XR Weekly Insight (12/23/2024): Meta Gears Up for Competition, Niantic Enhances Spatial Intelligence, and More!

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, it’s that time of year where we focus on spreading joy and reflecting on the year gone by. While I’ll hold off on sending my official holiday greetings until tomorrow, today I’m stepping into the role of Santa with a special treat—two giveaways of keys that will unlock access to exciting XR games! Stick around to discover how you can join in on the action.

Top News of the Week

In the world of XR, significant updates are flowing in from industry giant Meta, reflecting their successful strides in 2024 and the groundwork laid for the challenges of 2025. Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, alongside Mark Rabkin, VP of MR/VR, and insights from Janko Roettgers’ Lowpass newsletter, shared their retrospectives and future outlooks. Here’s a compact summary of these insights, sparing you the need to wade through layers of predictable corporate updates:

• Quest 3S Sales Performance: Bosworth highlighted that the Quest 3S experienced robust sales during Black Friday, with expectations for further growth over the holiday period. Comparing post-holiday sales figures with those of the Quest 2 from previous years will provide insights into its market performance.

• New-User Acquisition with Quest 3S: It appears that many Quest 3S buyers are first-timers to the MR/VR arena, implying that Meta’s pricing strategy successfully attracted a fresh audience beyond existing Quest 2 users.

• Shifting Demographics in Quest Usage: There’s a noticeable surge of younger users on the platform, gravitating towards social and co-op multiplayer games, and free-to-play models—typified by hits like Gorilla Tag. Meanwhile, the 25+ age group explores more immersive entertainment experiences.

• Focus on Popular Genres: In response to consumer behavior, Meta is investing in developing apps that fall into categories like social gaming and MR-first experiences, suggesting lucrative opportunities for developers aligning with these genres.

• Evolution of Immersive Apps: The favorite apps among Quest 3S users encompass Gorilla Tag, YouTube VR, and Horizon Worlds, revealing persistent interest in media content consumption within VR/MR spaces. Horizon Worlds’ growing popularity among younger users indicates Meta’s persistent promotional efforts are bearing fruit.

• Advancements in Smart Glasses: The AI enhancements integrated into Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been well-received. Meta aspires to develop AI assistants that provide proactive daily assistance, which could revolutionize personal tech interactions but raises privacy discussions.

Facing competitive pressures from Apple and the impending entry of Google and Samsung into the XR space, Meta is keenly aware of the need to retain its lead while others in the field, benefiting from Meta’s pioneering groundwork, start vying for market share.

Other Relevant News

The intersection of AI and XR continues to be a focal point of innovation. This week, research on spatial intelligence explores AI in location-based understanding. Notably, Niantic’s exploration of Large Geospatial Models illustrates the potential of AI in enhancing geospatial data accuracy, while NYU’s research delves into improving AI’s comprehension of 3D spaces using VSI-Bench.

Further on, Blackmagic Design is making waves with their 8K camera pre-order launch, designed specifically for Apple’s Immersive Video format. Priced at $30,000, this cutting-edge technology opens new avenues for professional video production in VR.

Additionally, Meta’s SDK update introduces an Audio-to-Expression feature, expanding avatar animation capabilities for developers at no extra cost. Meanwhile, a community-suggested fix might have resolved the stuttering issue with Quest on Steam VR, potentially improving user experiences.

In urban digitalization initiatives, Tokyo’s government has released a comprehensive point cloud dataset of the city, offering creative and practical opportunities for development in digital twins and more.

Gaming Updates & Tidbits

Celebrations continue with the Meta Winter Sale, featuring discounts on popular titles like Demeo and Assassin’s Creed VR. Furthermore, Upload VR has spotlighted their favorite games of 2024. Despite anticipated titles like Alien Rogue Incursion not becoming gigantic hits, the collective efforts remain pivotal in advancing VR adoption.

Preorders are underway for COLD VR, a SUPERHOT-inspired action game, set to spice up the gaming scene early next year. Other releases like Niantic’s Scaniverse and Figmin XR on Apple Vision Pro indicate strong momentum in the XR content domain.

Partner & Friend Updates

PatchWorld celebrates with a massive update, now embracing hand tracking, OSC protocol, and various live music integrations, accompanied by a special 50% discount until early January.

If you’re attending CES, join me at DeoVR’s afterparty—a fantastic networking opportunity for all VR creators. And don’t miss the exciting giveaways for Home Sports and Party Versus, exhilarating games ready to amplify your holiday fun.

A Bit of Fun

For some lighthearted entertainment, check out various funny links shared this week, capturing quirky VR-related moments and humorous takes on tech life.

Giving Back

In the spirit of giving, I encourage contributions to aid those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Support efforts by donating to the Red Cross, making a profound impact this holiday season.

Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to my Patreon supporters whose generosity keeps this adventure alive. Your unwavering support fuels the enthusiasm to explore and share the ever-evolving XR landscape.