I was supposed to start by diving into some sizzling XR news, but who am I kidding? Everyone’s off taking long weekends around the 1st of May. You know, catching up on extra R&R while I’m here, typing away—ironically celebrating Labor Day by, well… working. So, yeah, this newsletter is a bit late, but hey, still packing the usual punch. Not like anyone’s waiting with bated breath, though. Anyway, if tomorrow’s a holiday for you, go grab some joy with your loved ones! (And maybe grab Harpagun — it’s free today, and you know you want it.)
Top news, apparently?
Okay, picture this: Meta and Ray-Ban, still at it with those Meta glasses. I could pretend to know exactly why this is fascinating, but honestly? Just giving you the download. They’re doing updates, like translations—porque Capisce? Right, because their partners are French and Italian, duh. Suddenly, UK and Europe are getting these multimodal AI features… which sounds cool, I think? Privacy concerns cleared or something.
Oh, and they’re like, “Hey, you can Instagram call with these now!” Because, priorities.
The Skyler design has three new variants too—more colors maybe? It’s rolling out to even more places, like Mexico and The UAE (in case you wondered). Meta’s pumped about it. They’re on this hype train, but long-term excitement? We’ll see about that.
On a roll with more news…
Meta’s hawking refurbished Quest 3S gadgets. Bargain hunters, this one’s for you. A steal at $270 for 128GB and $360 for 256GB. I’d say it’s tempting if you’re not eyeing the brand-new Quest 3 because let’s be real, the lenses or whatever aren’t as crisp. But hey, saving money’s always “a thing,” right?
Then there’s the lovely tale of BigScreen and their Beyond 2. Delays happened, shocker. Turns out some PCB snafu caught them at the last minute. Instead of shipping duds, they’re grinding to fix it – throwing away 5000 flawed boards. I mean, talk about dedication. Few more weeks of waiting for June shipping, but applause for integrity, BigScreen.
Also, Italy’s metaverse strategy—sorta? I’m from there and let’s just say… impressive to have a strategy, less impressive after reading it (spoiler: it feels like ChatGPT wrote it). Proudly claims Italy’s AR/VR frontrunners—and yet, somehow, I missed the memo? Really, Ministry? And Luxottica teaming up with Oculus? Wait, Oculus is still a thing? Love these retro references in official docs.
Oh, and laughable product suggestions? Oculus Quest 2 and HTC Vive — zombies back from the dead. I can hear my Pico-loving friends scream from here, “What, no love for us?”
Quick side notes…
Spacetop’s doing software next with glasses—neat? Only with Intel Core? Let’s see how reviews roll in, especially with limited FOV. And Finland’s Varjo launches Teleport 2.0, something about drones and better scans. Tech’s fascinating, until you forget half of it, right?
Quest 3 live room meshing… Sounds futuristic, meshes reality with VR, literally. Saw a vid, dropped my jaw—it was that cool. Insta360’s X5 camera landed too. Better everything with this one. $550 for epic 360 vids – not bad.
Hold up, festivals and deals? NewImages Festival happening, apparently. PlayStation’s “Big Deals” kicking off too. New aural adventures with TV-augmenting Relic on the Quest 3—headsets making movie nights fancier than popcorn.
Game news and ramblings…
Game time! Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, remastered. That’s out, super glossy now. Some folks VR-mod it, living their fantasy lives fully immersed. Ghost Town delivers solid puzzle gaming—hailed as “a must play.” Sounds right up my alley.
Loads of other VR game updates fluttering about too. Arcade fight games, animal sims, fantasy MMORPGs—take your pick. Vertigo 2 wraps up its saga. Music to gamers’ ears. Heard there’s a Kickstarter brewing for something enticing—always is.
Extra peeps chatter…
In other news blips, Meta did some layoffs. They’re still ironically rolling out AI celeb avatars—like Horizon Worlds wasn’t interesting enough before? XROAM lets you be your own VR architect, and some folks pop up with innovative podcasts. Plus, freebie alert for Harpagun — the shooting game with vibes. Steam or Quest, go, go, go!
Lastly, goodness in chaos…
Talking serious here—donate to Ukraine if you can. The world’s a mess in parts, but charity is a patch of hope. Red Cross is here to channel your kindness.
That’s all for now. More chaotic than polished, right? As it should be.
