Meta CTO: Android XR Rejected Due to Google’s “restrictive” Terms & Plans to Fragment XR

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Based on image courtesy Meta

A report from The Information last week alleged Meta and Google held talks in effort to bring Android XR to Quest. Meta CTO Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth has now confirmed this report, stating further that not only were Google’s terms too restrictive, but Google is actively planning to fragment the ecosystem with its Android-based XR operating system.

The ‘Beat Saber’ Music Pack That Always Needed to Happen… is Finally Happening

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Beat Saber’s next music pack will bring one of the most influential names in electronic music to the game’s library of downloadable content: Daft Punk.

Meta Reportedly Rejected Google Partnership to Bring Android XR to Quest

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wearing Quest 3 | Image courtesy Meta

According to a report from The Information, Google and Meta held a meeting late last year wherein the two companies discussed the possibility of bringing Android XR to Meta headsets. While it’s said Meta rejected the partnership, which would potentially allow Quest headsets to run standard Android apps, Google is allegedly still open to the idea.

One of VR’s Most Sucessful Studios is Building Two Brand New Games

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Image courtesy Cloudhead Games

Cloudhead Games is one of VR’s most senior and most successful studios. Having not launched a new game since Pistol Whip in 2019, the studio tells Road to VR that two brand new VR games are in development.

VR’s Next Big Battle Royale Shooter Goes into Open Beta Today, Trailer Here

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Caveman Studio, the developers behind team-based shooter Contractors (2018), today released the open beta of Contractors Showdown, its upcoming battle royale game for Quest and SteamVR headsets.

New Vision Pro App Brings Faster Typing by Using the iPhone in Your Pocket

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Image courtesy Nonstrict B.V.

Even with great hand-tracking, writing anything more than a quick search on Vision Pro’s virtual floating keyboard leaves something to be desired since you’re basically back at the ‘hunt and peck’ stage of typing. You can opt to use a Bluetooth keyboard, or voice-to-text input, but did you know you can also use the iPhone right in your pocket?

Newly Announced ‘Neuromancer’ TV Show Could Be Another Big Moment for VR to Make an Impact

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Image courtesy Josan Gonzalez

Apple announced that it’s bringing a new show to Apple TV+ based on William Gibson’s award-winning cyberpunk novel Neuromancer (1984), offering another big moment for VR to take the limelight.

Apple Reportedly Expands Vision Pro Production Capacity Following Successful US Launch

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Image captured by Road to VR

We may soon be nearing global release for Apple Vision Pro. According to a report from independent tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, US demand for the $3,500 mixed reality headset has slowed over the past month, however the company may be ramping production above original estimates thanks to better-than-expected market performance.

XR Insiders Reflect on Apple Vision Pro Development and Industry Impact

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The Voices of VR Podcast never misses an opportunity to document the ongoing history of the XR space. With Vision Pro now in the hands of many, host Kent Bye recently interviewed two XR insiders that have been part of the industry for more than a decade each.

Meta and LG Confirm Partnership to “Accelerate XR Business” in Wake of Vision Pro Launch

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Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), William Cho (LG), and Park Hyoung-sei (LG)

LG announced a collaboration with Meta focused on strengthening the XR business of both companies.

Unofficial SteamVR Driver for PSVR 2 to Release Soon as Sony Plans its Own PC VR Support

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Image captured by Road to VR

Sony says it’s bringing some form of PC VR support to PSVR 2 at some point this year, although it’s not clear when, or even how the company will go about letting users play games like Half-Life: Alyx (2020) or popular social VR platforms equally missing from the headset’s game catalogue. But some won’t have to wait: iVRy, an unofficial project dedicated to the task, is bringing it long-awaited SteamVR driver to PSVR 2 sometime next month.

‘Beat the Beats’ Rhythm-Boxing Game Launches on PSVR 2, Coming Soon to Other Major Headsets

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Image courtesy Parallel Circles

The VR rhythm genre is getting kind of crowded, with many developers looking to replicate Beat Saber’s ‘hit the thing to the beat’ money machine. Enter Beat the Beats, a project indeed inspired by Meta’s seminal block-slashing game, although with its own flair that really seems to set it apart from the competition.

Qualcomm’s Head of XR is Leaving at a Pivotal Moment for the Industry

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Hugo Swart introduces Snapdragon XR | Courtesy Qualcomm

Hugo Swart, General Manager and Vice President of XR at Qualcomm, has announced his departure from the company at a pivotal moment in the industry.

Sony to Shutter ‘Blood & Truth’ London Studio, Layoffs at ‘Horizon Call of the Mountain’ Studio

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'Blood & Truth' | Image courtesy Sony London

Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan announced today that the company is laying off 900 PlayStation employees, or around eight percent of the company, which will affect a number of its first-party game studios. This includes the closure of Sony’s London Studio, which created VR action-adventure game Blood & Truth (2019).

’90s Classic ‘Tomb Raider’ is Coming to Quest & Pico in Unofficial Team Beef VR Port

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'Tomb Raider: I-III Remastered' (2024) | Image courtesy Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics

Team Beef, the modding group behind a slew of unofficial VR ports of classic games, announced their next project is Tomb Raider (1996), which will bring the action-adventure game to standalone headsets Quest and Pico VR.

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