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Meta to Resume Quest Sales in Germany Following 2-year Antitrust Case

From roadtovr

Over the past two years Meta hasn’t sold its VR headsets in Germany due to an ongoing antitrust suit in that country that alleges the forced linkage between its virtual reality products and Facebook was an anticompetitive practice. Now it seems that’s about to change, as regulators have intimated that Meta may be free and clear soon to resume sales in Germany.

As reported by German VR publication MIXED, residents of Europe’s largest economy will soon be able to order Quest 2 and Quest Pro, which are both set to be available in-country by the end of this year.

After the sales halt in September 2020, Germany-based customers had to import Meta VR devices, which was typically done by buying from online retailers based in neighboring European countries, such as France’s Amazon.fr or Italy’s Amazon.it.

Resuming sales in Germany is directly linked to Meta’s backtracking on forced Facebook logins in August. Andreas Mundt, President of Germany’s Federal Cartel Office which is tasked with antitrust enforcement in that country, calls this a “welcome development,” although the process is still not concluded.

Here’s Mundt’s full statement, translated to English:

With Meta’s digital ecosystem created with a very large number of users, the company is the key player in the social media space. Meta also has a significant position in the growing VR market. If the use of VR glasses were only possible for Facebook or Instagram members, this could severely affect competition in both areas. Meta has responded to our concerns and offered a solution by setting up a separate Meta account to use the Quest glasses. Despite this welcome development, we are not concluding the process today. First of all, we want to continue to accompany the actual design of the options for users as well as topics of the merging and processing of user data from the various meta-services.

Although a Meta spokesperson tells MIXED that both Quest 2 and the new Quest Pro will be available in-country at some point this year, the exact date is unclear.

Thanks to our reader Blaexe for pointing out that it wasn’t a block, but an anticipatory halt on Meta’s part during the ongoing antitrust suit. We’ve changed wording to reflect this.

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

VRChat Entertainment Network Coming This New Years

From vrscout

The developer is looking for video submissions from the VRChat community.

The popular VR social platform VRChat is launching the VRChat Entertainment Network in celebration of New Year’s 2023. The fully managed video stream will feature a combination of live music video content as well as pre-recorded content made by the community for the community.

Beginning this week, VRChat users from all corners of the metaverse can submit VRChat-related video content for potential inclusion in the official video stream. This could be anything from a showcase of various VRChat worlds and a fake commercial for a fictional product to a short comedy skit or instructional how-to video.

VRChat offers a list of requirements on its website. You’ll want to keep the video length somewhere between 10 seconds and 10 minutes and aim for “family-friendly content,” which means ease up on the swearing and controversial topics.

You’ll also want to avoid promoting any real products or using especially small text. VRChat says it will do its best to notify you whether or not you’re submission has been selected, but isn’t making any promises, so you’ll want to watch the video stream just to make sure.

Your video should be recorded at a resolution of 1080p at 30 frames per second. The final version of your project must be submitted via Google Drive. You can find more information on technical guidelines here.

You have until December 5th at 12pm PT to submit your content.

Image Credit: VRChat

Watch Celebrities Conquer Their Biggest Fears In VR

From vrscout

The first episode will premiere on October 26th on Facebook, Instagram, and Meta Quest TV.

Meta is teaming up with actor & comedian Marlon Wayans on a new comedy series in which celebrities face their biggest fears in VR using Meta Quest 2. First reported by Variety, Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans will premiere next week on Wayans’ Facebook and Instagram. New episodes will also premiere every Wednesday on Quest headsets via the Meta Quest TV app.

Each episode follows a new celebrity as they attempt to conquer their personal phobia with the help of VR technology. This includes everything from acrophobia, the fear of heights, galeophobia, the fear of sharks, phasmophobia, the fear of supernatural entities, and zoophobia, the fear of animals.

Throughout the series, Wayans will be joined by such recognizable names as Anthony Anderson of the TV show Black-ish, Kelly Rowland of the music group Destiny’s Child, influencer Bryce Hall, professional wrestling duo the Bella Twins, influencer and singer Loren Gray, and comedian & TV host Loni Love.

Credit: Taylor Miller

“There’s nothing more fun than horror, pranking, and scaring friends,” said Wayans in a statement. “This show has all the above.”

Based on the footage provided in the trailer, the show features a unique combination of mixed reality technology and physical props. In some clips, we see the celebrity guests being tormented with different props, such as a rubber snake and a pair of music cymbals. It’s an interesting concept for a series, one that appears to make excellent use of the Quest’s immersive capabilities, not to mention mixed reality.

Credit: Marlon Wayans

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the hilarious and talented Marlon Wayans as he brings his closest friends face-to-face with their fears thanks to the power of virtual reality,” added Mina Lefevre, Meta’s head of development and programming. “We’re excited to partner with Jesse Collins Entertainment to bring these immersive experiences to life using Meta Quest 2.”

Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans premiers on October 26th. You can watch the show on Wayans’ Facebook and Instagram pages as well as Meta Quest TV. New episodes will be released every Wednesday at 9am moving forward.

Feature Image Credit: Marlon Wayans

UFC & Meta Are Partnering To Bring MMA To VR

From vrscout

Mixed martial arts fans are in for a serious treat.

Fans of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) were in for a surprise earlier this month when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made an unexpected appearance at UFC Vegas 61. The Facebook founder was spotted in the audience during the event, prompting speculation from fans and media outlets. Now we know why.

Today, UFC announced that is partnering with Meta to bring future mixed martial arts (MMA) events to VR. UFC Fight Pass, the organizations subscription-based video streaming service, will soon deliver live and on-demand fights in VR via Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR metaverse. The first live event to be featured will be LFA 144 on Friday, October 14th.

Credit: Meta

The fight will be available to view live in VR180, an immersive video format. If you can’t make the live event, you can catch an on-demand replay anytime October 23rd-27th in Horizon Worlds.

“We are excited to offer an unprecedented level of engagement for FIGHT PASS subscribers and MMA fans around the world by producing a live MMA event in virtual reality,” said Crowley Sullivan, Vice President and General Manager, UFC Fight Pass. “With Meta providing the VR platform and YBVR lending their production expertise, we’re confident this will be a great experience for fight fans.”

Meta’s Horizon Worlds is available to download free on Meta Quest 2. You can subscribe to the fight here.

Microsoft & Meta to Bring Key Productivity Tools to Quest, Including Windows 11 via Cloud

From roadtovr

Meta and Microsoft today announced at Connect that starting in 2023 the Quest platform is getting a host of Windows productivity tools along with the ability to use Windows 11 via the cloud.

First, here’s a list of what’s coming to the Quest platform:

  • Microsoft Teams immersive meeting experiences for Meta Quest: Connect,
    share, and collaborate in Teams immersive experiences.
  • Microsoft Windows 365: Stream the Windows experience on Quest Pro and Quest 2 devices, and access your personalized apps, content, and settings in VR.
  • Microsoft 365 app experiences: Interact with 2D content from
    Sharepoint or productivity apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook directly from Quest Pro and Quest 2.
  • Microsoft Teams/Workrooms integration: Join a Teams meeting from inside
    Workrooms.
  • Meta Avatars in Microsoft Teams: Use your Meta Avatar in Teams for
    whiteboarding, brainstorming, and meetups.
  • Microsoft Intune and Azure Active Directory support: Enable
    enterprise security and management on Quest Pro and Quest 2 devices.

Notably, Windows 365 gives business and enterprise users access to a version of Windows 10 or Windows 11, streaming from Cloud PCs to the user’s web browser.

The partnership is ostensibly building on Meta’s early steps towards virtual offices with Horizon Workrooms, something Meta says will help make Meta Quest Pro “an enterprise-ready device that’s easy to use, deploy, and manage at scale.”

Key Quest Pro Coverage:

Quest Pro Revealed – Full Specs, Price, & Release Date

Quest Pro Hands-on – The Dawn of the Mixed Reality Headset Era

Quest Pro Technical Analysis – What’s Promising & What’s Not

Touch Pro Controllers Revealed – Also Compatible with Quest 2

There’s no launch date in sight yet, however the companies say we can expect to see these apps sometime next year.

A new ‘Meta Quest for Business’ subscription bundle for Quest Pro and Quest 2 is also said to include “essential admin features” such as device and application management, premium support, and access to Microsoft Intune and Azure Active Directory.

“This means companies that want to provision Meta Quest devices can be confident that the security and management options they expect from PCs and mobile devices will be available in VR,” Meta says.

This comes alongside the official unveiling of Quest Pro, which carries with it the very business-centric price tag of $1,500 for the 256 GB model.

Meta Announces Four Accessories for Quest Pro, Including Light Blocker for Full Immersion

From roadtovr

Meta today officially unveiled Quest Pro, its high-end VR headset capable of AR interactions thanks to full-color passthrough. Since you’re shelling out $1,500 for the headset and controllers though, you might as well take a look around at what else the company has to offer.

Quest Pro already comes with a charging dock in the box; it’s an easier way of making sure your battery is always topped up—something you’ll need since Quest Pro’s battery only lasts between 1-2 hours.

Meta is selling a more compact charging dock for $80 though for easier on-the-go charging, available on October 25th. The two-in-one dock includes a 45W USB-C power adapter, capable of charging your Touch Pro controllers and any Quest headset with a USB-C connection.

Image courtesy Meta

Quest Pro has an open design that doesn’t fully block ambient light—fine for AR stuff, but not so fine for VR immersion. To compensate, Meta is selling a silicone ‘Full Light Blocker’, priced at $50 and out November 22nd. Here’s what it looks it looks like attached to the headset and without:

Quest Pro is a lot like Quest 2 in the audio department, providing the user an open-ear speaker. To let you shut out some of the outside world, Meta is pitching a pair of ‘VR Earphones’ for $50, out October 25th. Notice left/right independent design:

Image courtesy Meta

The headset has two 3.5mm jacks (left and right) so it’s very likely you can bring your own audio without issue, however we’re still awaiting confirmation on that.

If it’s anything like PSVR or the original Quest, both of which also feature similar left/right 3.5mm jacks, it will support a single pair of headphones plugged into one just fine.

Update: Both 3.5mm jacks are stereo capable, so you can easily bring your own audio.

And do you think you can just let a $1,500 device float around in your bag, making it vulnerable to scratches and inevitable fruit snack goo? Meta is also offering a Quest Pro Carry Case, priced at $120 and out October 25th.

Image courtesy Meta

Built by Incase, the carry case includes a custom-fit inner shell with interior pockets, securely storing your Quest Pro and other accessories.

You can check out all these over at Meta. Regardless of ship date, all will be available for pre-order starting today, October 11th.

VR Fitness App Supernatural Adds Disney Workouts

From vrscout

Burn calories while enjoying some of your favorite Disney tunes.

Supernatural, the popular VR fitness app for Meta Quest headsets, today received a new workout playlist featuring some of the most iconic Disney music of all time. Subscribers to the platform can now access two new 17-minute workouts as part of the “Disney Hits” series.

“@getsupernatural is dropping a brand new workout series — Disney Hits: Heroes vs Villains!,” said Disney Music. “Join your favorite Disney characters for a heart-pumping sweat session in Virtual Reality – only available on @MetaQuestVR.”

Disney Hits: “Heroes” is a boxing workout featuring classic tunes for some of Disney’s most memorable heroes, such as the mighty Hercules. Introduced this past October, Supernatural’s boxing classes offer an intense full-body workout that has you striking targets and dodging obstacles to the beat of an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack.

Then there’s Disney Hits: “Villains”, a Flow workout with a slightly darker edge. The bread-and-butter of Supernatural, Flow workouts have you striking targets using a pair of virtual bats while avoiding obstacles in a 360-degree space. Think of it like Beat Saber, but designed specifically to deliver a satisfying cardio experience.

Like the rest of Supernatural’s playlists, both of the aforementioned workouts are led by professional coaches there to keep you motivated as you sweat. Heroes is led by Coach Mark; Villains is led by Coach Raneir.

Supernatural is available now on Meta Quest and Meta Quest 2 VR headsets via the Quest Store. While the app itself is free to download, you will need to sign up for a subscription in order to access the workouts themselves ($18.99 a month or $179.99 annually).

In addition to boxing and Flow workouts, you’ll also find relaxing meditative sessions as well as guided stretching classes.

Image Credit: Supernatural

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

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