The XR Week Peek (2021.10.25): Quest 2 Pro leaked, Facebook to change its name, and more!

This great October in VR has not finished yet, and we have still to hear the big news from Facebook in a few days.
 
In the meantime, I got pretty sick after my journey to Switzerland to try CREAL headsets, and it’s taking a while to recover… I can’t wait to become a cyborg so that I don’t have to have to deal with the weaknesses of my meaty body… plus I guess I would be pretty cool if I also got the body of Schwarzenegger in Terminator… and its augmented reality vision, of course.
 
My friends at NVIDIA are also keeping working on preparing the online GTC this November and they are offering you, my readers, to participate in the giveaway of an RTX3090 if you register for the event through this special link. Plus I have still some credits to attend for free their online courses about Deep Learning… if you want them, just ask me!
 
That said, let’s see what have been the most interesting pieces of AR and VR news of the week…

Top news of the week

The design of Oculus Quest 2 Pro and controllers has been leaked

Reddit user Samulia has been able to find in the runtime of Quest 2 some video tutorials for the user (shared on Twitter by Basti564), and in them, it is clearly visible a device that is not the Quest 1 or Quest 2, but a much better device, most probably the Quest 2 Pro.
 
The images show that the headset and the controllers follow exactly the same specifications suggested by the rumors of some weeks ago. In particular, it is possible to understand that:

• The headset is more comfortable, with the weight distributed much better
• It has no top headband that can ruin the hair comb
• The design is more elegant and looks similar to the one of HoloLens 2
• The controllers have no tracking ring, and they work through inside-out tracking operated through onboard cameras
• Probably there is some full-body tracking functionality

Since all the rumors seem confirmed, it is legit to expect that it also supports full-RGB passthrough vision, as the leakers pointed out some weeks ago.

If the Quest 2 Pro (or it may also be the Quest 3, given that it is so different from its previous model) ships with all these features, and a price that is below $600 (remember that it was rumored that this device would have been hugely under cost like the Quest 2), I think that Facebook is going to totally own the consumer VR market. Apart from some prosumer niches (e.g. the simulator fans that want a headset with super-high resolution), no competitor could survive against a headset that is comfortable, affordable, has a great library of content, and has full body tracking and full RGB passthrough. And I guess that also in the enterprise market this device could earn a lot of interest.
 
Let’s wait until Thursday to discover what will be the exact specifications and the price, but I think that this could have the potential of killing the market. Especially if Facebook is going to also discount the Quest 2 to something like $199…

More info (Quest 2 Pro leak)
More info (My roundup containing ll the previous rumors and leaks about Quest 2 Pro)
More info (Facebook Connect)

Other relevant news

Facebook may be planning to change its name

According to The Verge, the top executives from Facebook are working on a rebrand of the company, most probably to create a parent company that owns all the various businesses controlled by Facebook… something similar to what Google made when it created Alphabet.
 
This would have a double positive effect:

• It would actually make products like Whatsapp, Instagram, Portal, Oculus, that are so different, not be part of a social network company, that has little sense, but become part of a common group focused on making people meeting together;
• It would help in distantiating all the products of the Facebook group from the actual “Facebook” brand, which has now a very negative reputation. The negative reputation could stick with the social network, but not influence products like Oculus headsets, for instance.

The Verge claims that the name is top secret, and only a few executives know it. It will be announced at Facebook Connect in a few days, and it should reflect the new focus of Facebook towards the Metaverse.
 
The community has already started thinking about what could be this name, and apart from countless jokes (that you can see in the final section of this newsletter), it seems that the most probable names are Horizon or Meta. Zuck already owns the domain Meta.org, so it could be a good idea to exploit it…
 
I honestly have not a clear opinion about it. For sure a rebranding is a great idea to focus the attention of all worldwide magazines on the upcoming Facebook Connect, which will have so huge visibility. And I also think that having a parent company can be a good idea considering that now Facebook does so many things that are so different from what the company was used to when it was founded (that is, being just a social medium). But if they think to wash out the reputation by just changing the name, well, it is not going to work… unless there is another big drastic change like Zuck resigning from being CEO. People can easily go from hating Facebook to hating Meta…

More info (Facebook thinking about a rebranding)
More info (Facebook’s new name may be Meta)

Varjo announces Aero, its first prosumer-oriented headset

Finnish company Varjo has launched Varjo Aero, its first headset that is not aimed just at companies, but also at “consumers”.
 
The headset takes inspiration from the Varjo VR-3 premium VR headset and removes its famous retina-resolution display and also hands tracking via Ultraleap, making it become a VR headset more similar to the other ones in the market. Aero still features an impressive resolution and pixel density, and also integrated eye-tracking. Here you are the list of the most important specs:

• Displays: Dual Mini LED LCD; 2880 x 2720 px per eye
• Refresh rate: 90 Hz
• Optics: Custom-made variable resolution aspheric lenses with 35 PPD peak fidelity
• Field of View: Horizontal: 115°, Diagonal: 134° at 12 mm eye relief
• Interpupillary Distance: Automatic IPD adjustment with motor, Supported IPD range: 57–73 mm
• Audio: 3.5 mm audio jack, In-ear headphones with mic in-box
• Weight: 487 g + headband 230 g (including counterweight)
• Dimensions: Width 200 mm, height 170 mm, length 300 mm
• Connectivity:
  • Headset adapter and USB-C cable (5-metre) in-box
  • PC connections: DisplayPort and USB-A 3.0
• Positional Tracking: SteamVR™ 2.0/1.0
• Eye Tracking: 200 Hz with sub-degree accuracy; 1-dot calibration for foveated rendering
• Comfort & Wearability:
  • 3-point precision fit headband
  • Replaceable, easy-to-clean polyurethane face cushions
  • Active cooling

According to the first reviewers, the headset is elegant and comfortable, and it is manufactured with the usual attention to detail that Varjo has always demonstrated. Its resolution is impressive, for clarity that fans of simulator games would love. There are some issues, though: the lenses feature visible distortions and the headset doesn’t have integrated audio, which is now considered standard in all devices.
 
But the biggest of the problems may be the price: $2000 + VAT for just the headset, which also requires a beefy PC to run properly (the recommended graphics card is an RTX3070). This makes it a device interesting only for enterprise companies or for prosumers that have the budget to spend for a high-resolution headset. This Varjo headset is theoretically “for all”, but practically for those who can afford it.

More info (Varjo announces Aero)
More info (Varjo Aero review on Road To VR)
More info (Varjo Aero review on Upload VR)
More info (Varjo talks about Aero and its price in an interview with The Virtual Report)

Resident Evil 4 VR is available on the Quest Store

Finally, Resident Evil 4 VR has been released on the official Quest Store! The game has been a huge success at launch, and I’m also planning to play it, as soon as I have the time.
 
According to the reviews, the game is very fun, and the developers have done their best to transpose the original game to VR. Anyway, like all the portings, this game is not perfect for VR: for instance, the cutscenes are still in 2D, and some parts of the games are easier to be performed in VR than they were on PC (remember that in VR you can activate teleportation, for instance). It also doesn’t contain some special content, like the Mercenaries campaign.
 
There has been also some controversy for the fact that Facebook has censored some lines of the dialogues that were slightly sexist… and this is pretty ironic considering that a female player discovered that some of the inventory controls do not work well with people with big breasts. As usual, there is a lot of talking about accessibility and inclusion, and then it is only talking…
 
All in all, it is a very good game, and will be one of the games to absolutely play this year. But fans of the original Resident Evil 4, which has been one of the most iconic games of the saga, may still prefer the original one. And purists of VR may still prefer a game built from the ground up for virtual reality, like Half-Life: Alyx.

More info (RE4VR launch trailer for Japan)
More info (RE4VR review on Road To VR)
More info (RE4VR review on Upload VR)
More info (Changes to the dialogues of the game)
More info (Missing bonus games on RE4VR)
More info (Interface not ideal for people with big breasts)

News worth a mention

HP is shipping an improved version of Reverb G2 in the US

HP has developed an improved version of the Reverb G2 to address some of the issues of the headset highlighted by the community. The new version features:

• +30% vertical tracking FOV of the controllers
• A thinner facepad to improve the FOV perceived by the users
• Improved compatibility with AMD chipsets
• Better integration with SteamVR

This doesn’t mean that the headset is going to change from night today, but for sure it is a good step forward that shows that HP is listening to its community. The headset is currently on sale only in the US, but for sure it will become available worldwide in the future.

More info

Enjoy some interesting hands-on!

This week there have been lots of articles and videos published with hands-on impressions on interesting devices:

• Cas & Chary have gone hands-on with Lynx R1, reporting that it is an interesting device, but it currently lacks all its software ecosystem (runtime, store, integrations with other hardware) to test it properly;
• NextGenVR has shown the Pimax Sword controllers, and while they look promising on many sides, the fact that they feature a touchpad and not a thumbstick is an unforgivable sin;
• I have tried the CREAL headsets powered by lightfield displays: while still prototypical, they made me see the most realistic virtual elements I have ever tried in my life (by the way, compliments to Ricardo Pereira for having guessed what was the headset I was trying when I published a photo of CREAL on Twitter ;));
• A Redditor has tried Rebuff Reality’s VR Ears headphones for Quest 2 and found them a bit too big and complicated, even if the audio quality is actually good.

More info (Lynx R1 hands-on)
More info (Pimax Sword hands-on)
More info (CREAL headsets hands-on)
More info (Rebuff Reality VR Ears hands-on)

Facebook releases the Oculus Go unlocked runtime

As promised by the consulting CTO John Carmack, Facebook has released an unlocked runtime for Oculus Go. By installing it, it is possible to gain root privileges and modify the behavior of the operating system of the headset in many interesting ways. I can’t wait to see what the community will build with it!

More info

Zanni XR unveils the form factor of Ovees headset

Some weeks ago Zanni XR teased Ovees, an XR headset dedicated to live events. This week, the company has unveiled its form factor: it is an AR headset with the same shape as those little glasses to watch the opera when you are theater. It is interesting that the headset is not meant to be worn, but it has a handle, and the user has just to make it rest on his/her face. It is an original approach, but I have to discover more details before saying my opinion about it.

More info

Apple is having delays in the manufacturing of its XR headset

According to new ultra-reliable rumors (#sarcasm), the AR/VR headset that Apple is working on has a too complex design (whatever it means), so it will have production delays. Now the super-reliable release date is Q4 2022. Or better, it is Q4 2022 until the next rumor that will say that it is in another moment.

More info

Snap and Google Partner to Bring “Quick Tap to Snap” to Pixel 6

On Pixel 6 it will be possible to open the Snap camera directly from the lockscreen of the device. The feature, dubbed “Quick Tap to Snap”, represents the first time Snap has created a camera-mode version of Snapchat accessible directly from a phone lockscreen.
 
I think this piece of news is very interesting because it shows a collaboration happening between Google and Snap: maybe it is just an isolated episode, or maybe it can be the beginning of a partnership where they work together against Facebook… who knows.

More info

Some interesting articles on the m**averse

The M-word is one of the buzzwords of the moment, and every week my timeline is full of articles with some marketing bullshit about it. Luckily, there are still people writing interesting things on the topic, and when I find these posts, I find it valuable to share them with you.
 
This week, I have been able to find two articles from the master Tony Parisi, that has also written a post titled “The Seven Rules of the Metaverse”. In them, Tony talks about the technological evolution that makes the m**averse possible now, and then defines the “rules” of how the m**averse should turn out to be. Another article that you can find linked below is a Wired article, shared by Charlie Fink, that examines how we should moderate the communities in the m**averse so that to prevent harassment and bullying. Have a nice read!

More info (“The Third Wave” by Tony Parisi)
More info (“The Seven Rules of the Metaverse” by Tony Parisi)
More info (Article on Wired about the governance of social VR worlds)

Some interesting experiments with Quest 2 passthrough

It took a while, but finally, I have started seeing some cool experiments with the passthrough of the Quest 2 from the community! Here you are three from this week:

• A developer has created a room mapper for passthrough AR, so every developer can create AR experiences for the Quest that are aware of what is the shape of the room the user is in;
• A Redditor has tried colorizing with AI the passthrough of the Quest 2, getting some nice results;
• A developer from BadVR has worked in creating an AR interface for the smartwatch usable through Quest 2 passthrough, and it’s pretty cool!

More info (Quest 2 Room Mapper)
More info (Quest 2 passthrough colorization)
More info (Quest 2 passthrough + smartwatch)

Radix Universal is a new omnidirectional threadmill

Russian company Radix Universal is working on a new kind of omnidirectional treadmill for VR, that according to the company can also simulate you going on stairs in the virtual world.
 
The video shows a pretty clunky device, and the website seems made in Microsoft Word… but this does not mean that the underline technology can’t be interesting. At the moment it is at a prototypical stage and will be showcased in Sochi in some months… if someone of you is from Russia (Georgy I’m looking at you) and tries it… please let me know your impressions!

More info

Some news on content

• “Little Cities” is something like Sim City for Quest, and it is coming in Spring 2022
• VR dungeon crawler Ancient Dungeon is going to hit SteamVR and Oculus App Lab on November 3
• Voices of Inspiration is the new experience released by Lucas Rizzotto. It is similar to Where Thoughts Go, but focused on children that are suffering from cancer that answer to some questions from astronauts
• Unplugged has finally been released and it has been positively reviewed by Road To VR and Upload VR
• Blade and Sorcery has got its big update that makes it become something more than a sandbox
• UdonTycoon is an impressive world on VRChat that is so big that it could have been a game on SteamVR (thanks Louis for the tip)

More info (Little Cities)
More info (Ancient Dungeon)
More info (Voices of Inspiration)
More info (Unplugged review on Road To VR)
More info (Unplugged review on Upload VR)
More info (Blade and Sorcery)
More info (UdonTycoon)

News from partners (and friends)

CustomFitVR has created a service on Etsy that creates custom gaskets for Valve Index. If a user wants to maximize his/her comfort inside the Index, CustomFitVR can create a face gasket perfectly customized for his/her face, that so makes the headset fit perfectly. I’ve found this very valuable, so I thought it was worth sharing (I’m not affiliated with the company in any way).
Learn more

Some XR fun

Did you think that the community could hear the news about Facebook rebranding without making some jokes and memes? It couldn’t be possible, so enjoy some of the best ones here below!
Funny link / 1
Funny link / 2
Funny link / 3
Funny link / 4

The Roblox Metaverse is…
Funny link

Neo is now in the mixed reality
Funny link

We now know what is the best possible use for the HP Reverb G2.
Funny link

VR Fitness for the win!
Funny link

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