Today, as Italy’s Carnival festivities draw to a close, the streets are alive with celebration. Meanwhile, I’m joining in the fun in a quieter way, by indulging in some of the delightful sweets this season has to offer. But, there’s another reason I’m in high spirits today: I’ve been honored with a commendable 3rd place rank by Feedspot in their list of the top 60 Virtual Reality websites, just behind the iconic Road To VR and Upload VR. Sure, the ranking has its quirks. For instance, the Oculus website—a relic at this point—still makes an appearance. And there are undoubtedly many outstanding sites, like MIXED, that aren’t recognized. Truth be told, I feel I don’t quite deserve the 3rd spot—perhaps not even the 4th or 5th. Regardless, I’m embracing this accolade, a testament to eight years of dedication as a blogger. A heartfelt thank you to all of you for your unwavering support that has paved the way to this honor!
Top news of the week
(Image by Valve)
Valve Deckard may hit shelves in 2025 for a cool $1200
Exciting whispers are circulating about the Valve Deckard! And for once, it’s not just the usual sources feeding the rumor mill. This nugget comes from data miner "Gabe Follower," a reputable voice in the community, suggesting the Deckard might launch in 2025, possibly carrying a price tag of around $1200. Gabe Follower also claims that Valve plans to release games or demos "already complete" specifically crafted for the Deckard. Tyler McVicker of Valve News Network chimes in, hinting at a potential Half-Life demo in the mix. The Deckard is expected to run on SteamOS, just like the Steam Deck, and promises to play SteamDeck’s flat-screen games on a grand VR screen—an achievable feat due to the Roy controllers that mimic a gamepad’s controls. And about the price—though it seems steep at first glance, Gabe Follower notes that Valve might sell it at a loss, hinting at top-tier specifications likely to thrill loyal Valve fans.
More info (Valve Deckard might debut in 2025 for $1200) More info (Half-Life demo app could accompany the headset)
Other relevant news
(Image by Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Sony makes the PSVR 2 more accessible with a price cut
Good news from Sony’s corner—effective this month, they’ve slashed the price of the PSVR 2 headset. Now priced at $400 (€450/£400/¥66,980), buyers have the option to purchase just the headset or bundle it with the Horizon Call of the Mountain game (and quite frankly, with no price difference, opting for just the headset would be a head-scratcher). The PSVR 2 has always offered fantastic gameplay, though its steep initial price tag—higher than the PS5 itself—was a hurdle. A recent trial run of discounts saw sales soar, so this permanent price cut is a strategic move. Not boasting a vast library of exclusive titles, it nonetheless offers a solid selection, and with the PC adapter, compatibility with Steam’s PC games sweetens the deal. At $400, it’s an offer hard to pass up. While I don’t foresee a sales frenzy, this could certainly nurture a more robust ecosystem for PSVR 2 users.
More info
Quest draws developers into the Free-to-Play realm
Meta’s conveying a clear message to developers on the Meta Quest platform: Free-to-play games are where it’s at, especially with their burgeoning young audience. Through a recent X post, they highlighted that free-to-play experiences now account for more than 70% of user time on Quest. Developers are heeding this call to action. Recently, Fast Travel Games released Mannequin for free, while Owlchemy Labs’ latest, Dimensional Double Shift, a free-to-play game, reached an impressive 500K downloads, underscoring the success of this approach.
I’ve a couple of thoughts here. Firstly, if you’re constantly pushing a free Horizon Worlds experience and allow the Horizon Store to be riddled with low-grade content, getting a high free-to-play engagement isn’t surprising. That said, stores seem to gravitate this way eventually. Crucially, there’s no mention of revenue statistics. High playtime can be meaningless if revenues aren’t following suit. The silence on revenue speaks volumes, hinting at unsatisfactory figures except maybe for outliers like Gorilla Tag. I’d love Meta to shed light on the median revenue for free-to-play titles on their Horizon Store—that would be invaluable for developers contemplating this business model.
More info (Free-to-play dominates Quest usage) More info (Mannequin) More info (Dimensional Double Shift downloads)
Meta reveals Aria 2 glasses
Meta has announced the Aria Gen 2 glasses, a research-focused upgrade from the previous Project Aria. While not a commercial product, these glasses, equipped with a plethora of sensors, are vital for research, capturing user perspective data essential for AI model training aimed at augmented reality (AR) development. Aria Gen 2 offers enhanced specs, including an advanced suite of sensors and a pioneering custom Meta chipset, allowing on-device processing capabilities like positional, eye, and hand tracking, as well as speech recognition. Unlike its predecessor, which simply recorded data for later analysis, Aria Gen 2 offers immediate processing, packed into a lightweight 75g device capable of 6–8 hours of active use.
Currently, Aria is available to key partners only, but broader accessibility for research entities is on the horizon for later this year.
More info (Aria Gen 2 glasses — Road To VR) More info (Aria Gen 2 glasses — Upload VR)
Meta expands its enterprise and educational suite
Meta has recently unveiled updates to its offerings for universities and enterprises. The Meta For Education program, now widely available following extensive beta testing, provides an opportunity for educational institutions to purchase headsets along with management services. These include a device management (MDM) system, allowing for unified content installation and deployment across devices in an educational setting, plus access to educational content from Meta and third-party partners. Moreover, Meta and VictoryXR have developed over 30 “metaversities” via Engage XR, facilitating virtual campus interactions for students remotely.
Meta has bolstered these offerings with compelling statistics, claiming increased student engagement, teacher appreciation, and improved academic performance, though such claims should be taken with caution.
This program is part of the larger “Quest For Business” now branded “Horizon Managed Solutions,” with services such as user and device management, custom stores, and more. Meta’s flexibility has expanded, now integrating with existing third-party MDM solutions, reducing the friction enterprises might have faced with mandated solutions.
Pricing for Meta’s enterprise solutions is well-documented: Under Meta for Education, Quest 3 is listed at $630, while Quest 3S varies between $400 and $500, contingent on storage. These prices encompass two years of Meta Horizon managed services post which a subscription fee kicks in. An education-focused lifetime access option can waive this fee.
Though enterprise headsets come at a premium over consumer options, the real sticking point remains the post-two-year subscription fees—an easy removal for educational clients with a one-time payment.
More info (Meta For Education now available — Meta blog) More info (Meta For Education now available — Upload VR) More info (Meta For Education now available — Road To VR) More info (Meta Horizon Managed Solutions — Meta Blog) More info (Meta Horizon Managed Solutions — XR Today)
News worth a mention
(Image by HTC Vive)
HTC launches "VIVERSE Worlds" platform
HTC has rolled out a new platform called "VIVERSE Worlds," positioning itself as potentially the "YouTube of 3D Content"—a claim we’ve heard before. What makes VIVERSE Worlds stand out is its entirely web-based operation, allowing for seamless integration of VR and 3D experiences within websites via iFrame, and users can dive into experiences with no installation required. Optimized performance is expected through its Vive Polygon Streaming technology, which selectively streams necessary polygons, enhancing execution efficiency.
This fresh approach could set it apart—let’s see if it catches on.
More info (HTC VIVERSE Worlds — Road To VR) More info (HTC VIVERSE Worlds — Upload VR)
AMD launches its next-gen graphics cards
AMD is unleashing its RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards from their CES preview. Available March 6, with price points seated at $550 and $600, these products target competition with NVIDIA’s RTX 5070, and possibly the RTX 5070 Ti, offering similar pricing and promising competitive performance. These cards come equipped with AMD’s second-generation AI accelerators, enhancing FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4), and boast DisplayPort 2.1a support, setting them up for future 4K per eye headsets with an impressive 120Hz or higher refresh rate.
More info (AMD’s new graphics cards — Upload VR) More info (AMD’s new graphics cards — The Verge)
Winlator brings Windows classics to Pico 4 Ultra
An intriguing find from YouTube’s Virtually Real shows Crysis running on the Pico 4 Ultra thanks to Winlator, an Android-based Windows emulator. He enthusiastically reports that other games like Fallout 3 perform well too, unlocking the possibility to enjoy older Windows classics directly on your headset—a captivating development!
More info
In the realm of XR, users have been vocal about the Horizon Store’s curation, or lack thereof. A barrage of clones, particularly of Gorilla Tag, clogs the store’s listings. A Redditor highlighted this by documenting that of 126 games released in a month, 57 feature “gorilla” or “tag” in the title—frankly tedious.
More info (BMFVR with store criticisms) More info (57/126 games mimic Gorilla Tag)
Meta is shelving the Move application on Quest, a casualty of outdated technology. Though they reason it allows for runtime improvements, the lack of investment in updating Move suggests declining user numbers—a bitter end remembering how it squashed startup YUR’s prospects. It might have been wiser to leave such niche markets to those truly passionate about them.
More info
Meta Reality Labs, with the University of Munich, unveils Avat3r, a project modeled to create realistic avatars with just a few iPhone photos. This system captures user expressions with lifelike detail, transitioning avatar rendering to impressive realism via Gaussian Splats.
More info
Ohio State University spearheads a compelling venture into virtual taste research, developing an "e-taste" interface to simulate flavors like lemonade and cake in VR. Events like this, although nascent, are pivotal stepping stones for immersive VR reach.
More info (Taste emulation experiment) More info (Research paper on taste emulation)
Discover The VR Critic
For VR connoisseurs seeking insightful reviews, be on the lookout for Dr. Luke Buckmaster’s website, "The VR Critic." An Australian VR aficionado, Dr. Buckmaster has meticulously curated a multitude of reviews over four years, launching the site with an impressive repository of over 100 critiques, promising a deep dive into myriad VR experiences.
More info
Some news about content
Steam Next Fest offered a treasure trove with over 20 free VR demos available to explore.
Stratogun, a nostalgic shoot ’em up, is set to launch later this year, complete with VR support.
Sportvida CyberDash emphasizes stress relief through high-impact challenges, with a full release on Quest and PC VR slated for next month.
Orion Drift, from the makers of Gorilla Tag, is now accessible via Early Access.
Symphoni merges conducting with spellcasting in a mixed reality rhythm game similar to Maestro, debuting March 6th for $19.99.
Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us now enriches Beat Saber as a DLC offering.
GORN 2 will greet Meta Quest, Steam, and PlayStation VR2 players later this year, echoing the original’s gameplay with fresh innovations.
Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate affirms a March 27 release for Quest and PlayStation VR2.
Alien: Rogue Incursion’s Quest 3 patch delivers systematic visual enhancements and numerous fixes.
Farming Simulator VR is available on Quest, priced at $25.
Upload VR continues its tradition with the "XR News Round-Up," a curation of minor XR updates.
More info (Steam Next Fest) More info (Stratogun) More info (Sportvida Cyberdash) More info (Orion Drift) More info (Symphoni) More info (Beat Saber) More info (GORN 2) More info (GORN 2 gameplay) More info (Wanderer) More info (Alien: Rogue Incursion) More info (Farming Simulator VR) More info (XR News Round-Up)
Some reviews about content
NinjaGuyVR braved every Steam Next Fest VR demo, encountering significant issues with many.
Upload and Mixed both tackled Orion Drift, noting its compelling "metaverse" vision, yet emphasized its Early Access iteration requires refinement, especially in user onboarding.
Retronika shines with vibrant visuals and diverse gameplay.
Detective VR places you in a mixed reality detective role. While it seeks improvements, its potential is promising.
More info (Steam Next Fest) More info (Orion Drift — Upload VR) More info (Orion Drift — Mixed) More info (Retronika) More info (Detective VR)
Other news
GTA 6’s ambition extends towards developing “Project Rome” into a dynamic metaverse platform.
Learn more
VR could be a gateway to harnessing lucid dreams.
Learn more
Stress Level Zero elucidates why PC VR exclusivity isn’t a sustainable model.
Learn more
Lumus is reportedly developing a waveguide offering a >75° Field-of-View within a glasses form factor.
Learn more
Reports suggest Google is internally advancing boards compatible with future Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 3 chipsets.
Learn more
News from partners (and friends)
Cause+Christi launches "SHIP HAPPENS," an immersive escape room game in partnership with HTC VIVERSE, delivered through web-based WebXR. Set in the year 3025, you assume the role of an Earth-born engineer on a corporate Loot Transport Ship, rousing from cryo-sleep to find the ship devoid of crew and disordered.
Experience it first-hand today—click the link below to dive in! Learn more (Discover SHIP HAPPENS) Learn more (Play the game)
Some XR fun
In OpenAI we trust, sort of… Check it out! Funny link
Master chef in VR? Let’s say she’s got talent… Funny link
Who’s really head over heels for Horizon Worlds? Well… Funny link
Current VR studio predicaments succinctly captured Funny link
Donate for good
Rather than supporting my blog directly this week, I urge you to consider aiding those affected by conflict in Ukraine. Donate to the Red Cross and support their vital humanitarian work. The link is provided below.
Before diving into that, a huge thank you goes to my Patreon donors for their relentless support:
- Alex Gonzalez VR
- DeoVR
- GenVR
- Eduardo Siman
- Jonn Fredericks
- Jean-Marc Duyckaerts
- Reynaldo T. Zabala
- Richard Penny
- Terry xR. Schussler
- …and many others!
Here’s where you can contribute:
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine
(Header image by Afference)
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