Sure thing, let’s dive right in.
Hey! Guess what? I’ve got some fresh AR/VR stuff to spill this week. It’s way more thrilling than last time. Oh, and stick around—there’s a key giveaway too! Just in case you missed it, I sat down with the folks behind Animal Company. Loads of juicy tips on XR gaming and a sneak peek at a new mode. Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner?
Top Stories, Sort of…
Pico’s New Mixed Reality Gizmo
So, there’s buzz that Bytedance (yep, those TikTok guys) is tinkering with something new—a mixed reality headset called “Swan.” Apparently, it’s as light as a feather, like 100 grams. Meanwhile, Meta’s up to something similar, codenamed Puffin or Phoenix or whatever they’re calling it this week. Can’t they pick one name? Anyway, the idea’s cool even if I’m iffy about the puck thing. It’s like a tiny albatross around your neck. We’ll see what happens, right?
Meta’s Unreal Prototypes
Meta—always showing off ahead of SIGGRAPH, aren’t they? This year, they’ve got VR toys with 180 degrees of field view. "High-curvature reflective polarizers” are involved, whatever those are. The MR version has these cameras that are like, super Sherlock Holmes level, letting you see the world straight through. Whether or not anything hits shelves, who knows?
HTC Vive’s Secret Buzz
HTC Vive is teasing something new. Coordinates point to Taipei 101. I’d Google it, but they’ve already got my data for that. Let’s just hope it’s something cool. Headset? New software? A potato? The suspense is killing me. Okay, not really, but you get it.
Random Tidbits
Brazen Blaze Goes Free
So Brazen Blaze is now free-to-play. Makes sense, I guess. Kids love free stuff, don’t we all? But there’s a pinch of risk involved. If it doesn’t rake in enough cash, it could just go bust. The market’s a jungle that way.
Alex and the Virtual Jets
Alex and the Jets—a mixed reality deal—just got a VR mode. Who needs a real room anyway when you can pretend to have one? Reality is overrated, sometimes.
Coray Air2 and Silicon Surprises
Oh, here’s a twist: a Chinese company, Coray, rolls out glasses using silicon carbide, a material the US isn’t exactly keen on sharing. The universe loves irony.
Oakley’s Meta Eyes
ZD Net’s poking at the new Oakley Meta HSTN smartglasses. Apparently, they beat Ray-Ban’s version. I mean, until you wear them yourself, who knows?
VRChat’s Colorful Accessories
BigScreen just popped out a lilac “VRChat Edition” headset. It’s $50 pricier, but you get some VRChat goodies. Purple is the new black, I guess.
Jumbled Happenings
Meta’s Dev Goodies
Meta dropped a tool to help VR devs, aimed at smoothing out bottlenecks. I mean, who doesn’t love a good runtime optimizer?
Venice Immersive Festival
Venice is bringing together XR projects from 27 countries. That’s a ton of headsets, and I’m here for it.
PlayStation’s VR Sale Extravaganza
PlayStation’s having a mega sale. Loads of VR games on discount ‘til July 29th. Get your gear ready.
Say What? Random Thoughts
Oh, this one’s good. Someone popped out VR shoes—FreeAim—through Kickstarter. Health? VR shoes are the future, maybe?
Parting Words, or Whatever
I’d usually say donate to keep this newsletter going, but how about tossing some love to the Red Cross for Ukraine instead? Better vibes all around. Props to my Patreon crew, though—couldn’t do this without you!
Alright, that’s a wrap. Until next time, keep those VR dreams wild and untamed!
