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iPhone 16 Adds Spatial Photos and Spatial Audio Capture for Vision Pro

From roadtovr

Apple announced its new iPhone 16 is getting a little more spatial with the addition of both spatial photos and audio, essentially putting it in line with Vision Pro’s capture capabilities.

The company’s big event on Monday didn’t bring any giant revelations for Vision Pro, although the company announced a host of products, including its AI-infused iPhone 16 line, as well as all-new Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4.

iPhone 16 Pro Max & 16 Pro  (left), iPhone 16 Plus & 16 (right) | Images courtesy Apple

The iPhone 16 introduces a new pill-shaped camera design, enhanced AI features, and a couple of new buttons (Action and Camera Control) compared to the iPhone 15. It retains the same 60Hz display (120Hz on iPhone 16 Pro), with improvements being pretty incremental overall.

The entire iPhone 16 line however also comes with the ability to not only capture spatial video like on iPhone 15 Pro, but now spatial photos and audio. Vision Pro can do all of these things, although you’d have a hard time fitting it in your pocket.

Regardless of what phone you have, if you own a Vision Pro all of your photos can be spatialized thanks to an update earlier this summer which automatically converts 2D photos to 3D—and pretty convincingly so.

Notably, spatial videos can also be viewed on other XR devices that support the MV-HVEC video codec, such as Meta Quest.

Official Quest 3S Image Leaks Ahead of Anticipated Meta Connect Unveiling

From roadtovr

Meta has leaked an image of the supposed Quest 3S via an update to its PC software, showing off what is likely the upcoming cheaper alternative to Quest 3.

As first spotted by Reddit user ‘Gary_the_mememachine‘, the image of can be found in the files of Meta Quest Link client for PC.

At the time of this writing, Meta hasn’t removed the image from its latest software update. Provided your client is updated, you can find it yourself by following this pathway:

C:Program FilesOculusSupportoculus-dashdashdatajsassetssrcappsdashasset_filesexperience-panels

Image courtesy Meta

The headset, like many in the ‘experience-panels’ folder, is referred to by its codename, which is labeled as ‘Panther’. The codename was first spotted by serial dataminer Luna when digging through the v65 UX files in the Quest software.

All signs currently point to an imminent launch of Quest 3S, as a new Meta headset was recently certified by the FCC, which is now just a few weeks before Meta Connect 2024, taking place September 25th – 26th.

There, we hope to get confirmation of a few rumors floating around currently, including whether it packs in the same Fresnel lenses and display as Quest 2, if it has the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset as the Quest 3, and whether it will really hit the rumored $299 price point.

We’re also hoping to learn more about when Meta will release HorizonOS to third-party OEMs, which includes XR devices from hardware partners ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox.

Sharp & Japan’s Largest Telecom Unveil Lightweight AR Glasses ‘MiZRA’

From roadtovr

Sharp and Japan’s largest telecom NTT Docomo today announced a new pair of AR glasses called MiZRA, which is hitting the Japanese market sometime his Fall.

It would be pretty tough to mistake Mizra for a normal pair of glasses, what with its chunky struts and rims, 6DOF tracking sensors, and center-mounted camera—not to mentions its unique AR optics, which incorporate so-called ‘mirror bars’ courtesy of South Korean AR lens creator LetinAR, promising a 45-degree diagonal field of view.

Created by NTT QONOQ Devices, a joint venture between Sharp and NTT’s XR development branch NTT QONOQ, Mizra isn’t going to be cheap either. Priced at an eye-watering ¥248,000 (~$1,730 USD), the funky but functional device more than likely will be squarely targeted at enterprise.

In the press release (Japanese), the company highlights its ability to take photos and make calls, and also display multiple screens positioned anywhere around the user. Mizra promises a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, although it’s unclear if that’s referring to perceived brightness to the end user or the brightness of the 1,920 × 1,080 microOLEDs.

To boot, Mizra promises good weight distribution thanks to placing components closer to the back of the glasses’ struts. Both internal battery and processing (Qualcomm Snapdragon AR2 Gen1) is on board, however it boasts wireless connectivity to Snapdragon Spaces-compatible smartphones.

Image courtesy NTT QONOQ Devices

For now, the company has only certified the AQUOS R9 SH-51E, a Japan-only flagship from Sharp, however the company says more compatible phones will be announced in the future.

We’re still waiting for more clarity on launch regions, however it’s likely Mizra may be a Japan-only device. In the meantime, check out the specs below:

MiZRA Specs

  • Weight:125g
  • Size: Approx. 187mm (W) x 45mm (H) x 184mm (D) (when in use), Approx. 187mm (W) x 45mm (H) x 96mm (D) (stored)
  • Chipset: Snapdragon® AR2 Gen1
  • Display: Resolution: FHD (1,920 x 1,080), 45° FOV (diagonal), 1,000 nits brightness, MicroOLED binocular full color
  • Optics: LetinAR’s unique thin mirror bar type optical module
  • Battery: continuous use time: 1～1.5 hours, charged in under 2 hours using the included USB Type-C cable
  • Camera: 1x front RGB camera (image quality: FHD), 2x side monochrome cameras
  • Audio: 4x microphones, 2x speakers
  • Other sensors: Touch sensor (for operation), Proximity sensor (for determining wearing status), Illuminance sensor (for automatic brightness adjustment), Acceleration/gyro/camera spatial recognition sensor (for 6DoF tracking)
  • Connection: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E

Meta Reportedly Considering Smaller Mixed Reality “Glasses” for Release in 2027

From roadtovr

The competitive landscape has undoubtedly changed with the entrance of Apple Vision Pro earlier this year, raising questions where Meta is headed next with its XR efforts. A recent report from The Information maintains the company is now considering a mixed reality device resembling “a bulky pair of glasses,” codenamed ‘Puffin’.

Citing two Meta employees, the report maintains the headset currently under consideration is a slim and light mixed reality device that would serve as an alternative to larger headsets, such as the current Quest line, which thus far has “limited consumer appeal,” The Information reports.

While still in early stages, Puffin could release as soon as 2027, the report maintains, noting that it won’t be an augmented reality headset, but rather use pancake lenses, which are used in conjunction with VR displays.

Notably, such form factor would suggest the inclusion of micro displays similar to those seen in Bigscreen Beyond, the slim PC VR headset from the studio behind Bigscreen Beta.

Image courtesy John Carmack

Seemingly taking a page out of Apple’s playbook with Vision Pro, it’s said the headset will also omit Touch controllers, as it would primarily rely on hand and eye-tracking for input.

Additionally, it’s reported Puffin would offload weight from the user’s head with the use of “External Processing Puck and Battery.”

This follows a report last year the rebuked rumors that Quest Pro 2, which would be positioned to compete with Vision Pro, was cancelled. At the time, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said “don’t believe everything you read.”

However, just a few days ago, a fresh report from The Information claimed the supposed Quest Pro 2 had indeed been cancelled by Meta, specified in the report as being codenamed ‘La Jolla’.

While we’re hoping to learn more about Puffin at Meta Connect in late September, it’s more likely the event will focus on revealing Quest 3S, which is rumored to be the company’s next affordable headset, ostensibly supplanting Quest 2.

We’re also hoping to hear about the release of its fleet of third-party Quest-like headsets running HorizonOS, which will include partners ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox.

Snapchat and Meta Reportedly Plan to Reveal Dueling Visions of AR Glasses Next Month

From roadtovr

According to a report by The Verge, both Snapchat and Meta will each reveal new AR glasses for the first time next month. Both companies have been working on such projects for years.

According to The Verge’s Alex Heath, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. will reveal its fifth generation of ‘Spectacles’ AR glasses on September 17th at the company’s annual Partner Summit conference in Los Angeles. Just a week later, Meta will debut its own pair of AR glasses (codenamed Orion, according to Heath) during its annual Connect conference on September 25th.

Snap has been building out its ‘Spectacles’ line of smartglasses for several years now, but it wasn’t until the device’s fourth generation in 2021 that it actually gained proper AR capabilities. Now the company is said to be poised to reveal the fifth generation of Spectacles which will further enhance the device’s AR uses.

Snap’s fourth-generation Spectacles, the first with AR | Image courtesy Snap

Similarly, Meta has been building and improving upon its Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses since the first generation in 2021. A second generation of the device launched late last year, but the company has yet to add a display or sensors for any kind of AR capabilities.

While both companies are racing toward a future where they believe AR glasses will be mainstream, the devices to be shown off next month aren’t yet ready to be productized, Heath writes. At best they’ll be released to developers for experimentation before some future version of the products reach consumers.

According to Heath, Snap’s latest pair of AR glasses will be pretty similar to the previous generation, but with an improved field-of-view and battery life. That would surely be welcome considering the first pair had a mere 26.3° diagonal field-of-view (not even half of what you’d find on a modern MR headset) and a 30 minute battery life (also not half of what you’d find on a modern MR headset!).

As for Meta’s first true AR glasses, we’ve heard the company tease that “nothing prepares you for the high field-of-view immersion,” but it’s still unclear if the field-of-view will be large in comparison to other AR glasses, or actually approach the current bar set by VR headsets. It’s also unclear if Meta’s AR glasses will be presented as another partnership with Ray-Ban, or if it the device will use Meta-owned branding, similar to Quest.

While both companies ultimately aim to create AR headsets that match the incredibly immersive capabilities we see in MR devices like Vision Pro and Quest 3, fitting those capabilities into something that’s even close to a pair of glasses remains a huge challenge.

Magic Leap 2 | Image courtesy Magic Leap

Best-in-class devices like Magic Leap 2 are still more like bulky goggles than glasses, and that’s even with much of the compute and battery being offloaded into a ‘puck’ that goes into the pocket.

Check out Alex Heath’s report for more background and insight on Snap and Meta’s plans to reveal new AR glasses next month.

Pico Reveals ‘Pico 4 Ultra’ Headset, Launching in China Next Month

From roadtovr

Pico has unveiled its next XR headset, the Pico 4 Ultra, which is slated to launch in China next month starting at around $600.

It was reported early this year that Pico was preparing some sort of XR headset based on the Pico 4 platform following a supposed leak.

Now Byte Dance’s XR subsidiary Pico Interactive has finally announced Pico 4 Ultra, the promised ‘next-gen’ platform refresh of its Pico 4 headset, replete with color passthrough cameras and depth sensors for mixed and virtual reality, and a second gen version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 chip—notably the same chipset used in Meta Quest 3.

Image courtesy Pico Interactive

Here’s a quick look at Pico 4 Ultra’s specs:

  • Processor: Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
  • RAM & Storage: 12 GB RAM + 256 GB Storage – LPDDR5 + UFS 3.1
  • Wireless Connectivity: Supports Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be), Bluetooth 5.3
  • Mixed Reality Sensor: 32 MP color passthrough camera ×2, iToF depth-sensing camera ×1, Environment tracking camera ×4
  • Display: 2.56-inch screens at 2,160 × 2,160 pixels (× 2), 1200 PPI (pixels per inch)
  • Rendering resolution: 1920 × 1920 (× 2)
  • Refresh rate: 90 Hz
  • Optics: Pancake lenses at 105° FOV, 20.6 PPD (pixels per degree)
  • IPD Adjustment: 58 mm–72 mm
  • Audio: dual stereo speakers, 4 microphones and supports spatial audio recording
  • Battery: 5,700 mAh rated capacity, 5774 mAh typical capacity
  • Charging: supports QC 4.0 / PD 3.0, 45W fast charger

Pico 4 Ultra is now available for pre-order in China, priced at 4,300 RMB (~$600 USD), with shipping slated to begin September 2nd.

It’s uncertain whether Pico will bring Pico 4 Ultra to additional countries, however it has been certified in South Korea, UploadVR notes. Pico currently sells its original 2022-era Pico 4 in many countries in East Asia as well as Europe, however not in the United States.

We’ll be keeping an eye on Pico’s global site in the coming days for greater indication of launch regions.

‘Ghosts of Tabor’ Studio Unveils Fresh Look at Next Co-op Shooter ‘Silent North’

From roadtovr

Ghosts of Tabor studio Combat Waffle today showed off a closer look at Silent North, the studio’s next VR shooter published in partnership with Beyond Frames Entertainment.

Silent North takes multiplayer action to the Swiss Alps, where players will bundle up and hunker down to survive as long as they can in a world overrun by zombies, Combat Waffle says.

“Players can team up or go it solo while scavenging for gear and defending against a never-ending supply of hungry corpses.”

Silent North is slated to bring its mix of PVE and PVP action on the Horizon Store for Quest 2/3/Pro in early access and on Steam Early Access sometime next year.

PSVR 2 Discount More Than Doubled Usual Sales Volume, But Quest Still Leads

From roadtovr

PSVR 2 got its first big sale the other week which resulted in a large lift in sales volume for the headset in the US.

At $550 MSRP, PSVR 2 is actually more expensive than the PS5 console that powers it, at $500. That’s made it a tough sell for some, especially with Quest 3, its nearest  competitor, priced at $500 and not requiring a tethered console.

Demand for Sony’s VR headset may be greater than it appears however, with many seemingly willing to buy once the price is right.

Sony discovered this after its first big sale on PSVR 2 the other week, which dropped the price of the headset alone to $350 (37% discount), and the price of the Horizon bundle to $400 (a 33% discount).

In just the week or so that the sale was active, we can see that sales volume for headset more than doubled on Amazon US compared to the prior months.

PSVR 2’s short-lived Summer sale may tell us something about the forthcoming holiday period, the time of year when the most VR headsets are sold and the biggest sales are generally seen. Sony now has a clear idea of how much its headset sales could ramp up if it offers the same deal during the holiday, or perhaps an even better one.

While the discount appears to have resulted in a nice boost in unit sales for PSVR 2, to put things into perspective we can see that it’s still a far cry from the number of Quest 2 and Quest 3 units Meta has been selling.

Pico to Unveil New XR Product on August 20th in Special Event

From roadtovr

Pico Interactive today announced it’s getting ready to reveal “a new product” this month, promising to boost your “MR/VR experience to the next level.”

The device is slated to get its big reveal on August 20th. An image obtained by Antony Vitillo of Skarred Ghost maintains it will be revealed at 14:00 China Standard Time (local time here).

The company also teased the new headset in a separate X post yesterday, with the hashtags ‘Pico 4’ and ‘Upgrade’:

The tease suggests it will likely be another XR headset and not an optional accessory, although the mention of ‘upgrade’ isn’t conclusive.

Provided it’s indeed a new headset, a possible candidate could be the rumored Pico 4S, which was the subject of a leaked controller design back in March.

Less likely is Pico 5 or prospective Pico 5 Pro Max, both of which have been rumored since late last year. Since then, Pico parent company Byte Dance issued wide-reaching layoffs, which may have dampened its consumer ambitions—at least outside of Asia and possibly Europe where it has launched previous headsets.

HTC Cuts Vive XR Elite Price Ahead of New Headset Reveal

From roadtovr

HTC has reduced the price of Vive XR Elite, its flagship standalone headset, cutting it from $1,100 to $900.

The deal appears to only be available in the US, as Vive XR Elite is still selling for its launch price across other major regions—€1,449 in Europe and £1,299 in the UK.

Released in February 2023, Vive XR Elite was initially positioned as a Quest Pro competitor, offering up a compact and lightweight standalone design and mixed reality capabilities.

Shortly after its release, Meta closed the price gap, dropping Quest Pro from $1,500 to $1,000, essentially removing one of Vive XR Elite’s headlining features.

Photo by Road to VR

Now, at $900, it appears HTC is hoping to move Vive XR Elite stock in the US, or what has been the XR segment’s most performant market for consumer devices.

Additionally, the company is also holding two promotions for Vive XR Elite and Vive Ultimate Tracker bundles in the US, which end on August 31st. You’ll find both available on Vive.com.

  • VIVE XR Elite + Ultimate Tracker 3 trackers + 1 dongle for $1,398
  •  VIVE XR Elite + Ultimate Tracker 5 trackers + 1 dongle for $1,696

Meanwhile, HTC released a video late last month promising something “coming soon,” teasing what promises to be the next XR headset from the company.

While the company hasn’t revealed anything beyond that video, seen above, a supposed leak reported by tech analyst Brad Lynch suggests the headset may be more of an iterative design on Vive Focus 3—delivering what may be Vive Focus 4.

The reported leak maintains the next HTC headset will contain the same displays and optics as Vive Focus 3, however integrate the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 chipset used in Vive XR Elite, and also include built-in eye-tracking, USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode, and work with Vive Focus 3’s accessories—all of which is unconfirmed.

Provided that leak is true, the company may be in danger of undercutting Vive XR Elite’s functionality, becoming a veritable Quest Pro to Meta’s Quest 3, which has a majority of the former’s functionality at  nearly half the price.