Quest v43 Update May Include Long-awaited 16:9 Recording Mode

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Image courtesy Meta

Quest’s v43 software update has already rolled out on the Public Test Channel, however now it seems Meta is getting ready to unlock a number of long overdue video capture options, like the ability to record in 16:9 aspect ratio. Additionally, it appears some settings specific to the company’s upcoming headset Project Cambria have cropped up as well.

Quest’s Most Popular Basketball Game on App Lab ‘Gym Class’ Secures $8M

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Image courtesy IRL Studios

IRL Studios announced that Gym Class, its popular VR basketball game on Meta Quest App Lab, has raised $8 million in a seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) with participation from Y Combinator.

Rare Conjoined Twin Surgery Aided by VR Training, Bridging the Gap Between Two Continents

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Image courtesy Michael Gideon

Practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to life-saving procedures that deal with extreme edge cases like separating conjoined twins. Now a UK-Brazilian team have done just that, which is thanks to detailed planning sessions which allowed the surgical team to model and rehearse the operation in VR from two different continents.

Meta Says New Prototype Will Put Its Cutting-edge R&D in a Market-viable Headset

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Image courtesy Meta

Back in June Meta revealed its latest XR R&D efforts through a handful of different prototypes designed to prove out various concepts. The next step, the company says, is to bring it all together into a single package that could one day reach real users.

CCP is Finally Pulling the Plug on VR Pioneers ‘EVE: Valkyrie’ & ‘Sparc’

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Images courtesy CCP Games

EVE: Valkyrie (2016), the sci-fi dogfighter from CCP Games, used to be one of most talked about titles in VR thanks to its cross-platform multiplayer, high visual polish, and position as one of the first games on Oculus Rift and PSVR. Starting August 5th, CCP is shutting down its servers for both EVE: Valkyrie and and sci-fi sports game Sparc (2017), putting a definite end to an era.

Here’s a Breakdown of the Newly Increased Prices of Quest 2 & Official Accessories

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Image courtesy Facebook

Now that August is here, Meta has made good on its promise to raise the price of Quest 2 and its accessories. Here’s a quick look at how the company has increased prices for its most popular VR headset yet.

Xiaomi Unveils Consumer Smart Glasses with 50 MP Camera & Micro OLED Display

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Image courtesy Sparrow News, Xiaomi

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi today unveiled a pair of smart glasses that the company is positioning as an addition to an active lifestyle, targeting consumers at 2,499 yuan (~$370).

Report: Pico 4 Controllers Appear in Leaked Images, Revealing New Ergonomic Design

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Alleged leaked image of Pico 4 controllers | Image courtesy SkarredGhost

ByteDance’s Pico Interactive is getting ready to launch a new line of standalone VR headsets soon looking to compete with Meta, dubbed Pico 4 and Pico 4 Pro. Now a leak has allegedly revealed Pico 4’s controllers, and they look to be a significant step forward in terms of ergonomics.

Microsoft’s Battlefield AR Headset in Jeopardy After Deep Budget Cuts

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Image courtesy Microsoft

Microsoft’s big defense contract that looks to supply the US Army with modified HoloLens AR headsets isn’t going so well. As first reported by Bloomberg, the Senate panel that oversees defense spending announced significant cuts to the Army’s fiscal 2023 procurement request for the device.

‘Walkabout Mini Golf’ Releases New Course Based on ’80s Classic ‘LABYRINTH’

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Walkabout Mini Golf (2020) always seems to rank among the top games on Quest, which is no doubt thanks to its uncommonly high degree of polish and consistently fun gameplay. Now developers Mighty Coconut have finally released the long-awaited paid DLC inspired by Jim Henson’s ’80s classic LABYRINTH (1986), letting you dive head first into a course set in a magical world filled with memorable characters and iconic scenes from the fantasy film.

‘COMPOUND’ Review – A Retro Roguelite Shooter That’s An Instant Classic

Image courtesy Bevan McKechnie

COMPOUND is a roguelite shooter fresh out of Steam Early Access that unabashedly owes a lot of its DNA to classic first-person shooters like Wolfenstein 3D (1992) and Doom (1993). Far from being just a version of those old school games translated to VR, Compound brings its own stylish take to the genre and integrates VR-native mechanics at its core, which makes it feel right at home in the 21st century.

FTC Sues to Block Meta’s Acquisition of Top VR Fitness App Developer

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Image courtesy Within

In 2021 Meta announced its intention to acquire Within, the studio behind popular VR fitness app Supernatural; though neither company announced the deal price, reporting indicated a whopping $400 million price tag which may have caught the attention of the US Federal Trade Commission. Today the FTC moved to formally block the deal in what it says is an effort to protect competition.

Sony Promises Info on PSVR 2 Release Date & Launch Titles “Soon”

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Image courtesy Sony

Sony has fully revealed PlayStation VR 2 at this point, but the company has still kept the PSVR 2 release date under wraps, with many wondering if it will come in 2022 or 2023. Well the company says it’ll finally reveal that info “soon.”

Community Contempt for ‘VRChat’ Update Leads Developer to ‘reprioritize internal roadmap’

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Image courtesy VRChat

VRChat, one of VR’s most popular social games, released an update this week has struck a nerve with its community.

Meta Raises Quest 2 Price to Stave off Growing Costs

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Image courtesy Meta

Meta announced today something that we haven’t previously seen happen in the middle of a VR headset’s lifecycle—a price increase for Quest 2. To soften the blow, the company says it will include a free copy of the headset’s most popular game.

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