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Report: Meta in Talks with Magic Leap for Multiyear AR Headset Tech Deal

From roadtovr

A report from the Financial Times maintains Meta is currently in talks with AR headset creator Magic Leap to strike a multiyear deal, which could include intellectual property licensing and contract manufacturing of AR headsets in North America.

The AR unicorn is said to possess valuable IP regarding custom components, including its optics, waveguides, and software.

It’s said a potential deal may also allow Meta to lessen its reliance on China for component manufacturing. In 2019, Magic Leap partnered with manufacturing solutions company Jabil to create a Guadalajara, Mexico plant which the report maintains can assemble headsets in “the tens of thousands a year.”

Magic Leap 2 | Photo by Road to VR

Citing people with knowledge of the talks, the report maintains however a specific joint Meta-Magic Leap headset isn’t expected.

While both companies didn’t comment on a potential partnership, Magic Leap said this to the Financial Times:

“Given the complexities of developing true augmented reality technologies and the intricacies involved with manufacturing these optics, as well as the issues many companies experience with overseas supply chain dependencies, we have entered into several non-exclusive IP licensing and manufacturing partnerships with companies looking to enter the AR market or expand their current position.”

Since it exited stealth in 2014, Magic Leap has released two AR headsets, Magic Leap 1 and Magic Leap 2, which have been compared in functionality to Microsoft’s HoloLens AR headsets.

The company has raised over $4 billion, with minority investors including Google, Alibaba, Qualcomm, AT&T, and Axel Springer. Its majority stakeholder is Saudi Arabia’s state-owned sovereign wealth fund.

In addition to Quest Pro mixed reality headset, Meta has confirmed it’s currently working on its next iteration of Quest, likely Quest 3, as well as its own AR glasses. Meta started real-world testing of Project Aria in 2020, a platform for training its AR perception systems and asses public perception of the technology.

Meta & BMW Are Integrating AR/VR Headsets into Cars, Release Timeline Uncertain

From roadtovr

Initially announced in 2021, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared an update on the company’s research partnership with BMW, which focuses on integrating AR and VR into vehicles to make people more productive, social, and entertained while traveling.

The ultimate aim in the BMW/Meta partnership is to accurately anchor virtual objects relative to the car’s motion by hooking into the tracking system of both the car and a Meta headset, which researchers say includes the Meta Quest Pro standalone mixed reality headset and the company’s in-development AR headset, Project Aria.

Without such a system in place, the headset’s rotational tracking would noticeably drift as the car makes turns and other adjustments, making it essentially unusable for anything but perfectly straight sections of road.

Check out the video detailing the research below:

Still considered a proof-of-concept prototype, Meta says the partnership has already overcome some key technical challenges, such as fusing the headset and car’s sensors to understand their relative position. That said, the companies don’t think it’s ready for the public just yet.

“It is too early to tell exactly how or when this technology will make it into customers’ hands, but we envision a number of potential use cases for XR devices in vehicles—from assisting the driver in locating their car in a crowded parking lot to alerting them to hazards on the road and surfacing important information about the vehicle’s condition,” said Claus Dorrer, Head of BMW Group Technology Office in the US. “The implications of future AR glasses and VR devices—for passengers as well as drivers—are promising. The research partnership with Meta will allow us to discover what immersive, in-vehicle XR experiences could look like in the future and spearhead the seamless integration of such devices into cars.”

AR and VR integration in cars isn’t an entirely new area of research. It’s been the sole focus of Audi-backed startup Holoride, which recently partnered with HTC to deliver in-car VR entertainment via HTC Vive Flow. Still, Holoride has been mostly grabbed headlines as a tradeshow mainstay; it hasn’t seen mass adoption yet despite only requiring a $200 retrofit pack, which enables Vive Flow owners to play VR in cars.

In the end, it seems car companies are now seeing the writing on the wall that riders will maybe very soon—but not right now—want to bring their own XR devices and actually use them in the car, just like you might a smartphone, albeit with more utility than any infotainment screen on offer.

Samsung & Google Partner To Develop New XR Tech

From vrscout

Qualcomm is also involved in the partnership.

Last week Samsung held its half-annual Galaxy Unpacked event, during which the company revealed several updates regarding its lineup of Galaxy S23 hardware. That said, the most exciting news came towards the end of the presentation when Qualcomm CEO, Cristiano Amon, and Google SVP of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, joined Samsung’s TM Roh on stage to announce that all three companies are partnering to develop new XR experiences.

“An exciting space where Google has been investing in for a long time across both experiences and technology is AR and VR,” said Hiroshi in an official release. “These technologies are integral to the new phase of computing as it can change the way we interact with people and information to get things done in the real world.”



Speaking to The Washington Post, Samsung confirmed its interest in the development of “extended reality” devices. Recently, we’ve seen various hardware manufacturers use passthrough technology to provide immersive mixed reality experiences on headsets such as Meta Quest Pro and Pico 4. It’s unclear whether or not Samsung’s upcoming XR devices will make use of such technology.

Samsung was careful not to reveal any information regarding specific products or launch windows during the event; all we know at the moment is that a partnership between Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm exists. That said, we can speculate as to what the companies are up to.

Credit: Samsung

Qualcomm has been a leading provider of mobile processors among VR hardware manufacturers for years, therefore it makes sense that Samsung would seek the company’s help in developing its own line of standalone XR devices. On top of that, Samsung already has a considerable amount of experience developing VR hardware. Back in 2015, the company launched the Samsung Gear VR, a head-mounted VR display powered by a compatible Android smartphone, followed by the Odyssey+, a PC VR headset, in 2018.

For more information check out Samsung’s official Unpacked recap here.

Feature Image Credit: Samsung

Celebrate New Year’s Eve In VR With Shaquille O’Neal

From vrscout

The virtual event kicks off on December 31st at 3:30pm PST.

It’s been a crazy year, so why not celebrate its end with an equally crazy New Year’s Eve countdown event hosted by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal in VR?

“The Shaq’tacular Spectacular” will feature an impressive lineup of big-name celebrity guests like Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek. We can also expect performances from artists such as Cardi B, Ludacris, Lil Yachty, Killer Mike, WHIPPED CREAM, and Shaq himself as his musical alter ego, DJ DIESEL.

Credit: Meta

“This year we’re ringing in 2023 with new experiences and connections. I’m excited to celebrate with some of my favorite artists and athletes in a way that you can enjoy with friends and family in VR across the world,” said Shaq in an official release. “From music, laughs and much more, we’re celebrating New Year’s Eve and welcoming 2023 with a spectacular party you won’t want to miss.”

Produced by Westbrook Media, Media.Monks and Jersey Legends Productions, the hour-long special event will kick off on December 31st at 3:30pm PST. The show will take place inside Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR metaverse available on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro VR headsets, and Meta Quest TV.

For more information visit here.

Image Credit: Westbrook

VR Show Behind The Dish Is A Mouth-Watering Delight

From vrscout

Go behind the scenes of the culinary world in this beautifully shot episodic series.

The Meta Quest TV app features no shortage of immersive 360-degree content to enjoy, from groundbreaking VR series like Space Explorers: An ISS Experience to live concerts featuring popular artists such as the Foo Fighters and Billie Eilish.

Available now on Meta Quest TV, Behind the Dish is the latest VR series to hit Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro VR headsets, offering viewers a mouth-watering look at high-end cuisine brought to life in incredible detail using a custom-designed 3D macro camera system.



Developed by the Emmy-nominated VR studio TARGO in partnership with Meta, the three-part series follows three female chefs “reshaping a male-dominated industry.” This includes 6-Michelin-star French Chef Helène Darroze, Soul Food Chef Deborah VanTrece, and Sushi Master Yumi Chiba.

“Behind the Dish highlights the journeys of three chefs who made it to the top by being unapologetically
authentic,” said TARGO in an official release. “Hélène Darroze had the courage to put an end to a century-old family restaurant and became the most renowned French chef.”

“Yumi Chiba survived breast cancer by turning the art of sushi-making into her source of solace and self-expression,” added the team. “Deborah VanTrece redefined her life and career as an African-American lesbian flight attendant to become a Soul Food chef fascinated with other cultures.”

In addition to shining a spotlight on the inspirations and impacts of each chef, Behind the Dish also offers an unprecedented look at various cuisines filmed in 8K 3D 360° video using a custom 3D macro camera system. VR brings each dish to life in stunning detail, from Chef Deborah VanTrece’s delicious-looking mac-n-cheese to Sushi Master Yumi Chiba’s Edomae sushi.

Watching the series on Meta Quest Pro I was absolutely blown away by the incredible use of macro 3D video. Close-up shots look nothing short of stunning when viewed on a VR headset in immersive stereoscopic 3D. Watching Sushi Master Yumi Chiba expertly slice through fish in slow motion was an incredibly satisfying experience.

All three episodes of Behind the Dish are available now on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro VR headsets. Simply visit the Meta Quest TV app and look for the Behind the Dish playlist.

For more information on this VR gastronomy series visit here.

Image Credit: TARGO

Incase Carry Case For Quest Pro Brings Peace Of Mind

From vrscout

The premium travel case will keep your fancy headset looking shiny and new.

This past October we saw the launch of Meta Quest Pro, the first in a new line of high-end devices from Meta. The next-gen VR device features full-color passthrough for immersive mixed reality, eye and face tracking, as well as new-and-improved Touch controllers, offering a premium experience for an equally premium price tag.



To help keep your $1,500 headset looking shiny and new, Meta partnered with Incase Designs Corp. to develop a premium-level hard shell carrying case, which is available for purchase now via the Meta Store, Incase, and additional retailers such as Amazon.

The outside of the Incase Carry Case for Quest Pro features a compression-molded EVA exterior shell that can help protect your precious hardware from accidental fall damage. Inside you’ll find a custom-formed interior with a scratch-resistant lining designed to hold the Quest Pro headset, Touch Pro controllers, and power adapter. There are also a few additional pockets located along the interior designed to store additional cables and accessories.

Here’s a full list of the features (as provided by Incase):

  • Protective, compression-molded EVA exterior shell
  • Reliable YKK RC zipper for easy access
  • Padded grab handle
  • Durable 840D nylon-covered top and bottom shells
  • Custom formed interior
  • Soft, scratch-resistant lining
  • Controller cradle with power adapter storage
  • Interior pockets for all included accessories

After testing the product these past few weeks, we were left thoroughly impressed by its overall quality. The Incase Carry Case feels incredibly sturdy thanks to its hard shell design and padded grab handle. The Meta Quest Pro sits snug inside the custom interior, as do the Touch Pro controllers in the dedicated controller cradle.

I also found the interior pockets helpful in storing additional accessories such as my USB Type-C cable, Touch Pro stylus tips, microfiber cloth, and earbuds. Other than that, however, the case does not offer room for much else. That said, you are able to store the device with certain accessories attached, such as the side and full light blockers or specific third-party battery packs, which definitely adds to the convenience.

Overall, the Incase Carry Case is a great accessory for Quest Pro owners constantly on the go. You might need a few tries to adjust the rear wheel so the headset can fit properly, but once secure you can rest easy knowing your device is safe from scratching and fall damage. In terms of improvements, I would have liked some additional padding on the top shell of the case, but other than that there’s not much to critique; Incase has once again delivered a quality carrying solution.

The Incase Carry Case for Meta Quest Pro is available now for $119.95 via the Meta Store, Incase, and Amazon.

Feature Image Credit: VRScout

Light Delights Is An Extra Trippy Mixed Reality App

From vrscout

Interact with a variety of eye-catching virtual objects with your own two hands.

Light Delights is a simple, yet surprisingly captivating mixed reality experience that turns your real-world space into a vaporwave art gallery. Available now on Quest 2 and Quest Pro VR headsets, the free app features a variety of unique multicolored pieces.

There are five virtual objects in which to inspect, each of which features its own unique interactions. This includes everything from physics-driven gyroscopic rings to a never-ending avalanche of virtual cubes and orbs. The app also features support for hand-tracking, allowing you to interact with virtual objects using your own two hands.

“The standalone color passthrough is IMO the most promising direction for MR,” said Greg Madison, the award-winning XR interaction designer behind the project. “I tested for fun some ideas over the weekend, the magic is there and it’s mesmerizing to play with.”

Light Delights is available for free on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro. Simply download the APK via GitHub and install the file on your headset using a program such as SideQuest.

While the Quest 2 version is cool, we highly recommend trying the app out on a Quest Pro for the best experience possible.

Image Credit: Greg Madison

Immersive VR Film Takes You On A Supersonic Jet Ride

From vrscout

Experience what it is like to train like an astronaut.

Emmy award-winning immersive production studio Felix & Paul Studios, the team behind the hit VR series Space Explorers: An ISS Experience, is back with yet another jaw-dropping 360-degree experience for Meta Quest VR headsets.

Available now via the Meta Quest TV app, Supersonic Flight – Space Explorers: Special Feature puts you in the cockpit of a T-38 supersonic jet, the same aircraft used by NASA to train astronauts for spaceflight. The roughly nine-minute 3D 360-degree video takes you through a variety of scenic locations—from a sprawling canyon to a snowy mountain range—at ridiculously high speeds.

“For the past 60 years, NASA astronauts have trained for spaceflight flying T-38 supersonic jets,” states the official description. “Now is your chance to jump on board and fly faster than the speed of sound!”

Similar to the Space Explorers series, Supersonic Flight makes excellent use of 360-degree camera technology to immerse you in a one-of-a-kind experience that would normally be out of reach for the general public. 3D brings the cockpit and its array of controls to life, further absorbing you in the virtual flight.



That said, this experience may not be for everyone. The high-altitude joyride features several moments that could prove jarring to those prone to motion sickness. If you are able to stomach the ride, however, you’re in for a serious treat. Felix & Paul Studios is responsible for some of the most visually-stunning 360-degree films available on VR headsets, and Supersonic Flight is no exception.

Most recently, the studio partnered with NASA to host an immersive VR live stream of the highly-anticipated Artemis 1 rocket launch this month. Supersonic Flight is just the latest in a series of exciting partnerships with the American space agency.



You can watch Supersonic Flight – Space Explorers: Special Feature now on Meta Quest VR headsets for free via the Meta Quest TV app. For more information visit here.

Image Credit: Felix & Paul Studios

Biggie VR Concert Will Feature ‘Hyper-Realistic’ Avatar

From vrscout

With guest performances by Sean “Diddy” Combs, The Lox, and more.

Meta today announced the latest in its series of immersive VR concerts, The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience. Coming next month to Horizon Worlds, the one-of-a-kind show will bring the late Brooklyn rapper to life like never before in celebration of what would have been his 50th birthday.

Credit: Meta

On December 16th, those with a Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest Pro headset can log in to Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR metaverse, to catch an immersive VR concert featuring a “hyper-realistic avatar” of the late great rapper along with guest performances by Sean “Diddy” Combs, The Lox, Latto, Nardo Wick, Lil’ Cease, DJ Clark Kent, and more.

The experience will also feature a narrative portion, during which you’ll learn more about the life of the hip-hop legend. Written and voiced by American writer and music journalist Touré, this eye-opening journey will take you through The Brook, a virtual recreation of ’90s Brooklyn.

Credit: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

When asked how the project came to be, Touré said, “I’ve worked with producer Alex Coletti on several projects over many years and I also interviewed Biggie several times, so Alex thought I could be helpful at bringing this to life.”

“We wanted to create a concert that had other aspects to it, so it was on me to figure out a pre-concert scene and a post-concert scene. It was a lot of fun trying to imagine what Big would be like and what he might be doing if he were still with us today.”



“It’s very exciting to be able to give people immersive experiences, so if VR can develop to the point where I can be at home but have the feeling of being in the front row of a concert and really feel like I’m there, that would be a really exciting opportunity,” he added.

 The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience will kick off on December 16th in Horizon Worlds, available free on Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro. A 2D version of the show will be available to view on-demand via the official Notorious B.I.G. Facebook page.

For more information visit here.

Image Credit: Burst Live

Watch NASA’s Historic Rocket Launch Live In VR

From vrscout

All you need is a Meta Quest 2 or Meta Quest Pro VR headset.

After a series of delays due to technical difficulties, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) is set to launch later this week as part of the Artemis I mission. The uncrewed moon-orbiting mission will test out the absurdly powerful heavy-lift rocket before conducting another manned mission sometime around 2024.



The historic launch is set to take place on November 15th (Pacific Standard Time) at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida and while tickets are sold out, you can still catch the action live in VR. Immersive production company Felix & Paul Studios has partnered with Meta and NASA to host a 4K 360-degree livestream of the historic launch in Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR metaverse.

All you have to do is log in to Horizon Worlds at 9:04pm PST on November 15th and head to a world called Venues. Here you can watch the launch live alongside fellow space fanatics or by yourself from the comfort of your own private viewing area.

Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

“The Apollo missions were televised worldwide in black and white, but the Artemis generation will experience the upcoming Moon missions, and future Mars missions, in an immersive and experiential way,” said Felix Lajeunesse, co-founder and creative director of Felix & Paul Studios. “This first immersive live-streaming is part of our ongoing mission which started with our Space Explorers series, to bring the public along for the ride on humanity’s next giant leap in human space exploration.”

No VR? No problem. Facebook will be hosting its own 8K livestream with multiple camera angles on November 15th. You can also watch the launch live in person at participating 360-degree fulldome locations. You can find a full list of domes and planetariums here.

Feature Image Credit: Meta