After an exhilarating trip to CES, I’ve finally landed back in Italy. The experience there was absolutely unforgettable, and despite coming back exhausted, I’m filled with nothing but joy. From every angle—whether as a blogger, an enthusiast, or an entrepreneur—it was an enriching experience. So naturally, the CES adventure will dominate this week’s roundup, but there are a few other intriguing updates that didn’t directly come from there. Let’s dive into all the exciting news! (Apologies for the slight delay in this newsletter—I had a mountain of tasks waiting for me after returning from Vegas.)
### Top News of the Week
At this year’s CES, one of the standout revelations was the plethora of XR products on display. It’s the biggest tech extravaganza around, and seeing a dedicated section for XR companies was invigorating. XR is still carving out its niche, but it’s certainly gaining momentum. The spotlight was on smartglasses, often intertwined with AI technology. You might’ve heard about the Ray-Ban Meta or the Halliday glasses with their tiny displays. Goertek, a leader in XR manufacturing, unveiled new smart and AR glasses designs, which will likely spur more companies to jump into this sector.
While nothing groundbreaking was announced for XR at CES, two tech giants, NVIDIA and Sony, had some noteworthy reveals. NVIDIA introduced their RTX 50 graphics cards, set to elevate PCVR gaming performance further. Notably, the most expensive in the lineup, the 5090, will set you back $2000. They also revealed that Geforce Now, their cloud gaming service, is heading to Quest, Pico, and Apple Vision Pro, allowing users to enjoy traditional games on a virtual big screen.
Sony also made waves with the announcement of XYN, a new range of XR-oriented tools for creatives. Details remain scant; however, the reveal included a new headset building upon their previous enterprise model, which now costs over $4000—but it couldn’t be tested yet. They also mentioned advancements in body tracking and object scanning, albeit vaguely. Still, it’s great to see Sony pushing forward in XR technology.
HDMI rolled out its 2.2 standard, boasting an impressive 96Gb/s bandwidth, potentially enticing headsets back to HDMI use. I’ve already covered several gadgets from CES like the Shiftall MeganeX SuperLight 8K, Ray-Ban Meta, and Pimax Crystal Super. My personal highlight was the Play For Dream headset—a review is incoming. Amanda Watson also raved about it, declaring it her favorite. Meeting Amanda at CES was a delight!
For those who missed CES, I’ve filmed the XR area walkthrough, linked below for your viewing pleasure. It might not have been the most remarkable CES for XR, but it was a solid one nonetheless.
### Other Relevant News
A surprising piece of news this week is that Meta Quest 3S ruled Amazon’s US sales charts in 2024, not just in VR but outshining all gaming consoles. It even clinched third place in the overall Video Games category, despite debuting only in October. Remarkably, the Quest 3S dominated holiday sales, and its companion mobile app hit the top of the Apple App Store during the same period. Analyses show a spike in Batman Arkham Shadow players around the holidays, suggesting boosted headset sales.
However, it’s premature to declare VR has gone mainstream. It does indicate, though, a positive holiday season surge with many new users entering the VR world, which is undoubtedly encouraging.
Continuing with Meta, they’ve officially retired the Quest Pro. Dubbed as their first prosumer headset, it’s out of the Meta store, ushering customers towards the Quest 3 instead. However, the Quest Pro’s Touch Pro controllers remain available, compatible with other Quest headsets. The Quest Pro’s hasty launch, driven by fears of Apple’s Vision Pro, resulted in a rushed and overpriced device which didn’t sell well. Initially priced at $1500, it was soon reduced to $1000 due to poor sales, eventually given away at events—a decision that seemed unavoidable.
The Quest Pro’s unique eye and face tracking will be missed, particularly by researchers. Coincidentally, ASUS is rumored to equip their upcoming HorizonOS headset with similar features—possibly a strategic leak to reassure users about Horizon’s feature continuity.
### News Worth a Mention
Leaked details about the ASUS ROG VR headset, codenamed Tarius, have emerged. It’s one of the pioneering HorizonOS headsets planned to feature both eye and face tracking, alongside advanced displays. Although details are sparse, these leaks signal promising progress for third-party Horizon headset projects.
Infinite Reality made headlines with a staggering $3 billion investment directed at developing a WebXR-focused web content creation engine. This funding has raised eyebrows within the XR community, especially as it originated from a single private investor. It’s interesting to speculate how far Infinite Reality can push its vision with this massive backing.
On a different note, a peculiar research project caught my eye—one that allows participants to “walk” in VR while lying flat on their backs by mimicking a cycling motion with their legs. The intense abdominal workout it demands prompted a simple reaction: “BUT WHY?”
Meanwhile, DotLumen is making strides with a breakthrough headset for visually impaired individuals, designed to scan surroundings and guide users along safe paths. This could be revolutionary for those living with visual impairments.
Switching back to commercial news, Meta has slashed $50 off the Quest 3S 256GB model, bundling it with Batman Arkham Shadow. This discount seems aimed at boosting sales for this model, which didn’t perform as well as its more affordable counterpart during holidays.
Sanzaru Games, creators of Asgard’s Wrath, are shifting focus from the beloved franchise towards their next major project. Whatever they’re cooking up, anticipation is building fast—especially with whispers hinting at mixed reality adventures.
#### Content Updates
Exciting developments in the gaming space abound. Stress Level Zero has announced that Boneworks is coming to Quest 3, with a new game in the pipeline. The rhythmic title Synth Riders launched an ’80s Mixtape Side B, even throwing in a classic rickroll! Meanwhile, Human Within, Shardfall: FitQuest VR, and Detective VR are hitting the platform at tantalizing prices, with the latter set for a February 27 release.
Chrono Weaver has just launched, inviting players into its VR time-travel conundrum on both Quest and Steam. As for I Am Security, following a recent update, it’s soared into the top-selling apps on Quest. Dawn of Jets takes to the skies in early access, while Virtual Hunter is readying for its January 15 PC VR release.
#### Reviews on New Titles
A couple of games have jumped into the spotlight. Epyka, a Myst-like puzzle-adventure, impresses with its visuals and audio, despite being on the shorter side. Pirates VR: Jolly Roger offers a vibrant escapade but suffers from some design and combat shortcomings. Shardfall: FitQuest VR delivers a delightful fitness experience, akin to Ring Fit Adventure. Lastly, Gears & Goo provides an engaging tower defense experience on Apple Vision Pro, thoughtfully designed for hand and eye tracking.
### Other Tidbits
A creative Redditor has crafted a neat Oculus Touch controller addon to enhance VR combat performance—definitely worth checking out for enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, the game Exit 8 is inspiring a new movie adaptation. Fingers crossed it captures the game’s intrigue. On a related note, Road To VR shared first impressions of Surreal Touch controllers—a must-read for anyone following controller innovations.
On the modding front, a fully modded Minecraft version, featuring over 100 enhancements, including full-body VR tracking, is garnering attention. It’s a fresh way to experience the beloved block-building universe.
For developers, there’s a new guide offering a comprehensive introduction to Lens Studio, particularly valuable for those familiar with Unity.
### Partner and Friend News
A quick shoutout to Tyriel Wood, who was my fantastic partner in crime at CES 2025. Do check out his YouTube channel for top-notch XR content. His upcoming videos on our CES escapades are something you won’t want to miss!
### Some XR Fun
You’ll never guess—someone drove a truck in mixed reality! And a few more hilarious XR moments, like a paranoid Gemini or every gamer’s dilemma during Steam Sales, are all linked below for a good laugh.
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