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Google’s First ‘Beam’ Videoconferencing Device is ‘HP Dimension’, Coming Late 2025 at $25,000

From roadtovr

HP announced last year it was going to be the first to offer hardware based on Google Beam (formerly ‘Project Starline’), the light field-based 3D videoconferencing platform. Now, HP unveiled ‘Dimension’, which is being pitched to enterprise at $25,000 a pop.

HP Dimension with Google Beam is said to use six cameras and “state of the art AI” to create a realistic 3D video of each participant, displayed on a special 65-inch light field display with realistic size, depth, color, and eye contact.

HP says the device, which will be sold to select partners starting in late 2025, will be priced at $25,000. This notably doesn’t come with the Google Beam license, which is sold separately.

Image courtesy Google, HP

As an enterprise-first device, HP Dimension is slated to support Zoom Rooms and Google Meet, so it can do 3D immersive chats, but also 2D traditional group meetings, integrating cloud-based video services such as Teams and Webex.

“We believe that meaningful collaboration thrives on authentic human connections, which is why we partnered with Google to bring HP Dimension with Google Beam out of the lab and into the enterprise,” said Helen Sheirbon, SVP and President of Hybrid Systems, HP Inc. “HP Dimension with Google Beam bridges the gap between the virtual and physical worlds to create lifelike virtual communication experiences that brings us closer together.”

First introduced in 2021, Google Beam (ex ‘Project Starlight’) combines a light-field display to show natural 3D depth without the need for an XR headset or glasses of any sort—essentially simulating a face-to-face chat between two people.

In its testing, HP says Beam this makes for 39% more non-verbal behaviors noticed, as well as 37% more users noting better turn taking, and 28% noticing an increase in memory recall over traditional videoconferencing platforms.

Report: Samsung’s Project Moohan XR Headset May Get a Launch Date at Unpacked Next Month

From roadtovr

Samsung Unpacked is expected to kick off next month with the usual slate of hardware announcements, which this year could include the company’s latest foldable smartphones, Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7, and its latest Galaxy Watch 8. Rumors suggest though the company is also looking to put its upcoming XR headset, Project Moohan, in the spotlight too.

Project Moohan was announced alongside Android XR back in December 2024, which will be the first device to run Google’s upcoming XR operating system. Samsung has said in the past that consumers should expect Project Moohan’s launch sometime this year, although it still doesn’t have a specific date or official name scheme.

Now, Samsung serial leaker ‘Panda Flash‘ reports the company’s upcoming mixed reality headset could finally get a release date there.

While were initially expecting to hear something about Project Moohan at Google I/O last month (we didn’t), Samsung might be keeping the device a little closer to home than initially thought.

Samsung Project Moohan | Image courtesy The Verge

Panda Flash, who has been following Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 leaks and supply chain rumors, additionally reports the headset will launch first in South Korea, and then gradually launch globally sometime afterwards—essentially mirroring Apple’s US-first launch of Vision Pro before heading into other markets.

Samsung has shown its supposed Vision Pro competitor at a number of events over the past year, which includes our opportunity to go hands-on with Project Moohan in December, although the company has largely stayed mum on revealing the XR headset’s full spec sheet.

So far, we know the Android XR headset is packing in a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 + Gen 2, Sony-sourced micro‑OLED panels (resolution still TBA), pancake lenses, automatic interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment, support for eye and hand-tracking, optional magnetically-attached light shield, and a removable external battery pack. It also supports VR motion controllers of some sort, although we haven’t seen those either.

We’re also hoping to learn more about the company’s smart glasses efforts; Samsung is reportedly working on a pair of smart glasses that could launch sometime this year—ostensibly looking to serve up competition to Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

Whatever the case, we’ll be looking out for official dates for Samsung Unpacked, which is expected to take place sometime early next month in New York City.

Apple Details Vision Pro’s New Persistent Widget System Coming to VisionOS 26

From roadtovr

At WWDC this week, Apple revealed a new persistent widget system coming to Vision Pro in visionOS 26. The system will allow users to anchor widgets against walls or on surfaces that will always stay in the same place with glanceable info.

In a developer session released during WWDC this week, Apple delved into the new widget system for Vision Pro, exploring how they work, customization options, and more. Unlike typical Vision Pro windows, which float in space wherever the user places them (and will relocate when the headset is recentered or rebooted), widgets can be placed against walls or on flat surfaces and will always stay in that place, even if the headset is restarted. This makes widgets on VisionOS 26 act like persistent parts of your physical environment.

Apple explained that the system supports existing widgets built for other Apple platforms (like iOS and iPadOS), which means there will be a wealth of widgets for Vision Pro users. But Apple has also extended its WidgetKit platform with new options that are specific to Vision Pro. That includes new sizes and aspect ratios to choose from.

Image courtesy Apple

Additionally, developers will be able to choose between a ‘paper’ and ‘glass’ overlay which will define how the widget responds to the lighting in the user’s space.

Image courtesy Apple

For widgets with static info like photos or cover art, Apple suggests the paper style so that they will dim with the room’s lighting, making them appear more like part of the actual room.

For widgets that present dynamic information, Apple suggests the glass style, noting that information on the glass style will stay illuminated to ensure it’s always easy to see.

Widgets made for VisionOS 26 can also be proximity-aware, allowing the widget to change between states based on how near or far the user is from the widget. This enables developers to show simplified information (like weather conditions) from across the room, then surface more detail when the user gets closer (like the upcoming week’s forecast).

Image courtesy Apple

Among the new first-party Apple widgets that are specific to Vision Pro is an album poster which shows album art on the wall and then plays the album when the user clicks on it. Another is a ‘photo window’ that allows you to create a virtual window with a panoramic photo that makes it seem like you’re actually looking out into the scene. However, these photos are flat for now rather than spatial.

View post on imgur.com

The Clock widget has gotten an overhaul with new designs and enhanced detail for viewing up close.

Apple really wants widgets to feel not like floating windows but part of the user’s actual space. Thus, they must be placed against walls or on flat surfaces, and they will also be occluded by other virtual content and by the real world environment, like furniture or walls.

To keep widgets grounded as part of the real environment, they are always contained within a frame that casts a realistic shadow.

While developers have new tools for making widgets on Vision Pro, users are also given a range of customization options.

Image courtesy Apple

Widgets can be adjusted to be 75% to 125% of their original size. They can be ‘elevated’ to sit on the wall like a picture frame, or ‘recessed’ which sinks them slightly into the wall, making them feel like part of it. When in ‘elevated’ mode, users can define the thickness of the frame.

Image courtesy Apple

Users can also choose between a handful of colors, in both light and dark variations.

Image courtesy Apple

When arranging widgets against a wall, nearby widgets will automatically snap into a grid arrangement for easy grouping.

Widgets can be interactive, allowing a user to, for instance, check off a to-do list item by using look-and-pinch or physically touching the widget. If a widget doesn’t have specific interactions, interacting with it will launch the parent application by default.

Widgets are already available in the VisionOS 26 developer beta that released this week, and is expected to be released to the public this fall.

Snap Plans to Launch New Consumer ‘Specs’ AR Glasses Next Year

From roadtovr

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, today announced it’s working on the next iteration of its Spectacles AR glasses (aka ‘Specs’), which are slated to release publicly sometime next year.

Snap first released its fifth generation of Specs (Spectacles ’24) exclusively to developers in late 2024, later opening up sales to students and teachers in January 2025 through an educational discount program.

Today, at the AWE 2025, Snap announced it’s launching an updated version of the AR glasses for public release next year, which Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel teases will be “a much smaller form factor, at a fraction of the weight, with a ton more capability.”

There’s no pricing or availability yet beyond the 2026 launch window. To boot, we haven’t even seen the device in question, although we’re betting they aren’t as chunky as these:

Snap Spectacles ’24 | Image courtesy Snap Inc

Spiegel additionally noted that its four million-strong library of Lenses, which add 3D effects, objects, characters, and transformations in AR, will be compatible with the forthcoming version of Specs.

While the company isn’t talking specs (pun intended) right now, the version introduced in 2024 packs in a 46° field of view via stereo waveguide displays, which include automatic tint, and dual liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) miniature projectors boasting 37 pixels per degree.

As a standalone unit, the device features dual Snapdragon processors, stereo speakers for spatial audio, six microphones for voice recognition, as well as two high-resolution color cameras and two infrared computer vision cameras for 6DOF spatial awareness and hand tracking.

There’s no telling how these specs will change on the next version, although we’re certainly hoping for more than the original’s 45-minute battery life.

Snap Spectacles ’24 | Image courtesy Snap Inc

And as the company is gearing up to release its first publicly available AR glasses, Snap also announced major updates coming to Snap OS. Key enhancements include new integrations with OpenAI and Google Cloud’s Gemini, allowing developers to create multimodal AI-powered Lenses for Specs. These include things like real-time translation, currency conversion, recipe suggestions, and interactive adventures.

Additionally, new APIs are said to expand spatial and audio capabilities, including Depth Module API, which anchors AR content in 3D space, and Automated Speech Recognition API, which supports 40+ languages. The company’s Snap3D API is also said to enable real-time 3D object generation within Lenses.

For developers building location-based experiences, Snap says it’s also introducing a Fleet Management app, Guided Mode for seamless Lens launching, and Guided Navigation for AR tours. Upcoming features include Niantic Spatial VPS integration and WebXR browser support, enabling a shared, AI-assisted map of the world and expanded access to WebXR content.

Releasing Specs to consumers could put Snap in a unique position as a first mover; companies including Apple, Meta, and Google still haven’t released their own AR glasses, although consumers should expect the race to heat up this decade. The overall consensus is these companies are looking to own a significant piece of AR, as many hope the device class will unseat smartphones as the dominant computing paradigm in the future.

Spatial Photos on Vision Pro Are Getting a Volumetric Upgrade for Greater Immersion

From roadtovr

At WWDC today, Apple announced the headlining features of visionOS 26, its next big OS release for Vision Pro. Among them is a new revamped spatial photos feature that ought to make them even more immersive.

Vision Pro launched with the ability to view spatial photos, captured either with the headset itself or with iPhone 16, 15 Pro and Pro Max. These spatial photos created a sense of depth and dimensionality by combining stereo capture and applying depth mapping to the image.

Now, Apple says it’s applied a new generative AI algorithm to create “spatial scenes with multiple perspectives, letting users feel like they can lean in and look around,” essentially ‘guessing’ at details not actually captured on camera.

With visionOS 26, Vision Pro users will be able to view spatial scenes in the Photos app, Spatial Gallery app, and Safari. The company says developers will also be able to use the Spatial Scene API to add the feature into their apps.

To show off the new AI-assisted spatial photos feature, real-estate marketplace Zillow says it’s adopting Spatial Scene API in the Zillow Immersive app for Vision Pro, which lets users to see spatial images of homes and apartments.

Apple’s visionOS 26 is slated to arrive sometime later this year, although the company says testing is already underway.

Vision Pro’s Next Big Update Will Add Anchored Widgets That Live Around Your House

From roadtovr

Apple today announced at WWDC that Vision Pro is getting spatialized Widgets, coming along when visionOS 26 drops later this year.

On basically all of Apple’s devices, Widgets are designed to offer up personalized and useful info at a glance.

Now Apple says Vision Pro is also getting spatial Widgets too, which will let you place a variety of these mini-apps around your house which reappear every time you put on Vision Pro.

Apple says Widgets in visionOS 26 are “customizable, with a variety of options for frame width, color, and depth. Beautiful new widgets — including Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos — all offer unique interactions and experiences.”

Essentially, you’ll be able to decorate you space with things like spatial photos, clocks with distinctive face designs, a calendar with your events, and also quick access to music playlists and songs so you can, say, keep your favorite track in a specific part of your room.

Notably, Apple says developers will be able to create their own widgets using WidgetKit. There’s no word on exactly when visionOS 26 releases, although the company says we can expect it sometime later this year.

This story is breaking. We’re currently at WWDC today, and will report back when we learn more about all things Vision Pro.

Vision Pro is Getting a Major Visual Upgrade to Its ‘Persona’ Avatars

From roadtovr

Apple ‘Personas’ on Vision Pro are already the most likelife real-time avatars you can find on any headset today, but in the next version of visionOS, they’re taking another step forward.

Apple today announced that its Persona avatars for Vision Pro will get a major visual upgrade with the launch of visionOS 26, due out later this year.

Personas on Vision Pro are generated on-device after users take a short scan of their face using the headset. Once generated, the avatar is used for social experiences like FaceTime.

Currently, they’re the most lifelike real-time avatars available on any headset today. Although they impressively capture subtle motion from the user, they have always felt somewhat blurry or ghostly.

VisionOS 26 promises a big visual update that will greatly reduce that ghostly look, and present a more complete view of the user’s head, including a “full side profile view.” Apple is also promising more realistic hair and lashes, and more than 1,000 variations of glasses, so glasses-wearers can find something that looks just right.

View post on imgur.com

Although visionOS 26 will be available as a developer beta starting today, it isn’t yet clear if the Personas upgrade will be available in the first version, or roll out in later versions of the beta.

Beyond the visual upgrade to Personas, visionOS 26 will also make improvements to how social experiences work on the headset. New developer tools will allow for the creation of co-located virtual experiences; meaning two headset users in the same physical space will be able to see a shared virtual experience that’s visually anchored in the same space for both. That same system will allow for remote participants to join as Persona avatars, making for a mixture of in-person headset users and remote participants in the same virtual experience.

Unofficial SteamVR Driver Will Reportedly Enable Support for WMR Headsets on Latest Windows Versions

From roadtovr

Microsoft pulled the plug on support for its entire WMR platform on Windows 11 last year, putting an official end to the company’s foray into PC VR headsets. Now, an unofficial SteamVR driver hopes to bring it back.

Microsoft deprecated the Mixed Reality Portal app, Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR, and Steam VR Beta when Windows 11 24H2 update rolled out last October, making a fleet of PC VR headsets from Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and Samsung essentially expensive paperweights.

Granted, if you haven’t updated to Windows 11 24H2, or are still on Windows 10, Microsoft says you’ll be able to play SteamVR content through November 2026 before the plug is pulled for good. Still, that’s a bitter pill to swallow for users of WMR’s most modern headset, HP Reverb G2, which released less than five years ago.

Now, Reddit user ‘mbucchia’ claims an unofficial SteamVR driver is in the works, which aims to bring all WMR headsets back into the fold sometime this Fall. Below you can see the first HP Reverb (2019) in action:

Dubbed the ‘Oasis’ driver, mbucchia says the SteamVR driver “does not need the Mixed Reality Portal,” which was deprecated in Windows 11 24H2 last year alongside SteamVR beta support.

“This means it can work on Windows 11 24H2 and newer. It supports full 6DoF tracking along with motion controllers,” mbucchia says.

“As mentioned on another post, I don’t have all WMR headsets to test with. Though I can tell you that it [also] works on the original Acer AH100. It should in theory work on any brand/model,” mbucchia says.

The first wave of WMR headsets launched in 2017 | Image courtesy Microsoft

Work on the driver is remaining behind closed doors, mbucchia says, noting that Oasis will be restricted to Nvidia GPUs due to the way SteamVR interfaces with the GPU drivers.

Most interesting of all, though, is Oasis isn’t being undertaken by just anyone. Mbucchia claims they are currently an employee at Microsoft who has previously worked in the company’s Mixed Reality division.

“I am bound by NDAs and other obligations. I want to be clear that I have taken much care to NOT BREACH any of these agreements while working on this project. In particular, I am leveraging SteamVR for a lot of heavy lifting and I am not borrowing any Microsoft intellectual property,” mbucchia says.

For these reasons, Oasis won’t feature a beta, or similar early access, before its release in Fall 2025. It also won’t be open source.

“Much of the code is the result of deep reverse-engineer. Reverse-engineering that if shared, could be construed as exposing internals of programs like SteamVR or the Nvidia GPU drivers,” mbucchia explains. “Not[e] that here again, I am NOT BREACHING any proprietary/intellectual property. Having respect for both Valve and Nvidia, I will not divulge any of the code that they do not consider public.”

Mbucchia says they’ll reveal more about the project in the Windows Mixed Reality subreddit leading up to its Fall 2025 release.

AWE 2025 Preview: 4 Companies Building XR’s Future

From roadtovr

AWE USA 2025, one of the XR industry’s largest annual conferences, kicks off next week. We got a preview of what four interesting companies attending the event will be showing.

As far as industry events go, AWE USA has become our must-attend XR event of the year. It kicks off next week on June 10–12 in Long Beach, CA. As the Premier Media Partner of this year’s event, our exclusive exclusive 20% discount on tickets is still available.

We’ll be on site at the event, reporting on the most important developments. Ahead of AWE though we asked four interesting companies for a preview of what they’re bringing to the show.

CREAL

At AWE 2025, CREAL will showcase its Clarity light-field display. Released at the beginning of the year, CREAL has, since then, continuously improved the image quality by innovating on the spatial light modulator. Visitors will be able to experience the new display technology through a headset as well as a tabletop pair of glasses

Both prototypes feature CREAL’s Clarity display, which includes the light field optical engine and holographic lenses. Beyond the display, the headset prototype integrates off-the-shelf components to enable full-scale demonstrations of our technology, while the glasses prototype is designed with custom components to showcase our ultimate form factor. | Image courtesy CREAL

XREAL

At AWE, XREAL will be demoing the ultra-popular XREAL One Series AR glasses with spatial computing capabilities. Also available for demo will be the XREAL EYE, a modular camera attachment for the One Series. XREAL will also be unveiling an exciting new accessory and showing it off in person for the very first time.

Image courtesy XREAL

ForgeFX

At AWE 2025, ForgeFX Simulations will unveil VORTEX, a next-generation XR training platform engineered for high-risk, high-consequence environments where traditional training methods fall short. Built on the proprietary ForgeSIM framework, VORTEX delivers immersive, AI-enhanced, scenario-based mission rehearsal through photorealistic LiDAR environments, GIS-enabled sand tables, voice-activated SMEs, and real-time performance analytics—already piloted by JPEO-CBRND for CBRN response. ForgeFX is also debuting an enhanced Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) Simulator for the Meta Quest 3 PCVR, co-developed with Vermeer Corporation, featuring authentic drill controls and a new Auto Rod Exchange module that trains on a previously unsimulated, safety-critical task. At Booth #346, attendees can experience six interactive demos, including the JLG Access Ready XR trainer, Somero S-22EZ Laser Screed simulator, CBRND HoloTrainer, Trumpf Laser Cutting simulator, ForgeFX Excavator trainer, and Ocuweld welding VR simulator, each showcasing ForgeFX’s leadership in immersive, equipment-integrated training solutions.

Image courtesy ForgeFX

PICO

At AWE USA 2025, PICO will showcase the PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise, its latest all-in-one mixed reality headset designed for enterprise applications. Equipped with advanced MR capabilities and the PICOMotion Tracker for full-body and object tracking, the headset empowers industries to deliver highly immersive, practical solutions. PICO has successfully expanded into education, training and location-based entertainment (LBE), and visitors to the booth will have the opportunity to experience a selection of these real-world use cases firsthand. A private meeting space will also be available for deeper conversations about how PICO’s solutions can accelerate business strategies. PICO will also host two featured speaking sessions: ‘Unlocking the Potential of LBE: Scaling with PICO’s XR Solutions’ and ‘Superpowers for Spatial Developers: WebSpatial and SpatialML.’

Image courtesy PICO

What are you hoping to see from AWE 2025? Let us know in the comments below.

Meta’s Next Headset is Reportedly Thin, Powerful & Uses a Puck-style Compute Unit, Coming in 2026

From roadtovr

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Meta may be looking to some of Hollywood’s top brands to produce exclusive content for its next XR headset, which is expected to feature a completely new thin and light design when it reportedly ships next year.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Meta has recently been in talks with a number of entertainment brands, including Disney, A24, and smaller production companies to create both episodic and standalone immersive video tied to well-known IP.

Additionally, WSJ reports that talks include the possibility of timed exclusivity, allowing producers to later sell on other platforms after a specified period.

It’s said Meta hopes to use the videos to attract users to the company’s next XR headset, which is expected to compete with Apple Vision Pro when it launches next year.

Codenamed ‘Loma,’ the headset is said to feature a design similar to a pair of eyeglasses that connects to a pocketable compute puck, which is described as more powerful than its Quest 3 series of headsets. WSJ reports Meta is looking to price the device less than $1,000.

Provided the report is true, this would mark a sharp departure from the company’s current line of Quest headsets, which pack all components into a single standalone unit. Outside of Quest Pro, which was largely seen as a commercial failure, the company has also increasingly focused on sub-$650 hardware. Quest 3S, its most recent, is currently priced as low as $300.

Meta Quest 3S side profile | Image courtesy Meta

Speaking to WSJ, Meta says it develops multiple headset prototypes at all times—a non-committal answer if we’ve ever heard one. Whatever the case, shopping around for exclusive content deals suggests something substantial is coming down the line.

A separate report from UploadVR additionally claims Meta’s top Quest 4 contenders, codenamed ‘Pismo Low’ and ‘Pismo High’, have been canceled. Quest 4 was reportedly expected to land next year; rumors echoed by respected VR leaker Luna recently suggested Quest 4 is however now coming in 2027 in favor of the new design mentioned above.

Notably, Meta CTO and Reality Labs chief Andrew Bosworth said last December that wireless puck units for mixed reality headsets like Quest aren’t “a magic bullet,” suggesting the separate compute unit may be tethered to the headset in question.

Orion Puck Computer | Image courtesy Meta

“We have looked at this a bunch of times. Wireless compute pucks just really don’t solve the problem. If you’re wireless, they still have a battery on the headset, which is a major driver of weight. And, sure, you’re gaining some thermal space so your performance could potentially be better, although you’re somewhat limited now by bandwidth because you’re using a radio,” Bosworth said.

In the meantime, the XR landscape is invariably moving towards thin and light hardware of all types, encompassing everything from PC VR headsets like Bigscreen Beyond 2, to smart glasses that offer built-in heads-up displays, such as the upcoming Android XR-powered glasses from Google—set to be released by Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Widely reported rumors of Meta’s next-gen smart glasses and Apple’s upcoming smart glasses also persist.

At least in the case of bulky XR headsets though, the hope is that removing weight will also reduce user friction, and drastically increase long-term engagement.