Virtual Reality

Most of you know about the MS8K by now. For those who do not: it is a new Lighthouse PCVR headset from a Panasonic spin-off called “shiftall”. The headset sports two 4k microOLED panels, pancake lenses, motorised IPD adjustment, Diopter adjustment and a very sleek overall design that weighs in at only 185g.

I had a whole afternoon with the device at the shiftall headquarters in Tokyo and could check out whatever I wanted on their 4070super PC they had set up for this test session. And yeah, I really wanted to try out Microsoft Flight Simulator, since it has become one of my favourite things to do in VR.

And I am happy to tell you that the experience blew me away. This was the best experience I have ever had in MSFS. Period. What made it so good? The immersion in this headset is just so fantastic, the headset ticks so many boxes:

Visuals - more pixels than the Apple Vision Pro, also microOLED. And the beautiful thing is: really good lenses. Much better pancake lenses than in the Bigscreen Beyond. You get a really good edge to edge clarity here and much less glare. The lenses are very comparable with the Quest 3 lenses. Now since this also has a near perfect binocular overlap and a standard FOV (around 100h), you simply get the best visuals that I have so far seen in VR. Yes, even sharper than AVP and that with DisplayPort. Exactly what we VR enthusasiast crave.

Comfort - the headset is just so incredibly comfortable. It’s a soft strap that is designed in the halo way. So the headset is not pressed against your eyes but hovers in front of them. And the gasket itself is comparable to that of the PSVR2, so it is just there to keep the light out. Nice. Also, there is eye relief, so you can get the lenses as close to your eyes as you want, or leave more room if that is better for you. Real IPD adjustment is built in as well and its realised with motors. You set up your IPD in their software and the lenses move to the correct position. Nice! Also there is even diopter adjustment. All that in a package that only weighs 185g. It was so comfortable I forgot I was wearing it.

Downsides - Yes, there are downsides, too. We do not yet have the perfect headset. In my opinion, it is not a very bright headset. It is very comparable to the brightness of the Bigscreen Beyond. So if that is alright for you, this one will be too. But yeah, there are without a doubt brighter headsets out there. The team tells me that the pre-production unit I was using still did not show me the highest brightness yet. It was configured to be as colour-accurate as possible and that meant it was not optimised for brightness. They say they can give us 10 to 15% more brightness in the production unit. Other than that, there is no audio. So you have to take care of your own audio. I personally prefer audio that is built-into the system, or at least an audio strap like the great one of the Bigscreen Beyond.

Overall, I walked away impressed. I truly believe this is the next go-to headset for PCVR enthusiasts who simply want the best visuals that are possible right now. I personally can’t wait to get it for MSFS 2024 and actually all of my other PCVR games!

Meta has added an important puzzle piece to Horizon Worlds, as the company has quietly rolled out its premium digital currency on the social VR platform in the US, UK, and Canada.

Roblox has Robux, Rec Room has Tokens, and Horizon Worlds now has Meta Credits, letting users buy in-world digital goods from creators, such as avatar outfits and access keys to premium worlds. Unlike Quest Cash, Meta Credits can’t be used to buy hardware or accessories, just stuff in Horizon Worlds.

While it’s a big step, this isn’t the official start of the Horizon Worlds economy. Meta has been experimenting with monetization on Horizon Worlds since 2022, allowing users to buy digital goods directly with their local currency. The difference with Meta Credits (like all premium tokens) however is the all-too familiar obfuscation of the amount of real-world money being spent.

We’ve all seen Silent Hill 2 flourish over the years. When Team Silent carefully crafted this incredible survival horror experience, players would end up playing the game endlessly for well over a decade. It’s such a highly cherished game that there was plenty of concern when Konami finally unveiled that a remake was coming. Now that it’s here, fans are able to breathe easy, as it’s quite a stunning game to play.

Bloober Team worked extra hard to ensure that it met fans’ expectations when Silent Hill 2 was released. It’s a very well-done game, and I suggest playing it if you are at all intrigued. However, if you have the game on PC and want to get a little more immersed, this VR mod might do the trick. Thanks to Videogamer, we’re finding out today about a mod that might take you further into this nightmarish hell.

Praydog released a VR mod for the game, and it looks like something you will want to try out cautiously. The gameplay features smooth movement and the ability to use melee weapons accurately. Depending on where you swing, it will allow the melee weapon to pinpoint an area on the enemy’s body carefully. You’ll get a small look at the mod in action from the X post embedded above.

We wish that there was an official VR mode release for this game. But perhaps even the development studio wasn’t keen on bringing this level of horror to players. Regardless, those brave enough to take on the challenge can now do so with the mod. Meanwhile, the rest of us might be waiting to learn more about what the next thrilling Silent Hill installment will offer.

The well-known graphics card manufacturer Nvidia is venturing into new realms. As DigiTimes reports, the company is developing its own ARM-based processors for the PC market. The launch is planned for September 2025 - a strategically clever time, as Qualcomm's exclusive rights for Windows-on-ARM will then expire.

Nvidia definitely has the technical expertise: Years of experience in the areas of graphics processors, AI and ARM architectures form a solid foundation. The company is pursuing two potential approaches for the new chips: A mainstream variant with integrated graphics or a powerful gaming CPU combined with a separate graphics card.

New opportunities for mobile PC VR gaming

The potential impact on mobile PC VR gaming is particularly exciting: powerful and energy-efficient ARM processors could create the basis for a new generation of gaming laptops. These would be ideal for PC VR gaming, for example with your Meta Quest 3 — without having to sacrifice mobility.

The greatest challenge will be software support. Modern games and VR applications must run smoothly on the ARM architecture. This is where Nvidia could benefit from its close relationships with the gaming industry.

With Metro Awakening, Vertigo Games delivers a gripping post-apocalyptic shooter that tells a successful prequel story over twelve chapters. No prior knowledge of the Metro books or games is required, making it easy to jump in.

The interaction with the world and the gadgets works really well. The handling of the weapons is convincing. Most of the fights are exciting, and the soundtrack is well arranged. Plus: There are plenty of scary moments thanks to the great play of light and shadow and the mutant enemies you'll confront.

Graphically, the Quest version performs quite well, without reaching the quality of Batman: Arhkam Shadow. For a visual comparison between the Quest 3 and PSVR 2 versions, take a look at the linked article.

However, I hesitate to give the game a full recommendation. The level design and the locations are not varied enough for me, especially in the later parts.

Other points of criticism include the sometimes predictable actions of the enemies, the unfair distribution of save points, and the fact that there are far too few creative puzzles. However, if you can overlook these flaws, you will be entertained for seven to nine hours at a good level.

Apple has released a new immersive music video from The Weeknd featuring his latest single ‘Open Hearts’, which is available exclusively on Vision Pro for a limited time.

Captured in Apple’s Immersive Video format, Open Hearts serves up 180-degree immersive views and spatial audio set to eponymous single from the Canadian pop artist’s upcoming album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’.

2023 was an excellent year for VR games, and 2024 will even surpass it in terms of quality and especially quantity.

Since October, the number of releases has increased so much that even we are struggling to keep up. Our inboxes are overflowing with announcements of new VR games and updates to existing titles. At times, it feels like developers have been waiting two years or more to release their products at the same time.

The timing is no coincidence: The low-cost Meta Quest 3S was released in mid-October, and VR studios are naturally hoping for a bumper holiday season. Of course, it would be foolish not to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

There are currently rumors that game sales are not as strong as some established VR studios had hoped for with the launch of Quest 3S. Generally, two factors are being cited: the merging of the App Lab and the Quest Store, which has eliminated curation, and Meta's recommendation system, which is said to prioritize Horizon Worlds content over third-party titles that studios have been working on for years. Both of these factors could have led to lower visibility in the Horizon Store and therefore lower sales.

Another possible factor for the alleged decline in sales could be that Meta is currently throwing so many high-quality VR games at new customers for free that they have no reason to buy new VR games, which of course hurts the ecosystem.

Little Cities: Diorama is the first mixed reality version of the cozy city builder. Its creator Purple Yonder developed the Vision Pro version together with nDreams studio Near Light.

Gears & Goo is a tower defense game developed for Apple Vision Pro by Resolution Games (Demeo, Blaston, Racket Club).

Clone Drone in the Danger Zone (2021), the hit arena battler from indie studio Doborog, is bringing the game’s voxel slice-em-up action in a new VR-exclusive sequel next month, coming to Quest and PC VR headsets.

Called Clone Drone in the Hyperdome, the new single-player VR experience includes a thick slice of the series’ unique combat and action-based storyline, where players fight to the death against killer robots—which just so happen to be very frangible.

Doborog says in Clone Drone in the Hyperdome, players take on the role of Blink, a teleporting robot who is the newest ‘looprunner’ gladiator forced to compete in Crashloop, a deadly roguelike combat sport.

bHaptics, the South Korea-based VR haptics creator, announced it’s launching a refreshed lineup of its most popular haptics hardware, which are said to support over 270 titles across Quest, PSVR 2, and PC VR headsets.

The company today announced pre-orders for three new accessories: TactSuit Pro, TactSuit Air and TactSleeve.

Pre-orders for all three are set to launch today, November 12th, and go until November 26th.

Cyborn, the team behind VR sci-fi adventure Hubris (2022), announced it’s releasing mixed reality city builder Wall Town Wonders on Quest 3 next week.

Coming November 21st to Quest 3 and Quest 3S, Wall Town Wonders promises to turn any room in your house into a magical miniature town.

Supporting hand-tracking, the mixed reality game lets you interact with tiny characters as you help them rebuild and customize their world, rightfully built across your real-world walls.

Wall Town Wonders also promises to bring “a peaceful environment where you can progress at your own speed,” which includes a variety of quests, mini-games, and hidden surprises.

The studio says it’s cued up post-launch seasonal content, letting you keep your little town fresh with new themes, events, and special decorations for the game’s 100 unique buildings, 40+ characters, and variety of skins and decorations already available at launch.

You can pre-order Wall Town Wonders on the Horizon Store for Quest 3 and Quest 3S at a 10 percent discount, which is regularly priced at $20.

"Do you think VR and AR have a lasting future, or is it a fleeting phenomenon?"

"Hello Marc

Virtual reality existed long before the current wave that started in 2012, and was used for simulation, visualization, design, research, and training. With the advent of low-cost, consumer-oriented VR headsets since 2016, these areas have grown, and I expect virtual reality to remain a fixture in these areas regardless of market developments in the coming years and decades.

The more interesting question you probably were aiming at is whether virtual reality will be able to establish itself in the consumer market in the long term, with so many media, gadgets and digital forms of entertainment vying for our attention.

As I wrote last week, the VR market is currently dominated by Meta. Meta Quest is the leading VR platform where most developers make their money. I believe that as long as these developers remain profitable and Meta stays in virtual reality, virtual reality will continue to exist and grow as a consumer-oriented entertainment and computing platform. But these are ifs.

Meta has made virtual reality relatively successful with aggressive investments and subsidies, distorting expectations and prices at the same time. If Meta took into account the cost of R&D and added a healthy margin, VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3S would easily cost twice as much or more. We don't know how much money Meta spends on the VR division alone, but it's safe to assume it's still a money-losing business. Until that changes and other manufacturers can turn consumer virtual reality into a profitable business, I remain cautious about making long-term predictions.

For now, those who benefit are the developers who make a good profit from VR games (and there are many, rest assured), and of course, we consumers who can get hardware and software at an incredible value ratio. However, we should be aware that Meta is essentially still investing in virtual reality and can also stop that investment with likely devastating consequences for the fledgling computing platform. What is true for virtual reality is even more true for augmented reality, which is much further away from true mass adoption and profitability.

Do I think VR and AR can become mainstream in the long term? Absolutely. But I can't say when that will be. As someone who has been a journalist in the industry for almost ten years and has followed the technological developments, I no longer think in terms of years, but decades. From that perspective, we may still be at the very beginning.

Kind regards,

Tomislav

If you’re one of the few remaining PSVR owners looking to use the original 2016 headset on PlayStation 5, you only have a few more days to request your free PS Camera adapter, as Sony is discontinuing the device later this month.

Sony released its PlayStation Camera Adapter for free in 2020 to help bridge the gap for PSVR users looking for a console upgrade to PS5, which notably didn’t offer full PSVR support out of the box.

The PlayStation 5 HD Camera that launched alongside PS5 can’t track the original PSVR headset or PS Move controllers spatially, requiring the additional adapter.

DIG VR delivers an entertaining light sim with a great sense of humor, and it's out this week on Quest. Read on for our full review.

Comedy is a tricky thing to do successfully in games. Away from the luxury of scripted cutscenes where timing is strictly controlled, pulling off effective laughs can be difficult in a user-controlled medium. You wouldn't expect hilarity from a power-digging light sim and yet DIG VR has some of the most relatable British humor I've ever seen in a VR game.

Apple has finally dropped the ultrawide virtual display for Vision Pro in beta, giving the existing virtual display feature the ability to stretch to wide and ultrawide widths for extra screen real-estate. Out of the box it’s impressive, but default MacOS window management makes it kind of a pain to use. But with the right third-party window manager, it’s even better than I hoped for.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know just how useful the new ultrawide feature would be. I’ve used Vision Pro’s virtual desktop feature many times before. It’s a great way to get some extra screen real-estate out of my MacBook Air (M2). But it was limited in that it could only really act like a single, large 16:9 monitor.

My productivity workhorse is my desktop PC on which I’ve used two side-by-side monitors for years. For a power-user like me, having the extra width to have multiple things on screen at once is great; constantly minimizing and maximizing apps is a pain. I also combine my dual monitors with additional virtual workspaces, meaning I can group applications together on a specific workspace for a specific task.

I’ve yet to make the leap to a single ultrawide monitor over dual monitors. They’re pretty damn expensive and physically take up a lot of space.

But with a little software update, Apple just gave me an ultrawide monitor that I can take with me wherever I take my Vision Pro. The ultrawide setting essentially gives you two 16:9 monitors side-by-side, but without the seam in the middle if you were using dual monitors.

The update optimizes the tracking algorithms and improves system stability and performance with new and optimized features. Users can also look forward to a host of new features such as smartphone mirroring, Bluetooth keyboard and mouse support, as well as improved hand and motion tracking.

Let's get this straight up front: The Vive Focus Vision isn't a competitor to the Meta Quest 3, or the recently released Quest 3S. At $999, how could it be? Instead, it's another stab at the high-end VR market for HTC Vive, an audience it's cultivated since the launch of the first Vive headset in 2016. While Meta has leaned more towards cheaper and more mainstream VR headsets over the last decade, HTC Vive has done practically the opposite, aiming for VR gearheads and enterprise customers with PC headsets like the Vive Pro 2 and feature-rich standalone models like the Focus 3.

You can think of the Vive Focus Vision as a cross between the Focus 3 and last year's goggle-like XR Elite. It's a standalone headset with two 16MP color cameras for mixed reality, built-in eye tracking and automatic interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment. It could also be appealing to PC gamers with its $149 DisplayPort wired streaming kit, which gives you an uncompressed view of high-end VR experiences like Half-Life: Alyx.

As intriguing as its new features are, though, the more I tested the Focus Vision, the more it felt like a missed opportunity for HTC’s Vive VR platform. For one, it's running the same Snapdragon XR2 chip as the Focus 3 and Quest 2. That chip originally debuted in 2020, and it simply seems inexcusable in a high-end headset today. Both the $300 Quest 3S and $500 Quest 3 sport the XR2 Gen 2 processor, which is 2.5 times faster than the original chip and also has up to eight times faster AI processing. For a high-end headset at the tail-end of 2024, I would have expected HTC to at least match the power of far cheaper competitors, or – even better – to include Qualcomm's newer XR2+ Gen 2 chip.

The Focus Vision is also still using older Fresnel lens optics, which are prone to artifacts and light bleeding, instead of the sharper pancake lenses in the Quest 3. At least HTC shoved in 12GB of RAM this time around, compared to the 8GB found on the Focus 3 and Quest 3. And the company still has a resolution advantage over the Quest 3: The Focus Vision delivers 2,448 by 2,448 pixels per eye, compared to Meta's 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye. HTC Vive's 120-degree field of view also delivers a greater sense of immersion than the 110-degree FOV in the Quest 3.

"At Survios, we pride ourselves on delivering a world-class gaming experience to our players. To ensure that Alien: Rogue Incursion meets these high standards and delivers the Alien VR experience that fans and players expect, we have made the difficult decision to delay the game's release on meta platforms until early next year. The Playstation VR2 and Steam versions of the game will still be released on December 19, 2024."

Gargoyle Doyle is the latest creation from director Ethan Shaftel (Ajax All Powerful) and won the prize for best VR film at this year's Annecy Animation Festival.

Here's how his L.A.-based studio easyAction describes the story of Gargoyle Doyle.

"Doyle is a grouchy, self-important gargoyle with a chip on his shoulder – quite literally, as he was damaged in a fall during installation above the cathedral’s main entrance. Relegated to a back alcove with other irregular gargoyles, Doyle resents the hand life dealt him, especially the fact that he is stuck two feet from Chet, a decorative metal rain gutter. Chet is the yin to Doyle’s yang, a chatterbox optimist who never shuts up. Ever.

Doyle and Chet watch the world change around them as their alcove falls into disrepair. Hundreds of years later, as bulldozers surround the cathedral for demolition, both must confront who they really are and what their lives add up to."

Human Within explores the profound impact of AI and other advanced technologies on society and is coming to Meta Quest on January 9th and to SteamVR soon.

The story follows cyber-engineer Nyla and her sister Linh, who are developing a groundbreaking supercomputer for a corporation that harnesses the computing power of the human brain. When Nyla tries to withdraw from the project, the two sisters are held captive and forced to continue working, even though they suspect their employer's hidden motives. In a daring attempt to break free, Nyla is forced to connect the technology to Linh and use it in exactly the way she feared.

You can pre-order Human Within now in the Horizon Store and add it to your wish list on Steam.

The most promising competitor is Apple, but the Vision Pro flopped as I predicted in 2023. Hopes are now pinned on a cheaper version of the mixed reality headset, which could be delayed beyond 2027, according to the latest claim from supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Whether this is true or not is irrelevant in my opinion. Even with a device that costs half as much as the Vision Pro, Apple is unlikely to steal much market share from Meta. I am convinced that there is no significant market for VR headsets above $500. For that to happen, they have to become general-purpose devices that can compete with desktop computers and laptops, and they are a long way from that.

Where there is no significant market, there are no developers. Where there are no developers, there are no apps. And where there are no apps, there are no consumers to create a significant market. Meta has made huge investments to create a VR ecosystem that can support many developers. Apple, on the other hand, just built a very expensive VR headset with no discernible market strategy and no plan to help developers.

What about other competitors?

HTC lacks the resources to keep up with Meta Pico owner Bytedance recently scaled back VR investments Valve hasn't released a VR headset in more than five years Sony didn't have much success with Playstation VR 2, and PSVR 3 is years away (if Sony plans to continue supporting its VR ecosystem). Samsung and Google are working on a pricey mixed reality headset that has yet to be unveiled and will likely suffer the same fate as the Apple Vision Pro due to its high price tag The reason Meta is the market leader after ten years and will remain so for a long time is that Meta is willing to invest billions in these technologies for years and perhaps decades to come, regardless of the losses, while other companies push for short and medium term profits and give up when they don't see a return on their investment (I certainly hope Apple isn't one of them, but we will see).

Since launch, Apple Vision Pro has been able to replace your physical Mac screen with a giant virtual display. To do so, you just look at your MacBook and click a floating virtual button that appears, or use Control Center for a desktop Mac. Apple's software then almost instantly creates a direct wireless connection between the headset and Mac, meaning you don't even need a Wi-Fi network, and if you are on one you won't suffer from any congestion issues. Because of this, and because the experience has high quality and low latency, we strongly praised Mac Virtual Display in our review of Vision Pro.

Until now though, Mac Virtual Display has been limited to a 16:9 widescreen virtual display. Now with visionOS 2.2, as Apple announced at WWDC 24 earlier this year, you can choose to expand the display to a Wide aspect ratio, or even to an enveloping panoramic Ultrawide experience. And for all three modes, Mac Virtual Display is now curved. Apple says the ultrawide Mac Virtual Display has 8K horizontal resolution, as if you have two 4K monitors side by side. The company explained that this is made possible thanks to foveation, where eye tracking is used to prioritize resolution in the region of the screen you're currently looking at. Further, with visionOS 2.2 the audio from your Mac is now routed to Vision Pro, whereas previously it still played through the Mac.

The v71 firmware update will be rolled out to Quest 3, Quest 3S, Quest 2 and Quest Pro owners beginning November 4, 2024. As always, it may take up to a week or more for the update to reach all users.

This update is one of the biggest in recent years and includes the following new features and enhancements:

A new look for Horizon OS: Meta has optimized the dark and light theme of Quest's operating system to improve the readability and contrast of the menus. Other improvements include the appearance and behavior of the control panels, the position of the control bar, the colors of various interface elements, and much more. The Meta Quest settings have also been completely redesigned, and the search function has been improved. Continuous Space Setup: You can now continue with your room setup and update your room scan with a new room layout and furniture instead of having to create a fresh new room scan. Meta Quest will also now display a representation of the scanned environment after you have scanned the room and when you return to the Space Setup to update the scan. Passthrough improvements: Meta says it has adjusted the frame rates of the cameras to match the frame rates of the display. More realistic facial expressions for Meta avatars: A new AI feature called Audio to Expression derives convincing facial expressions and lip sync signals from microphone input. A similar feature called Lipsync already existed, but it only animated the mouth, while Audio to Expression covers the upper half of the face, including the upper cheeks, eyelids, and eyebrows. Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Surround: Meta Quest now supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Surround in selected browser content. Meta plans to expand support for other content providers in the near future. Improvements for Meta Quest Link: Meta's solution for PC VR streaming is now enabled by default and the Meta Quest Link PC app has been enhanced in several ways: Remote Desktop is now part of the PC app, eliminating the need to download a separate app, and the option to connect can now be found in the Quick Settings. Another new feature is the ability to cast your headset content to the Meta Quest Link PC app. Previously, casting to second screens was only supported via the mobile Meta Horizon app, Chromecast, and browser. Volume mixer: Meta has implemented a volume mixer that lets you adjust the volume of calls, apps, and media independently of each other (see video). You can find the volume mixer in the Quick Settings by clicking on the advanced option next to the main volume. Improved travel mode: Travel mode has been extended to include trains. Previously, only air travel was officially supported. Calendar app: A new calendar feature helps you keep track of important appointments (see video). It supports integration with Google and Outlook calendars and provides direct access to events in Horizon Worlds and meetings in Horizon Workrooms. More transparency for app notifications: The universal menu now shows in real time what permissions apps are accessing. Share videos in Horizon Chats: You can now send and receive video using the Horizon chat feature, either in VR or through the companion app. This also works with spatial videos. You can read the full release notes for the v71 update in the Meta Quest Release Notes.