also useful so companies that own Gos can keep using them with the latest version of runtime also when the update-over-air servers will be shut down.
Facebook performs a great launch for Billie Eilish’s Beat Saber DLC
The new Beat Saber DLC with Billie Eilish’s songs has just been released, and it is not being a launch like the others. Billie Eilish is one of the most famous artists of the moment, and its target audience is in line with the target audience of the Quest, so Facebook hopes to exploit its popularity to sell more devices.
The proof of that is that the launch trailer for this DLC is one of the best launch videos I have seen lately, with an artistic dance of many performers together (you should watch it) and that the pack is one of the best music packs ever delivered according to Upload. Facebook has also put some billboards around Manhattan to promote this product to the widest audience possible.
It would be curious to discover the sales numbers of this DLC, which for sure is going to increase the awareness towards VR and the sales of Beat Saber, that is still one of the best selling games in the VR market (it has been the top-selling PSVR game for one year straight!).
More info (Billie Eilish DLC released)
More info (Upload VR’s impressions on Billie Eilish DLC songs)
More info (Beat Saber billboards across Manhattan)
More info (Beat Saber being PSVR’s number one for one year)
HTC ecosystem conference brings news in eye-tracking and positional tracking solutions
Last week HTC has held in China one of its ecosystem events, and in it, there have been two important announcements:
- Chinese eye-tracking company 7Invensun has announced Droolon F2 eye tracking device compatible with Vive Focus 3 and Vive Pro 2. Prosumers interested in eye tracking for their Vive headsets can purchase this add-on for $299 at the end of November to integrate it;
- Zhongke Shenzhi has announced a new enterprise tracking solution based on SteamVR. Basically, you can use its proprietary lighthouse stations to track multiple users in an area as big as 1000 m2. The system is compatible with SteamVR, so you can track all the headsets and trackers you already have. The solution is cheaper than the most famous optical tracking solutions (e.g. Vicon), but its price is not disclosed, and you should contact the company to seal a deal.
More info (Droolon F2)
More info (Wide-area tracking solution)
Zanni teases headset for live productions
Zanni has teased on social media the upcoming announcement of Ovees, a mixed reality headset studied specifically for live productions. Working in the XR events field with VRrOOm, I’m intrigued to know more about it, because at the moment we have no info.
Decagear shows redesigned controllers
The company behind the Decagear headset, about which there is also some skepticism, has shown a complete redesign of the controllers of the device: they don’t look any more like Oculus Touch controllers but have the tracking ring substituted by a little ball at the end of the handle. I hope this tracking method won’t be tracking similar to Nolo…
Hands-on Ray-Ban Stories
Upload VR’s senior editor Ian Hamilton has gone hands-on with the new Ray-Ban Stories glasses and he has fallen in love with the facility he had in recording moments he spent with his family. This is probably the biggest value offered by these glasses.
Dreamscape is back with a new Men In Black experience
LBVR company Dreamscape is back with a new experience set in the Men In Black universe. The experience is debuting at Dreamscape’s flagship location in LA on October 1st for a price of $23.50.
What is important about this news is that location-based VR is coming back after the peak of Covid’s emergency. LBVR has been the VR sector hurt the most by the pandemic, and it is positive that now its centers are opening back and that there are even new experiences offered. Good luck to all people working in this field!
VR events Stageverse launches in beta with a concert from Muse
VR events Stageverse has launched its platform in beta with a big concert from Muse that everyone can enjoy for free. I have tried the experience myself, and while there is still a lot to polish on the platform, the concert, comprised of high-quality 360 videos, was surely gorgeous.
More info (Stageverse launch)
More info (My review of the concert)
Netflix launches Eden Unearthed game on App Lab
One of the most discussed news of the week has been the “launch” on App Lab of Eden Unearthed, a VR game related to the anime series Eden, by Netflix.
On one side, the community is happy that a big brand like Neftlix has launched a VR game, that even if pretty short and simple, is polished. It shows how the streaming giant is always more interested in games and new technologies. On the other side, Netflix never publicly announced the title, that in fact it is only available on App Lab and not on the Quest store… and it is there even with two different apps with two different names, that in the end are the same experience. This is very weird.
We have more questions than answers, but let’s take the good of this news…
More info (Upload VR on Eden Unearthed)
More info (VR Focus on the questions raised by this title)
VR shooter Gun Raiders launches on Quest Store
This fall, free-to-play shooter Gun Raiders is going to launch on the official Quest Store. This is interesting because it is the third game graduating from App Lab to Quest Store after Warplanes and Puzzling Places.
This confirms that the transition from App Lab to the official store is possible even for an indie title, but it requires a huge success on App Lab: Gun Raiders has more than 90K downloads on SideQuest, Warplanes almost 90K and Puzzling Places more than 65K. This means that you must have at least 50K downloads to make the transition, and it is very hard for an indie team.
At RecCon, Rec Room shows its successful metrics
At RecCon, the community event for Rec Room, the company flexed its big success. According to Kent Bye, it has shown these metrics:
- 5x year-over-year growth
- 2/3 of all 1.8B room visits in 2020
- $2B tokens earned by creators (~$800k)
- The top creator is earning $10k/month
This shows how Rec Room economy is growing strong, and so are the platforms it is running on, and also its features. The company has just announced that a Mario Kart-style racer is going to launch on September 29th, for the joy of its users.
More info (Rec Room metrics)
More info (Kart races announced)
Some news on content
- Seeker VR is an unofficial fan game to let you play Quidditch. It’s beautiful and can make many Harry Potter fans happy
- Fetal Heart VR is the most expensive App Lab application, costing $240. But it is for enterprise usage, so it’s ok
- “Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia” has launched with very disappointing reviews
- Unplugged is a fun game that lets you play guitar with your bare hands, according to Upload VR’s review. It launches on Quest on October, 21th, on PC VR later this year
- Multiplayer party game Loco Dojo Unleashed is launching for Quest on October, 7th
- JoyWay’s outlier has now a free demo you can play on Steam
- The Walking Dead: Saint And Sinners — Aftershock DLC has been released, adding hours of fun to the game
- Clash Of Chefs is a nice Overcooked VR clone
- V-Racer Hoverbike is releasing a massive update on October, 14th with huge improvements to all parts of the game
More info (Seeker VR)
More info (Fetal Heart VR)
More info (Rhythm Of The Universe: Ionia review)
More info (Unplugged review)
More info (Unplugged release date)
More info (Loco Dojo Unleashed)
More info (Outlier)
More info (The Walking Dead Aftershocks review)
More info (Clash of Chefs review)
More info (V-Racer Hoverbike)
News from partners (and friends)
A free demo of the fun and crazy VR game Beers And Boomerangs is available on Steam!
Learn more
Udemy instructor Tevfik Ufuk DEMİRBAŞ from Ironhead games is offering some of his very well made courses on VR games development in Unity with a HUGE -90% DISCOUNT for all the readers of The Ghost Howls!
If you want to become a VR developer, check them out! The offer lasts only for the next three days…
Learn more (Discounted VR development course)
Learn more (Discounted Multiplayer VR development course)
Some XR fun
Buy NFTs and get immortal!
Funny link
How you see yourself vs how others see you
Funny link
VR fitness… if you don’t use HitMotion: Reloaded!
Funny link
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