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Meta Optimizes Quest Developer Tool for Apple’s Mac M-series Chips

From roadtovr

Last week Meta released the latest version of the Meta Quest Developer Hub tool which has been optimized to work natively on Apple’s M-series chips for better performance.

The Meta Quest Developer Hub (MQDH) is a collection of tools to make VR development easier for Quest developers. In addition to giving devs an easy way to manage their headset and the files on it, it also provides access to Meta’s various VR SDKs, and includes tools to profiling and optimizing VR applications.

While MQDH has supported MacOS since it launched back in late 2020, the latest version v3.2, is just now getting around to supporting Apple’s modern M-series chips which the company uses in all of its most recent computers. The tool now has native support for the ARM64 architecture of the M-series chips, improving booting time and performance.

It’s a somewhat curious update considering this is the only major change in MQDH v3.2, and considering that VR developers working on MacOS seem to be a tiny minority compared to those on Windows.

There’s no telling exactly why Meta chose to do this now—rather than say, months if not years ago. Possibilities range from the insignificant (perhaps a handful of Meta’s internal VR devs work on Mac and wanted the extra performance) to the strategic (maybe Meta wants to improve the experience of Mac VR developers in an attempt to sway them away from Apple’s long-rumored headset.

Meta to Host a “hyper-realistic” Version of Notorious B.I.G. in VR Concert Next Month

From roadtovr

In honor of The Notorious B.I.G.’s 50th birthday, Meta is hosting a VR concert experience next month that aims to bring together a host of musical guests alongside a realistic avatar of the Brooklyn-born rapper, who left this mortal coil back in 1997.

The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience is set to take place on December 16th, bringing to Meta Horizon Worlds what the company calls a “hyper-realistic avatar” of Biggie, set to take place in a virtual recreation of ’90s Brooklyn called ‘The Brook’.

Following a narrative journey written and voiced by American writer and music journalist Touré, the concert will feature hits from Biggie’s catalog, including guest performances by Sean “Diddy” Combs, The Lox, Latto, Nardo Wick, Lil’ Cease, DJ Clark Kent, and more.

The VR version will be exclusively available to Quest owners via Meta Horizon Worlds, but will also be broadcast in 2D form via the official Notorious B.I.G. Facebook page if you don’t own either a Quest 2 or Quest Pro.

‘VRChat’ Begins Open Beta for Hand-tracking on Quest 2 & Quest Pro

From roadtovr

VRChat has brought hand-tracking to its social VR platform in a recent update, letting users opt-in to the experimental feature on Quest 2 and Quest Pro.

“This isn’t just the ability to use your real hands via the Quest’s powerful finger tracking—it also means you don’t have to use your controllers at all in VRChat,” the studio says, describing its recent 2022.4.1 patch. “You can move around, jump, and use your menu, all with just your hands.”

Check out the intro video below to see hand-tracking in action:

For now, the hand-tracking system only works on VRChat via Quest 2 or Quest Pro in standalone mode.

Notably, the studio say this doesn’t extend to the PC VR version accessible via Quest Link/Airlink, Virtual Desktop, or other PC-connected solutions for now, which is due to “platform and technical restrictions,” VRChat says, although the studio is currently looking into ways to get this same capability on the PC version of VRChat.

Probably the least intuitive control of the bunch is jumping, which requires you to tap your thumb and ring finger together. Granted, if you’re just there to chat and not parkour around a user-built environment, the additional immersion for you and your fellow chatters ought to be a pretty big bonus.

‘Beat Saber’ Adds 80 New One-saber Maps for New Challenges and More Accessibility

From roadtovr

Beat Saber has a few maps that let you play with one-handed, but now the studio has released a bunch of new one-saber beatmaps across Normal, Expert, and Expert+ difficulty levels.

The update, which is now available for all supported headsets, includes 87 one-saber maps which are spread across 29 songs from previously released OSTs and paid Music Packs.

Previously, one-handed songs were notability very difficult, however now the included ‘Normal’ difficulty mode should not only help first-time users ease into the new playing style, but also give newcomers who only play one-handed a better starting point.

Here’s the full list of songs, all of which feature three difficulties with one-saber mode. Note: those in bold belong to paid music packs.

  • Jaroslav Beck – “Into The Dream (feat. Jakub Tirco)” (Original Soundtrack Vol. IV)
  • Jaroslav Beck – “LUDICROUS+” (Original Soundtrack Vol. IV)
  • Tanger – “Firestarter” (Original Soundtrack Vol. V)
  • Jaroslav Beck feat. Meredith Bull – “Magic” (Original Soundtrack Vol. V)
  • Camellia – “GHOST” (Camellia Music Pack)
  • Kasai Harcores (DJ Genki, C-Show and Camellia) – “Cycle Hit” (Camellia Music Pack)
  • RIOT – “Overkill” (Monstercat Vol. 1)
  • Aero Chord – “Boundless” (Monstercat Vol. 1)
  • Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes” (Imagine Dragons Music Pack)
  • Panic! At The Disco – “The Greatest Show” (Panic! At The Disco Music Pack)
  • Slushii – “LUV U NEED U” (Rocket League x Monstercat Music Pack)
  • Green Day – “Holiday” (Green Day Music Pack)
  • Kaydence, Timbaland – “Dumb Thingz” (Timbaland Music Pack)
  • Linkin Park – “What I’ve Done” (Linkin Park Music Pack)
  • Linkin Park – “Numb” (Linkin Park Music Pack)
  • BTS – “Dynamite” (TinyTAN | Beat Saber: BTS Music Pack)
  • BTS – “MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)” (TinyTAN | Beat Saber: BTS Music Pack)
  • Maroon 5 – “Sugar” (Interscope Mixtape)
  • Kendrick Lamar – DNA. (Interscope Mixtape)
  • Skrillex – “Bangarang (feat. Sirah)” (Skrillex Music Pack)
  • Skrillex – “First of the Year (Equinox)” (Skrillex Music Pack)
  • Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” (Billie Eilish Music Pack)
  • Billie Eilish – “Therefore I Am” (Billie Eilish Music Pack)
  • Lady Gaga – “Rain On Me (with Ariana Grande)” (Lady Gaga Music Pack)
  • Lady Gaga – “Poker Face” (Lady Gaga Music Pack)
  • Fall Out Boy – “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)” (Fall Out Boy Music Pack)
  • Fall Out Boy – “I Don’t Care” (Fall Out Boy Music Pack)
    deadmau5 – “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff (feat. Rob Swire)” (Electronic Mixtape)
  • Madeon – “Icarus” (Electronic Mixtape)