Quest users have long wanted a better way to manage windowed content to make web browsing and using 2D apps easier. It seems the next Horizon OS update (ex-Quest OS) will include a way to do just that.

As discovered by XR enthusiast and serial data miner Luna, the public test channel (PTC) has allowed some users early access to the headset’s v67 update, which includes a new experimental feature that allows a more flexible way of placing windowed content—feeling more than a little inspired by Vision Pro.

Check it out in action below:

Meta Quest […]

The 2D to 3D photo conversion feature coming to Vision Pro in VisionOS 2.0 makes a novel capability meaningful for the first time.

Cue “Apple didn’t even do it first!” in the comments.

You’re not wrong. There’s been seemingly a hundred different startups over the years that have promised to turn 2D photos into 3D.

Even Meta had a go at it when it added 2D to 3D photo conversion to Facebook several years ago. But they never really caught on… probably because seeing 3D photos on a smartphone isn’t that exciting, even if Facebook added a little ‘wiggle’ animation to […]

RIVEN (1997), the sequel to iconic point-and-click puzzle-adventure MYST (1993), just got the VR treatment in its new remake. Unlike Myst, which felt a little too game-y and obtuse at times, Riven plays a lot more like a modern title, which thanks to Quest and SteamVR support, is true in every sense of the word now. Granted, you’ll need to look past some VR implementation issues which keep it from feeling like a ground-up VR native, although however you play, you’ll be exploring a fascinating world that’s both puzzle-dense and undeniably beautiful at every turn.

RIVEN Details:

Available On: Quest 2/3, SteamVR
Reviewed On: Quest 3, […]

Sony is getting ready to release tethered PC VR support for PSVR 2 this summer, but that may be one the last meaningful things the company does for its increasingly latchkey VR hardware.

According to a report by Android Central‘s Nicholas Sutrich, Sony isn’t leaving any budget for first-party content. Paraphrasing for anonymity, Sutrich’s source maintains there will be “very few opportunities for VR game development at Sony going forward.”

Citing a separate source with knowledge of Sony’s internal strategy, the report alleges only two PSVR 2 games are currently in development at Sony. The company hasn’t responded […]

Apple Vision Pro isn’t exactly brimming with XR games yet, although starting next month you’ll be able to jump into a classic city builder that has been updated to include full mixed reality support.

Magic Fuel Games is releasing Cityscapes: Sim Builder (2023) for Vision Pro soon, bringing with it a new immersive view so you can manage your city as the god-like mayor you always wanted to be. It’s slated to arrive on July 3rd via Apple Arcade.

“They’ll use their hands to lay down roads, build neighborhoods, and ultimately grow their city into a thriving, profitable, […]

Batman: Arkham Shadow is the next big first-party title from Meta, headed exclusively to Quest 3 later this year. In an interview with the founder of the studio behind the game, we learned more about the origin of the title, the team behind it, and which of the original Batman: Arkham games it’s most closely aligned with.

Batman: Arkham Shadow has a lot to live up to. Not only Camouflaj’s last game—Iron Man VR, which we called “VR’s first great superhero game”—but also the legacy of the core Batman: Arkham games, which to many represent not just some of […]

Meta has released a tool that will allow Quest users the ability to force software updates via a tethered connection.

Update (11:50 AM ET): It appears the tool is now live. The original article reporting the tool prior to its public release follows below:

XR enthusiast and serial data miner Luna uncovered existence of the tool, which is said to allow users the ability to update Quest’s operating system over USB via the “Sideload Update” option in the recovery menu.

Luna also shared a screenshot and link to an informational page detailing the ostensibly web-based update […]

Maze Theory today announced that its upcoming immersive puzzle-adventure game Infinite Inside is set to arrive next month, coming to all major headsets.

Initially released as a demo on Quest earlier this year, the full game is set to arrive on July 12th across Vision Pro, Quest 2/3, Pico, SteamVR headsets and PSVR 2.

On mixed reality-supported devices (re: not PC VR or PSVR 2), Infinite Inside is said to blend VR and MR, making these “multi-dimensions a fundamental part of the storytelling and gameplay.”

Check out the trailer below:

When Infinite Inside launches next month, Maze Theory says it will feature five “peaceful […]

Meta announced a new developer accelerator aimed at kickstarting ‘Lifestyle’ apps for Quest which make use of mixed reality, AI and hand-tracking.

Meta says in the announcement selected participants of its new ‘Meta Quest Lifestyle App Accelerator’ can apply for seed-stage grant funding, as well as product resources and mentoring from Meta and participating VC partners, which include a16z, Anorak Ventures, BITKRAFT Ventures, Boost VC, and Lightspeed.

“The program focuses on fun, delightful consumer experiences with novel, engaging, and retentive mechanics that leverage the unique capabilities of Meta Quest in emerging lifestyle categories such as Fashion, Beauty, Home Design, Shopping, Cooking, DIY, […]

This week at AWE 2024, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey spoke briefly about a new XR headset he’s developing. Though the headset would see Luckey returning to the XR space, this one is being built with military, rather than consumer, uses in mind.

Luckey confirmed earlier this month that he intends to build a new XR headset, but revealed almost no details about the project.

During a panel discussion today at AWE 2024, he offered just a bit more, saying the headset’s design is “being driven by military requirements, but also going to be used for non-military stuff. It’s really […]

Hugo Swart, previous head of Qualcomm’s XR division, announced he’s joined Google where he’ll lead the company’s XR Ecosystem Strategy and Technology efforts.

Swart shared the news in a LinkedIn update, noting the move happened a few months ago:

Happy to share that I joined Google couple months ago and am responsible for XR Ecosystem Strategy and Technology. Super excited to continue the XR journey and working with you all – great things ahead! Thank you Shahram Izadi for the opportunity! Looking forward to AWE this week!!

As General Manager and Vice President of XR at Qualcomm, Swart was a driving […]

Reality Labs, Meta’s XR division formed in 2020, is now being reorganized into two distinct groups, ‘Wearables’ and ‘Metaverse’, which reportedly comes along a “relatively small” number of layoffs.

As reported by The Verge’s Alex Heath, Meta CTO and head of Reality Labs Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth announced the reorg in an internal memo to employees, stating that all teams in Reality Labs are being merged into either a central ‘Metaverse’ organization, responsible for Quest, and a new ‘Wearables’ organization to dedicated to other hardware, including its Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses.

In the memo, which is available via Heath’s Command […]

VR studio Another Axiom today announced that its breakout title, Gorilla Tag, has surpassed $100 million in revenue. The company shared other key metrics about its player population that shine light on the state of the VR market.

Not long after its launch back in early 2021 it became clear there was something special about Gorilla Tag. It’s minimalistic ‘tag’ gameplay, unique arm-based locomotion, and novel social architecture made for simple social fun. And it turns out, people really like simple social fun.

This week the studio behind the game, Another Axiom, offered up some key metrics for Gorilla Tag that show […]

Last year Meta announced the so-called Augments feature, planned for Quest 3, which would allow persistent mini AR apps to live in the world around you. Now, eight months after the headset hit store shelves, Meta’s CTO explains why the feature has yet to ship.

Augments was announced as a framework for developers to build mini AR apps that could not just live persistently in the space around you, but also run concurrently alongside each other—similar to how most apps work on Vision Pro today.

Image courtesy Meta

And though Meta had shown a glimpse of Augments in action […]

Did you know you can technically play SteamVR games like Half-Life: Alyx (2020) on Vision Pro? Well, now you do, as the leading app dedicated to bringing SteamVR connectivity to a ton of standalone headsets is now available for Vision Pro on the App Store.

Previously offered as an invite-only beta, ALVR is now free on the App Store, allowing Vision Pro users to stream OpenVR games from your PC via Wi-Fi.

This includes support for Vision Pro’s hand gestures, however more than likely you’ll want some sort of controller to really make use of SteamVR content. […]

At $3,500, Vision Pro is undoubtedly expensive, which many are rightfully hoping will be remedied in a prospective follow-up. Now, according to a report from The Information, Apple may be ditching the ‘Pro’ aspect of its next-gen Vision headsets altogether, instead aiming to release a single “more affordable” device in late 2025.

It’s rumored that Apple was slated to release two headsets: an expensive Pro-style device and a cheaper version targeted more squarely at consumers, much like how the company positions iPhone in its lineup today.

Now, citing an employee at a manufacturer that makes key components […]

Pokémon GO developer Niantic announced it’s releasing a new visual editor and “powerful web gaming engine” called Niantic Studio, which aims to let creatives build immersive XR, 3D experiences, and casual web games.

Niantic Studio is essentially the company’s evolution of its subscription-based AR content development platform 8th Wall, which it acquired in 2022. Today, 8th Wall includes a number of tools for making AR content, including location-based experiences and a host of other stuff primarily targeted at mobile users.

Now available for free in public beta for 8th Wall developers, Studio goes one step further […]

Spatial design and prototyping app ShapesXR (2021) just launched its 2.0 update which better streamlines cross-platform support, letting team members more easily edit and collaborate in both mixed or virtual reality, but also now the web.

ShapesXR 2.0 is packing in a number of new features today to enhance the cross-platform app, which not only supports Quest 1/2/3/Pro and Pico 4, but also now standard flatscreen devices with the addition of a web editor for users joining with mouse and keyboard.

Check out all of the things coming to ShapesXR 2.0 below:

Enhanced UI/UX : Shapes has […]