[Rewritten Title] XR Weekly Recap (April 8, 2025): Meta’s Smartglasses Pricing at $1400, Concerns Over US Tariffs, and More!

Things may be a bit quiet in the XR world lately, but this week had a little shake-up with some April Fool’s antics. Plus, there are some noteworthy updates that might intrigue XR enthusiasts. Let’s dive into this week’s roundup so you can stay in the loop about the latest happenings in the XR universe 😊

Headline Highlights

Meta’s Eye-Catching Smartglasses Price Tag

There’s a buzz around Meta’s upcoming smartglasses, and Bloomberg’s report sheds light on some unexpected details. Set to launch this year, a model called Hypernova will make its debut. These glasses are like a beefed-up version of Ray-Ban Meta, sporting a display for one eye to show visual cues. These elements are positioned lower, so you’ll need to glance down to view them. The device is navigable via capacitive temples or a nifty neural wristband. In a move up from their predecessors, these glasses are upgrading their camera to something akin to an iPhone 13. Looking ahead to 2027, Meta might release a model with displays for each eye. This aligns with the trajectory we expected for Meta’s smartglasses evolution.

But here’s a twist: the glasses won’t feature the Ray-Ban brand. Instead, they will carry Meta’s branding, which seems odd given Ray-Ban’s stylish appeal. Meta’s glasses were successful partly due to Ray-Ban’s fashion allure and Essilor Luxottica’s distribution. But another shocker is the price. With a hefty tag of $1000-$1400, these aren’t budget-friendly, especially considering they’re mainly for checking phone notifications and media capture. Unless there’s an Apple logo, it seems a stretch to spend that much because their primary features overlap with cheaper devices.

Ultimately, who will buy them? Probably tech aficionados and developers keen to explore new hardware—though this isn’t exactly a developer kit since Meta curates the app ecosystem. Here’s hoping the report isn’t entirely accurate, as numerous alternative devices can meet these needs at a fraction of the cost.

For Further Reading: Check out insights from Road To VR, Upload VR, and Forbes on these smartglasses.

Noteworthy Tidbits

April Fool’s in the XR Realm

April Fool’s Day brought some fun pranks in the XR space this year. After years of pulling pranks with only a few others, festivities expanded. I jokingly introduced the Decagear, while Sebastian Ang from MRTV announced he became the CEO of Pimax. Meanwhile, Ndreams teased Synapse 2 for Google Cardboard and Voodoo DE hinted at a cutting-edge device.

Beyond XR, the tech world embraced the silliness too. Razer’s prank about the Razer Skibidi, a headset translating Gen Z slang, was a highlight. It’s not hard to imagine adults needing such a gadget while gaming.

Enjoy my collection of favorite tech jokes from April Fool’s Day!

Rising US Tariffs Could Spike Headset Costs

Amidst turbulent stock markets triggered by new US tariffs, uncertainty looms as the situation unfolds. If these tariffs stick around, they could drive up costs for electronics, including XR headsets. Companies sourcing components from Asia might face increased BOM (bill of materials) expenses, potentially pushing consumer prices up.

VR headsets are still more luxury than necessity, and price hikes could dampen sales at a time when XR needs momentum. Let’s hope this crisis finds a resolution soon.

Relevant Reading: Dive deeper into the effects of tariffs on XR from varied sources like the National Association of Manufacturers and tech press outlets.

Apple Unveils New Features in Vision Pro

Vision Pro’s VisionOS has received its 2.4 update, introducing exciting features like:

• Apple Intelligence Suite: Enhancements such as text proofreading, rewriting, summarization, and image generation.
• Spatial Gallery: A curated collection of stunning immersive media.
• Companion App for Vision Pro: A practical addition that Meta seemed prescient about.
• Enhanced Guest Experience: Lets owners configure guest settings and activate mirroring via the app.

For a detailed overview, check Road To VR and Upload VR.

Mixed Fortunes for the Quest Ecosystem

The Quest platform is experiencing mixed feedback. Some indicators highlight thriving aspects, such as the popularity of Gorilla Tag, I Am Cat, and Animal Company on the Quest Store, with the latter hitting over $100K in revenue.

Conversely, other developers report market share declines and recent layoffs have affected the sector. Despite Meta revealing over $2B spent on Horizon Store, this figure hasn’t budged much in over a year, signaling a slowdown perhaps due to the inflow of new, younger players favoring free games.

Other Notable News & Insights

• Nintendo Labo’s Non-compatibility: The bigger display of the forthcoming Switch 2 renders Nintendo Labo accessories incompatible. There’s no indication of a revised Labo in the works.
• PSVR 2 Eye Tracking on PC: Developers like "whatdahopper" are tinkering to enable PSVR 2’s eye-tracking on PC, with collaboration from iVRy. If successful, PSVR 2 could be the most affordable headset with eye-tracking, opening new opportunities for VRChat fans and research institutions.
• Quest’s Camera Innovations: The Quest community creates innovative prototypes using camera access—voxelizing spaces, scanning physical objects into 3D models, and ball-tracking experiments.

For those designs, visit the latest community demos.

In Touch Haptics: New research unveils a slim “synthetic skin” for fingertips that inflates and deflates to mimic touch sensations, signaling exciting, though distant, potential.

Lastly, a commendation to the Ruff Talk VR’s showcase event, putting a spotlight on VR indie games—a must-watch if you’re keen to keep up with emerging titles.

Key Content Updates

• Civilization VII VR is launching for Quest 3 and 3S on April 10 at $60.
• Velociblaster, where you play as arm-equipped velociraptors, can now be wishlisted.
• Train Sim World in VR: Experience realistic train simulations for $32 on Quest.
• REAVE, a new dungeon-crawler from the makers of “Township Tale,” is teased.
• Bearly Escape arrives on May 1, offering an Early Access puzzle adventure on SteamVR and Quest 3 for $14.99.
• Rival Stars Horse Racing: VR Edition: Coming to Steam and Quest on April 17.

Holy Grail for HL:Alyx Lovers: Someone is recreating Half-Life: Alyx for Quest 3, showcasing passion and dedication. The first scene is now available as a sideloadable APK.

A Glimpse at Content Reviews

• Pinball FX VR: Offers an impressive pinball experience with varied machines and a mixed reality mode for added fun.
• Wanderer: Fragments Of Fate: Features clever puzzles but needs combat and bug fixes to reach its full potential.
• Hitman World Of Assassination for PSVR 2: Solidified as a genuinely good game by Upload VR.

More to Explore:

• A Sig Sauer-shaped controller for Quest crafted by ACE.
• Success of Squid Game VR experience, generating over $30M.
• Positive feedback on Mocopi Pro tracking at GDC.
• Virtual Desktop now supports virtual monitors for Mac with impressive quality.

Lastly, HTC celebrates 9 years of Vive—here’s to more!

Partnerships & Laughter

A shoutout to "Mixed Reality Tech" for their QA services in the XR application realm—ideal if you need bug checks for multiple headsets.

And, a big thank you to all who support this endeavor. This week, consider extending that kindness to those in dire need and donate to Ukraine via the Red Cross.

(Header Image Courtesy of Razer)

Cheers and happy exploring the ever-evolving XR world!