I’m thrilled to be back in Italy after an incredible time at CES! It’s still hard to believe I was part of such a massive event. I returned home exhausted, every part of me ached, but it was totally worth it. Attending CES was a fantastic experience from every angle: as a blogger, a tech enthusiast, and a business-minded individual, all facets of my persona are thoroughly satisfied. Naturally, CES commands the spotlight in this weekly roundup, although there’s also enticing news from beyond the event itself. Let’s delve into it! (Apologies for the delay in publishing this newsletter—returning home from Las Vegas, I had quite a bit to catch up on.)
Top News of the Week
Numerous XR Products Debuted at CES
CES, arguably the premier tech event of the year, pleasantly surprised me with its dedicated spot for XR companies. It was reassuring to see so many XR enthusiasts in attendance, underscoring that even though XR remains niche, it’s flourishing. Smartglasses were the highlight, with several integrating AI, such as the Ray-Ban Meta and Halliday glasses, the latter boasting a compact display. Goertek unveiled new designs for smart and AR glasses, hinting at an influx of similar products from other companies.
While there wasn’t a groundbreaking XR reveal at CES, giants like NVIDIA and Sony made significant XR-related announcements. NVIDIA rolled out the RTX 50 graphics cards, promising even better PCVR performance while maintaining similar pricing to the 40 series, except for the $2000 5090. They also revealed that Geforce Now would soon be available on Quest, Pico, and Apple Vision Pro, enabling MR users to enjoy flatscreen games on expansive virtual screens.
Sony, meanwhile, introduced XYN, a collection of software and hardware XR solutions for creatives. Their announcement was vague, involving a new headset based on their existing enterprise model (now priced over $4000), although it wasn’t available for trials. They also discussed using Mocopi for body tracking and scanning objects into digital form, but details on the integration were sparse. Nonetheless, Sony’s dedication to XR and digital innovations is encouraging.
HDMI introduced the 2.2 standard specification, boasting 96Gb/s bandwidth. I wonder if this might lead some headsets to re-adopt this port type. I’ve shared detailed posts on the devices I tried at CES, like the Shiftall MeganeX SuperLight 8K and Ray-Ban Meta. My favorite was the Play For Dream headset, which I’m gearing up to review. I’m not the only one singing its praises; Amanda Watson, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at CES, also rated it the top device. Seeing her was one of the highlights of my trip. For those who couldn’t attend, I’ve recorded a video of the entire XR section, linked here for your enjoyment.
In summary, though this CES wasn’t groundbreaking for XR, it was a solid showing nonetheless.
Other Relevant News
Meta Quest 3S Tops Amazon Sales in 2024
What truly delighted me was learning that Meta Quest 3S is Amazon US’s best-selling console for 2024. This doesn’t just cover the VR category or a specific period—it dominated the entire year’s console sales, ranking third overall in the Video Games category despite launching in October. These impressive figures suggest a successful holiday season for Quest 3S. Besides topping Amazon’s charts, the Meta Horizon companion app also soared to the top of Apple’s App Store. Game data indicates a doubling of players in Batman Arkham Shadow around Christmas, implying a surge in Quest 3S sales during the holiday season.
I’m cautious not to overstate VR’s mainstream adoption, but it’s clear that, once again, VR made strides during the holidays with many headsets gifted. The influx of new users is definitely a positive development.
Meta Discontinues Quest Pro
Meta has officially pulled the plug on the Quest Pro, its original prosumer headset. It’s no longer available on their website, which now redirects to the Quest 3 instead. However, the Touch Pro controllers remain up for grabs, as they’re compatible with other Quest models.
Frankly, this news hasn’t brought anyone to tears. Rushed to market because of concerns over the Vision Pro, the Quest Pro was overpriced and felt unfinished, priced at $1500 at launch before quickly dropping to $1000 due to poor sales. At one point, Meta even gave away Quest Pros at a Roblox event. Its lackluster fate seemed sealed long ago.
While I’ll miss its unique eye and face tracking features, which were helpful for research, it’s interesting that following its discontinuation, we heard of ASUS’s upcoming headset boasting those same features. It feels like a leak aimed at reassuring us that the Horizon ecosystem will continue to offer them.
News Worth a Mention
ASUS ROG VR Headset with Face Tracking
Renowned leaker Luna has dropped hints about the ASUS ROG VR headset, codenamed Tarius. Set to be one of the first third-party headsets running HorizonOS, it’ll feature eye and face tracking. The display options are QD-LCD with local dimming or micro-OLED. The mere emergence of these leaks is promising, indicating progress in third-party Horizon headsets.
Infinite Reality’s Massive Funding
Infinite Reality, a company pioneering immersive web content engines with WebXR support, just secured a staggering $3 billion in funding to further their vision for the internet’s future. Surprising the XR community, this sum is substantial, rivaling half of what OpenAI received. Yet, Infinite Reality is still trying to establish market credibility, and the fact that all $3 billion comes from a single private investor (likely from the Middle East) is baffling. This story had me questioning my circle—it’s tough getting friends to buy me lunch while someone out there splurges $3 billion like pocket change.
VR Walking Research
The week’s "What The F" moment goes to a project that has you "walking" in VR while lying down. Participants mimic cycling motions with their feet while supine, engaging their abs intensely. My immediate reaction was simply: BUT WHY?
DotLumen’s Visionary Project
Speaking of movement, DotLumen has caught my attention with their project for the visually impaired. This innovative headset scans surroundings and guides users on safe walking paths, potentially revolutionizing mobility for people with vision disabilities.
Meta’s Quest 3S Promotion
Meta is offering a $50 discount on the Quest 3S 256GB, inclusive of the Batman Arkham Shadow bundle. Though officially a Meta website promotion, several resellers have adopted similar offers. Perhaps the larger storage variant didn’t sell as well over the holidays, prompting this push.
Sanzaru’s Next Big Venture
Sanzaru Games, known for Asgard’s Wrath, announced the final content update for its sequel. Now, they’re dialing back focus on it to work on a mysterious new project that promises “AWESOME stuff.” I’m eagerly anticipating what’s next—possibly something in mixed reality to align with Meta?
Content Highlights
Stress Level Zero is developing Boneworks for Quest 3, alongside another anticipated game. Synth Riders launched its ’80s Mixtape Side B pack with a fun rickroll inclusion. Human Within explores AI’s impact on humanity and is available on Quest at €18. Shardfall: FitQuest VR, a fitness game, is now on Quest. Detective VR launches February 27, 2024, offering a captivating narrative puzzle experience on Quest 3 and 3S. Chrono Weaver, a time-travel puzzle adventure, is available on Quest and Steam for €23. I Am Security has become a top-seller on Quest post-update, following the success of I Am Cat. Dawn Of Jets, featuring a fully interactive cockpit, is now early access on Quest. Lastly, Virtual Hunter, an open-world VR hunting game, hits full release on January 15.
Thoughts & Reviews
Epyka offers a solid puzzle-adventure experience, reminiscent of Myst, albeit on the shorter side. Pirates VR: Jolly Roger boasts vibrant graphics but falters in design complexity. Shardfall: FitQuest VR invites fitness enthusiasts with gameplay akin to Ring Fit Adventure. Gears & Goo delivers engaging hours as a tower defense game on Apple Vision Pro, with intuitive hand and eye-tracking controls.
Additional News
A Redditor devised a unique addon for Oculus Touch controllers, enhancing VR combat performance. An Exit 8-inspired film is in development—I’m curious about how it’ll capture attention. Road To VR published first impressions on Surreal Touch controllers. Minecraft with full body tracking and over 100 mods brings a thrilling VR experience.
See an excellent Lens Studio guide tailored for Unity developers.
Friend Callout
Check out Tyriel Wood’s content; he was my CES buddy in 2025. His XR technology videos offer fantastic insights about our joint CES discoveries—don’t miss them!
Fun in XR
From unorthodox mixed reality truck driving to solipstic AI-induced paranoia—it’s all part of this week’s XR fun.
Donate for Good
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