The XR Weekly Roundup (December 23, 2024): Meta Gears Up for Rivalry, Niantic Enhances Spatial Intelligence, and More!

As the festive season draws near and the year’s end comes into view, I’m thrilled to channel my inner Santa today by hosting not one, but two exciting giveaways of XR game keys! To find out how to participate, make sure you read through this comprehensive roundup.

Top News of the Week

(Image by Andrew Bosworth)

Meta’s 2024 Wins and 2025 Preparations

Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, recently penned a blog post reflecting on the company’s successes over the past year and offering tidbits about what’s on the horizon. The post, which includes input from Mark Rabkin, VP of MR/VR at Meta, and insights from Janko Roettgers of the Lowpass newsletter, touches upon known updates like the affordable Quest 3S launch. Although filled with the usual corporate promotions, a few key takeaways stand out:

• Quest 3S Sales: It has had an impressive performance, particularly over the Black Friday weekend. Meta anticipates an uptick in activations during the holiday season. Post-holidays, the sales figures will be assessed against Quest 2’s past performance.

• New Users for Quest 3S: A significant portion of new Quest 3S users have not upgraded from the Quest 2, highlighting its appeal to first-timers in the MR/VR space or those switching from other brands, thanks largely to its attractive pricing.

• Youth Influence on the Store: Meta recognizes a shift in their store’s economy due to younger users gravitating towards social, co-op multiplayer, and free-to-play games, pushing new titles like Gorilla Tag to the forefront. Rabkin notes that adults over 25 are exploring more entertainment-focused experiences.

• Store’s Data-Driven Strategies: Meta is channeling funding towards developers interested in creating social gaming, entertainment, and MR-first applications, a move aligned with market demand and potential revenue streams.

• Popular Apps: The top three immersive apps for Quest 3S are Gorilla Tag, YouTube VR, and Horizon Worlds, illustrating ongoing interest in media consumption and Meta’s aggressive push for social VR engagement.

• Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses: These have been a success, with potential expansions integrating AI assistants that proactively aid users throughout the day, promising a blend of convenience and privacy considerations.

• Competitor Landscape: With Apple’s entry and Google’s plans for next year, Meta is facing increased pressure to maintain its lead in the XR market. Bosworth stresses the importance of remaining at the forefront, highlighting the inevitable competitive advantages new market entrants may have.

For more details, check out Boz’s post on Meta’s blog and insights from the Lowpass newsletter.

Other Relevant News

(Image by Niantic)

Unpacking “Spatial Intelligence”

The symbiosis of AI and XR is opening new frontiers, particularly in spatial understanding, often referred to as "Spatial Intelligence." Niantic recently elaborated on using Large Geospatial Models to enhance geospatial understanding, suggesting that AI can infer complete structures from partial data—potentially revolutionizing how virtual spaces are reconstructed. Similarly, New York University’s research is focusing on how LLMs can better comprehend 3D environments, pushing for enhanced AI performance in spatial contexts. This trend holds significant promise for the future of XR.

For more, explore Niantic’s Geospatial Model insights and NYU’s VSI-Bench evaluation.

Noteworthy Mentions

(Image by Blackmagic Design)

8K Camera for Apple Immersive Video Pre-Orders

For professionals venturing into Apple’s Immersive Video format, Blackmagic Design has unveiled the URSA Cine Immersive camera. Capable of capturing 8K VR180 footage, this high-caliber camera is priced at $30,000, aligning with its professional target market. Blackmagic is also readying updates for its DaVinci Resolve editor to support this camera format.

Discover more about the URSA Cine Immersive camera from sources like Road To VR and Upload VR.

Meta’s Audio-to-Expression Feature

Adding a new dimension to avatar animation, Meta’s SDK now includes an audio-driven feature that animates complete facial expressions, offering developers a robust tool for enhancing virtual interactions.

Fixing Quest’s Steam VR Stutter

A SteamVR stuttering fix surfaced online, suggesting disabling the Motionsmoothing feature might resolve performance issues when using Quest via Link on a PC. This workaround is gaining traction among Reddit users.

Access Tokyo City’s Digital Twin

Tokyo’s government has offered free access to the city’s point cloud data, perfect for anyone aiming to build spatially aware applications or develop digital twins.

Dive into Meta’s Winter Sale

This festive season, Meta’s Holiday Sale offers phenomenal discounts on captivating VR titles, perfect for indulging in immersive experiences.

Celebrating 2024’s Best VR/AR Games

As the year concludes, Upload VR recognizes 2024’s standout AR/VR games across various categories. Curious about the Best VR Game of the Year? Here’s a hint: it starts with "Bat."

"Alien Rogue Incursion" Makes its Debut

Despite not becoming an instant hit, "Alien Rogue Incursion" alongside other much-anticipated titles, contributes to growing VR adoption though with less impact than expected. Reviews highlight mixed feelings, from impressive atmospheres to limited innovation.

Content Highlights

• COLD VR Pre-order: Drawing inspiration from SUPERHOT, this action game is now available for preorder, set to launch in January 2025.
• Figmin XR: Available on Apple Vision Pro, this sandbox app offers colocation features for different headsets.
• Dino Hab: Experience virtual dinosaur raising in this new mixed-reality game by Doug Liman and Meta.
• Grimlord: Now in full release, this Soulslike VR RPG brings exhilarating action to Quest and Steam.

For more on these titles and others, be sure to check out reviews and more.

Further Insights

• The open-source physics engine, Genesis, generates animated 3D worlds.
• OpenAI’s new o3 model takes AI capabilities to new heights.
• VR shooter Vail secures over $5.5 million in revenue.
• See how different games are embracing Christmas with seasonal features.
• A comparison between XREAL One and Viture Pro AR glasses is now available.
• Discover the touching VRChat story, "The Reality of Hope," a short film by Joe Hunting.

Partner and Friends’ News

Join a host of exciting activities from our partners:

• Discover PatchWorld’s latest update, now with hand-tracking and a hefty 50% discount.
• If attending CES, swing by the DeoVRAfterparty to network with fellow VR creators.
• Participate in giveaways for games like Home Sports and Party Versus, both sparking fun with unique gameplay experiences.

XR Fun

Who doesn’t love a good laugh? Dive into a curated selection of humorous XR content guaranteed to bring a smile.

Make a Difference

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(Header image by Meta)

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