The XR Weekly Roundup (July 28, 2025): Quest’s New Features Revealed, Brilliant Labs’ Smartglasses Launch, and More!

Hey, hope your summer’s rolling along great! Here’s some XR news you might dig and a cool giveaway you’d wanna jump in on. Just a heads-up, it’s a bit of a wild ride through my brain’s chaos.

Top News This Week

Okay, so first up, we’ve got intriguing stuff about Quest, thanks to Luna’s detective work over at Upload VR. Honestly, it’s like digging for treasure in the digital sand.

• Horizon Home is shedding its static skin, turning into something lively and social. Imagine it blending right into Horizon Worlds. Doors to new worlds, shared 2D windows… the works.

• The plaza? It’s getting a facelift. Now you’ll see your old home space in the sky as you wander about, like some digital mirage. Almost poetic, right?

• Where the cool events happening? Over at a new spot called Events Arena. Fancy that.

• Oh, remember Horizon Hyperscape? It’s morphing into an app called Horizon Photoreal. Scan a place with your phone, upload it, and boom—new social media vibe. That’s the gist, but we’re riding on rumors here, so don’t hold your breath just yet.

More deets available somewhere in the ether.

Other News That Caught My Eye

Brilliant Labs and their smartglasses project, due for a July 31st reveal. Have you heard of Monocle or Frames? If not, no worries, but this new gadget seems promising, especially if you’re into tinkering. Bobak Tavangar, one of the brains behind this, is doing an AMA on Reddit, so poke your head in if you’re curious.

Details lurking in the digital shadows, of course.

Unasked-For Innovations

Sharp just threw a VR controller into the ring—to nobody’s request. It’s half-glove, half-controller, and likely all vibes with its haptic voodoo. Kinda pricy, though. Pre-registrations closed in Japanland. Will it work? Only time and tester trauma will tell.

Guess where to find details? Yep, they’re out there.

Meta and the Mysterious Wristband

Meta’s cracking out an EMG wristband. I’m no hand model, but swiping your thumb or writing in the air seems neat, right? Their research paper and accompanying video show these movements getting digitized in slick ways.

Research rabbit holes available nearby.

Google’s Lab Leaks

Rumor mill says Google’s smartglasses are more lab baby than store-ready child. Raxium microdisplays with a measly 1% yield—imagine finding a needle in a haystack, but with a hundred haystacks. So, might merely be Google showing off, not ready to rock the shelves.

Whispers of info floating somewhere.

VR Games & Sales

Oh, the VR Games Showcase returns soon—August 12th. Expect reveals, plus indie gems. Indie love gets a bit overshadowed, but hey, it’s showbiz.

Don’t sleep on the Pico Summer sale either; it’s practically begging for you to eek a discount on your headset. The temptation’s real, my friend.

Sale scoops and showcase spoilers await somewhere.

Putt Putt IRL

Putt Window lets you play golf at home. Sort of. Real club, real ball, but mind your pricey vases. Trust me, a busted lamp deserves no place in your life’s highlights.

Deets whatever you look hard enough.

Studio Heartbreak & Sweet Farewells

Sad saga this week: TxK Gaming Studios wrapped up, leaving Dungeon Full Dive unfinished. Making VR stuff ain’t cheap, folks. Let’s rethink crowdfunding—better a failed campaign than an unfinished dream.

Healing in progress.

Tidbits ‘n’ Tangents

• Sound Bath’s got chill vibes lined up thrumming from the creators of TRIPP.

• Eldramoor snagged $170K on Kickstarter. My skeptical side says maybe look for more funds?

• Billie Eilish gave future Meta Quest viewers a tease of her concert recorded in 180° 3D. Wanna bet?

• Rec Room Plus has an AI buddy named Roomie. I don’t make the rules.

Even Spotify’s Web App’s slipped into the Quest universe!

Explore as you wish, wherever the links lead.

Quick Reviews

Games are always a playground of emotions. Here’s what caught on the reel:

• The Pirate: Republic of Nassau hits the high seas with gusto.

• Dreams of Another takes narrative play to unexpected realms with a gun in hand.

• Elsewhere Electric’s mystery lingers—needs polish but charms nonetheless.

• Clone Drone serves combat with a roguelite twist. Fight me, bro. Actually, don’t.

I’ll stop. For now.

Reviews available in the background.

An Oddball’s Notes

DannieVR had some hands-on time with Xiaomi’s AI glasses. Shiny tech spectacles seem to be today’s jam. Let’s see how this unfolds.

Oh, you know the deal for more details.

Funny XR Quirks

Did you know VR experiences might prompt odd disrobings? Uh, neither did I, till now.

Gags are but a click away.

Donate to Make a Difference

Instead of supporting my musings, why not consider tossing a few to the Red Cross? They’re working hard to help those caught in conflicts worldwide. I can’t think of a more worthy cause.

Link to goodwill in the ether.

And to all my fantastic Patreon supporters, your goodwill is my coffee. Here’s to you fabulous, empathy-infused beings making this journey just a bit less lonely.

Thanks for riding the wave—scatterbrained as it is—through the rabbit hole of VR and XR today. Until next time, keep disrupting, keep imagining, and keep… well, being you!