HTC has unveiled the HTC Vive Vision — an upgrade to the Vive Focus 3 with core elements that are sure to appeal to the business community. I got to try out the new headset at the recent Shift Medical, an XR medical conference in Heidelberg, Germany, where we were on hand to share our expertise.

As mentioned at the beginning, this headset is not for XR enthusiasts. Even if HTC advertises it differently and wants to grab a piece of the consumer market, I see these VR headsets being used primarily in the business sector with customer contact.

They are rugged, easy to use, and designed for continuous use. I think the evolution from Focus 3 to Focus Vision with better pass-through, more stable processing in critical areas and permanent eye tracking is a good decision.

The use of the 3 year old XR2 instead of the current XR2 Gen 2 is a shame, but I think HTC knows its numbers and knows that its target audience is either using highly customized entertainment software anyway, or will switch to PC streaming in a heartbeat. Both are true for my customers who might be interested in this device.

The technical capabilities of the XR2 are rarely pushed to their limits in research projects or education. If it is, it is usually due to poor optimization or unfinished applications. Even an XR2 Gen 2 would not change that.

I think it's great that HTC is another consistent manufacturer in this market and is consciously trying to differentiate itself from other devices to find its niche within the niche. I wish them good luck because this is precisely what the VR market needs.

The fast approaching Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is landing on PC and Xbox consoles November 19th. While it wasn’t clear at its initial unveiling last summer whether Asobo’s next-gen flight sim would include VR support, the studio says it’s definitely coming, and even showed it off in action.

Asobo confirmed in a developer Q&A earlier this year that VR support was indeed coming, and that, in Executive Producer Martial Bossard’s words, it would be “spectacular.”

And while you still won’t find mention of VR support buried anywhere in the marketing material, the studio showed off VR support in action during the MFS 2024 Preview event, letting press and creators fly around using a Pimax Crystal Light headset.

Reddit user Vast_Front259 posted a recording of the Peacock running on their phone that they say they took with their laptop webcam because the streaming service's DRM prevents screen recording. It's a Quest 3 ad we've seen before, but at the end a render is shown of it alongside Quest 3S, Meta's repeatedly leaked next headset, alongside the text "Starting at $299.99".

The smallprint below the renders reads "Meta Quest 3S 128GB is $299.99. Content sold separately." below an Amazon logo. Listing the storage suggests that like Quest 3 and Quest 2, multiple storage variants of Quest 3S will be offered.

This apparent leak comes less than a week before Meta Connect, the company's annual conference where it's expected to launch Quest 3S.

An Austin-based startup best known for its VR and mixed reality workspace software for other companies’ headsets now has hardware of its own. The Immersed Visor appears to sit somewhere between a Vision Pro Lite and Xreal Plus: a lightweight head-worn device that creates a high-resolution spatial computing environment on the cheap (well, relatively speaking).

Teased to death for months, Immersed founder Renji Bijoy finally unveiled the Visor at an Austin event on Thursday. The device, a bit more than glasses but much less than a full headset, gives each eye the equivalent of a 4K OLED screen. It has a solid 100-degree field of view. It supports 6DoF tracking (meaning it responds to motion on different axes, not just simple head rotations), and it offers hand and eye tracking and support for over five screens in a virtual or mixed reality environment.

In the presentation, Bijoy revealed that the Immersed Visor only weighs 186g, slightly less than an iPhone 16 Pro. It’s 64 percent lighter than the Meta Quest 3 (515g) and around 70 percent lighter than the Apple Vision Pro (600 to 650g). Weight and ergonomics have been drawbacks for many early adopters of VR and mixed-reality tech. (That includes some customers of the $3,500 Vision Pro.) So, trimming the Visor’s weight to about the same as a high-end smartphone could, in theory, help it succeed where competitors struggled. Part of that comes from (in borrowing a trick from Apple) a wired battery pack you stash in your pocket.

But unlike those devices, the Immersed Visor doesn’t include an app store or onboard experiences like games. Instead, it’s tailored for work: link it to your Windows, macOS or Linux computer (wirelessly or wired), and get stuff done on its immersive array of virtual screens. Its 6DoF tracking means you can stand up, lean or twist, and the virtual screens will remain planted where you put them, rather than awkwardly following you through space.

Like the company’s workspace app for Meta Quest and Vision Pro, you can operate either in a passthrough view of your space or an entirely virtual one. (It includes pleasant virtual environments like a mountaintop ski resort by a cozy fire.) You can also work with others in a shared space.

The device runs on the Qualcomm XR2+ Gen 2 chip, which debuted at CES 2024. The chip supports up to 4.3K per-eye resolution and can handle content up to 90fps.

Today sees the launch of the new VR MMORPG Freeland for Meta Quest 3, Quest 2, Quest Pro and SteamVR. The free-to-play multiplayer adventure will initially launch in Early Access and aims to be one of the largest open-world VR adventures. In Freeland, you explore a vast online galaxy threatened by the villainous Ventax. You must forge alliances, fight battles, and uncover secrets to save Freeland. The game features open world exploration, dynamic combat, social interaction, dungeons and PvP combat. You can race cars on tracks, complete quests such as wingsuit flights between skyscrapers, customize your avatar and explore four planets. Additional worlds will be unlocked over time.

Hands-On Visor Demos @ Immersed IRL 2024 Sept 19 @ Zach Theatre, Austin, TX (shipping starts right after)

A hybrid standalone PC VR headset with full-body tracker support, base station-free.

In-box items VIVE Focus Vision headset

Gasket spacer

Face cushion

Rear cushion

Battery

Top strap

Controller (L)

Controller (R)

Lanyards x 2

30 W AC adapter

Splitter cable for charging

Lens cleaning cloth

Quick-start guide QR code

Safety guide

Warranty card

Size reference card for eyeglasses Headset specs Screen LCD panels x 2 Resolution 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye (4896 x 2448 pixels combined) Refresh rate 90 Hz Field of view (FOV) Up to 120 degrees Audio Dual microphones with noise cancellation and echo cancellation Dual driver with patented directional speaker design x 2 Privacy mode for minimizing external sound leakage 3.5 mm audio jack output Inputs Headset button Volume +/- buttons Processor Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ XR2 Memory and storage 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM 128 GB ROM Up to 2 TB expandable storage via MicroSD1

1. MicroSD card not included. Connections USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port x 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port with DisplayPort support x 1 Bluetooth 5.2 + BLE Wi-Fi 6, 6E2

2. Wi-Fi 6E support is country dependent.

View PC VR system requirements Sensors Tracking cameras x 4 Eye-tracking cameras x 2 High-resolution full-color passthrough cameras x 2 G sensor Proximity sensor Depth sensor Infrared floodlight Gyroscope Eye tracking 120 Hz gaze data output frequency (binocular) 0.5° to 1.1° accuracy within 20° field of view 5-point calibration Automatic IPD adjustment Ergonomics Perfect weight balance for comfortable long-lession use Magnetically attached front and rear cushions with cleanable PU leather trim 150 mm wide facial interface for accommodating wide eyeglasses Automatic eye comfort adjustment supporting IPD of 57 mm to 72 mm Patented quick-release headstrap design with easy-to-use adjustment dial Battery Removable, swappable battery with battery life of up to 2 hours Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with included 30 W adapter Hot swap supported with built-in reserve battery for up to 20 minutes of extended standby Controller specs Sensors Hall sensors on Trigger and Grip buttons Capacitive sensors on Trigger, Joystick, and Thumb-rest area G-sensor Gyroscope Inputs Ergonomic grip button Analog trigger button A and B / X and Y buttons System / Menu buttons Joystick Battery Controller battery life of up to 15 hours3 Integrated rechargeable battery (charged via USB-C)

Kayak VR: Mirage (2022) is amazingly immersive, packing in a ton of environments to explore in both single player and asynchronous multiplayer racing modes. You never could paddle through the glaciers or meander around tropical coasts with a friend in real-time though. But now, thanks to today’s update, you can.

Initially released as in beta on Steam in mid-August, developer Better Than Life today announced that real-time multiplayer is finally here for Kayak VR: Mirage on all supported platforms, which includes Steam and PSVR 2.

Modder Ashok has developed an extensive VR mod for the remake of System Shock, which adds support for 6DOF motion control to the game. This allows you to experience the classic shooter in virtual reality with full range of motion.

The mod includes the following features:

6DOF motion control Gestures for motion controllers Improved object interaction Room scale and physical ducking support

Many other bug fixes and improvements for VR It consists of a UEVR profile and a C++ plugin bundled together. UEVR Nightly 940 or later is required for use. There is also an optional PAK mod that adapts the buttons to the Meta Quest Touch Controller.

Organizers behind the VR Games Showcase last month announced they’re putting on a new livestreamed games event next week focusing on independent developers and studios “both big and small.” Just in time for what will certainly be a rush of XR news.

Called the XR Indies & Friends Showcase, the livestream is slated to kick off on September 25th at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET (local time here), coming just a few hours ahead of the 2025 Meta Connect keynote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.

*We’re thrilled to announce EXOcars – VR racing game from XOCUS Studio!**✨

The game has been in development for over a year by the Xocus team, known for creating Z-Race and Omega Pilot. Specializing in racing games, this will be their first release on the Main Meta Store.

🚗 Strap into EXOcars and compete against real players in single-player races and real-time multiplayer. With exciting driving feedback, advanced physics, and high-quality graphics, this VR buggy racing experience is unlike any other.

🚦 Specifically designed for VR, the game targets the core VR racing audience by delivering an immersive experience with realistic car physics.

🏁 Play solo or with friends in multiplayer mode! Different game modes, tournaments with real prizes, challenges, and seasonal events await you in EXOcars.

🏎️ Customize your car, unlock new tracks and locations. Featuring ramps, drifts, and natural obstacles, it makes you feel like a real driver of a roaring buggy, speeding through breathtaking landscapes! And this is just the beginning!

🎮 Long-term support. We plan to expand the game throughout late 2024 and into 2025, aiming to create the best off-road racing experience in VR. Updates will include new tracks, and vehicles, including a buggy with unique physics, and cosmetic upgrades. Seasonal events, tournaments, ongoing balance, and QOL improvements based on player feedback are also planned.

Wishlist EXOcars:

Meta Quest Store: https://www.meta.com/experiences/8057795767629913/

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2898310/EXOcars/

PS VR2: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10012101

The first three generations of Spectacles were launched as consumer devices from 2016 to 2019 but lacked any kind of display or speakers. They functioned solely as camera glasses, similar to today's Ray-Ban Meta glasses but without the audio out and AI capabilities.

Fourth generation Spectacles were unveiled in 2021 with waveguide displays for true AR, but were only made to select developers with very limited availability. They were a standalone AR device in true sunglasses form factor, featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 chipset, a tiny field of view, and an active battery life of just 30 minutes.

The new fifth generation Snap Spectacles offer a wider field of view, longer battery life, a more powerful processor, and higher transparency to allow bystanders to see the wearer's eyes. And this time Snap will offer them to any developer for $99/month.

If you're ready to dive into the world of immersive digital experiences, investing in a virtual reality headset is the way to go. Whether you're into gaming, virtual workouts or exploring incredible 360-degree environments, a VR headset can transport you to places you’ve never been – all from the comfort of your own home.

If you’re still on the fence about whether a VR headset is for you, there are plenty of reasons you might want to explore virtual reality. Maybe you're looking for a more immersive gaming experience, or perhaps you want to use it for fitness, meditation, or even virtual travel. VR headsets can also be great for work, offering virtual meeting rooms and collaborative spaces that go beyond standard video calls.

Now more than in years past, there’s something for everyone thanks to more VR headsets being on the market at various price ranges. The Meta Quest 3, for example, offers fantastic all-around performance at around $500, while the Apple Vision Pro is packed with cutting-edge tech, but it'll set you back a hefty $3,500. We’ve tested and reviewed a number of the most popular VR headsets on the market to help you figure out which are the best for your needs (and budget).

If, like me, you started out with just a Meta Quest headset and did not have a powerful gaming PC available, it’s hard to look at what’s possible on PCVR and not feel some envy. But building a capable VR ready PC can get expensive and maybe you just want to try it instead of investing a lot of money into new hardware. If that’s the case then you should look into a service called Shadow PC which claims to stream VR games over the cloud.

Cloud gaming has come a long way in the past decade, and whilst it will never compete with playing on a local machine, it is getting close at this point. As long as you have a good enough internet, game streaming is a viable way to play in VR at this point.

The only company really offering VR game streaming at this point is Shadow PC. While Shadow PC is not the cheapest, it does deliver on its promise of giving you a VR capable PC anywhere you have access to a strong internet connection. As I mentioned, Shadow PC is not the cheapest, there are 3 pricing options starting at $19.99 for, but the priciest and most powerful option clocks in at $49.99. The first month is discounted so you can try it out for $9.99, but it is still going to be expensive after that, especially if you want to play games at higher settings.

As you can see in the specs table below only the POWER option offers a modern GPU capable of playing modern VR games. If you go for the more economical option you will be constrained by an older GTX 1080, which is capable of playing VR but you will need to lower the settings on most games if you want a smooth frame rate, and a smooth frame rate is more important than anything when it comes to VR games.

On the occasion of the extensive “Sandboxxer” update, I finally took the time to take a closer look at Underdogs. The VR title from One Hamsa transports me to a dark future where only one human city still exists: New Brakka. To get in there, I have to prove myself in illegal mech fights and earn the respect of the street.

In Underdogs, I slip into the role of one of the two brothers who have to flee their homeland. My younger brother King always stands by my side with advice and support. At least when he's not busy hacking my enemies to pieces while I smash opponents in my multi-ton mech named Rilla. The relationship between the brothers is one of the core elements of the story and contributes a lot to the dense atmosphere of the game.

My conclusion on Underdogs is completely positive. The game is a successful mix of sweat-inducing action, roguelike-typical progress and a lot of style. If you've always wanted to take a seat in a mech yourself and really dish it out, there's no way around Underdogs.

With the “Sandboxxer” update, the title has what it takes to be one of the best VR games of the year. The sheer endless possibilities to create your own content and share it with friends promise long-lasting fun. In addition, the new achievements and the open battle mode provide additional motivation. Creative minds and action fans can access it without hesitation — Underdogs is simply a lot of fun and, not the least thanks to the big update, has a lot to offer. Brattas and Sistas, grab your mech and dive into the fray!

I’m a big survival game fan. I love punching trees or picking up rocks and sticks to make tools. However, these games often discount the greatest tools humans were ever gifted with: your own two hands. Fortunately, Bootstrap Island makes full use of them.

At Gamescom, I played the latest version of this early access SteamVR game from Maru VR Productions. The studio recently added a simple building mechanic, though you can only make fences and gates right now. There are plans to expand this mechanic while adding features like food spoilage, boots, and new bosses this fall.

Like many survival games, I find myself stranded on a desert island. I love pirates, so I like to think I'm one who got blasted overboard during a ship capture gone awry. Unlike most survival games, rather than gathering resources to build tools, I can use my hands to do everything I want.

If I need to drink, I can smash a coconut against a boulder and rip its rind off if I need to drink. Then I'll bash it into the boulder again to split the coconut in two, drinking the sweet water within by holding it up to my face. I could also poke holes in the top with a knife I found in a locked chest. This method stopped any water from spilling out when it cracked open. I could also eat the flesh, piece-by-piece with my hands, by holding it up to my gob.

Opening the locked chest involves finding a rock to whack it open. Seeing the sparks flying off the metal gave me an idea. I gathered the spent coconut rind and placed some nearby sticks and planks on top of it, then got the rock in one hand, locked chest in another, and created sparks until I had a roaring bonfire going. That’s the beauty of creating intuitive systems like this.

Spin Rhythm XD, Thumper, Pistol Whip, Ragnarock, & Synth Riders. Rhythm and dance games are perfect for VR, offering a truly immersive experience—enjoy great games while supporting Direct Relief!

Ember Souls takes you into a fantastic world full of adventure and danger. As the last immortal, you must face an ultimate battle against the mysterious Shadow Sultan in this VR hack-and-slash game. This involves not only sword fights, but also parkour, climbing and tricky environmental puzzles. Find out how the demo of the title inspired by Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed plays in this article.

A magnificent palace full of mystery My adventure begins on a boat, slowly drifting towards an island. Even from a distance, I can see magnificent buildings with golden domes that remind me of the architecture in Prince of Persia and immediately catch my attention. I disembark at a jetty, grab a sword and make my way to an imposing palace.

Standing in front of a closed gate, a shimmering blue bird invites me to pet it. In a brief conversation, it tells me how to get over the walls and into the palace. On my way there, I smash barrels and vases and find a useful sign — an incentive to explore my surroundings further.

Exactly one year later after the controversial policy was initially revealed, it's now being scrapped "effective immediately." In a new statement, CEO Matthew Bromberg confirmed that the Unity Game Engine will revert back to a seat-based subscription model, which means one person can use an individual subscription across limitless devices.

It's time to check out the FINAL production version of the super high end Somnium VR1 PCVR Headset. Has my opinion changed? Let's find out...

The Somnium VR1 is available NOW HERE: https://store.somniumspace.com/

On September 25 and 26, Meta will unveil new products that will shape the future of the XR industry.

Meta Connect (formerly Oculus Connect) celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and will be the most important Connect since the launch of Quest 2 four years ago, perhaps the most important ever.

Meta Quest 3S: Can it surpass the success of Quest 2?

The stakes are high for Meta. On the VR front, Meta will announce the Meta Quest 3S, a more affordable version of the Quest 3, which is aimed at the mainstream. The device is the successor to the Quest 2, which is expected to have sold over 20 million units by now. The Quest 3S needs to sell at least as many units to be considered a success and grow the industry.

After the failure of the Playstation VR 2 and the lukewarm response to Apple Vision Pro, it's up to Meta to get consumers excited about VR, with mixed reality and exclusive software. Ad

A major VR focus of the conference will be Meta Horizon. We will probably see improved avatars for Horizon Worlds. We should also get a look at new APIs for Horizon OS, the operating system of Meta Quest, such as the spatial app framework. Hopefully, there will also be an update on the planned OEM headsets based on Horizon OS. First look at Meta's AR vision

We also expect major announcements in the AR space. After more than ten years of R&D, Meta will finally unveil a prototype of full-fledged AR glasses. The device, codenamed Orion, will not become a product because it is too expensive to manufacture. For now, the AR glasses are something else entirely: a vision of the future to appease investors, inspire tech enthusiasts, and encourage developers to create the first applications for Meta's upcoming AR platform.

Hopefully, Meta will provide a glimpse into the AR roadmap for the next few years, both in terms of hardware and software. Even if it will be a long time before affordable AR glasses hit the market: It's time for Meta to get real. The hype around AR glasses has been dead for many years, and Meta has a chance to revive it with Orion.

What's already here and affordable are AI-powered smart glasses with useful features. The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are also part of Meta's AR future and are likely to play an important role at the conference, especially as they have been a surprise success and an ideal form factor for artificial intelligence. Although no new iteration of the glasses is expected this year, Meta is likely to unveil far-reaching new AI features for the smart glasses.

Developed by No Brakes Games and published by Curve Games (Lawn Mowing Simulator VR), Human Fall Flat VR adapts the 2016 physics-based flatscreen game with a new control scheme. Each controller represents the respective "wobbly" arms of your avatar, and each level takes place across different environments.

In a press release, Curve Games states the VR adaptation is a "completely new experience" from the original game that uses a third-person view. Though solo gameplay is supported, Human Fall Flat VR supports co-op for up to three friends as you tackle various challenges. All the original levels are included alongside a selection of "Extra Dreams" crafted by the community.

"Together, you'll navigate tricky traps and solve mind-bending physics puzzles, all while laughing at the unpredictable antics along the way. Imagine yourself wobbling through whimsical dreamscapes, now with the power to flail your arms in every direction, just like a real-life ragdoll. Whether you're swinging from ledges or pulling levers, the all-new VR control system lets you reach out and touch the madness," states the studio in a press release.

A specific release date remains unconfirmed, but Human Fall Flat VR is "coming soon" for $13 to the Meta Quest platform, Steam, and PlayStation VR2.

In a recent Q&A on Instagram, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth was asked if Meta was working on motion trackers for Meta Quest. He denied it, saying that Pico would have to be successful with its devices before Meta would consider a similar product.

Here is his full answer:

"No. Those Pico trackers seem cool, and I think it's fun that they're doing that. I haven't had a chance to play with any of the new stuff out of there, but it's great to see people continuing to push and innovate and try different things.

I think there's just not that many use cases where people need that high of a degree of precision on extremities. It's not zero, if you're a dance enthusiast in VRChat and you want to show off those moves, it's great. I'm glad people have a chance to do that, and they have a path for that.

But for getting these things to be mainstream where we make this something that way more people use, I'm not sure that the juice is worth the squeeze. And I don't mean that from a business standpoint, I mean even for the consumer in terms of what they get out of it. I hope it goes so well for them, and they prove me wrong, and then we'll have to do it."