With Christmas just around the corner and the year drawing to a close, I want to spread some holiday cheer a little early by playing Santa. Look forward to tomorrow’s special post where I’ll extend personal holiday greetings, but today, I’m giving away not one, but two amazing XR game keys that you can redeem for free! Keep reading this roundup to see how you can snag these goodies.
This Week’s Top News
Meta Looks Back on 2024 and Braces for 2025 Competition
Meta’s CTO, Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, recently shared a comprehensive post on the company’s blog discussing the successes of 2024 while giving us a glimpse of what’s in store for 2025. Joined by Mark Rabkin, VP of MR/VR at Meta, and Lowpass newsletter writer Janko Roettgers, Bosworth noted the year’s highlights, including the launch of the cost-effective Quest 3S headset, which saw strong sales during Black Friday and is expected to gain even more traction over the holidays.
Interestingly, many Quest 3S buyers are new to the Meta ecosystem, either being new to XR altogether or switching from other brands. This signals growth in the XR community, largely thanks to the affordable pricing. Meta is also seeing a shift in their store’s economy due to an influx of younger users who prefer social and multiplayer games, reshaping the platform with titles like "Gorilla Tag."
On the content front, Meta is funding development across popular app genres like social gaming and MR-first experiences, aiming to cater to the most successful trends. Meanwhile, top apps for the Quest 3S include "Gorilla Tag," "YouTube VR," and "Horizon Worlds," showing significant interest in media and social interaction content.
In smart eyewear, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are gaining traction, especially with new AI integrations. Meta plans to further develop AI tools that could act as proactive assistants integrated with daily tasks, a move both exciting for tech enthusiasts yet concerning for privacy advocates.
Lastly, with giants like Apple and Google entering the XR space, Bosworth emphasized the increased competition, pointing out that while Meta has led innovation, newcomers will find it easier to capitalize on established pathways.
Other Notable News
The Rising Role of Spatial Intelligence
AI’s intersection with XR continues to spark interest, particularly in spatial intelligence—applying AI to understand and interpret environments. Niantic detailed their work on Large Geospatial Models for enhanced geospatial comprehension, aiming to reconstruct environments using AI even with sparse data. Similarly, research from NYU highlights VSI-Bench, a benchmark for evaluating spatial understanding in AI, illustrating how LLMs can evolve beyond their current limitations.
News Worth a Mention
Preorder Apple Immersive Video’s 8K Camera
Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for preorder for $30,000, thoroughly suited for professionals aiming to produce 8K VR180 content for Apple’s new format. With DaVinci Resolve updates soon enhancing compatibility, this camera is setting a new standard in immersive video production.
Meta’s New SDK Feature: Audio-to-Expression
Meta’s latest SDK update introduces an "Audio to Expression" feature, allowing avatar facial animation driven by voice audio, offering developers a richer toolkit for free within the Meta SDK.
Solving Quest’s Steam VR Stuttering Issues
A potential fix for the Quest’s performance problems on Steam VR is gaining attention: disabling the Motion-smoothing feature reportedly improves performance significantly, promising a smoother gaming experience.
Dive into Digital Tokyo
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government released a comprehensive point cloud of the city, freely available for various uses, from AI training to game development.
Browse Meta’s Winter Sale
Give yourself the gift of new VR games this holiday season with Meta’s Winter Sale, offering significant discounts on must-play titles like Demeo and Assassins Creed VR.
Discover Upload VR’s 2024 Favorites
It’s award season! Upload VR rolled out its top picks for VR/AR games of 2024, featuring a rather predictable but well-deserved Best VR Game winner.
Alien Rogue Incursion Finally Released
While it wraps up a year of enticing game launches, "Alien Rogue Incursion" didn’t quite hit the mark as a massive success, unlike "Batman Arkham Shadow." Other games are great contenders but sometimes fall short on consistent excitement.
Gaming Content Updates
- COLD VR, inspired by SUPERHOT, is set to launch soon and is available for preorder.
- Figmin XR broadens its reach with Apple Vision Pro support.
- New releases like "Tentacular Playground" and "Scaniverse" highlight creative uses of cloud data and mixed reality.
- Notable releases include "Grimlord" and "Zenni Vision VR."
- The week’s roundup also brings minor updates for XR fans.
Content Reviews
- "Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable" offers decent giant-combat but falls short in polish.
- "Green Hell VR" gains a new co-op mode, enhancing gameplay with friends.
- "COLD VR" shows potential but needs polish for better overall experience.
More News
- Genesis introduces an open-source generative physics engine for crafting animated 3D worlds.
- OpenAI’s o3 model is now available, outperforming its predecessors.
- Vail VR shooter by AEXLAB achieves $5.5 million in revenue.
- Holiday-themed game updates compiled by Upload VR.
- A guide comparing XREAL One and Viture Pro AR glasses.
- Joe Hunting’s new short, "The Reality of Hope," highlights VRChat-driven connections.
Partner News and Giveaways
A wave of updates and giveaways, including the delightful PatchWorld update now offering hand tracking and OSC protocol support, along with a hefty discount. Additionally, fun giveaway opportunities for "Home Sports" and "Party Versus" are available for those looking to add to their game collection this holiday season.
XR Fun and Final Reminders
Enjoy some lighthearted XR content and fun links; they’re always a good break. Lastly, I urge you to consider donating to the Red Cross to aid those affected by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Your contribution could make a significant difference this holiday season.
Remember, behind the pixels and code, real people are affected by these world events. Let’s extend our kindness beyond our screens. Happy holidays and happy gaming to you all!
(Header image courtesy of Meta)
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