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

The holiday season is almost upon us, and with it comes the end of another year. While I’ll send out holiday cheer in a dedicated post tomorrow, today I’m playing Santa with not one, but two exciting giveaways! You could snag a free key to redeem two awesome XR games, so stick around for all the details on how to get involved.

Top News This Week

Meta’s Reflections on 2024 and Thoughts for 2025

Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, the brains behind Meta’s tech as CTO, has shared insightful reflections on this year’s achievements and hints at what’s coming next. Joined in commentary by Mark Rabkin, VP of MR/VR, and insights from Janko Roettgers’ Lowpass newsletter, there are some gems worth noting. Yes, we’ve already heard that Meta introduced the Quest 3S, praised as an affordable mixed reality headset, and of course, the company’s innovative spirit. But let’s dig into the need-to-know deets I hand-picked just for you:

• The Quest 3S is performing well. Sales were impressive during Black Friday, and a spike is anticipated this holiday break. It’ll be intriguing to see how it measures up against the Quest 2’s past performance.
• New faces are entering the XR realm thanks to the Quest 3S, which isn’t just attracting Quest 2 upgraders but also first-time Quest users.
• Kids are flocking to Quest, shifting the store’s economy with their love for social and co-op games, driving hits like Gorilla Tag, while adults expand into entertainment experiences.
• Meta’s backing a variety of genres—social gaming, entertainment, free-to-play—suggests that if you’re looking for support to create content, crafting something in these areas could catch their eye.
• The top apps on Quest 3S include Gorilla Tag, Youtube VR, and Horizon Worlds, indicating a solid interest in VR media consumption.
• The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are thriving, now enhanced with AI integration as Meta eyes AI assistants that proactively help throughout your day, sparking both excitement and privacy concerns.
• While Meta leads the XR market, competitors like Apple and Google are stepping in, potentially shaking things up. Bosworth addressed the pressure on his team, underscoring the stakes Meta faces.

For more, dive into posts on Meta’s blog, Lowpass newsletter, and Mark Rabkin’s commentary.

Other Relevant News

Spatial Intelligence Gains Traction

AI and XR continue to dazzle, particularly in spatial intelligence. This week, two noteworthy projects emerged. First, Niantic’s work on Large Geospatial Models aims to leverage AI in filling the data gaps in geospatial scans—a vital move given inconsistent data collection. Meanwhile, researchers at NYU are focusing on LLMs for spatial understanding, develop VSI-Bench to measure this capability, suggesting ways to enhance it using today’s tech. These strides signal an intriguing future for XR.

News Worth a Mention

Cutting-Edge 8K Cameras

Blackmagic Design is now accepting pre-orders for the URSA Cine Immersive camera, designed for 8K VR180 video tailored for Apple’s Immersive Video. Priced at a steep $30,000, it’s targeting professional studios rather than hobbyists. Keep an eye out for updates to DaVinci Resolve, which will soon support this format.

More Tidbits to Consider

• Meta’s new SDK feature lets developers animate avatars using voice audio, enhancing the avatar’s expressiveness.
• A potential fix for SteamVR stutter issues with Quest has surfaced, suggesting disabling Motion-smoothing may help, which many are finding effective.
• Tokyo’s digital point cloud is available to use freely, offering opportunities for XR and AI projects.
• The Meta Winter Sale means significant discounts on top VR games, making it a great time to expand your collection.

For more news, see updates on Cold VR, Figmin XR, Dino Hab, and more upcoming and released content.

Of course, this post includes spotlight reviews, other noteworthy news, and even some fun XR tidbits. Plus, don’t forget to check out my exclusive giveaways, where you might win exciting XR games—perfect for the holiday season!

Lastly, I’d like to encourage some goodwill as well. Instead of extending your support to this blog, perhaps consider helping those impacted by conflict. Donating to the Red Cross can make a significant impact. Below is the link if you feel moved to contribute. Thank you to all my generous supporters as always.

Support The Red Cross in Ukraine

(Header image by Meta)