The XR Week Peek (2023.09.25): Pico 5 to come in three models, Quest 3 is launching, and more!
Happy Autumn everyone! Temperatures are getting colder, but not in VR… here it is going to be a very hot week with the launch of the Quest 3! Today I was thinking “Oh it’s cool that the Quest 3 is coming in a few weeks…” and then I realized that is going to be fully launched in just 2 days. Oh wow. I’m super excited, and you?
Top news of the week
Pico 5 leaks show a very ambitious product line
The leaks on the Pico 5 are intensifying, which usually means that the device is going to be announced quite soon. Last week we had a first look at the controllers, while this week we had quite a confusing leak about its product line, which, if confirmed, would show an ambitious plan by the Chinese company.
The leak came from China and talked about the Pico 5 product line going to feature the Pico 5, Pico 5 Pro, and Pico 5 Pro Max (yes, like the iPhones). These are the features of the headsets:
- Resolution: 2560 x 2560 for the Pico 5 and Pro, but a whopping 3840 x 3840 for the Pico 5 Pro Max
- Chipset: Qualcomm XR2 Gen 2 (the same as Quest 3) for all of them. Pro and Max feature additional chips
- Display Port direct connection: only available on the Pro Max SKU
- Passthrough cameras: RGB 16MP cameras for all devices
- Depth sensor: available on all models
- Eye and face tracking: available only on Pro and Max models
- Controllers: Touch-Plus clone controllers plus hand tracking on all the line
- Price: 3499 RMB ($478 circa) for Pico 5, 4299 RMB for the Pro unit, 7999 RMB for the Pro Max
- Release Date: 21 April 2024 is the launch date for all of them, then the Pro goes on sale in October, and the Pro Max in December.
If these specs are confirmed, the Pico 5 sounds very cool to me: it has everything the Quest 3 is promising, for a price that is even slightly lower. The Pico 5 Pro Max looks like a dream hybrid headset: it is a standalone device with eye tracking and passthrough, and it also has the DisplayPort connection that makes it work like a true tethered headset when connected to a PC. Its resolution is enormous and probably used at its fullest only when tethered, resorting to a lower-res upscaled rendering when it has to work in standalone mode.
I say the leak is confusing because there are a few things that sound strange. First of all, one of the leakers affirms having found the info from a Chinese video on BilliBilli, but then some Chinese people saw the same video and said that it said nothing that was contained in the leak. Plus there is the fact that in the table with Pico’s roadmap, some info about the Quest headset (used as a comparison) is wrong. And the leaked Pico 5 Pro Max, with its 4K x 4K display, seems a bit too ambitious to be true on a mobile headset.
That said, personally I believe it… usually, I saw info on new Pico devices slowly surfacing before the announcements… and this “leak” comes very timely to steal a bit of light on the upcoming launch of the Quest 3. So I guess that someone at Pico is leaking information to indirectly say “Don’t buy the Quest 3, we are going to release something better soon”. And this makes me believe that the information is authentic.
I will definitely keep an eye on Pico 5, because it seems a very interesting device.
More info (Pico 5 headsets specifications)
More info (Comparison of Pico 5 resolutions)
More info (4K x 4K resolution happening only when in PCVR mode)
More info (Some doubts about this leak)
More info (Other doubts about this leak)
Other relevant news
Quest 3 is going to launch
Meta is going to officially launch the Quest 3 in a few days, and we already know almost everything about this device. The latest leaks regard the version of the device with the highest storage, which may cost $650, and the RAM which is going to probably be 8GB (even if all the rumors about 12GB make me think that the more expensive model may have 12 GB).
There is also a new render about the upcoming elite strap and a lot of videos about its high-quality passthrough in action. Zuck has also made one of those cringe videos where he pretends to be human and having fun in Horizon Worlds while in Quest 3.
It’s interesting that a new leaked tutorial also shows that there will be tutorials dedicated to children using the headset. On one side, it’s good that Meta is trying to educate children on how to have a pleasant VR experience, but on the other side, I’m not a big fan of Meta targeting children. And given the recent attention to Roblox VR, I totally think that Meta will focus a lot on selling to children for this Holiday season…
More info (New Elite Strap for Quest 3)
More info (Quest 3 higher-model price leak)
More info (Quest 3 may have 8GB of RAM)
More info (Zuck playing with Quest 3)
More info (Tutorial for children)
More info (Quest 3 passthrough in action / 1)
More info (Quest 3 passthrough in action / 2)
Preorders for Visor are now open
VR productivity app Immersed has opened pre-orders for its upcoming Visor headset. Preorders are fully refundable until the moment the custom headset is sent to production… after that moment, no refunds are possible.
The prices, which are not final, for the device versions are $500 for the 2.5K per eye model and $750 for the 4K per eye version. The company is also offering a Founder’s Edition Visor 4K for $1,000.
All headsets feature OLED microdisplays and are focused on the productivity use case. These are some of the features listed on the website (courtesy of Road To VR):
- Hand & eye tracking
- 6 Degrees of freedom
- 5+ Screens
- 100° Field of view
- Ultra widescreen
- Custom IPD, nose-insert, and light-blocker
- 25% lighter than a smartphone
- HD Color Passthrough
- Stems & strap attachments Included
It all sounds very cool and quite affordable. Immersed is a reliable company, but it never shipped a headset, so I’ll feel more confident when the first people receive their units. Let’s see what happens… some people are afraid this may become a DecaGear 2, but personally, I think that Immersed can deliver. My only fear is that they are promising a bit too much and so they will have to compromise on something when reality will hit (e.g. raise the prices, or ship with delays, etc…)
More info (Immersed Visor preorders open / Road To VR)
More info (Immersed Visor preorders open / Upload VR)
More info (Announcement Tweet of the preorders)
More info (Interview to Immersed CEO)
Unity improves its new pricing model
After the huge drama of the past week, Unity has listened to some of the feedback from the community and improved its pricing model. These are the improvements it applied:
- Changes in prices will start with the next Unity 2023 LTS, so existing applications will not be affected, at least while the use previous Unity versions
- Unity Personal will still be free (now up to 200K of revenues) and applications made with it will be subject to no fee at all. The new Unity Personal will also remove the famous Unity splash screen
- Successful games using Unity Pro or Enterprise can choose if paying per install or by a 2.5% fee, only if they have crossed the $1,000,000 (USD) in gross revenue (trailing 12 months) and have 1,000,000 initial engagements. Revenue sharing is going to be better for free-to-play games
- Data about installs and revenues is provided by the developers and not obtained “somehow” by Unity
These changes are making sure that indies will have a better treatment and that developers are going to share their revenues with Unity only when their games are going to be truly successful. This is fair, and this is why a good chunk of the community answered positively to these new terms.
I’m happy that the backlash led to this improvement which is going to help many indie developers. But at the same time, I can’t be totally happy, because:
- There is still more to pay. My company pays thousands of dollars per year to have Unity Pro, and now, if our product becomes very successful, besides that money we have also to share 2.5% of our revenues with Unity. Yes, it is less than the 5% of Unreal, but until yesterday we only paid per seat, not both per seat and per revenue sharing. And this 2.5% is to be summed to the 30% we have to leave to the stores and the taxes that we have to pay. This is quite annoying
- Unity has violated our trust. They changed the TOS, they announced a pricing model that many indies which had an early look at it said was insane. There are also some conspiracy theories about all this being a deliberate move to be acquired or that the initial nonsensical conditions were announced just to make people accept better these new ones. Some developers I know are already switching to Godot or Unreal because they say that Unity can’t be trusted anymore.
At the end of the day, I understand that Unity needs to monetize more because the economic conditions are shit and Apple is killing its Unity Ads cash cow with its privacy shield. As an entrepreneur, I understand. But I’m still not happy with what they tried to do and also with the final introduction of revenue sharing. I know many people at Unity and I love them all, but I’m loving a lot less the work the management has done.
More info (Unity announcing its new fees)
More info (Developers losing trust in Unity)
More info (Unity already tried to change the TOS in the past)
News worth a mention
Ray-Ban Stories 2 just got FCC approval
The second edition of the Ray-Ban Stories smartglasses has just been approved by the FCC. This means that these glasses that are able to shoot photos and videos are most probably going to be launched at Meta Connect. Don’t expect an AR display on them, though: according to the rumors, that is only going to come with the third version.
Simula VR headset delayed to 2024
Simula VR, the VR headset for productivity featuring a Linux operating system, is having some delays due to a lack of funding. This is not a strange situation given the bad economic conditions we are in. The headset is now expected to ship in 2024.
(Thanks Ivan Aguilar for the tip)
Resonite is the new Neos
Neos VR has been one of the social VR platforms that were most loved by the community of hardcore VR enthusiasts, but then it entered into a complicated situation when the CEO and the CTO started quarreling because the CEO wanted to focus the platform on some cryptoshit while the CTO wanted to focus on the community. Finally, the two parted ways, and the CTO, which is the famous Frooxius, has been able to launch his new project, called Resonite. Resonite is a social VR world available only on SteamVR which focuses on “in-app content creation, allowing users to create their own interactive avatars, art, gadgets, and complex interactive worlds and games”. It already got the interest of the community, and even if there is not even a release date, the project has already been able to collect $14K/month on Patreon.
I wish great luck to this project, because I love Frooxius, who is a genius, and I know how much he cares about the community!
Register to AWE Europe
In one month from today, in Vienna, Austria, there will be AWE Europe. I still don’t know if I will be there, but I advise you to go because it is a good opportunity for networking with other VR professionals. Clicking on the link below you can buy the ticket with a -20% discount.
Varjo Aero now at $990
Varjo has surprised everyone by slashing in half the price of Varjo Aero, its first consumer headset. Aero is not so small as BigScreen Beyond, but it features a higher resolution and supports eye tracking. It’s good to see the price of pro headsets coming down!
Holoride announces Holoride Cinema
Holoride is now offering a new service to the users of its in-car entertainment system. It is called Holoride Cinema and it lets you see movies on a big virtual screen in your car in a nausea-free way (because you see the environment moving following the movements of the car). It features 11,000 movies and 4600 TV shows to choose from, including new blockbusters like Indiana Jones 5 or Guardians of the Galaxy 3. There are also 120 3D movies, which look very good in VR.
Ubisoft unveils gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Nexus
Finally, Ubisoft has shown the first gameplay trailer of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR. The game is going to feature the three assassins Ezio, Connor, and Kassandra, for an adventure mixing parkour, melee, and ranged combat. We have also a release date: November 16th. Who else is excited by this idea?
Humble Bundle has a new bundle of VR games
The new “Get Your Head in the Game” VR bundle on Humble Bundle is going to give you up to 8 games for just $24. The games’ list includes hits like After The Fall: Deluxe Edition, Demeo, and Zero Caliber VR.
Some news about content
- Fast Travel Games and MoonHood are partnering to create a VR game that aims to replicate the look and feel of claymation
- Soul Covenant is a tactical VR action game set in a desolated near-future Japan that features the usual battle of men vs machines. It is slated to launch in early 2024
- Elixir of Madness will be Pistol Whip’s Halloween update featuring themed levels and weapons
- Many people in the community are loving the just-launched VR mods for Portal 2
- Inter Solar 83 aims at bringing us to explore space with its 80s aesthetic. The developer behind the game is going to launch a Kickstarter campaign soon, hoping to launch the game in 2024–25
- ForeVR launches the beta of SuckIt! a game where you have to suck all that you can with a vacuum cleaner
- Very promising game Border Bots VR is going to launch on all platforms on 8th February 2024
- The Events at Unity Farm, a game mixing horror and point-and-click adventures, has already launched on SteamVR in Early Access, but the full release targets Q1 2025
- Track Craft lets you build tracks for minicars in mixed reality in your room. It has already been launched on App Lab
- Fitness game HitStream is going to launch soon on the official Quest Store!
More info (Moonhood’s new game)
More info (Soul Covenant)
More info (Pistol Whip — Elixir of Madness)
More info (Portal 2 / VR Mod)
More info (Portal 2 / VR Mod Gameplay video)
More info (Inter Solar 83)
More info (Suck It!)
More info (Border Bots VR)
More info (The Event At Unity Farm)
More info (Track Craft)
More info (Hitstream)
Some reviews about content
- Upload went hands-on with Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord and found it an “engaging arcade-like multiplayer experience”. The game also features a matchmaking feature to make the matches balanced depending on the skills of the players
- Dungeons of Eternity seems to be a very interesting VR co-op game: It is a fantasy-action RPG featuring good graphics, a tense atmosphere, and engaging gameplay.
- Toss! is a fun platformer game which may have some quirks, but manages to be addictive anyway
- Hellsweeper VR won the “Recommended” tag on Upload VR for its being a very intriguing VR roguelike game featuring powerful visceral action and a good progression system
- The current version of Resident Evil 4 Remake VR features better graphics than the Quest version but its usability is not great
More info (Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord)
More info (Dungeons Of Eternity)
More info (Toss!)
More info (Hellsweeper VR)
More info (Resident Evil 4 Remake VR)
Other news
Funktronic Labs has talked on Road To VR about the design of its app Fujii
Shopify is one of the first apps to integrate the new iOS object scanning
Qualcomm announces new hardware and software FastConnect solutions to offer modems for VR supporting Wi-Fi 7
NReal Air is currently discounted on Amazon
Raindance Immersive announced its selection of VR artwork
A Valve Employee revealed that Valve in the past canceled the project of a PC console for VR
Meta has open-sourced Move Fast, its hand-tracked fitness game prototype
There is a lot of hype around Gaussian Splatting and its applications for VR, like 6DOF videos
OpenAI now lets you speak with ChatGPT using voice and images! Imagine something like this running on an AR headset…
News from partners (and friends)
Discover Drakheir
Drakheir is an indie Magic Adventure Roguelite VR game. It features nice graphics, an interesting story, and a strong use of hand tracking through which you can cast spells.
Learn more
Volumetrics secure $1.1M in seed funding
Volumetrics is a startup that aims at empowering VR creators by letting them develop in VR for VR. According to its founders, “All you need [to create VR content] is a headset, a keyboard, and a wifi connection”. It just secured $1.1M in seed funding to carry on this vision.
Learn more
Some XR fun
Nothing can stop the NVIDIA Installer…
Funny link
Oh no…
Funny link
Donate for good
Like last week, also this week in this final paragraph I won’t ask you to donate for my blog, but to the poor people that 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
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And now here you are the link to donate:
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine
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