New Quest Update Brings Big Upgrades to Hand-tracking
Meta has rolled out a new update to Quest that aims to drastically improve hand-tracking performance and reliability.
VR Design Unpacked: The Best Shotguns in VR (and what makes them feel great)
Our series Inside XR Design highlights examples of great XR design. Today we’re looking at shotguns in several different VR games to learn what makes them feel great in the player’s hand. In doing so, we’ll uncover the secret to making anything feel great in VR.
The First $100 You Should Spend on Meta Quest Games
Sneaking suspicion there’s a Quest 3 or Quest 3S under the tree? Whether you’re into active games, puzzles, or just want to slice or shoot the ever-living crap out of something, we’re here to help you settle into your new headset with a few games that should keep you playing for hundreds of hours yet to come.
The Seamless Dream: Killing The VR Loading Screen
In games, nothing breaks player flow like a loading screen, and in virtual reality this problem is amplified tenfold. ‘Presence’ or ‘immersion’, the magical yet fragile feeling of ‘being there’, is what makes VR so special. When a player is suddenly teleported out of a fantastical world and into a cold, black expanse with a solitary loading bar, the illusion is instantly shattered. Worse yet, unaccounted mini-loads can cause frame rate stutters and subsequent VR sickness. In this Guest Article, VR developer Charlie Cochrane explores a range techniques for designing around immersion-breaking loading screens.
Google is Rolling out Photorealistic ‘Likeness’ Avatars on Android XR to Compete with Apple’s ‘Personas’
Google is starting to roll out new photorealistic avatars which they call “Likeness”. Similar to Apple’s Personas, Likeness avatars are generated by scanning a user’s face, then animated it with input from the sensors on a headset. The avatars can be used to represent the user in video call apps, but Google doesn’t yet have a way to have spatial meetings with other Likeness avatars.
Meta Reportedly Set to Raise VR Headset Prices, Keep Existing Devices in Market Longer
Meta appears to be planning to raise the price of its VR headsets moving forward, according to a recent internal memo, which company leaders hope will combat rising costs. Meta may also be retiring the Quest 3 and 3S line a little later than expected.
Coldplay Immersive Concert Coming to Quest Soon, Music Pack Lands on ‘Beat Saber’ Next Week
Meta has partnered with Coldplay in a big way, soon bringing the British pop-rock band’s music to Beat Saber, and an immersive concert to Horizon Worlds before the New Year.
Meta Delays Puck-Tethered XR Headset to 2027, Next Quest “Large Upgrade” to Current Gen
Meta may be pushing back the release of an upcoming XR headset that tethers to a pocketable compute puck. Meanwhile, the company says its next-gen Quest will be a “large upgrade” over the current generation.
HTC ‘VIVERSE’ Immersive Social Platform Hits 1 Million Monthly-active Users
HTC announced today that its VIVERSE immersive social platform has reached 1 million monthly-active users, a major milestone. The platform is accessible on flatscreens and VR, so it’s unclear what portion of users are visiting with headsets.
Google Launches First-party ‘PC Connect’ Virtual Desktop App for PC Productivity & Gaming on Android XR
Google is rolling out a beta version of PC Connect, a free first-party virtual desktop app for Android XR. With the app, users can stream content from their Windows PC. Desktop apps work, of course, but Google says it has also optimized PC Connect for streaming flat games, and ensured that content on the screen works with Gemini.
