Sure thing, let’s dive into this chaotic ride through the world of XR news—grab your coffee, you might need it.
So, it’s a fresh week, and I’m meant to tantalize you with the latest and greatest XR news. But here’s the tea: everyone’s bugging me about Project Moohan. Like, where’s the buzz? The updates? The hype? It’s radio silence from Google. Maybe it’s because they know if the rumored sticker price is sky-high, hype could backfire. Imagine all the pumped-up press-decibels only to reveal sluggish sales. "VR is dead" headlines aren’t exactly a mood boost. Pure speculation here, folks. Let’s keep peeking at the horizon and see what falls into our laps.
Top news of the week? Yes? No? Anyway—here it is:
Meta is rolling in the dough, thanks to… get this, smartglasses! Yeah, Meta’s bank account is smiling, up 5% from last year. Quest who? (Pun intended.) Ray-Ban Metas are the little glasses that could, selling like they’re the last hot tickets. EssilorLuxottica’s upping production—as one does when cash registers keep singing. They’re selling three times as much as last year! Insanity, right? Artillery Intelligence crunched some numbers, showing Ray-Bans outpaced Quest sales—600K to 500K. What a twist. I might’ve mentioned in another of my rambles that mixed reality isn’t exactly setting hearts ablaze. No killer apps in sight, just folks using Quest 3S to snag regular-VR games. Maybe that’s why Meta scrapped Quest 4’s previous design? I’ve got my fingers crossed for 2026, when we might see the slim-down Puffin/Loma glasses. But for now, it’s these sleek, AI-genius-laden smartglasses grabbing all the attention. Did you catch Zuck’s latest mic drop? Glasses will be your ticket to the metaverse. Yeah, he said the M-word again.
Oh, but while we’re totally not obsessing over Meta…
Ideal VR session time: 20 to 40 minutes. Voilà, the Goldilocks period, Meta says. Shorter than 20—too much work for a quickie VR check. Longer than 40—suddenly you’re finding your forehead issuing SOS distress signals. Confirmed, I’ve felt that headset pinch, too. No, Meta’s not insisting on 40-minute games. They’re nudging developers to create bite-sized 20-40 minute gaming morsels, so you can step out of virtual realms, breathe, then dive back. Makes more sense than trying to turn VR into mobile gaming, right? Keep these nuggets in mind next time you’re VR-developing.
Brilliant Labs popped out Halo glasses. They’re saying these Halo smartglasses should be a wardrobe staple. Light as air (well, 40-ish grams of it), battery life outlasting your workday (14 hours, hello), and when paired with their AI, Noa—you’ll get to play memory games about your daily adventures. Noa’s got this long-term recall thing going on, which is kinda neat (and slightly creepy). Not to go all geeky, but there’s open-source in the mix. Privacy’s on their mind too, thankfully. $299 preorder, in limited supply, for those who fancy a tinker with AI in eyewear. Count me in—I’ve ordered mine, always up for mad scientist experiments.
Meta and Stanford buddy up for thin XR glasses. They’ve got this project with MR glasses down to 3mm. Insane, right? Uses holography to wave goodbye to convergence-accommodation conflicts. No commercial product yet, though. So no deep-sea diving while holding your breath just yet.
Meta Avatars get a hair makeover. HairCUP is here, letting avatars flaunt new styles while staying life-like. All thanks to smart splitting of head and hair. Fashionistas in the digital will be delighted. Plus, other avatar updates are streaming through with fresh customization and an AI stylist ready to play dress-up.
And over in China, Alibaba is strutting into the spotlight with Quark AI Glasses. These featherweight smartglasses promise to be a linguistic jack-of-all-tasks come 2025. Expect techy whispers leading up to the big reveal.
Flip the page to sports tech news—or not…
Rezzil’s Premier League Player is VR-casting Burnley vs Lazio. It’s avatars all the way in this 3D reboot of a soccer match. Tune into Quest on Aug 9 for the immersive kick-off.
DJI is starting a storm with its Osmo 360 Camera. Head-on against Insta360, DJI enters this game with 8K and buttery frame rates. Watch the fireworks as Insta360 figures out its next move.
And then— Teams Meetings in VR!? Yes, Microsoft finalized teasing us and launched their Immersive Events in Teams. Meetings morph into a 3D affair—surprise, still not exciting.
So, you survived this bumpy ride. Sorry for any whiplash. Tips appreciated—donate to Red Cross or, you know, keep poking around here. Much love to our Patreon supporters; you know who you are. Let’s end with the heartstrings—thinking of those facing turmoil due to conflict; every bit helps.
Catch you on another loop of this wild XR rollercoaster!
