ReportWire

Tag: virtual reality

  • Go Beyond 20/20 With These WIRED-Tested Smart Glasses

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    Other Smart Glasses We’ve Tested

    We’ve tested several more pairs of smart glasses—some good and some bad.

    Even Realities G2

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

    Even Realities G2 for $599: We have not fully reviewed the Even Realities G2 yet—we have spent a little time with the hardware but are awaiting a prescription model for proper testing. There are a few bugs with the software, but Even Realities’ second-gen glasses are impressive. Thin, light, and easily passable for standard glasses, these don’t have a camera or speaker; instead, they focus on extending your smartphone with the display and microphone. The projected screen is 75 percent larger than the original G1, and you can thumb the R1 smart ring (separate purchase) to navigate the interface. You can see your notifications, translate real-time conversations, see navigation instructions, pin to-do lists, and talk to the company’s Even AI assistant about anything. There’s also a teleprompter function to convince people you’re a natural at public speaking. Again, the hardware is impressive, but we need to put these glasses through their paces; stay tuned for our full review soon. —Julian Chokkattu

    Image may contain Accessories Sunglasses and Glasses

    Photograph: Simon Hill

    RayNeo Air 3s Pro for $299: TCL-owned RayNeo offers many models, and I’ve tested several. The latest Air 3s Pro glasses boast a 201-inch virtual screen (1080p, 120 Hz, 1200 nits), but the 46-degree field of view lets it down a little. Both color vibrancy and brightness offer major upgrades over previous releases, like the Air 2s and the older TCL RayNeo Air 2 XR Glasses, and you can just about see the whole screen clearly (even after adjusting, I had to slide them down my nose a little to avoid blurring at the bottom). You will also need the lens shade to use them in brighter environments. While they are cheaper than our other virtual screen picks, I found them inferior in design, fit, and comfort. Rayneo has added some more on-device options, including spatial sound, but it didn’t work well for me, though the standard sound is fine. RayNeo’s software, required for 3 DoF, is still buggy and unpolished. This is a good virtual screen for the money, and perfectly suitable for watching movies and light gaming, but if you want more from your smart glasses, I’d pick a different pair.

    Chamelo Music Shield for $260: With a cool touch-control tint capability that enables you to adjust for the conditions, and built-in Bluetooth speakers for music, the Chamelo Music Shield could be up your sporty street. You can take these dimmable glasses from 17 to 63 percent light transmittance (almost clear to mirrored) by sliding your finger along the right temple. The sound quality is decent for glasses, but even cheap wireless earbuds sound better, and these are on the pricey side for their limited functionality.

    Image may contain Accessories Glasses Sunglasses Goggles Blade Razor and Weapon

    Photograph: Simon Hill

    Lucyd Reebok Octane for $199: Designed in partnership with Reebok for cyclists and runners, these lightweight Bluetooth sunglasses feature silver polarized lenses, good quality speakers, and 8-hour battery life. I enjoyed listening to music and podcasts while hiking, and I like that you can hear the world around you. The sound leakage isn’t too bad, so you won’t bother the people you pass. They also have physical controls that are much easier to use than touch controls, even when your hands are wet (they’re water-resistant, too). You can take calls, get directions, and ask your preferred AI assistant questions. Lucyd has been making Bluetooth sunglasses for several years now and offers a wide range of different styles. We also tried the Lucyd 2.0 Bluetooth Sunglasses a couple of years ago.

    Rokid Max 2 Glasses for $429: The Spider-Man style lenses give these comfortable smart glasses a bit of character, though they won’t be to everyone’s taste. They project a 215-inch screen (1080p, 120 Hz, 600 nits, 50-degree FoV) and boast diopter dials for focus adjustments, but I struggled to eliminate blurring around the edges, and instead of stylish electrochromic dimming, there’s a clip-on plastic blackout shield. I also tried the Rokid Station 2, which adds an Android TV interface to access entertainment apps, but also a trackpad and an air mouse for easier control. The original Rokid Station was a more basic portable Android TV.

    Don’t Bother

    Here’s the eyewear that fell short.

    Halliday Glasses for $499: While these could almost pass for chunky regular glasses, with a clever ring controller and a tiny unobtrusive display, I can confidently say they are not the future of smart glasses. After spending several uncomfortable hours trying to adjust the display to be readable, all I got was a headache. The ring seemed like a smart idea, but it’s big, ugly, plastic, laggy, and frustrating to use. The eavesdropping AI is slow, and squinting up to try and see the screeds of useless text it churns out is actually painful. The sound quality and battery life are equally awful.

    Amazon Echo Frames for $300: The Amazon Echo Frames (3/10, WIRED Review) are a bit old now, but you can still purchase them. Too bad they don’t do much. They work as sunglasses, filter blue light, and are IPX4-rated. Tech-wise, they have a speaker and microphone in each temple, and you can use them to query or command Alexa, as you would with a smart speaker, but there are no cameras here, making them far less capable than the similarly priced Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

    Image may contain Accessories Glasses Sunglasses and Scissors

    Photograph: Simon Hill

    Asus AirVision M1 for $399: I was excited to see Asus launch smart glasses, but the lack of fanfare was a red flag. My first impressions of the lightweight design were promising, and the M1 offers up to a 100-inch virtual display and impressive 1,100 nits brightness. Designed to plug into your phone, laptop, PC, or handheld gaming device, like the ROG Ally, via USB-C, the M1 also features built-in speakers and a microphone. Sadly, the refresh rate maxes out at 72 Hz and is limited to 60 Hz unless you employ the Airvision software, which also enables you to select different modes (working, gaming, infinity), tweak screen position, and set interpupillary distance (IPD). I found the in-focus sweet spot was small, and most of my virtual screen was blurry, no matter how I tweaked the settings, making them uncomfortable to use, especially for work. There’s also a basic plastic shield to block light, rather than electrochromic dimming, and the speaker quality is decidedly average, leaving me puzzled about why the price is so high.

    Solos AirGo Vision for $299: With a built-in AI assistant powered by ChatGPT, the Solos AirGo Vision adds a camera on top of the Bluetooth-connected speakers in the rest of its range. Grant it unfettered access to your location and photo library, and it can describe what you are seeing. The most obvious use cases are translation and navigation, though I’m not convinced about the accuracy of its suggestions. The design is interesting, with chunky temples housing the smarts and interchangeable frames. There’s no virtual screen or HUD, but you can get prescription lenses, and they look relatively normal. Sadly, the photo and audio quality are horrible, and the touch controls are frustratingly finicky. The app is also power hungry and demands too many permissions. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses do the same things better.

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    Simon Hill

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  • How virtual reality is helping Fort Worth patients practice staying sober

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    Holli Hammer, the director of nursing at Texas Health’s Addiction Recovery Center, demonstrates the VR headset that is used to help people in recovery practice sobriety.

    Holli Hammer, the director of nursing at Texas Health’s Addiction Recovery Center, demonstrates the VR headset that is used to help people in recovery practice sobriety.


    Ciara McCarthy

    cmccarthy@star-telegram.com

    Patients at Texas Health’s Addiction Recovery Center are using virtual reality to aid in their recovery, helping them cope with their substance use disorder in a safe and controlled environment.

    Texas Health’s Addiction Recovery Center began using virtual reality in treatment in July. The tool helps patients practice going to environments where there might be alcohol or drugs, like a house party or a liquor store. The treatment is based on exposure therapy, which has been in use for more than 20 years.

    “Typically with exposure therapy, a therapist would actually perhaps ride with them to the parking lot of the liquor store that they’re familiar with that would create the physiological activation, then they could intervene and begin practicing those skills,” said Dr. Ken Jones, behavioral health clinical officer for Texas Health Resources. “VR kind of allows for us to bring that same cueing response mechanism into a controlled environment here.”

    Each patient will practice in the VR setting for as many times as it takes for them to engage with the VR and not be activated, Jones said.

    “Hopefully, by the time that they’ve had their third, maybe fourth exposure, we’ll see a trajectory of decrease in their response and an increased confidence in their ability to deploy the tools that we’ve given them,” Jones said.

    There are multiple different environments for patients to experience. There’s a house party, a family gathering, and a bar scene, Jones said, all of which can be customized with a particular drink or drug. Inside the virtual reality world, patients can interact with other people, walk throughout the house party or bar, and even practice turning down an offer of alcohol or drugs. The VR world also comes with scents, like beer or wine, that the staff at Texas Health can offer the patient to increase the feeling that the setting is real.

    At the 80-bed facility, the response from patients has been “overwhelmingly positive” since they began using it in July, Jones said. Jones added that the VR tool is the only one of its kind in use in the DFW area that he knows of.

    “When you don’t provide the reward, the reward being the substance of choice, over time, those feelings will start to decrease, because the body’s not going to keep giving you this massive activation response every time you encounter the stimuli, if you don’t follow it up with the reward,” said licensed professional counselor Stuart Dietzmann.

    Research on VR to treat addiction has shown “promising evidence that there could be some benefit,” said Dr. Tyler Wray, an associate professor of behavioral and social sciences at the Brown University School of Public Health. Although the initial research has been promising, Wray said, it’s been limited by small sample sizes and short follow-up periods.

    “We definitely do not have a good sense of which substances it’s most effective for at this point,” said Wray, who studies VR in his lab.

    Kelly Courtney, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California, San Diego, added in an email that although “no one VR-based treatment has yet been ‘proven’ to be effective,” any treatment for substance use disorder could be adapted for VR, “so it could be useful for any part of treatment/recovery.”

    The tool has helped patients successfully learn to urge surf when they’re exposed to triggering environments.

    Ciara McCarthy

    Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Ciara McCarthy covers health and wellness as part of the Star-Telegram’s Crossroads Lab. She came to Fort Worth after three years in Victoria, Texas, where she worked at the Victoria Advocate. Ciara is focused on equipping people and communities with information they need to make decisions about their lives and well-being. Please reach out with your questions about public health or the health care system. Email cmccarthy@star-telegram.com or call or text 817-203-4391.

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    Ciara McCarthy

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  • Samsung’s Galaxy XR Mixed Reality Headset Undercuts Apple’s Vision Pro by $1,700

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    It has been five years since Samsung and Google stopped supporting their respective mobile virtual reality headsets. For a second try, the companies have partnered up with a bolder vision in the mixed reality space, starting with the new Galaxy XR. Announced last year as Project Moohan, it’s the first headset powered by Android XR, a new platform for smart glasses and headsets built on Android and Google’s Gemini assistant from the ground up.

    The Galaxy XR is available today in the US and South Korea for $1,800. (You can finance it for $149 per month for 12 months.) That’s a leap over standard VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3, but a significantly lower price than the $3,499 Vision Pro, which Apple is refreshing this week with the new M5 processor.

    Galactic Vision

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

    I was able to demo the headset again last week at a closed-doors media event in New York City held by Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm—the Galaxy XR is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip—but not much was different from my original hands-on experience last year, which you can read more about here. The official name and price were the two big question marks, but that has now been addressed.

    The Galaxy XR purports to do nearly everything that Apple’s device does. Pop the headset on and you’ll be able to see the room you’re in through the pancake lenses and layer virtual content over it, or whisk yourself off to another world. Your hands are the input (controllers are available as a separate purchase), and it uses eye tracking to see what you want to select. You can access all your favorite apps from the Google Play Store; XR apps will have a “Made for XR” label.

    Samsung’s headset is more plasticky and doesn’t feel as premium as Apple’s Vision Pro—I noticed the tethered battery pack on a demo unit looked well-worn with fingerprint smudges on the coating. But this general construction makes it feel significantly lighter to wear. I wasn’t able to try it for a long period, but it felt comfortable, with the only issue being a sweaty brow after a 25-minute bout with it on. The headset was warm at the top, but the battery pack remained relatively cool. Speaking of, the battery lasts 2 hours or 2.5 hours if you’re purely watching video. That’s on par with the original Vision Pro, though the M5 version extends it to 2.5 with mixed use.

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    Julian Chokkattu

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  • Apple Just Upgraded the iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and Vision Pro with Its New M5 Chip

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    As before, the 11-inch iPad Pro costs $999 and the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,299. They’re compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil USB-C, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Folio.

    COURTESY OF APPLE

    The New MacBook Pro

    Interestingly, Apple did not completely revamp its MacBook Pro lineup with the M5 chip. Instead, there’s just one new model: a 14-inch MacBook Pro with four storage options (512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, or 4 TB) and three unified memory options (16, 24, or 32 GB). The base version starts at $1,599, like before, but if you max out all of the upgrades, it can cost as much as $3,369. We’ll likely see M5 Pro and M5 Max chip options in 2026 alongside a 16-inch MacBook Pro.

    You’ll see similar speed increases like on the iPad Pro M5—3.5x faster AI performance, 1.6x faster graphics over the prior M4-powered MacBook Pro, and 2x faster SSD performance. Otherwise, this is the same 14-inch MacBook as before, with the claimed “24-hour” battery life, mini-LED display with the nano-texture glass option, a six-speaker system, and a 12-MP webcam. There are three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI, an SDXC slot, a headphone jack, and the MagSafe charging port.

    Photograph of the Apple Vision Pro headset

    COURTESY OF APPLE

    The New Vision Pro

    Widely regarded as a miss with consumers, Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset is back but with no major changes to the hardware. Well, there’s a new headstrap: the Dual Knit Band. It’s included in the box and Apple says it’s soft and cushioned, allowing for a comfier fit. The headset is now powered by the M5 chip, which enables faster performance, sharper details throughout visionOS 26, and better battery life. Specifically, Apple says the M5 renders 10 percent more pixels on the micro-OLED displays than before, and the refresh rate can also jump up to 120 Hz.

    Battery life is now two and a half hours of general use, as opposed to just two hours on the original Vision Pro. That extends to three hours with video playback.

    Unfortunately, the price remains firm at $3,499. It’s arriving right before Samsung is expected to unveil its Android XR mixed reality headset, Project Moohan, which will hopefully come with a lower price tag.

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    Julian Chokkattu

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  • Hands On With Googles Gemini-Powered Smart Glasses, Android XR, and Project Moohan Headset – GadgetNutz

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    I’m wearing a pair of thick-rimmed glasses on my face. They don’t feel heavy, but they feel chunky. I walk over to a poster of a painting—Girl With a Pearl Earring—and ask out loud what was so special about it. A brief answer detailing its expert use of light and color by Johannes Vermeer floats into my ears, and when I ask a follow-up about when it was painted, I quickly hear the same voice say, “around 1665.” I’m not talking to myself, I swear. Nor am I hearing imaginary voices. No, I’m wearing a prototype of Google’s upcoming smart glasses, powered by its Gemini voice assistant. The company teased these smart glasses at its I/O developer conference earlier this year, showing a proof-of-concept video of AI-powered smart glasses using the name Project Astra. The pair I gazed through and chatted with uses that same Astra technology, but here it’s been built into a functioning product. Even though the glasses are still in their development phase, Google plans to release them sometime in 2025. These smart glasses are one part of Google’s big announcement today: Android XR. This “extended reality” platform marks the 10th year of Google’s mobile operating system expanding to new platforms beyond phones, joining the ranks of Wear OS, Google TV, and Android Auto. It sets the stage for a new wave of virtual and augmented reality headsets and glasses with a customized version of Android running on them.

    Glass, a Decade Later

    I remember watching the first-ever Google Glass demo in my college dorm room—truly an iconic moment at Google I/O 2012, where people skydived toward the Moscone Convention Center wearing cyborg smart glasses that were streaming video of their approach over a Hangouts call. These Android XR–powered smart glasses don’t command that much fanfare but, in my limited time with them, I can say this: Of all the smart glasses I’ve tried, they come the closest to realizing the original vision of Glass. But Google is also in a very different place as a company than it was in 2012. A judge recently ruled Google Search to be an illegal monopoly, calling for the company to sell off Google Chrome. Yet Google (with Samsung) now wants to be the platform for the next wave of spatial computing. VR also has had a rocky road due to wavering consumer interest, and given Google’s history of killing off projects, it’s difficult to glean whether a face computing platform that requires special (and expensive) hardware will meet the fate of so many apps and services that came before. Izadi says the platform approach helps in that regard: “I think once you’re established as an Android vertical, we’re not going away anytime soon, so that’s kind of a guarantee we can give.” The big bet seems to be around Gemini and AI. Oh, and the synergy between Google and Samsung. As Kihwan Kim, the executive vice president at Samsung spearheading Project Moohan, says, “This is not about just some teams or company making this—this is different. It’s completely starting from the ground up, how AI can impact VR and AR.” He went on to say the collaboration with Google felt like “one single spirit,” adding that it’s something he’s never experienced before in this line of work.

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    Kermit

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  • Meta Connect Starts Wednesday. Here’s What to Expect

    Meta Connect Starts Wednesday. Here’s What to Expect

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    Meta Connect, the big developer event and hardware showcase from the company that runs Facebook and Instagram, is kicking off next week. Meta is likely to show off its new VR and mixed-reality technology, put a shiny polish on its meandering metaverse ambitions, and delve into all the fresh ways it plans to squeeze artificial intelligence into every crevice of its devices and services.

    The event takes place on Wednesday September 25, starting at 10 am Pacific time. The keynote address, where most of the new stuff will be announced, will be livestreamed. The host for the event will be Meta CEO and newly minted cool guy Mark Zuckerberg. Zuck’s hour-long presentation will be followed by a developer-focused address at 11 am led by Meta CTO and Reality Labs chief Andrew Bosworth. You can watch the events on the Meta Connect website or on Meta’s YouTube channel. And yes, you can also watch it in VR in Meta Horizon.

    The focus of the event will likely be a fusion of Meta’s mixed-reality efforts and its AI ambitions across its product line. Like any tech event, there are bound to be surprises. Here are the big things to look out for.

    Blurry MetaVision

    The one thing Meta won’t likely be announcing is a very expensive VR headset. It’s a move informed by where the mixed-reality-device market is right now—and whether people actually want to spend big to buy in. Instead, rumors abound about a so-called Meta Quest 3S, a headset which could be a cheaper version of the Meta Quest 3 with lighter features.

    Meta was briefly the bigwig in the AR/VR space 10 years ago when Meta (then Facebook) bought the VR company Oculus. Shortly thereafter, Facebook changed its name to Meta and sank $45 billion into its vision of a digital universe that most people just don’t seem to give much of a damn about. Workplaces aren’t using Meta’s Horizon Workrooms that much—we’re all still on Zoom—and despite the initial bouts of expensive corporate land grabs for digital real estate, users aren’t exactly eager to move into the metaverse.

    Other companies have struggled to find their virtual footing. Apple released its first-mixed reality headset, the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro, in February. Since then, the product has been regarded as a rare misstep for the company, or at least very clearly a first-generation product not intended for the masses. The device didn’t sell very well and was widely criticized as being an expensive, heavy, and ultimately lonely experience. (Apple mentioned the Vision Pro only once, in passing, at its optimistic iPhone announcement event on September 9.)

    Had the Vision Pro’s, well, vision panned out, Meta may have been more inclined to pursue the pricy premium category of VR headset. In August, The Information reported that Meta seems to have abandoned—or at least delayed—plans to reveal an update to its Oculus Quest Pro that would have gone into the ring against Apple’s Vision Pro. Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, responded to that news on Meta’s Threads platform and insisted the move is not that big of a deal, but rather a natural part of the company’s device iterations. Still, it is a move that makes sense in the aftermath of the Apple Vision Pro fizzling out.

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    Boone Ashworth

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  • Meta Acquires Tilda Swinton VR Doc ‘Impulse: Playing With Reality’

    Meta Acquires Tilda Swinton VR Doc ‘Impulse: Playing With Reality’

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    Meta has acquired Impulse: Playing With Reality, an interactive mixed-reality documentary exploring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) voiced by Tilda Swinton. The project, from co-directors May Abdalla and Barry Gene Murphy, will premiere at the 2024 Venice Immersive program of the 81st Venice International Film Festival.

    The project draws from more than 100 hours of interviews with individuals on the severe end of the ADHD spectrum, using the mixed reality format to give viewers a sense of what it feels like to live with the condition.

    Impulse is the second installment in the “Playing With Reality” series from U.K. producer Anagram, co-produced by Floréal & France Télévisions, which aims to shed light on mental health conditions through immersive storytelling.

    Swinton also narrated the first project in the series, Abdalla and Murphy’s 2021 VR work Goliath, an exploration of one man’s experience of schizophrenia, which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Immersive Work at the 78th Venice Festival and pick up an Emmy nomination in the outstanding interactive media innovation category.

    Meta will present Impulse on its Meta Quest service. The documentary can be pre-ordered, for $4.99, ahead of its release next month. Meta also released Goliath.

    Anagram dropped the first trailer for the film on Wednesday. You can it check out below:

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    Scott Roxborough

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  • Meta shutters its first-party VR game studio Ready at Dawn

    Meta shutters its first-party VR game studio Ready at Dawn

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    Ready at Dawn Studios, the game studio behind the Echo virtual reality series for the Meta Quest, has been shut down by its parent owner, Meta, effective immediately.

    Android Central reported Meta’s decision to close Ready at Dawn Studios almost a year and a half after purchasing the game studio. The news comes on the heels of a mid-July report that Meta plans to cut its Reality Labs division’s budget by 20 percent by 2026 when it is reportedly scheduled to release the Meta Quest 4 and Quest 4s, its next VR headsets.

    Ready at Dawn’s reach in the gaming industry goes all the way back to the days of Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP). The studio released its first game in 2006 with Daxter, a PSP spinoff of the popular Jak and Daxter series. Ready at Dawn also released three titles in Sony’s God of War series for the PSP including Chains of Olympus, Ghost of Sparta and the Olympus Collection that bundled its two earlier titles. The studio made the jump to consoles starting with the PlayStation 4 in 2015 with The Order: 1886. The Victorian-era third-person action adventure became one of the year’s most anticipated titles for its boundary pushing graphics. Following a wave of mixed reviews, Ready at Dawn took a stab at a multiplayer title with a cheerier disposition in 2017 called De-Formers for the PS4, Xbox One and PC. Engadget senior editor Jessica Conditt described the colorful character combat competition as “cannibalism combat in a 3-D cartoon.”

    The rise of and ease of access to virtual reality prompted the studio to pivot again in 2018 to the new immersive game medium. The studio released the first two VR titles in its Echo game series including the free-to-play Oculus Rift and Quest virtual sport Echo Arena and the interactive, gravity-free sci-fi adventure Lone Echo. Both found a fanbase on the all-in-one VR headset leading to sequels including the free-floating arena shooter Echo Combat in 2018 and Lone Echo II in 2021.

    Oculus bought the studio in 2023 and allowed it to continue operations in its California and Oregon offices. The same year, Meta shut down its free Echo VR game due to dwindling player numbers.

    Meta has slashed more than 20,000 jobs since 2023, a period that CEO Mark Zuckerberg has characterized as a “year of efficiency.”

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    Danny Gallagher

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  • The Best VR Headsets and Games to Explore the Metaverse

    The Best VR Headsets and Games to Explore the Metaverse

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    The Meta Quest 3 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a massive improvement over its predecessor in almost every category—save price. It has improved specs across the board—slightly higher resolution, a faster processor, more RAM, and the option for up to 512 GB of internal storage—but the biggest change is mixed reality upgrade. The previous model, the Quest 2, had external-facing cameras for orienting itself in the world and a pass-through feature that lets you see the room you’re in to avoid obstacles. But the Quest 3 takes it several steps further, making immersive AR core to the experience.

    For starters, the pass-through cameras can now show you a color image instead of black and white. It’s also slightly higher-resolution, so it’s easier to tell what you’re looking at. It still feels a bit like you’re looking at a 2000s-era YouTube video of your own living room, but it’s worlds better than not being able to see your surroundings at all.

    This tech enables some innovative new games and experiences. One of my favorites, PianoVision, is designed to help you learn the piano by overlaying helpful information and even piano rolls onto video of your actual, physical keyboard. It turns practicing the instrument into a Guitar Hero–like experience, and it’s something that wouldn’t be possible with VR alone.

    The downside: The Meta Quest 3 is more expensive than the Quest 2 ever was (even after the latter’s midlife price hike). Starting at $500, it’s on par with buying whole game consoles, so it’s not quite an impulse buy, but if you’re looking for the best stand-alone VR headset with the widest library of games and apps that support both VR and mixed reality, the Quest 3 is the headset to beat.

    It’s also worth keeping in mind that the company behind it all is Meta (aka Facebook). You might not like that, given Facebook’s less-than-stellar history of managing user data (not to mention how that data is used). If you’re in the market for a VR headset, the Meta Quest 3 is still our top pick. Just try not to buy too many things from the Meta Store. Stick to purchases on a more stable marketplace, like Steam (which also supports the Quest 2).

    Supports room-scale VR, pass-through mixed reality, can operate with or without a PC, and comes with two controllers.

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    Eric Ravenscraft

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  • BofA emphasizes VR training for staff | Bank Automation News

    BofA emphasizes VR training for staff | Bank Automation News

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    Bank of America aims to add 10 to 20 modules to its virtual reality training program every year to enhance employee training and improve information retention.  Training employees hasn’t changed in many years: it is still done through shoulder-to-shoulder coaching or Zoom or WebEx calls, Mike Wynn, head of academy innovation and design development at […]

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    Vaidik Trivedi

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  • I Rode This ‘Holographic’ Bike and Things Got a Little Weird

    I Rode This ‘Holographic’ Bike and Things Got a Little Weird

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    Matson told me that he finds wearing a headset to be too cumbersome when you’re working out. In particular, parents told him that they can’t check out with VR because they need to know what’s going on around them. However, I prefer to not have any distractions, mainly because I’m horrible at exercise and will take any excuse not to do it.

    High-endurance athletes may find Saga’s offerings a bit slim, too. Matson says the company plans to ship the bikes with three to four trails in the system, each about 20 kilometers long. This is not very many rides, and those rides are not very long. By way of contrast, NordicTrack has an extensive library of rides of all lengths, levels, and programs, which also increase resistance and move up and down as you ride. Other bikes integrate with Zwift, the immensely popular online cycling platform, or collect intensely granular data that allows you to improve your fitness.

    Photograph: Saga Holographic

    As of yet, HoloBike doesn’t do any of those things. The augmented technology, however, certainly makes what you’re seeing seem more real. And in some circumstances, not being real is a bonus. If all the trails are virtually generated, I’d love to have the ability to safely traverse places I wouldn’t otherwise go, like the streets of Mumbai, or even something entirely fictional, like a delivery route from Paperboy, or Elliott’s big take-off from E.T.

    It would be cool if there were a possibility for users to design or contribute trails, too. I joked to Matson that they should make some version of a trail that goes all the way around the world, so you could circumnavigate the globe over the course of a year’s worth of rides, only to have him suggest creating a little onscreen pedal boat for when you’re crossing the Atlantic. With the HoloBike, the world really is entirely open and limitless. That’s enormously exciting.

    That being said, the bike’s starting price tag on Kickstarter is $2,599, with expected delivery in the winter of 2024-2025. That’s comparable to other video-enabled stationary exercise bikes, but a lot to shell out for potential. If I’m going to ride a bike, I need something that approximates the feeling of the open road a little more closely, and for a little bit longer.

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    Marah Eakin

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  • Exploring How Virtual Reality is Changing Startups | Entrepreneur

    Exploring How Virtual Reality is Changing Startups | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Today, startups face the daunting task of capturing prospective clients’ attention. Traditional marketing approaches sometimes fall short when it comes to captivating consumers and making a lasting impression on brands.

    However, virtual reality (VR) technology has just emerged, providing companies with a potent weapon that may transform their advertising strategies. Startups may make a lasting impact on their target audience by using VR’s immersive and interactive nature to create fascinating experiences.

    Read on to find out how VR is changing the face of startup marketing and how businesses are interacting with their customers.

    1. Making Authentic Brand Interactions

    Startups have a one-of-a-kind chance to use VR to build engaging brand experiences that are impossible to achieve with more conventional forms of advertising. VR gives a unique opportunity to tell a brand’s narrative by immersing customers in a virtual world.

    Whether it’s displaying a product demo, letting consumers explore a virtual shop, or giving an interactive tour of a startup’s facilities, virtual reality experiences bring people in and make them feel something. These all-encompassing brand experiences do more than just attract viewers; they also make an impression that sticks with them, increasing brand recognition and devotion. And, of course, you need to do VR testing before using it.

    Related: The Future of Retail Is in Immersive Real-Time 3D Experiences

    2. Making Product Demos More Impressive

    Startups face significant hurdles when trying to prove the usefulness and worth of their offerings. To overcome this obstacle, companies are turning to virtual reality to display their products interestingly and interactively. Startups may break past the barriers of conventional marketing by giving buyers an immersive virtual reality experience of a product.

    See also Employers Guide: Getting the Maximum from Your Millennials

    With virtual reality, businesses may offer customers a realistic and tailored experience, like a virtual test drive of a new automobile, a virtual tour of a real estate project, or even a virtual try-on of fashion items. This creates trust and encourages buy intent.

    3. Storytelling that Engages

    At its core, every effective advertising campaign is a story. By empowering entrepreneurs to create compelling stories in VR, the medium elevates storytelling to a new level. An immersive story is a powerful tool for startups to communicate their purpose, ambition, and values. Startups may increase the emotional connection with their audience by letting consumers actively participate in the story.

    Virtual reality storytelling captivates customers by transporting them to the startup’s past or present or creating an imaginary environment that reflects the brand’s values.

    4. Enhancing the Quality of Events

    Startups often participate in industry events and conferences to promote their products and services and make connections with possible clients. However, in terms of participation and exposure, live events have limits. With virtual reality, companies can take their event experiences to the next level and break down geographical barriers.

    Startups can make virtual event venues a reality, enabling global participation in immersive conferences, product debuts, and networking gatherings. Virtual reality events help entrepreneurs save money while simultaneously giving them vital information about attendees’ habits, interests, and engagement levels.

    Related: How to Start an Event Planning Service

    5. Engaging in Tailored Advertising

    Virtual reality enables entrepreneurs to provide their target audience with highly tailored experiences, which is crucial for successful marketing efforts. Startups may create a unique and intimate virtual reality experience for each consumer by tracking their data and preferences.

    Startups may utilize virtual reality to make their consumers feel seen and understood in a variety of ways, for as by tailoring the virtual environment to their tastes or by providing tailored product suggestions inside the VR experience.

    6. Connect with your audience

    Another overlooked opportunity for companies to use virtual reality is to engage with the expanding user base. With a projected 27.5% CAGR from 2023–2030, virtual reality is poised to outpace all other content segments. Worldwide, there are more than 171 million VR users; in the United States, there are 65.9 million users, or 15% of the population.

    We anticipate that, like any network, the platform’s social dynamics will gradually become more apparent with time and that influencers will start to crop up. The next frontier is products that can establish themselves as leaders in their community and continue to evolve alongside it.

    In summary

    Virtual reality has been a game-changer for new businesses trying to stand out in a competitive industry. Startups can transform their marketing strategies and audience engagement by developing more interactive brand experiences, better product demos, compelling stories, memorable events, and tailored marketing campaigns.

    Startups need to jump on the chance to use virtual reality to engage with consumers on a deeper level and remain ahead of the competition as VR technology becomes better and more affordable. Virtual reality’s immersive environment is where startup marketing is headed, and early adopters will be the ones who profit.

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    Kimberly Zhang

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  • Game company puts new spin on virtual tennis

    Game company puts new spin on virtual tennis

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    Game company puts new spin on virtual tennis – CBS News


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    First there was “Tennis for Two,” then Atari’s “Pong.” Tennis has been a popular subject for video games for decades. Now, gaming company 2K Games is putting a unique spin on the classic game with “Topspin Tennis,” which features real-life athletes. Michelle Miller has more.

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  • My Life Outside of the Apple Vision Pro

    My Life Outside of the Apple Vision Pro

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    This has become a pattern: One minute he’s not wearing the headset, and the next he is. The transition would always happen unexpectedly—when I’d leave the room to jump in the shower, do my makeup in the bathroom, or get ready to go out.

    One time, after I finished brushing my teeth before bed, I walked out to the living room to find him sitting on the edge of the couch, staring into the distance with the Vision Pro firmly on his head. He was playing chess. I sat down next to him and watched in silence as he pinched his fingers and moved imaginary chess pieces through the air in multiple directions—left, right, diagonal—slowly pulling back to observe his opponent’s (a computer) next move.

    During similar interactions, I’d always ask, “Can I try?” In an attempt to persuade me to love the Vision Pro as much as he does, he’d always oblige. It’s not that I’m totally against owning my own headset, but I struggle to understand the need for it in its current form. Aside from the outrageous $3,500 price and heavy frame, I know that I’ll never reach for it as much as I do my iPhone, MacBook, or iPad. I’m content with my setup. Besides, shouldn’t that mean one per household is enough if you spend that much? Unfortunately, sharing the experience feels more like a hassle than fun.

    For starters, you have to log in to Guest Mode each time, so I’m forced to go through the 90-second calibration test every time. I also wear glasses. Technically, I’m supposed to buy the prescription Zeiss Optical Inserts. But I refuse to give Apple $150 because of something completely out of my control. It’s also annoying to think that you’d have to spend even more money if you live in a household with multiple people wearing glasses.

    I’ve also never had a problem using other headsets, like the Meta Quest 2, with glasses. And so, out of pure spite, I continue calibrating the Vision Pro with my glasses on anyway. It’s not foolproof—the internal eye-tracking cameras sometimes struggle to pinpoint where my eyes are looking. Some things, like spending time in virtual Mount Hood, watching Spiderman: No Way Home in 3D, and browsing the web on Safari, are easy. But anything that requires more precise eye-tracking, such as navigating visionOS or attempting to play a game, is a struggle.

    A Problem Shared

    When my boyfriend and I wanted to share the experience in any way, shape, or form, we’d try casting content on the TV using AirPlay. Unfortunately, a simple task like watching a movie wasn’t very successful. We tried watching Mean Girls, but because it’s on a streaming service, the content was blacked out on both the Vision Pro and the TV because of copyright.

    Meanwhile, playing a game like Fruit Ninja on the big screen is fun for only so long. Every time we wanted to switch players, we’d have to go back and forth between his profile and Guest Mode. I couldn’t help but think back to how easy this process was with a headset like the Quest 2. A few years back, when my dad, brother, and I played The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners for a few hours together, we simply passed the headset around between the three of us and jumped into the game without having to switch profiles or tinker with the settings. On the Vision Pro, however, my boyfriend and I must’ve played for a total of 10 minutes before the whole experience started to get boring.

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    Brenda Stolyar

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  • Meta thinks it’s a good idea for students to wear Quest headsets in class | TechCrunch

    Meta thinks it’s a good idea for students to wear Quest headsets in class | TechCrunch

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    Meta continues to field criticism over how it handles younger consumers using its platforms, but the company is also planning new products that will cater to them. On Monday, the company announced that later this year it will be launching a new education product for Quest to position its VR headset as a go-to device for teaching in classrooms.

    The product is yet to be named, but in a blog post describing it, Nick Clegg, the company’s president of global affairs — the ex-politician who has become’s Meta’s executive most likely to be delivering messaging around more controversial and divisive topics — said that it will include a hub for education-specific apps and features, as well as the ability to manage multiple headsets at once without having to update each device individually.

    Business models for hardware and services also have yet to be spelled out. With nothing on the table, the company is framing it as a long-term bet.

    “We accept that it’s going to take a long time, and we’re not going to be making any money on this anytime soon,” Clegg said in an interview with Axios.

    On the plus side, a push into education could mean more diversified content for Quest users, along with a wider ecosystem of developers building for the platform — not the killer app critics say is still missing from VR, but at least more action.

    On more problematic ground, the news is coming on the heels of a few other developments at the company that are less positive. Meta’s instant messaging service WhatsApp has been getting a lot of heat over the fact that it is lowering the minimum age for users to 13 in the UK and EU (it had previously been 16).

    Monday’s announcement arrives on the heels of Meta prompting Quest users to confirm their age so it can provide teens and preteens with appropriate experiences.

    The new initiative will roll out later this year and will only be available to institutions with students 13 years old and up. Meta said it will launch it first in the 20 markets where it already supports Quest for Business, Meta’s workplace-focused $14.99/month subscription. That list includes the U.S. Canada, the United Kingdom and several other English-speaking markets, along with Japan and much of western Europe.

    There are a number of companies already in the market exploring the idea of VR in the classroom, with names like ImmersionVR, ClassVR and ArborVR, not to mention the likes of Microsoft, which has been pushing its HoloLens as an educational tool for a while now.

    It’s not clear how ubiquitous VR use is in schools: one provider, ClassVR, claims that 40,000 classrooms worldwide are using its products.

    But all the same, there remain hurdles to mass market usage. It’s not clear, for example, whether strapping a headset to someone’s face is necessarily a help in a live, educational environment, considering some of the research around young people already getting too much screen time as it is.

    And another big question mark will relate to the cost of buying headsets — Quest 3’s, the latest headsets, start at around $500 apiece for basic models — buying apps and then subsequently supporting all of that infrastructure. Meta said that it has already donated Quest headsets to 15 universities in the U.S., but it’s not clear how far it will go to subsidise growth longer-term. 

     

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    Lauren Forristal

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  • TD Bank deploys VR for training | Bank Automation News

    TD Bank deploys VR for training | Bank Automation News

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    TD Bank is experimenting with virtual reality to build practical skill sets through controlled customer simulations, leading to improved employee training.  “TD has been experimenting with different immersive experiences for colleagues and customers,” TD Product Manager Kerry Narduzzi told Bank Automation News. “This is a new technology and we want to really understand it and […]

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    Vaidik Trivedi

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  • Homeworld Franchise Comes to Virtual Reality for the First Time With ‘Homeworld: Vast Reaches’, a New Game Arriving in 2024

    Homeworld Franchise Comes to Virtual Reality for the First Time With ‘Homeworld: Vast Reaches’, a New Game Arriving in 2024

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    AUSTIN, Texas, April 3, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    FarBridge, Inc., a leading game development studio, in partnership with Gearbox Entertainment, is excited to announce Homeworld: Vast Reaches, a bold new story in the beloved Homeworld saga that reimagines strategic space battles for Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality. This new game in the Homeworld universe is launching on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 headsets later this year. Players can now wishlist the game at HomeworldVastReaches.com. 

    In the award-winning Homeworld games for PC, you play as Fleet Command, a human commander who controls a fleet of spaceships. Players will take on the same role in Homeworld: Vast Reaches in vicious combat against a mysterious new foe. 

    “We’ve taken care to make a new experience that both Homeworld and strategy game fans will enjoy,” said Richard Rouse III, Studio Creative Director at FarBridge. “It’s been an honor to take the amazing space battles and unique characters of Homeworld and let people play in an entirely new way with virtual and mixed reality.”

    Famous for completely three-dimensional combat encounters and environments in deep space, the Homeworld makes for the perfect setting for a VR/MR game, letting players view the action from any angle and drag-and-drop their ships into formations for combat. Homeworld: Vast Reaches also takes it one step further with immersive 3D battles the size of a player’s room or instantly scaled-down to fit on a tabletop.

    “Our studio is thrilled to add a new chapter to the Homeworld storyline. Our partners at Gearbox have been an absolute pleasure to work with – their passion for games and especially for Homeworld has been an inspiration to us,” said Patrick Curry, CEO of FarBridge.

    FarBridge was founded in 2017 by veteran game and film industry executives with a mission to bring people into one-of-a-kind virtual worlds. Homeworld: Vast Reaches represents a unique collaboration, where FarBridge has partnered with Gearbox Entertainment to bring this beloved universe to players in an all-new way. FarBridge will handle development and publishing responsibilities and collaborate closely with Gearbox Entertainment, who are focused closely on ensuring the game’s story, characters and lore remain true to the beloved franchise.

    “We can’t wait for the community to get their hands on Homeworld: Vast Reaches and finally feel what it’s like to become Fleet Command,” said Erica Hollinshead Stead, Sr. Director of Licensing and Business Development at Gearbox Entertainment. “VR brings a new dimension to the strategy gameplay of Homeworld, and I am excited for the community to be literally immersed in the vast universe it offers.”

    Homeworld: Vast Reaches is now available for wishlisting on the Meta Store. 

    Fleet Control Is in Your Hands

    https://HomeworldVastReaches.com/

    About Homeworld:

    The original Homeworld was developed by Relic Entertainment and launched in September of 1999 to critical success, winning over 50 awards including Game of the Year and was credited with popularizing the 3D real-time strategy genre. In 2013, the rights to the Homeworld IP were purchased by Gearbox Entertainment. In 2015 Homeworld Remastered Collection, consisting of the original Homeworld and Homeworld 2, was released reviving the franchise for series fans and newcomers alike. A prequel to Homeworld, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, was released a year later allowing players the opportunity to walk in Rachel S’jet’s shoes and live the discovery of Khar-Toba, the home to the Guidestone that kicked off the saga in Homeworld. Homeworld 3, which takes place 100 years after the events of Homeworld 2, is set to launch on May 13, 2024, for PC on Steam and Epic Games Store.

    About FarBridge:

    FarBridge develops new games and intellectual properties for all major game platforms, and has shipped over a dozen games and experiences for VR, AR, PC, mobile, and console. FarBridge’s seasoned team of creative developers is passionate about telling stories and making worlds you can get lost in. For more information about FarBridge, their work, and opportunities to join their team, visit farbridge.com.

    About Gearbox Entertainment Company:

    The Gearbox Entertainment Company, LLC is an award-winning, creator and distributor of transmedia entertainment. Gearbox Entertainment has become widely known for successful game franchises, as well as acquired properties Duke Nukem and Homeworld, which it distributes across the world. Gearbox Entertainment is composed of four subsidiaries: Gearbox Software, Gearbox Publishing, Gearbox Studio, and Gearbox Properties. Gearbox Software, founded in 1999 by a team of industry veterans, is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and is known around the world for developing hit video games and franchises like Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Brothers in Arms, and Borderlands. Gearbox Publishing was established in 2016 with the goal of helping developers around the world bring their products to market while retaining their unique creative visions. Gearbox Studios was formed in 2022 and creates cutting-edge transmedia opportunities including the upcoming movies based on Borderlands and Duke Nukem, and the series based on Brothers in Arms. Gearbox Properties was founded in 2022 to manage Gearbox’s wide variety of intellectual property across all products, mediums, and merchandise categories.

    The Gearbox Entertainment Company is a proud member of the Embracer Group AB family of companies. For more information, visit www.Gearbox.com.

    MEDIA CONTACT

    Pam Renteria

    Marketing and Communications Manager

    Phone: +1 512–326–1524 x726

    Email: press@farbridge.com 

    Press Kit: https://farbridge.com/presskit

    Source: FarBridge, Inc.

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  • The Game’s Afoot: Plano Company Launches Pedal-Based Controller

    The Game’s Afoot: Plano Company Launches Pedal-Based Controller

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    Anyone who has played a modern Triple A video game will tell you that controls are getting exponentially more complex. The Plano-based company Glydr has an answer: Use your feet…

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    Jef Rouner

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  • Sony Temporarily Pulls the Plug on PSVR2 Production

    Sony Temporarily Pulls the Plug on PSVR2 Production

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    Photo: ESOlex (Shutterstock)

    Sony’s PlayStation VR 2 is barely a year old, and it appears it’s not catching on like the PS5 when it launched in 2020. There are so many PSVR2 headsets unsold that Sony put the production of new units on hold, according to a Bloomberg report Monday.

    Since its launch in Feb. 2023, Sony produced approximately 2 million PSVR2 units, each with a price tag of $550. However, the virtual reality headset has yet to take off with only 300,000 sold in the weeks after launch, as reported by Bloomberg last year.

    It doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The PSVR 2 is limited to just the PS5, which means it’s up to the console’s library to entice people into buying the expensive hardware. While the PS5 has some great games, there aren’t many VR games to get excited about. So far, the most recommended games for news PSVR2 owners are VR versions of games already released on the console such as Resident Evil Village, No Man’s Sky, and Gran Tourismo 7.

    There’s also the issue of the competition. The Meta Quest 3 comes at a slightly lower price point, but it works with PCs, opening it up to more games and applications. Then there’s the Apple Vision Pro, which at $3,500 is priced way higher than the PSVR2 but has taken up the spotlight in the mixed-reality space.

    Even with lackluster sales of its PSVR2, Sony did reveal a new “xtended” reality headset at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show back in January. The new hardware featuring a flip-up visor is a joint venture with Siemens. This headset, however, isn’t intended for gaming and instead targets businesses and professionals looking to model 3D environments.

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    Oscar Gonzalez

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  • Dezerland Park opens new virtual reality experience Verse Orlando

    Dezerland Park opens new virtual reality experience Verse Orlando

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    click to enlarge

    Image courtesy Wellons Commmunications/Dezerland Park

    Dezerland Park is now offering an interactive, immersive augmented reality experience with its newest attraction, Verse Orlando.

    With provided virtual reality headgear, Verse guests will be transported to places they’ve never seen. Verse currently offers four immersive shows: The Unreal Garden, Holographic Odyssey (Star Walk), Art of the Future and Sightcraft.

    In Holographic Odyssey (Star Walk), guests can walk through the galaxy, while in Sightcraft, they can play games as a wizard in a magical realm. Unreal Garden offers a step into a surreal environment with mythical animals to solve puzzles, and Art of the Future showcases the combination of technology and art to foreshadow the future.

    Verse Orlando is open at Dezerland Park on International Drive from Thursday to Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online or in person. More information, hours of operation and tickets can be found at verseorlando.com.

    Location Details

    Verse

    5250 International Drive, Orlando I-Drive/Universal

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    Sarah Harwell

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