The XR Weekly Update (01/29/2025): Google Secures HTC Talent, Meta Unveils Oakley Smartglasses Plans, and More!

Hello, gamers and tech enthusiasts! Happy Lunar New Year! I hope the Year of the Snake showers you with joy, prosperity, good fortune, and love, along with an abundance of XR headsets! If you’re celebrating this festive time, I hope you’re surrounded by loved ones and indulging in some delectable treats. Despite my hectic schedule, I managed to get this newsletter out a bit later than usual and shorter than I’d like. But rest assured, it’s packed with all the essential XR news you need to know right now!

Top News of the Week

In a surprise move, Google has made headlines by purchasing a team of XR engineers from HTC Vive, including a non-exclusive license on some HTC intellectual property, for a whopping $250 million. Although details are sparse, Google mentioned this acquisition is meant to hasten the development of its Android XR platform for headsets and smart glasses. This investment highlights Google’s strategy to leverage HTC’s considerable expertise in the XR space to advance its technological advancements.

There’s some speculation about whether these engineers will focus on Android XR or develop a distinct Google headset — a move I’d wager on the former. Recall, this isn’t Google’s first collaboration with HTC; back in 2017, they acquired HTC’s design team for around $1.1 million. This shows a promising partnership. Google vows to keep VR endeavors alive, but we know large corporations operate on profit margins. They could shift gears without hesitation if priorities change. For now, Google seems committed to its immersive reality goals. This development raises questions about HTC’s future moves. If Google acquired key talents, what will HTC focus on now? Will they shift strategies or reduce headset production? The upcoming steps from HTC, once a VR market leader, remain to be seen.

For more details, check reports from Road To VR and Upload VR.

Other Relevant News

Meta’s Expanding Smartglasses Horizon

Meta’s success with Ray-Ban smart glasses has led them to double down on this technology. According to a report by Mark Gurman, Meta is working with EssilorLuxottica on new smartglasses under the Oakley brand, slated for release this year. These Oakley glasses are said to have a central camera designed for athletes and cyclists, featuring speakers but no display. Another high-end version with a notification display and touch-sensitive controls is also in development. However, these glasses aim for a niche market instead of mass appeal with a price point near $1,000.

Interestingly, Meta is keeping its momentum with the original Ray-Ban Meta glasses, planning engaging Super Bowl ads to promote them. By 2026, Meta aims to distribute its Orion AR glasses to more developers, though a commercial launch isn’t on the horizon until 2027, with a more affordable version called Artemis said to follow.

You can learn more from insights provided by Road To VR and Upload VR reports, as well as Super Bowl advertisement predictions.

Quest Pro Sequel on Meta’s Radar

Mark Gurman reports that Meta is actively working on a successor to the Quest Pro mixed-reality headset, possibly codenamed “Puffin.” This new technology comprises lightweight MR glasses paired with an external battery. Despite the Quest Pro not meeting expectations, Meta recognizes the need for a high-end model to compete against premium devices from other major brands. A refined Quest Pro 2 could find its niche in the enterprise market.

For further reading, dive into coverage about these upcoming developments.

Samsung and Google’s Moohan Showcase

The latest Samsung Unpacked event didn’t unveil new AR glasses as many hoped, but there were still significant highlights. Google and Samsung demonstrated enhanced AI integration with Samsung devices, indicating that their upcoming AI-enhanced headsets might share this feature across all Samsung products soon. While XR headset demos occurred behind closed doors, attendees got a better view of the device. Marques Brownlee provided a hands-on preview, revealing its Vision Pro-inspired design and VisionOS-inspired operating system, offering a peek into what’s to come from Samsung and Google.

For additional coverage on the Moohan project, browse reports from Samsung Unpacked and insights from the famous YouTuber’s demo.

News Worth a Mention

Christmas Headset Glitch Explained by Meta

Mark Rabkin, Meta’s VP of VR/MR, clarified why numerous headsets malfunctioned over the holidays, tracing it back to a fault in Android Open Source Project. This bug involved a tricky "race condition" in the AOSP R/W ext4 filesystem that corrupted files, compounded by a security patch blocking OS rollbacks. These intricate bugs are notoriously challenging, but Meta swiftly identified and resolved it and reported back to Google for broader AOSP corrections.

CM Games Rakes in $3 Million with Into The Radius 2

The demand for Into The Radius is clearly robust, with the sequel securing $3 million in early access on Steam. CM Games attributes this success to community engagement, especially within the supportive Steam community, helping polish the game before launching on the more significant Quest platform.

CREAL’s Lightfield Miniaturization Marvel

Pioneering lightfield displays, CREAL has shrunken its lightfield engine to almost fit standard eyewear. This is a significant step forward in AR technology, rendering AR objects more lifelike and nearer to integration with wearable tech. It’s impressive progress considering CREAL’s technology was once encased in sizable rigs.

Quest 3’s Upcoming Automatic Room Scanning

According to insider Luna, Meta is addressing a major hurdle in mixed reality: static room scanning for the Quest. Currently, any change in your room requires re-scanning. Meta is working on automating the scanning process to adapt instantly to room changes, significantly easing user experience.

AI Future Video

Keiichi Matsuda, in collaboration with Niantic, has crafted an imaginative short film illustrating a future led by augmented reality and ever-present AI agents. True to Keiichi’s signature style, this video is both delightful and thought-provoking. It’s certainly worth a watch.

Content Updates

• Fitness Fables offers an exciting mix of fantasy action and VR fitness, launching on Quest on January 30th for $12.
• FlatVR Studios brings FlatOut VR, inspired by the best features of the FlatOut series, to life.
• Path of Fury—Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower, a kung-fu VR fighting game, arrives on Quest come March 12.
• Elsewhere Electric, a cooperative puzzle game split between VR and mobile play, is set for a spring/summer release span.
• The Smurfs—Flower Defense introduces a VR and mixed-reality tower defense game to Quest 3 this May.
• Enjoy Crysis in VR thanks to a new mod, so you’re ready with "Yes, sir!" when asked if your headset can handle Crysis.

For more detailed info on these, delve into links about each exciting game update.

Other News

• A GDC survey reveals 35% of game developers are venturing into XR territory.
• Snap Spectacles now offer half-price deals for students and educators.
• Vrgamerdude explores the neural bracelet Mudra Link.
• Apple’s latest Miami store has a Vision Pro-focused zone.
• An insightful analysis by Gabriele Romagnoli covers MR apps available on the Horizon Store.
• CaddieVision introduces AI-driven AR glasses designed to elevate your golfing experience.

To learn about these, follow the accompanying links.

News from Partners (and Friends)

Exciting news from VRMonkey — the multiplayer mode of their adventure game SkyClimb is now free. SkyClimb offers a thrilling arm-based locomotion akin to Gorilla Tag. With positive reviews on Quest, it’s a great opportunity to give it a go.

Some XR Fun

Parenting while managing a VR-enthused child can be quite the adventure… here’s a fun read for laughs. Can you believe you can now play DOOM in a PDF? Intriguing, right? Also, don’t miss these humorous takes on VR experiences from sexy times dilemmas to reorganizing room priorities.

Donate for Good

In these closing remarks, rather than request donations to support my blog, I urge your generosity toward those deeply affected by war. Please consider a contribution to the Red Cross and their efforts in Ukraine. The link for donations is included below.

I’m eternally grateful to my Patreon supporters for their unwavering encouragement and support:

• Alex Gonzalez VR, DeoVR, GenVR, and many more.

For donation links and further engagement, visit the support page for the Red Cross in Ukraine.

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Stay tuned for more exciting gaming and XR news by sharing this with fellow enthusiasts!