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A new week kicks off, and with it comes a fresh roundup of XR news for you to digest!
Headlining the Week
Niantic, known for its groundbreaking success with Pokémon Go, is reportedly contemplating selling its gaming division to Scopely, a company backed by Saudi Arabia, for a staggering $3.5 billion. This potential sale was highlighted in a Bloomberg report and took many by surprise. Even though the initial craze around Pokémon Go has waned, the game continues to generate significant revenue, driven by its dedicated fanbase. Yet, Niantic’s attempts to replicate this success with other games, like their AR Harry Potter venture, met with less enthusiasm and eventual closure.
It’s puzzling why Niantic might part with its most lucrative product. Beyond profit, Pokémon Go offers invaluable data which assists in honing Niantic’s AR tech, including their AR Cloud and VPS systems. However, insiders suggest Niantic aims to shift its focus towards fostering an "outdoor metaverse," concentrating primarily on developing AR services and potentially supporting AR hardware in the future. The hefty $3.5 billion deal might finance this ambitious pivot. While such a move is undeniably risky—putting all eggs in the AR basket without Pokémon Go’s cushion—it signals Niantic’s strong belief in AR’s burgeoning future, anticipating a surge in the coming few years.
Additional Stories
Meta’s Support for Horizon Worlds Creators
Meta has revealed a $50 million initiative aimed at nurturing creators within its Horizon Worlds platform. This fund intends to reward creators who contribute substantially to this metaverse ecosystem. Bonus payouts will be based on factors like time spent, user retention, and purchase activities within these digital worlds. On March 11th, Meta is also rolling out a world-building contest, boasting prizes that soar up to $100,000.
Enhancements to Horizon Worlds development tools are on the horizon too. A new desktop editor, reminiscent of simplified software like Unity or Unreal, is set to replace the basic in-world creation interfaces, allowing creators to fashion more intricate and appealing worlds.
Despite this promising development, some apprehensions linger. Many XR developers are frustrated with visibility issues on the Horizon Store and worry that Meta’s continued focus on Horizon Worlds may undercut other XR initiatives. The timing of these initiatives also seems questionable amidst persistent challenges faced by various startups.
Furthermore, some critique Meta’s funding strategy. Rather than backing pre-vetted projects, creators are expected to invest effort upfront—with compensation only if successful. This setup deters startups that require assured returns to justify resource allocation. Ultimately, while the financial boost is a positive gesture, many believe Meta should recalibrate its broader ecosystem strategy to foster sustainable growth.
Challenges Persist in the XR Space
This week saw continued difficulties within the XR landscape, from layoffs to ongoing dissatisfaction with the Meta Horizon Store. Developers remain frustrated over the chaotic content curation of their games, with more instances of underwhelming presence and sales on the store.
Notably, Embracer Group revealed that "Metro Awakening" did not meet financial expectations, even though it was financially successful and well-received otherwise. Similarly, Toast Interactive required layoffs, attributing difficulties to low visibility of games like "Max Mustard" on the Quest Store, despite positive reception.
Yet, amid these challenges, success stories like 3R Games’ "Thief Simulator VR: Greenview Street," which sold over 310,000 units, highlight potential profitability within the industry.
Meta Connect 2025 Set for September
Meta has firmed up its Connect event dates for September 17-18, 2025. While there might not be a Quest 4 reveal, it’s anticipated that new smart glasses, updates on Horizon headsets by third-party brands like Lenovo and ASUS, and more will be on the agenda. AI developments won’t feature this year, as Meta has reserved a dedicated event, LlamaCon, for such discussions.
Noteworthy Mentions
Palmer Luckey’s Military Headset Innovations
Palmer Luckey, a known figure in VR innovation, shared further insights into his military-grade headset, designed for advanced battlefield awareness. Integrating with Anduril’s Lattice, the headset promises unprecedented resolution, field of view, and sensor quality, touting it as a significant leap beyond any existing VR/AR/MR systems.
Meta’s Terminology Shift
Meta has updated its language, now using "MR" to cover both Mixed Reality and Virtual Reality. CTO Andrew Bosworth’s announcement has stirred debate. "MR" traditionally denotes a mix of real and virtual, distinct from pure VR experiences, leading to speculations of Meta’s intentions, possibly influenced by Apple’s focus on dynamics like MR and spatial computing.
Quest v74 Brings DisplayPort Functionality
With the latest update, Quest headsets now support external monitor connections via USB-C, enhancing presentation quality for demonstrations and events. Additional features include improved casting, better multiple room setups, and polished OpenXR capabilities.
Upcoming VR Game Showcase
Scheduled for March 11th, the VR Games Showcase promises exciting previews of key titles including "Hitman: World of Assassination" for PSVR 2 and new releases from Flat2VR Studios.
A Humble Bundle for Developers
Lastly, developers might find interest in Humble Bundle’s latest offering—resources for VR development across Unity, Unreal, and Godot platforms.
Miscellaneous News
Engaging New Releases
From "Detective VR," launching February 27 with a price tag of $30, to impending thrillers like "Silent North," the VR gaming landscape remains vibrant. Anthemic properties continue, with Pixelity working on an XR game inspired by the anime classic ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion,’ slated for 2026. Other notable games include "Mythic Realms," the VR roguelite RPG scheduled for a March release.
Content Reviews
Reviews are in for several VR experiences: "One True Path," a narrative adventure, and "Realize Music: Sing," which despite bugs, offers an expansive song list.
Other Tidbits
An article dives into the visual prowess of VR games powered by an RTX 5090. A comprehensive comparison emerges between hand tracking on PSVR 2 versus Quest, sparking tech debates. Elsewhere, Microsoft’s reported progress on quantum chips is turning heads within the tech sphere.
Partners’ Corner: Golden Kingdom
"Golden Kingdom," an indie game, aims high with its open-world fantasy RPG. Interested players can test out a demo during Steam Next Fest. This ambitious project promises a lush and expansive PCVR experience.
Fun XR Humor
Explore amusing takes on AI capabilities, developer dynamics with Meta, and other playful XR anecdotes through curated funny links.
A Call to Action
In these turbulent times, consider extending a helping hand to those affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Contributions to organizations like the Red Cross can make a significant difference. I also want to express my gratitude to my trusty Patreon supporters for their unwavering backing in enabling this work to continue.
Providing detailed coverage of these myriad events helps fellow enthusiasts and professionals remain connected with the XR industry’s evolving landscape. Let’s continue to support each other as we venture into the future of virtual reality and beyond.
