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Tickets For The 2022 VR Awards Are Currently Available

From vrscout

Tickets are still available for this year’s in-person event in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The International AIXR VR Awards are only a few months away and things are already heating up with some big announcements. Not only was it announced that the premier awards show would be returning to a live in-person event, but they also announced that they are moving the ceremonies to Rotterdam, Netherlands as part of a collaboration with Immersive Tech Week (formally VRDays Europe).

This partnership between ITW and The VR Awards will play a significant role in connecting with a much larger audience of VR enthusiasts and professionals as we see an increase in metaverse adoption.

Starting in 2015 as VRDays, the event has since been renamed Immersive Tech Week in 2021 due to the rapid developments in the industry and growth of the audience as multiple industries pushed for more development and application of XR technologies. Their primary focus is to harness and expand the potential of the European immersive technology industry at a global level by uniting the XR community, inspiring creative minds, and driving the business forward to make a positive difference in the near future.

Benjamin de Wit, co-founder and Festival Director of VRDays Europe said, “This cooperation to bring the VR Awards to Immersive Tech Week in Rotterdam, adds a wonderful independent global celebration of excellence in VR to a week where industry leaders, academics, artists, professionals and XR enthusiasts come together to connect, share ideas and get inspired on immersive technology.”

With a judging panel of 70 industry leaders in VR currently going through multiple categories of finalists to choose the experience that they feel is a highlight of 2022, there is already some big buzz on who could walk away winners. As you would guess there are some big names in the running but also a few new startups as well; all with amazing VR achievements worthy of a win. You can check out the list of nominees here. 

Like the previous events before COVID, this year’s VR Awards is going all-out with their live black-tie event. And, as mentioned earlier, the award ceremony is moving from London to Rotterdam, Netherlands, and will be hosted in the prestigious de Doelen venue. You can purchase a Full Ticket, Full Table, or a Full VIP Table. All three options include a 3-course dinner and drinks. That said, you get bigger perks with the Full VIP Table, which offers a premier award experience that includes:

  • 10 VIP After Party Tickets
  • 5 bottles of extra wine
  • Premium table placement
  • 2 complimentary champagne bottles
  • Branding on table

Full pass-holders to ITM will be able to attend a special private 3-course dinner and a VIP party, and you will be able to watch the ceremonies from the de Doelen upper circle and gallery seating alongside the VR Award finalists and attendees.

If you are looking to attend The VR Awards and would like to get tickets to the full ITW program, which includes the exclusive dinner, you will need to act quickly as tickets tend to sell out quickly.

The 6th International VR Awards happen on December 1st in Rotterdam, the Netherlands at the de Doelen venue. Tickets and more information on the award ceremony can be found here. 

VRScout is an official media partner of this year’s VR Awards.

Image Credit: AIXR

Meta Connect Conference Returns On October 11th

From vrscout

Expect news on the highly-anticipated Meta Quest Pro.

Earlier this morning, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook to announce the official date for the ninth annual Meta Connect conference. The event will take place virtually on October 11th. You can tune-in to the official livestream at 10AM on the Reality Labs Facebook page.

“Now in its ninth year, Connect brings together AR/VR developers, creators, marketers, and more to celebrate the industry and its growth, while also exploring what it will take to bring the metaverse to life,” said the company in an official blog post.

“We’ll kick things off with a can’t-miss keynote including leaders in the AR, VR, and XR space, followed by on-demand developer breakout sessions.”

Zuckerberg shared the news alongside a photo of himself wearing what appears to be the company’s next headset, codenamed Project Cambria, aka the Meta Quest Pro. Last month Zuckerberg appeared on the Joe Rogan Podcast where he confirmed that the headset will be available for purchase this October.

We still don’t know the official price, though Zuckerberg has stated that the device will provide a “higher-end” experience compared to the Quest 2.

Project Cambria will supposedly feature both mouth and eye-tracking as well as high-resolution color Passthrough. The company describes its as an enterprise-focused device they hope will eventually replace your primary work device.

Meta Connect 2022 will take place on October 11th at 10AM via livestream. For more information visit here.

Image Credit: Meta

Meta Connect Dev Conference to Be Held Virtually on October 11th

From roadtovr

Meta today announced that its next installment of Connect, the company’s annual XR developer conference, is again going digital this year. The event, which promises to share updates and looks into the “near and far future” of Meta, will be held on October 11th, 2022.

Like last year’s all-digital Connect, this year’s dev conference will include livestreaming keynotes and developer sessions, which the company says will be available on the Reality Labs Facebook page. And it’s all being boiled down into one day.

There’s no schedule out yet, however the company says its one-day virtual event will explore “the building of the metaverse and the future of augmented and virtual reality.”  You can sign up for updates over at metaconnect.com for any upcoming livestreams.

We’d expect that much, but more specifically we’re hoping to learn a few key things. Topping the list is info surrounding its next VR headset, Project Cambria, or what is rumored to be dubbed Meta Quest Pro.

Image courtesy Meta, Mark Zuckerberg

On the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast last week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg let it slip that its “next device [is] coming out in October,” which suggests a Cambria launch during Connect. That would also mean we get the full info drop on the so-called Quest Pro then. Reminder: at more than $800 Cambria is likely meant for prosumers and developers looking to get their hands on a VR headset capable of AR interactions (aka ‘mixed reality’) thanks to color passthrough and built-in eye tracking.

Whatever we see though will most certainly need top last year’s big name change if the company wants to make good on its complete rebranding, which essentially unplugged the Facebook and Oculus brand names and pivoted the company to focus more on building the metaverse.

Some other bits we’d expect in Connect 2022: Meta’s social VR space Horizon Worlds demonstrating a more definite direction, which we’d hope includes better-looking avatars and the sort of baked-in social features its VR hardware has been missing since, well, forever.

Now that Oculus…er…Meta Quest 2 has seen a price bump and the company still hasn’t delivered on its ambitious metaverse concepts, Connect 2022 may be just the place for the company to set expectations for Meta moving forward.

The Just For Laughs Comedy Series Is Heading To VR

From vrscout

Visit Horizon Worlds next month to catch a virtual performance featuring renowned comics.

Founded in 1983, Just for Laughs is a popular comedy festival held every year in Montreal and Quebec that brings together well-known comics from around the world for a celebration of all things hilarious.

This year, event organizers have partnered with Meta to bring the long-running event to life in VR on Meta Quest 2 headsets. Next month, users can sign in to Meta’s social VR metaverse Horizon Worlds to catch the premiere of Surrounded, an unscripted comedy event from the festival that has audience members participating in the actual show.



The virtual event will feature a number of recognizable acts, including Nicole Byer, Nikki Glaser, Pete Holmes, Fortune Feimster, Moshe Kasher, Natasha Leggero, and Moses Storm.

“Filmed in July 2022 at the Just For Laughs festival in Montréal, Surrounded is set in the round—a simple yet effective format where the audience inspires the jokes,” said Meta in an official blog update. “VR attendees can mix and mingle with friends and fellow comedy fans.”

Credit: JFL

Just for Laughs’ Surrounded will premiere on September 9th in Horizon Worlds, after which point it will be available on-demand. Simply visit the Venues world and make a b-line for the Surrounded theater.

In addition to the unscripted show, Meta will also host an airing of the festival’s discovery showcase New Faces, which has introduced the world to megastars such as Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Kumail Nanjiani, and Jo Koy. The five-part series will air weekly in Horizon Worlds beginning October 4th and will feature over 50 rising stars.

For more information check out the official blog post here.

Feature Image Credit: Meta

Meta Quest Pro Coming This October Says Zuckerberg

From vrscout

The enterprise-focused device supposedly features facial tracking and high-resolution colored passthrough.

This week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined prominent podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan on his show The Joe Rogan Experience, during which they talked more about the company’s next Meta VR headset, codenamed Project Cambria.

During their conversation, Zuckerberg quickly mentions a release window for the device, saying, “For the next device that’s coming out in October, there are a few big features.” While Zuckerberg doesn’t explicitly mention Project Cambria during the interview, it’s hard to imagine he’s talking about a different piece of hardware based on his description.

According to leaks, Project Cambria, otherwise referred to as the Meta Quest Pro, features both face and eye tracking powered by additional sensors that track your eye and lip movements. We do know that the headset features high-resolution colored passthrough technology capable of delivering engaging mixed reality experiences.

During a Q1 2022 earnings call, Zuckerberg said that he hopes the device will one day replace your laptop or current work setup. Project Cambria is supposedly designed primarily for “work use cases” as opposed to gaming and entertainment.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more about this during the annual Connect conference.

Image Credit: Meta

Meta’s PC VR Dominance Continues as Quest 2 Passes New Milestone

From roadtovr

Quest 2 quickly rose to become the most-used VR headset on Steam, but last month it crossed a new milestone as the majority of headsets used on the platform.

Quest 2’s aggressive price point and ability to be used as both a standalone and PC VR headset propelled it to become the most-used VR headset on Steam back in February 2021, just four months after its launch.

From there it has only continued to grow, and now the latest data from Valve’s Steam Survey shows that Quest 2 now makes up the majority of headsets on the platform at 50.32% (+1.3%).

Of course Quest 2 isn’t the only Meta headset used on Steam. Quest 2, Quest 1, Rift S, and Rift collectively grew slightly in the last month to 67.16% (+0.48%), with the vendor’s overall gains otherwise reduced by the Rift S dropping to 9.88% (−0.72%). That sees Meta continuing to hold more than two thirds of the VR headsets on Steam.

Though Quest 2 has definitely grown quickly, the headset’s recent price increase will probably reduce its growth rate compared to what we’ve seen so far.

While the portion of individual headsets used on Steam appears to be correct in the latest round of data from Valve, the total portion of Steam users using VR headsets has been fluctuating wildly in the last few months, apparently erroneously. We’ve reached out to Valve on multiple occasions for comment on the issue but have yet to receive a response.

Attend A Metaverse Job Fair In VR Later This Month

From vrscout

Connect with immersive technology professionals in VR via Mozilla Hubs.

Interested in working in the field of immersive technology? Then you’ll definitely want to check out Active Replica’s inaugural XR Career and Opportunity Fair, a virtual job fair taking place later this month in the metaverse.

Those interested can attend the limited-time event in VR using Mozilla Hubs. The platform is powered by WebVR, which means you don’t need to download any additional software in order to use it.

All you need is a VR headset capable of supporting a WebVR-compatible web browser such as Mozilla Firefox. Those without a VR headset can also attend via desktop or mobile.

Developed in partnership with Constellation, the metaverse job fair will be accessible to the public from August 25th to the 26th. Attendees will have the chance to speak directly with immersive technology professionals from leading British Columbian organizations about potential jobs, internships, grants, scholarships, and various other opportunities.

Are you an organization in need of new talent? Company’s who register for a spot before August 20th will receive a custom virtual booth featuring integrated graphics.

“Whether you’re a recent graduate, more established in your career, or have a project in mind and want to start building a team, this is your chance to connect with emerging technology professionals while experiencing first-hand how the industry hires today,” says the official event page.

For more information on the event visit here.

Image Credit: Active Replica

Interview: Director Of HBO Doc We Met In Virtual Reality

From vrscout

Learn how the most interesting documentary of 2022 came to be.

We Met In Virtual Reality is a new feature-length documentary film that follows the stories of five individuals using VR technology to connect with each other and the world in a variety of a unique and throught-provoking ways. The entirety of the film was shot in VRChat, a social VR platform where users can create and explore their own virtual worlds using custom avatars.

The film was directed by Joe Hunting, an experienced filmmaker and documentary photorapher, who spent hours inside VR chatting with the community. Along the way, he gained a better understanding of the tremendous role immersive technology plays in some peoples lives, from a dance instructor using VR and body trackers to conduct online body dancing classes or a sign language teacher leading a community of deaf users.



We recently had the chance to sit down with Hunting to learn more about the inspiration behind the film and what the future of communication and storytelling looks like using the power of immersive technology looks like in his eyes:

How exactly did this project come to be? Did you happen to be recording in VR when you came across these incredible stories or did you begin with the express purpose of putting this film together?

“The inspiration came from a lot of different things, really. I came into VR specifically VRChat, the platform the documentary’s filmedm in 2018 , and was making other films. I made two short films in a series and very quickly I was interested in a documentary and capturing stories about socialization and the culture of VRChat and how this platform was helping people and pushing for good motivations with the technology.”

Left: Director Joe Hunting / Right: Director Joe Hunting

“It’s really the pandemic that made me start filming and capturing my lived experience, and through immersing myself in different communities and meeting different people and finding stories that spoke truth to me, the film started to find itself and it was born. It was a year of filming in total.”

The film covers a myriad of relationships and connections made in the metaverse. Was there any moment in particular that resonated with you?

“Oh gosh, I think that’s such a great question. In the trailer, we see someone in a wedding dress. So it’s not a spoiler to say that there is a wedding in the film. And that wedding, to me, spoke so much truth in how relationships can be celebrated online and in VR.”

“And that whole wedding, capturing that and working with [users] DragonHeart and IsYourBoi on celebrating their day and wedding their avatars in this virtual utopian event, that was so incredible and such a euphoric moment that I will never forget, and never could have planned as well. So the virtual wedding certainly was a highlight of the whole production and the film as well. And I really hope people enjoy that scene.”

That was such a special moment in a film littered with incredible interactions. I also noticed that many of the films’ subjects were outwardly passionate about VRChat. What do you think separates the platform from other metaverse’s?

“That’s a great question. I think every social VR platform has its own committed and amazing community and VRChat is no more or less than any other platform. But I can definitely say that the VRChat community, to me, I’ve felt so much more immersed in the space. And I think the biggest reason for that is embodiment in your avatar and also the freedom of creativity and expression as well.”

“VRChat is a platform where you can create your avatar from scratch in Blender and Unity and also create world from scratch and that’s given people the ability to express themselves in a way of complete freedom. And I think the ability to do that has brought communities together in a much more rich sense in the way that we accept each other for who we express ourselves.”

That’s a fantastic summarization. I love the idea of VRChat evolving into the “Wild West” of VR. It’s as terrifying as it is exciting.

“That’s a great way to put it. It certainly feels like the Wild West of VR and that’s a really wonderful term. It’s a place of freedom with its own issues, but also it’s deeply emotional at points and has reached so many people in such a great way, which. I hope the film recognizes.”

I was pleasently surprised by how cinematic the film was. It really got me thinking about the potential of VRChat as a storytelling device. Have you thought at all about directing a fictional film and/or series?

“I love that question. I think it’s so exciting to be apart of the forefront of this new cinematic language. I think VR is very similar to animation but also very similar to live action. It almost feels like it’s own genre in terms of technical production. My intention is certainly to help it grow and keep pushing the virtual production tools that we have in the VR tech community, but also in the greater scope of VR as well.”

“In terms of my own personal interest, I can say documentary is such a fascinating world to explore through VR. To me, filming in VR has always been a vessel to tell human stories about people and culture. Fiction is certainly a whole new world and one that I am certainly interested to explore. To answer your question, I’m not sure if I’m going to go straight into that, but it’s definitely something I’m considering after working in documentary for a long time.”

We Met In Virtual Reality is available now to stream via HBO Max. For more information on the film visit here.

Image Credit: Joe Hunting

VR Documentary We Met In Virtual Reality Will Air On HBO

From vrscout

The feature-length film was shot entirely in VR and follows the journey of five individuals.

VR technology can be a powerful tool for connecting with others. Just ask Joe Hunting, a filmmaker who spent hours on the popular social VR platform VRChat chatting with users from around the world about the social impact of immersive technology.

Shot during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, We Met in Virtual Reality is an upcoming documentary from Hunting that follows the lives of five specific individuals using VRChat and modern VR technology to connect with others in a variety of unique ways. The 90-minute film was shot entirely in VR; at no point do we learn the real-world identities of its subjects.

“The film presents an immersive journey through the world and different VRChat communities. Each individual that you meet shares really unique perspectives on VR and each engages with their community in different ways. For them, VR means very different things,” said Hunting during an interview with VRScout, adding, “Through their eyes, the film presents a very broad portrait on how social VR can affect our emotional and social relationships with each other, but also within ourselves.”

The film was originally announced back in 2021, at which point Hunting launched an Indie Gogo campaign to help fund music licensing and submission fees to other film festivals.

Earlier today, Hunting made the exciting announcement that the feature-length documentary will be premiering later this month on HBO. Beginning July 27th, We Met in Virtual Reality will be available for streaming on HBO Max, offering mainstream subscribers an inside look into one of the most fascinating VR communities currently occupying the metaverse.

“I want people to connect with these voices and feel their emotions in the same way that they would as if they were in the real world, but also the film is so much about expression and having fun, and being playful, and embracing a new side of yourself that maybe you’ve never discovered before.” Hunting continued by saying, “I want people to walk away from the film feeling inspired and excited to embrace their own individuality, whatever that might be.” 



In celebration of the announcement, IGN has dropped an exclusive new trailer that teases a surprisingly emotional journey featuring a number of virtual worlds, communities, and relationships.

For more information check out our original coverage here.

Image Credit: Joe Hunting