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This week has been a whirlwind at work, but in the best possible way. It seemed like my plate was already full, and then Meta rolled out camera access for the Quest, and I just couldn’t resist diving right into it! Let’s explore the most intriguing XR news from the past few days—there’s plenty to cover! Stick around until the end, because there’s a special giveaway waiting for you.
Top News of the Week
Over at Niantic, some big changes are afoot. They just sold their gaming division, including the crown jewel Pokémon Go, to Scopely for a whopping $3.85 billion. This move means that Pokémon Go now falls under the ownership of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the parent company of Scopely. With this major shift, Niantic is pivoting to concentrate fully on developing their geospatial tech, which combines AI, AR, spatial intelligence, and geolocation. They’ve even spun off a new entity, Niantic Spatial, with a hefty $250 million in funding.
This is undoubtedly a high-stakes gamble. While the sale brought in a significant sum, Niantic has let go of a massive revenue stream in Pokémon Go—an enormously successful game—and their promising new title, Monster Hunt Now. They’ve traded this for a technology that’s yet to show substantial financial returns. They’re betting big on the future of XR. It’s exciting to see such commitment to the potential of AR, and it suggests they anticipate profitability might be around the corner, possibly within three years. However, without Pokémon Go, they’re taking a leap without a safety net. If the adoption of AR takes longer than expected, Niantic could face serious challenges. A smart tactic might have been retaining Pokémon Go as a flagship application for their upcoming VR glasses.
Kudos to John Hanke for having the guts to make such a radical transition; he’s truly going all-in on XR without looking back. No matter what happens, his bold move is worthy of respect.
More info on the sale:
Other News Highlights
Meta has finally done it—developers now have access to the Passthrough APIs, enabling MR applications on Quest devices to "see" the user’s surroundings and adapt their behavior in real time. The update, available in the SDK and runtime for Quest and Quest 3S, includes sample projects showcasing this technology. The developer community is already actively experimenting, and tutorials are cropping up everywhere. Check out my detailed blog post to get started with Passthrough Camera Access.
Meta’s methodology echoes Google’s intentions with Android XR. Applications will require user consent to access cameras, ensuring user control. The cameras are managed via Camera2 on Android and WebCamTexture in Unity, familiar tools for smartphone developers. This paves the way for seamless cross-platform applications between phones, Meta Quest, and Android XR headsets. However, as an experimental feature, Passthrough Camera Access isn’t yet permitted on the Horizon Store, but similar restrictions have been lifted in the past after a few months, so patience might pay off.
More info on camera access:
- Roberto Coviello’s announcement
- Upload VR: Meta’s camera access
- Developer experiments and demos
- My unity tutorial on camera access
The VR Games Showcase of March 2025, led by Jamie Feltham, delivered a host of VR game announcements. While nothing was earth-shattering, several updates were delightful. Here are some highlights:
- Stay: Forever Home, a VR/MR adventure with a virtual dog, is launching on Quest in April. The new trailer looks promising.
- Hitman: World of Assassination is heading to PSVR 2 with an impressive trailer, setting high expectations for its March 27th launch.
- Memoreum, a sci-fi survival horror game, hits Quest this September with an intriguing new trailer.
- Slender: The Arrival VR will debut on PS VR2, PC VR, & Quest this spring—PC’s Slenderman has left players terrified, and VR might just amplify that effect.
- Flat2VR Studios is bringing four flat-screen games to VR, following the success of "Trombone Champ: Unflattened."
For a full lineup of announcements, check out the links below:
More info on VR Games Showcase news:
- Complete Showcase announcements
- Titan Isles, new from Psytec Games
- Triangle Factory’s multiplayer shooter inspired by Battlefield
Sadly, Ultraleap has been dismantled and sold off in parts. Once renowned for their innovations in haptics and hand tracking, they’ve now sold the hand-tracking segment to Roli, a musical instrument firm. Meanwhile, US IP finance company SIM IP has acquired their intellectual property around haptics and hand-tracking technology. The sale sees 24 remaining employees transitioning to Roli, leaving a shadow of what the startup once promised.
Ultraleap’s silence on this suggests the report’s accuracy. It’s a shame—perhaps a collaboration with a headset manufacturer early on might have been a more strategic move.
More info on Ultraleap: More info here
In Other News:
Samsung will supply its Project Moohan headset with its own controllers, refuting earlier speculations of reliance solely on hand tracking like Apple’s approach. These controllers, identified as ET-OI610, could facilitate easier adaptation of existing content for Samsung’s platform. Given Google’s emphasis on simplicity in transporting Unity content to Android XR, this development is a positive for expanding content libraries swiftly.
More info on Samsung’s headset: More info here
A report by New World Notes draws attention to Meta’s internal struggles with Horizon Worlds. Surprisingly, developers lack enthusiasm for virtual worlds, with some simulating presence in the app rather than engaging with it—despite being mandated to spend time there. Moreover, many team members hail from social app backgrounds, leading to interfaces that lean too heavily on web-like designs rather than immersive experiences.
If the report holds true, Horizon Worlds’ development seems to be in chaos. Instead of investing more in this "metaverse", Meta could benefit from optimizing its Quest ecosystem and supporting other developers producing impressive yet struggling content.
More info on Horizon Worlds: More info here
Mentions of Note:
Google is reportedly in talks to purchase AdHawk Microsystems, an eye-tracking firm, for $115 million, signifying Google’s solid interest in XR. Unlike traditional optical cameras, AdHawk’s micromirror technology for eye tracking presents privacy benefits and reduced power consumption, though at a slightly reduced precision.
Meanwhile, Valve’s dig into device-datamining hints at a "SteamVR Link Dongle" promising improved wireless VR experiences, potentially complementing their anticipated Deckard headset. Valve’s open approach is notable, with plans to extend Steam Link to Pico and HTC headsets, enhancing accessibility to Steam VR games.
More info on AdHawk acquisition and Valve’s dongle:
Meta Adds Micro Gesture Support:
Alongside Passthrough Camera Access, Meta’s latest SDK empowers detection of microgestures—subtle finger movements like a slight thumb flick—enabling seamless interactions within MR applications.
In disappointing news, Immersed has pushed back Visor’s mass production to after summer, diverging from September’s publicized date. With ongoing financial ambiguity and community bans for questions on Discord and Reddit, clearer communication could go far in maintaining customer confidence.
A tough week for VR developers saw the closure of Phaser Lock—the team behind Primal Hunt and Final Assault—citing an unfavorable economic climate. Similarly, publisher People Can Fly announced its exit from VR game publishing, noting a decline in funding from VR hardware companies like Meta. It appears Meta’s attention is now elsewhere, presumably on Horizon Worlds.
Experimental Wonders:
This week brought news of two groundbreaking but unrelated experiments. First, a $35,000 biological computer intertwines living neurons with silicon, opening real-time computation realms—an advancement straddling biological and digital divides. Second, a study succeeded in enabling communication between two subjects within their dreams—imagine that in the era of persistent WhatsApp notifications!
Additional Tech Advances:
Speedy physics simulations make magic in MAGE, a physics playground on Quest 3 that astonishes with continuous 120Hz performance sans Unity or Unreal engines’ flexibility. Meanwhile, Apple’s release of a Metallica concert for Vision Pro, utilizing 8K 3D video and spatial audio, brings acclaim, although its filming style faces some critique.
Amidst the tech buzz, sales await on Steam and the Horizon Store, notably offering Half-Life: Alyx at just $18—a steal for such an acclaimed title. Explore these promotions for deals on VR treasures!
In content news, exciting things abound:
- BEATABLE, a rhythm-induced tabletop bash, launches April 10.
- Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower just dropped on Quest for $10.
- Quantum Threshold revolutionizes accessibility in its VR roguelike shooter format with a wheelchair-centric gameplay twist.
- Co-op sim Penguin Festival graces Quest and Steam soon.
- Exoshock, a tactical PvE VR shooter, teases new gameplay.
- RoboCop: Streets of Anarchy, slated for a late-2025 arcade release, invites fans, though restricted to select venues for now.
Keep an eye on the links below for these riveting game experiences:
More on new XR games:
Content Reviews Roundup:
- Waltz Of The Wizard showcases excellent hand tracking on PSVR 2, hindered by occasional flaws.
- Deep Cuts delights with customizable action movie scene creation, meeting creativity with endless possibilities.
- Path of Fury – Episode I resembles Beat Saber in its rhythmic punching sequences.
- Mythic Realms blends MR combat, kingdom-building, and roguelike strategy—a multitasking marvel.
- Pixel Dungeon, a classic dungeon crawler, feels ready for expansion with already ample content.
For detailed impressions of these experiences, browse the links below:
More reviews:
And now, a quick shoutout to partnerships and networks:
We’re unveiling two keys for Mythic Realms, offering the fastest among you a chance for a free grab! Don’t worry if you miss out; you can always support the developers by purchasing the game in the Horizon Store.
Grab Mythic Realms:
Before we wrap up, here’s a lighter side of the XR world:
- Ever run out of space on your headset? We’ve all been there; check out these chucklesome reminders of XR struggles and joys. Funny Link
Lastly, amidst all the gaming and tech excitement, let’s not forget those in need. If you can, consider donating to the Red Cross to support Ukraine. Big thanks to all my incredible Patreon supporters listed below who make these updates possible.
Red Cross Donation Link: Support Here
(Header image courtesy of Niantic)
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