Sony is working on a PC adapter for PSVR 2, Google is teaming up with Magic Leap, an AR laptop is coming, and an XR cloud streaming service is leaving — the week’s top news stories.
In our weekly XR Update, you can always find the most important XR news of the last five days with a short summary. If you are interested in a particular topic, click on the link to the full article in the relevant section. As usual, we provide you with background information and opinions in addition to the facts.
Have fun browsing!
XR hardware: News on VR/AR and mixed reality headsets
Sony has had a PC adapter certified for Playstation VR 2, which suggests a direct PC-VR connection. Playstation VR 2 has two technical features that would make it an interesting PC VR headset. One is the high-contrast OLED display and the other is eye-tracking, although it is still unclear whether the device will support eye-tracking on the PC.
Meta hints at upcoming UI features that appear to be inspired by Apple Vision Pro in new commercials for Meta Quest. These include the ability to freely anchor and move multiple virtual windows in space using pinch gestures, which is not currently possible with Quest. Meta’s director of engineering, Andrew Bosworth, has already confirmed the major overhaul of the Quest UI.
Startup Sightful launches the Spacetop G1, an augmented reality laptop that offers a massive virtual workspace in a compact, portable device. Key features of the Spacetop G1 include an integrated Xreal Light AR headset with comfortable and auto-darkening AR lenses, seven hours of battery life, a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset, 90Hz refresh rate and AI functionality.
XR market and business news
Google and the augmented reality company Magic Leap have entered into a strategic partnership. The details of the collaboration are still unclear, but Magic Leap emphasized that the partnership will combine Magic Leap’s expertise in optics and device manufacturing with Google’s technology platforms.
Varjo has announced that its XR cloud streaming service Reality Cloud will no longer be developed further from June 2024. The reason given by Varjo is the realization that customer requirements for XR Cloud Streaming are more diverse and security-oriented than originally assumed.
VR games and apps: all the latest news
Some interesting VR games for Meta Quest, PSVR 2 and PC-VR will be released in June. These include the jumpscare horror game Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire, the turn-based strategy game Neon Squad Tactics, the racing game Downtown Club, the mixed reality billiards game MiRacle Pool and the physics-based jump’n’run Sky Climb.
Six months after its release, the major Quest 3 graphics update for Asgard’s Wrath 2 is finally here. It brings higher resolution textures, improved shaders, more detail on 3D models and mirroring effects. The “Enhanced Rendering Features” can no longer be activated at the same time as the 90 Hz mode; you have to choose between better graphics or a higher frame rate.
Behemoth and Alien: Rogue Incursion are two of the most anticipated VR titles of 2024, and now you can see the first gameplay clips. Behemoth is the next big VR game from Skydance Interactive, the studio behind The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. The first gameplay details of the recently announced Alien: Rogue Incursion are now available.
The classic VR games Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator are now available for Apple Vision Pro. The versions include the free content updates “Infinite Overtime” and “Back to Job”. Both games have been optimized for Vision Pro’s hand and eye tracking.
The first paid DLC “Power Strike” has been released for the VR fitness game Les Mills XR Bodycombat. It includes eight new challenging workouts with 22 songs, two new moves, a premium environment and exclusive cosmetics. The DLC costs 7.99 Euros and is available for Quest 3, Quest 2 and Quest Pro.
Source: Mixed News
