Bar some glitches, I think a tipping point has been reached – except when it comes to virtual gigs
I’m writing this from a room that’s slowly orbiting the Earth. Behind the floating screen in front of me, through a giant opening where a wall should be, the planet slowly spins, so close that it takes up most of my field of vision. It’s morning in Australia to my right; India and the first hints of Europe are dotted with lights up and to my left. The soft drone of the air circulation system hums quietly behind me.
I spent a week doing everything that I could – working, exercising, composing – on my virtual reality headset. This was the year virtual reality threatened to go mainstream, with prices becoming more attainable and Apple entering the market, and so I wanted to see how far VR has come since I first tried it in the mid-2010s, when the main experiences on offer were nausea-inducing rollercoaster simulators. I used a recent model from Meta, called the Quest 3, and the conclusion was clear: this thing now works. It feels a little unfinished, but we’ve reached the point where VR could at lastbecome genuinely useful.
Headset offers near top-tier experience at cut-down price with good fit, fast chip, great controllers and large games library
Meta’s latest virtual reality headset offers almost everything that makes its top model the best on the market but at a price that is far more palatable as an entry into VR.
The Quest 3S costs £290 (€330/$300/A$500) – about 40% less than the £470 Quest 3 and cheaper than 2020’s Quest 2 that it directly replaces.
Mark Zuckerberg presents Orion, prototype that can project digital renderings of media, games and more onto real world
The Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, presented new augmented reality glasses at the company’s annual developer conference on Wednesday, debuting a prototype of the next phase in its expansion into smart eyewear. Zuckerberg also announced that Meta AI will be able to talk in the voice of Dame Judi Dench.
The glasses, named Orion, have the ability to project digital representations of media, people, games and communications on to the real world. Meta and Zuckerberg have framed the product as a step away from desktop computers and smartphone into eyewear that can perform similar tasks.
Netflix has pulled its video streaming app from the Quest content store.
As first reported by UploadVR, the long-neglected Netflix app for Quest is now gone from the store. If you already downloaded the app before then, you’ll find it no longer works.
That doesn’t mean you can’t watch Netflix on Quest though. The streaming giant recently bumped streaming quality in the Quest Browser to 1080p, which comes in stark contrast to the app’s 480p capped resolution, which notably didn’t support mixed reality passthrough or downloads.
Originally released in 2015 for Samsung Gear VR and developed by former Meta CTO John Carmack, the app experienced very few updates over the years, with the latest arriving in 2019 alongside the launch of the original Quest.
Why not simply develop a new official app? Netflix requires devices to be certified in order to push streaming beyond that 480p cap, which requires meeting technical requirements, submitting the device for testing, and even possibly negotiating a licensing agreement, which are all things Meta would have to initiate.
Notably, Quest has native apps for Amazon Prime Video, Pluto TV, MLB, in addition to its own Meta TV app. It lacks Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, and HBO Max.
Korean media last month alleged that the Meta/LG partnership to create a high-end XR headset wasn’t going so well, suggesting either outright cancellation or a delay pushing release of a prospective Apple Vision Pro competitor to 2027. While this hasn’t been substantiated by either company, it’s clear there’s something big going on under the surface, as LG is now shuffling employees from its XR division to other parts of the company.
As confirmed by Korean outlet ETNews(Korean), LG is reassigning employees in charge of the XR division to research and development and other business divisions within the company.
Here’s the official statement from LG obtained by ETNews, machine translated from Korean to English:
“We have recently confirmed the relocation policy for personnel in charge of the XR business. Taking into account the department and work location desired by the personnel and the demand for additional personnel in other departments, the relocation will take place for about a month.”
ETNews reports that the nature of the shakeup is “unusual” in LG, as such cases of forming a product division after research and development comes as a rare occurrence.
The report further stipulates LG has delayed its own XR tech indefinitely, and terminated its joint commercialization of a product with Meta. The report however maintains the two companies will continue in research and development of XR technologies.
When LG announced its collaboration with Meta in May, it was said the partnership would be focused on strengthening “the fusion of Meta’s diverse core technological elements with LG’s cutting-edge product and quality capabilities [promising] significant synergies in next-gen XR device development.”
One possible reason for the XR shakeup could be Meta is getting ready to release its XR operating system to third-party OEMs for the first time, which will include new Quest-style headsets coming from ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox. Growing the number of competing devices that will use Meta’s HorizonOS (ex-QuestOS) and Horizon Store (ex-Quest Store) so rapidly may have spoiled the deal for LG—although without confirmation from either company, that remains conjecture at this time.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is coming exclusive to Quest 3 sometime later this year, and today we’re getting a peek at the story behind what’s shaping up to be VR’s biggest full-fledged Batman game, and next big first-party exclusive from Meta.
Following the release of Batman: Arkham Shadow‘s teaser trailer in May, developers Camouflaj and Oculus Studios today revealed we’re in for an epic battle to prevent the “Day of Wrath,” set to take place on the Fourth of July.
But first, here’s how the studios describe it at length in a new blog post:
It’s the Fourth of July, and Gotham City is besieged by a new threat: the mysterious Rat King and his cultish devotees. Public officials have been abducted, including Batman associates Commissioner Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent. The Rats have pledged to execute them in one week’s time for “crimes committed against the people of Gotham City.”
As widespread rioting engulfs the city, Batman races to prevent this so-called “Day of Wrath,” but it all goes wrong.
Set between the events of Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum, you’ll experience the origins of such iconic characters as The Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, and more, as Batman grapples with the contradiction at the core of his identity—the use of force in pursuit of peace.
Notably, we thought we’d be facing off against the Ratcatcher (aka Otis Flannegan) who isn’t canonically referred to as “The Rat King,” so it seems there’s a mystery there yet to uncover. As seen in the trailer, The Rat King looks nearly identical to how the Ratcatcher is portrayed in the comics, including his iconic gas mask.
Whatever the case, we’re in for what promises to be a new VR-native blend of the series’ patented exploration, stealth, and free-flowing combat, which will take us across Gotham to fight various baddies with Batman’s Grapnel Gun, the Batarang, throw smoke bombs, and the ability “glide” behind unsuspecting enemies by grabbing your cape.
The studios say Batman: Arkham Shadow will also include plenty of crime scenes to scour for clues, puzzles to solve, hidden collectibles to uncover, and iconic locations to explore, which is set to include the Monarch Theatre and Bowery.
Developed by Meta’s Camouflaj and Oculus Studios, and created in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC, Batman: Arkham Shadow is slated to launch exclusively on Quest 3 sometime in late 2024. In the meantime, you can wishlist the game here.
It was also announced that we can expect a gameplay reveal during Gamescom 2024 which will be held in late August.
Meta announced in February it was partnering with South Korean tech giant LG to create an XR headset that was reportedly set to compete with Apple Vision Pro. Recent reports from Korean media however maintain that partnership is in danger.
A report from the Korean Economic Daily alleges the Meta/LG partnership has been completely terminated, further stating that LG is “now seeking a new partner to provide an operating system and software for XR devices LG plans to unveil next year.” A candidate could be Amazon, the report maintains.
“There were some differences between LG and Meta while discussing XR devices. I understand LG requested an end to collaboration because it believed there was not much synergy from their XR partnership,” an industry source familiar with the matter told the Korean Economic Daily.
Still, it’s not clear whether it’s a done deal, or the companies are simply pumping the brakes. In a statement to Korea JoongAng Daily, LG says it “continues the XR partnership with Meta forged in February but is controlling its pace.”
Indeed, news of the partnership itself was the subject of a leak from earlier this year. While that doesn’t lend credence to this particular report, it does suggest there are reliable sources, either within or around LG, leaking credible information.
At the time, the partnership was said to ‘fuse’ Meta’s diverse core technological elements with LG’s cutting-edge product and quality capabilities, which hoped to create “significant synergies in next-gen XR device development.” Additionally, it was rumored the two would work to create a competitor to Apple Vision Pro, which was rumored to launch sometime in 2025.
This comes after Meta announced it’s pledged to release its XR operating system to third-party OEMs for the first time, including ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox, all of which are tapped to release their own headsets in the near future.
Meta announced Batman: Arkham Shadow last week, which is coming exclusively to Quest 3 in late 2024. And wouldn’t you know it, YouTube users absolutely hate it.
Although YouTube disabled the dislike button counter in 2021, you can still get a good idea of how the public is reacting to any given video by installing an extension to your browser, like Chrome’s ‘Return YouTube Dislike‘.
Released officially through both IGN’s main YouTube channel and Meta’s own YouTube channel (linked below) on May 1st, Batman: Arkham Shadow’s announcement trailer really seems to be racking up the dislikes.
These sorts of browser extensions don’t actually have direct access to the platform’s API, making the number you see more guesswork than anything. Still, it’s pretty clear people aren’t happy with Batman: Arkham Shadow. At the time of this writing, IGN’s video has a 3:11 like-to-dislike ratio, while Meta’s own video has nearly a 1:2 ratio.
And where is the hate coming from? Basically, from the early ’90s until 2017, there’s been a Batman game released nearly every year, with standouts such as Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), Batman: Arkham City (2011), and Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) garnering a pretty big following across console.
Then, Batman: Arkham Shadow shows up on the radar, a VR-only game that is exclusive to Quest 3—two things that aren’t communicated to the casual viewer until they physically click on the video. This presents not only a bit of a bait-and-switch for gamers hoping for the next long-awaited Arkham title, but also an all too real sign that Meta is likely phasing out Quest 2 and Quest Pro later this year.
Top-rated comments across the two video releases:
“Is there a lore reason why WB hates Arkham fans?” – @ethansolomon2126
“Guessing that thousands will see and click for immediate disappointment.” – @angelchang5194
“r/Batmanarkham is gonna go insane over this” – @-.Springtrap.
“I am vengeance, I am the night, I am exclusively playable on the META Quest 3, I AM BATMAN!” – @Blitzwinger
Hardcore fandom doesn’t always react so viscerally though. When Valve released its announcement trailer for Half-Life: Alyx in late 2019, it was actually universally liked despite being the first Half-Life in 16 years. Valve however went about setting expectations very differently, which may explain at least some of the Batman hate. The PC VR-only game, which had already been subject to rumors in the months leading up, was actually confirmed by Valve nearly a week before its announcement trailer was released. People who clicked on it already basically knew what they were in for.
There’s still plenty to learn though. Besides the fact that it’s being developed by Oculus Studios and Meta-owned developer Camouflaj, the same studio behind Iron Man VR, we still don’t know anything about the game’s scope or narrative. What is certain though is we’re sure to learn more at Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest on June 7 at 2:00 PM PT (local time here).
Hugo Barra, Meta’s former Head of VR, offered some unique insight into the XR industry recently with an extensive blogpost that centers around Apple Vision Pro. Barra warns that, like the company’s first standalone headset Oculus Go, the novelty around casual content consumption will probably fade fairly quickly.
Looking back at his time at Meta (then Facebook), Barra notes that Oculus Go was “the biggest product failure” he’d ever been attached to, stating that although casual content consumption was the headset’s raison d’être, the hype wore off pretty quickly.
Here’s Barra’s appraisal of the situation:
Watching TV/movies in virtual reality seemed like such an incredibly compelling idea that we (the Oculus team at Meta/Facebook) built an entire product around that idea — Oculus Go.
Launched in 2018, Oculus Go was the biggest product failure I’ve ever been associated with for the simple reason that it had extremely low retention despite strong partnerships with Netflix and YouTube.
Most users who bought Oculus Go completely abandoned the headset after a few weeks. The full story is much more nuanced (including the fact that the Oculus Go failure got us on the path to Oculus Quest very quickly), but it taught us an important lesson.
Oculus Go | Photo by Road to VR
Barra notes that poor retention for Oculus Go had to do with a few common factors, including user comfort, friction in starting a session when not already wearing the headset, and the social isolation of watching content alone—all of which is true for Vision Pro as well.
Barra concludes that, at least as far as Oculus Go went, traditional media consumption was “not a core ‘daily driver’ pillar but more an ancillary use case that adds some value to other core pillars (such as productivity or gaming).”
Granted Barra says Vision Pro brings more to the table thanks to its better displays than previous VR headsets, which can create “magical movie experiences on occasion,” but those same challenges that Oculus Go contended with basically remain.
Barra initially moved to Meta (then Facebook) in 2017 from his role as Global VP at the China-based tech giant Xiaomi, becoming head of Oculus and VP of Reality Labs partnerships. Leveraging his experience at Xiaomi, Meta even tapped the Chinese tech giant to manufacture Oculus Go for both the international market and the Chinese domestic market, also branding it under the name ‘Mi VR Standalone’, belying just how big the company expected Go to resonate.
Only a short year after the release of Oculus Go though, the company shifted gears to launch its first room-scale-capable standalone Oculus Quest, nearly abandoning Oculus Go entirely, which in addition to largely relying on Samsung Gear VR apps, omitted motion controllers due to only being tracked in three degrees of freedom.
Then again, that’s where the comparions stop, as Vision Pro has great hand-tracking, millions of apps, and compelling mixed reality passthrough—all of the things Barra says Apple is hoping to use to make Vision Pro “the future of work.”
