Sure, let me take a swing at this. Here we go:
Hey from Cupertino! Yup, the Apple city itself. I’m hanging out here for about a week, talking shop before I hop over to Berlin to mentor at XRCC. Let’s hope my Bay Area stay is a little smoother than last week’s AWE chaos. Picture me, sick as a dog, shuffling through the event like a zombie from Resident Evil. Yeah, that was me. Anyway, send some positive vibes my direction, and I’ll hit you back with some juicy XR news of the week!
Top news of the week
Meta and Oakley glasses drop?
So, check this out. There’s buzz that Meta and Oakley might toss us some new glasses this Friday. Okay, hang on, backtrack. A few months back, rumors started flying about these glasses with a front camera. Fast forward to now, and an “oakleymeta” thing pops up on social media, teasing something big with a trippy logo video. Honestly, I was betting on this happening at Meta Connect—psych!—guess June works too. Sunglasses season, right? Just seems like a good fit. Crossing my fingers it’s as cool as it sounds.
More info: Road To VR | Upload VR
Other juicy stuff
Snap Spectacles 2026
Oh, Evan Spiegel dropped a bomb at AWE. Snap’s rolling out new Spectacles in 2026—scratch that, they’ll just be “Specs” now. Apparently, they’re slimming them down, pumping up the tech, and making them available to everyone. Wild, right? Specs kinda hints at AR glasses wars kicking off. Grab the popcorn!
More info: Road To VR | Upload VR | The Ghost Howls
Qualcomm’s AR1+ Chip
Big news, Qualcomm’s got a new AR chipset up their sleeve—the AR1+. Uses less power, lets glasses get all AI fancy without needing to phone home. Privacy lovers, rejoice! It’s a game-changer, or maybe just a cool party trick. Whatever, I watched the demo at AWE and was totally "in awe" (pun intended, duh).
More info: Qualcomm
Google’s XR Goodies
Google I/O spilled some deets. Rumor has it Samsung might spill launch dates for Project Moohan next month. HP’s launching a wicked expensive teleconferencing doohickey based on Google’s tech—$25K and you don’t even get the Google Beam license. Seriously, who’s buying that? Also, XREAL’s Project Aura glasses are promising a Field of View to rival Meta Orion. Batting my lashes and watching closely.
More info: Road To VR | Upload VR | XREAL
Apple Updates Rundown
Apple’s got goodies too. Widgets are getting jazzy with different colors and positions. PSVR 2 controller compatibility’s rolling out on VisionOS store pages, clarifying what’s needed to game on Vision Pro. Plus, some high-end iPad games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage are supposedly on the way.
More info: VisionOS Updates
Quick Mentions
WMR Redo
This dude “mbucchia” is working on a SteamVR driver for WMR headsets—calling it “Oasis.” Not even open-source, keeping sneaky IPs safe under his NDAs. I mean, he’s kinda legendary, saving all those outdated headsets. Someone hand him a medal!
Meta Headset Surprises?
Heard through the grapevine about Meta’s upcoming headset—codeword Puffin. Automatic IPD adjustment and face unlock teased. Fingers crossed for all these goodies to actually show up.
Palmer Luckey’s Military Moves
Palmer’s back, crafting military headsets at Anduril. He’s aiming high with price and quality ‘cause, let’s be real, no one wants a cheapo headset botching a mission, right? Here’s hoping it’s quality tech.
OpenXR Exploring Spatial Computing
Spatial computing features in OpenXR soon? Yeah, that’d be neat—plane tracking, spatial anchors, all the good stuff. Massive props to Tom Ffiske for the newsletter tip-off.
Post-AWE Rambles
Finished with AWE, but the reviews and rundowns keep rolling. Check out tech highlight reels, ‘cause why not?
More info: XelerateVR | Infinadeck | Tom’s Guide
Content Nuggets
Games, games, games. New deets on "Reach" from Ndreams, Flat2VR’s "RoboQuest VR," and Vertigo Games’ "Thief VR." Plus a whole pile more. Stepping up the game, literally.
More info: Reach | RoboQuest VR | Thief VR
Reviews Hot Off the Press
Zombie Army VR’s graphics are popping, but it’s kinda repetitive. Hidden Memories of The Gardens Between is a nice vibe. What The Car? The name says it all—a fun mixed reality trip. Exer Gale’s a VR workout, your arms are gonna feel it.
More info: Zombie Army VR | What The Car
Quick Bits
Meta pushed v77 live despite QA hiccups, Youtubers play through Steam’s VR library, and BigScreen Beyond 2 got dissected. Busy week!
Partner and Friend Shoutout
Launching soon: MonstarAI’s "Umbrella Up." Whirling through amusement parks with umbrellas? Count me in! Also, a hot survey on AR/VR—grab some sweet incentive prizes. Plus, Phygtl’s hiring—join, be brill, make waves.
More info: Umbrella Up | AR/VR Survey | Phygtl
Random XR Giggles
Why are there riots? Who knows, but it’s a funny ride in Silicon Valley. And some wacky interior designs to tickle your brain.
Donate to a Good Cause
For real, pause and help the folks in Ukraine. Here’s a direct line to the Red Cross. And massive thanks to all my Patreon backers. Your support means the world!
Donate here: Red Cross for Ukraine
Ha! There it is. Quite the jumble, huh?
