As the year draws to a close, it’s natural to reflect on what has transpired over the past twelve months. I’ve penned a couple of thoughtful pieces looking back at my experiences with XR in 2024. They provide a deep dive into the year’s XR events and an overview of the current XR landscape, which contains its fair share of highs and lows. If you haven’t yet had the chance to read them, I’d recommend giving them a look. Today, though, let’s take a break from reflection, soak up the moment, and ring in the New Year with those who matter most. Here’s to a fantastic 2025! 🎉
This Week’s Highlights:
Meta Quest Headset Glitch During Christmas: Some Meta Quest headsets faced an unfortunate bricking due to the recent v72 update. It primarily hit devices overdue for updates, leading to a dreaded boot screen with a message about device corruption. For those who received these headsets as Christmas gifts or planned to enjoy them with family during the holidays, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Initially, the response from Meta was slow, partly because many staff members were on winter break. Initially, customer service refused to assist those out of warranty, but after a wave of complaints, Meta not only addressed the bug but also provided assistance to restore affected headsets, even offering a free Quest 3S with Horizon Store credits to some! Meta’s ultimate handling of the crisis was commendable, but frequent issues like this suggest they need to be more cautious about update timings.
New Pimax Headset Launch – Dream Air: Pimax, no stranger to frequent product releases, has introduced the Dream Air headset, a departure from their traditionally bulky designs. Targeting the same audience as BigScreen Beyond and MeganeX, this slimmer model features innovative elements like hand and eye tracking and an intriguing self-adjusting strap. An optional component, Cobb, can turn it into a semi-standalone device powered by a Snapdragon XR2 chip. Dream Air hopes to enter the market priced at $1900, with a release anticipated in mid-2025. The announcement has garnered mixed reactions – some excitement, but also skepticism given Pimax’s reputation for missed deadlines. Positioned against the likes of MeganeX SuperLight 8K, Dream Air could appeal to users prioritizing comfort and clarity over sheer field of view.
Meta Enhancing Ray-Ban Meta Glasses: Following the success of Ray-Ban Meta in 2024, Meta is reportedly working on a version that integrates a display capable of showing notifications. This move hints at progress despite earlier reluctance from Luxottica, the eyewear giant behind Ray-Ban. Should these new glasses emerge under Luxottica’s branding, they could see widespread popularity thanks to their stylish appeal and distribution network.
CES 2025 Promises Exciting Reveals: With CES just around the corner, anticipation is building for the unveiling of new XR devices. Industry leaders like Sony, DPVR, and NVIDIA have teased noteworthy announcements, hinting at advancements across multiple tech realms. I’ll be on the ground, eager to share updates and insights straight from the heart of the action.
Noteworthy Mentions:
Meta Horizon App’s Holiday Popularity: The Meta Horizon app was among the most downloaded over the winter holidays, especially for configuring Quest headsets. Its recurring top position in app stores rings positive for holiday sales figures.
Pico’s Privacy-Preserving Pass-through Innovation: At a recent event, Pico showcased SecureMR, a solution balancing enhanced passthrough functionalities while safeguarding user privacy. While technically impressive, the need for practical API access might limit developer enthusiasm.
Magic Leap One’s Imminent Shutdown: Sadly, Magic Leap One devices are set to become inoperable as backend servers are deactivated. This move strands users who invested heavily in this technology, turning high-tech dreams into costly artifacts.
Global LiDAR Data Availability: Tokyo’s free city point cloud has sparked interest in international LiDAR availability. Enthusiasts shared resources from several countries, valuable for those developing digital twins and VPS applications.
Road To VR’s Game of the Year Picks: Leading XR publication, Road To VR, has unveiled its top game selections. Though Batman: Arkham Shadow crowned the Quest category, the list holds surprises for avid gamers.
Fanatical’s VR Game Bundle: Fanatical offers compelling deals through its customizable VR games bundle, giving enthusiasts an opportunity to save on popular titles.
Content Highlights:
- Warpfrog, the studio behind "Blade & Sorcery," is developing a new physics-based, moddable title.
- "Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable" is out with its Complete Edition, met with fan excitement.
- A new party game, "Game Night," combines mental and physical challenges for VR fun on Quest.
Additional Tidbits:
- Samsung’s XR headset is set to include Google’s "Find My Device" feature.
- Rumor has it that the Quest startup animation utilizes an animated 3D model rather than a simple video.
In Closing:
Happy holidays to all, with a heartfelt encouragement to contribute to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine through the Red Cross. Acknowledging contributors and supporters of this journey brings a warm close to the year. Let’s usher in 2025 with optimism and continued passion for innovation. 🎇
(Header image courtesy of Pimax)
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