The XR Weekly Roundup (2025.01.29): Google Acquires HTC’s Engineering Team, Meta to Launch Oakley Smartglasses, and More!

Happy Lunar New Year, everyone! Here’s to a year filled with joy, prosperity, success, and maybe even a few XR headsets! For those celebrating, I hope you enjoy precious moments with your loved ones and, of course, plenty of delicious food. 😊 While I’m juggling a mountain of tasks at the moment, I’m thrilled to bring you this slightly shorter but still insightful newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about the exciting happenings in XR!

Top News of the Week

Google Scoops Up HTC Vive Engineers for $250 Million

In an unexpected move, Google has acquired some of HTC Vive’s XR engineers alongside a non-exclusive license to certain HTC IP, for a staggering $250 million. Though specifics are sparse, Google mentioned plans to leverage this expertise to "accelerate the development of the Android XR platform across the headsets and glasses ecosystem." This acquisition is likely to enhance Google’s XR capabilities significantly. It remains to be seen whether these engineers will focus solely on the Android XR platform or venture into crafting a Google headset, like a Pixel headset. I’m inclined to wager on the former.

This isn’t Google’s first rodeo with HTC talent; they acquired HTC’s design team back in late 2017. Clearly, there’s some synergy brewing between these two giants. This bold move underscores Google’s commitment to XR advancement, and they assured Road To VR that VR won’t be relegated to the dreaded ‘Graveyard.’ However, big corporations are often fickle with their promises, and if market conditions shift, XR projects might be sidelined for more lucrative ventures. Still, this current focus on immersive realities is promising.

But while Google grabs headlines, one must wonder about HTC’s future. Losing a swath of senior engineers might prompt a strategic pivot—perhaps toward crafting headsets for other brands instead of launching their own. Let’s keep an eye on HTC as they navigate their evolving role in the VR landscape.

For more insights, check out these sources: Road To VR | Upload VR | Google’s XR Commitment

Other Relevant News

Meta’s Smartglasses Ventures

Riding high on the success of Ray-Ban Meta glasses, Meta is doubling down on similar devices. According to Mark Gurman, Meta is teaming up with EssilorLuxottica to introduce new smartglasses under the Oakley brand this year. These Oakley glasses will feature a camera, sans display, aiming for athletes like cyclists. Meanwhile, Meta’s working on another sleek set with a small display for notifications, aiming at the prosumer niche with a price tag around $1,000. They’re also not leaving Ray-Ban Meta behind—exciting Super Bowl commercials are in the pipeline. As for the Orion AR glasses, expect a developer rollout in 2026, followed by a more affordable Artemis model in 2027.

Catch more details: Road To VR | Upload VR

Continuing with Quest Pro’s Legacy

Meta’s not quite finished with the Quest Pro, as per Gurman. They’re developing Quest 4 VR goggles and a high-end version that might succeed the Quest Pro mixed-reality headset. This high-end model, possibly dubbed "Puffin," could feature lightweight MR glasses connected to an external battery. While the Quest Pro didn’t perform as hoped, a refined Quest Pro 2 might carve out a niche in the enterprise sector.

Read more here: More info

Samsung and Google’s Moohan Project Unveiled

The Samsung Unpacked event didn’t wow with AR glasses as anticipated, but notable highlights include enhanced Gemini AI integration on Samsung phones, hinting at a broader AI-enhanced ecosystem beyond just Project Moohan. Sneak previews of the Moohan headset—akin to Apple’s Vision Pro—were available, and tech guru Marques Brownlee offered a closer hands-on glimpse.

Discover more: Samsung Unpacked | MKBHD Insights

News Worth a Mention

• Meta’s Quest Headset Glitch: Meta’s VP of VR/MR, Mark Rabkin, clarified the Christmas chaos where many headsets bricked. The culprit? A rare bug in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) affecting file systems. Thankfully, it’s been fixed, with Google informed for a broader AOSP update.

• Impressive Stats for CM Games: "Into The Radius" is turning heads, with the original selling 800K units and its sequel grossing $3M in Early Access on Steam alone. CM Games highlights the importance of community input in refining and polishing their games.

• CREAL’s Miniaturized Lightfield Engine: CREAL’s push to miniaturize its lightfield technology is noteworthy, nearing compatibility with standard-sized glasses and bringing AR realism closer to fruition.

• Potential Quest 3 Room Scanning: Rumor has it that Meta is refining mixed reality by introducing automatic room scanning with Quest 3, reducing friction and accommodating real-time room layout changes.

For more information and updates, follow the respective links: Quest Issues | Into The Radius | CREAL’s Progress | Automatic Scanning

Entertainment and Releases

• Fitness Fables & More: Get ready for an exciting slate of upcoming VR content! From "Fitness Fables," a fantasy-action VR fitness game launching on Quest, to the Kung-Fu infused "Path of Fury" coming this March—there’s plenty to anticipate in 2023.

• Elsewhere Electric: This co-op puzzle game involves one player in VR and another on mobile—a unique take launching this spring/summer.

• Iconic Series in VR: "The Smurfs—Flower Defense" lands on Quest 3 in May, presenting a VR mixed-reality tower defense challenge.

For additional context on these games: Fitness Fables | Path of Fury | Elsewhere Electric

Other Tidbits

• Professional Insight: About 35% of game developers, according to GDC, have engaged with XR technology. Meanwhile, Snap Spectacles are now half-priced for students and teachers—a great gateway to exploring augmented realities.

• Hands-On and Store Developments: Vrgamerdude explored Mudra Link, and Apple’s Miami store now boasts a dedicated Vision Pro area.

• In-Depth Analysis: Gabriele Romagnoli has dissected Horizon Store’s MR apps impressively.

• AI-Powered Innovation: CaddieVision offers AI-assisted AR glasses, ushering in a new era for golf enthusiasts.

Link to more stories: Developer Survey | Snap Spectacles | Mudra Link | Apple Store | CaddieVision

Partner Perks

• SkyClimb’s Expansion: Good news for fans of indie hits—VRMonkey’s SkyClimb multiplayer mode is now free! Dive into this engaging arm-based locomotion adventure and experience highly-rated gameplay on the Quest platform.

A Bit of XR Humor

Parenting a VR-enthusiast son is never dull… plus, did you know you can now play DOOM inside a PDF? Sometimes, the funniest VR enhancements aren’t even tech-related.

Heartfelt Donation Appeal

Wrapping up, let’s keep the spirit of giving alive. I encourage you to help those affected by ongoing conflicts by donating to the Red Cross for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Your generosity can make a real difference.

And here’s a shout-out to my fantastic Patreon supporters whose contributions fuel my efforts:

[List of Supporters]

Here’s a way to contribute: Red Cross Donation Link.

Lastly, a gentle reminder that this blog sustains itself via advertisements and affiliate links. Clicking these links could earn a small commission, which I genuinely appreciate. Full disclosure is available in the corresponding section.

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