Hello everyone from Shanghai, China! I’ve arrived an hour ago in my hotel room, after a few unexpected problems, like the airline company not letting me board the plane for nonexistent issues with my baggage or the hotel reception that couldn’t find my registration. Let’s say it has been an adventurous beginning, which makes me hope for a trip full of emotions.
But even if I am on the other side of the world, I will still write you a roundup of the most intriguing pieces of AR/VR news of the week, so keep reading!
Top news of the week
Meta prepares for the next generation of Ray-Ban Meta
This year, Meta should announce some HUD glasses, but they won’t be made in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica. According to a report from The Information, the next generation of Ray-Ban Meta (so made by Meta and Luxottica) will instead be released in 2026 and consist of two devices, codenamed Aperol and Bellini (which are the names of two aperitif drinks in Italy, in case you don’t know).
Aperol and Bellini will be very AI-focused and will implement a feature that Meta internally refers to as “super sensing”: the glasses can run a live AI session for hours (compared to the 30 minutes of current glasses), so they can truly become a useful assistant for the user. They could remember when the user left the keys or suggest some things to prepare for dinner, given what is in the fridge. Since they can be on for hours, they can remember what you have around you, which is a feature that people loved about Android XR.
Super sensing can also be applied to faces: the glasses will be able to recognize the people in front of you and maybe remind some interesting things about them.
All of this is fantastic on the technological side, but raises more than a red flag on the privacy side. Having glasses that can see everything I have around me for hours and stream things to Meta servers is not exactly my dream. To make us feel relaxed about this, our privacy hero Mark Zuckerberg has started questioning inside the company if it is really necessary to have the LED on the glasses on when they are in super sensing mode, so as to hide from the people around you that you could potentially record them. According to Upload VR, Meta in general has a new philosophy: “Meta’s privacy, integrity, and legal teams now have less authority to block ideas, while product teams have more autonomy on these issues”. With these two new wonderful ideas by Zuck, that show his care for our privacy, I feel definitely better about streaming all my house and all my life to Meta. (Yes, I like sarcasm, if you are wondering…)
Other relevant news
Pimax announces Pimax Dream Air SE
People at Pimax are not happy if they do not announce a new headset every week, so this week we had a new online event where Pimax announced a new headset: the Dream Air SE. The Pimax Dream Air SE is a cheaper version of the very lightweight Pimax Dream Air.
The optical system is different and features “only” 2560 x 2560 pixels per eye (the Pimax Dream Air has 3840 x 3552), and if I understood well, the lenses are also different. But the rest is mostly identical: they are both very lightweight PCVR headsets with microOLED displays, eye tracking, hand tracking, inside-out tracking, but also support for SteamVR. But the difference in price is staggering: while the Pimax Dream Air costs $1,899–2,199 (depending on the version that you buy), the Dream Air SE costs €876-€1,169, which means it is more or less half of the price. The estimated release date for both devices is around Q3 2025.
While I always find it confusing to see Pimax launching so many headsets, this time I think it can be a good idea to offer a small and lightweight headset for an introductory price. Let’s see how the community will react to it.
More info (Launch event of the Pimax Dream Air SE)
More info (Pimax Dream Air SE shop page)
RIP Cybershoes
While randomly browsing LinkedIn, I have discovered that Cybershoes are no more. Two years ago, the production stopped, one year ago, a branch of the company closed, and one month ago, the main company closed, too.
If you don’t remember Cybershoes, you can see my review of them from a few years ago. They looked like a crazy product, some shoes with rollers on the soles to walk in VR while staying seated, but after having tried them, most of us realized they were not that bad. Probably, we could envision that a product like this couldn’t have a market big enough to sustain a company (considering that the whole VR market is still a niche), but I still feel sad about it. The people working on it were passionate, and the solution was very creative. I also still have their swivel chair in my office!
It’s not the first time that a product like this fails: I felt very sad for the failure of the 3Drudder and the great people working on it, too. It is not the first time, and it won’t be the last. But still, every time, I will keep reminding the work of these passionate people and I will hope they can succeed with their next venture. Good luck, Cybershoes guys and girls!
News worth a mention
Apple plans to release its smartglasses in 2027
According to the usual weekly report of the usual Mar Gurman, Apple plans a Ray-Ban Meta glasses competitor for 2027. It is working on a custom chip for it, and the mass production of this new chipset is set for late 2026 or 2027. This chip will be based on the highly efficient S-series chips used in Apple Watch, with support for “multiple cameras”.
Lenovo is currently working on smartglasses, too
Lenovo has launched in China some audio-only smartglasses powered by AI that weigh only 38 grams. Pre-orders have already started in China for 4,199 yuan (~$580), and they will start to ship in July. There is also another version in the works, with a 12MP camera but no display, that should work like the current Ray-Ban Meta.
Spacetop gets its first positive reviews
Spacetop, the software for Windows that lets you use some XREAL glasses to see the Windows applications all around you, has been positively reviewed by the magazine Tom’s Guide. It seems the immersive windows management software is pretty cool, with the only problems being the usual suspects of the current generation of AR: low field of view that prevents you from seeing all the windows at the same time, and eye strain after prolonged usage.
Meta is improving its AI generation tools
The current editor of Meta Horizon Worlds already has very powerful gen-AI features that let you create 3D assets and sound from prompts. It is already impressive, but it seems that Meta is cooking something even better. The second version of this generation algorithm, AssetGen 2.0, can deliver “dramatically improved detail and fidelity” compared to the original. And Meta is experimenting to use it to create entire scenes and not just single assets.
AI can be an enabler for XR technologies, letting everyone create content for immersive worlds in a very quick and affordable way. And more content means more users and more engagement. This is why this news is interesting, and we should keep an eye on it.
VRTO reaches its 10th edition!
VRTO (Virtual Reality TOronto) is one of the most known XR events in the world. This year, this event that takes place in Toronto, Canada, reaches its 10th edition, and promises, as usual, to feature famous speakers and interesting talks. It will take place on June 25th- 26th. Tickets are already available on its website.
The real costs of VR training
A very interesting article written by the VR Vision Group details the ballpark costs of developing a VR training solution. I think this article is very valuable because it shows that developing a VR training solution is actually expensive, and companies see an actual saving of money only after a certain number of employees. The article details costs for the US market, where developers are very expensive, and I think that it does a good job of breaking down the costs and explaining what contributes to the final price. It can be very useful for me and other freelancers to show this article to potential customers who think they can build a VR training solution for less than 5K (yeah, I’ve had them…)
More info (Linkedin post that announced the article)
More info (The actual article about VR training costs)
Ghosts of Tabor reached $30M in revenues
In this quite negative moment for XR, it is also good to tell some nice stories of success. The shooter Ghosts of Tabor, which has just been launched on PSVR, has officially sold over one million units, garnering it $30 million in revenue. A well-deserved success for the team!
Some news about content
- Puzzling Places is coming to PC, both in VR and flatscreen versions
- Catana: Red Flowers is a game where you impersonate a ninja cat fighting with a Katana. It has a graphical style to appeal to a younger audience
- There is a new gameplay trailer for Zombie Army VR
- Insomniac Games’ most beloved Rift titles are all now back from being delisted
- Minecraft has officially ended its support for virtual reality
- Into the Radius 2, the co-op sequel to the popular post-apocalyptic VR shooter, is headed to Quest 3 and Quest 3S in early access on May 21st
- Niantic Spatial has launched its mixed reality pet game Hello, Dot on Quest 3. It had already released a demo of it, but now it is out with a new big set of features
- Zero Caliber: Shooting Range is a free-to-play VR gunplay experience now available on Quest
- City builder Wall Town Wonders got its VR adaptation on PlayStation VR2 and Steam
- Merlin’s Chess promises a fantasy-themed twist on the classic tabletop game, and it’s out on May 21 on Quest
- Frost Survival VR is a survival sandbox game that pits you against an unforgiving icy landscape after you get separated from the rest of the world. It is expected for Q3 2025
- Flatscreen farming game Everdream Valley is getting a VR adaptation on Quest on May 15
- Sportvida Cyberdash is a Tron-inspired futuristic runner entering full release on May 20 on Quest and PC VR
- Guardian of Realms, a mixed reality combat game from the Swordsman VR developer, is now free on Quest 3 and 3S
More info (Puzzling Places)
More info (Catana: Red Flowers)
More info (Zombie Army VR)
More info (Insomniac Games)
More info (Minecraft drops VR support — Road To VR)
More info (Minecraft drops VR support — Upload VR)
More info (Into The Radius 2 — Road To VR)
More info (Into The Radius 2 — Upload VR)
More info (Hello, Dot)
More info (Zero Caliber: Shooting Range)
More info (Wall Town Wonders)
More info (Merlin’s Chess)
More info (Frost Survival VR)
More info (Everdream Valley)
More info (Sportvida Cyberdash)
More info (Guardian Of Realms)
Some reviews about content
- The Midnight Walk has been praised by many reviewers for its unique graphical style, which makes playing this game a delight. But while for Upload VR this was enough, for Road To VR, the game lacks a proper VR user experience and fails in making you feel an attachment towards the characters
- Final Fury did a good job of mixing fitness with arcade fighting, but it still has to add more content to really feel great
- Surviving Mars: Pioneer is a good game for fans of slower-paced, systems-driven gameplay and methodical exploration.
More info (The Midnight Walk — Road To VR)
More info (The Midnight Walk — Upload VR)
More info (Final Fury)
More info (Surviving Mars: Pioneer)
Other news
Meta rebranded the Quest Plus service to Horizon Plus
Flat2VR studio launched its publishing arm called Impact Inked, aimed at releasing native VR games
VRDB is a new website aimed at being a collection of the best VR news from the most reliable magazines
MotionBlocks is a software that can remap VR controls, enabling enjoyable gameplay for people with mobility challenges
News from partners (and friends)
Discover Battle Orb
MixRift launched Battle Orb, a new co-playing competitive strategy game, where players challenge others and take their competitiveness to the mixed reality battlefield! Players go 1v1 as they step into immersive arenas where physical and digital worlds collide. Every hit counts as players collide, outsmart and outplay opponents from around the world — compete in 2–4 player battles, earn trophies, unlock upgrades and more!
Learn more
Golden Gloves VR and its first championship
Golden Gloves VR, which markets itself as “The most authentic VR boxing experience,” is now available in early access in the Horizon Store for $25. The experience is easy to learn but hard to master, so it’s good for people of all skills.
The developers of the game have announced the first eGoldenGloves National Championship taking place in Tulsa at the Arvest Convention Center on May 17th. In the tournament, people will compete for the title and the chance to earn recognition in the Golden Gloves of America archives!
And if you want to play the game for free… I have a key for you!
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Learn more (Golden Gloves VR)
Learn more (eGoldenGloves National Championship)
Sponsored Area
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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.
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Some XR fun
Some good memories of Beavis and Butt-Head and VR!
Funny link
A very interesting VR story in just two lines…
Funny link
Not the most objective opinion, but still a valid one
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 by Pimax)