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High End Camera Maker Takes Its First Step into Consumer VR Software

From roadtovr

First unveiled at CES 2022 early last year, Canon has now taken its first step into consumer VR software with Kokomo, its fledgling social VR platform. Compared to more full-featured collaboration apps, Kokomo isn’t there yet, but it’s a start in a new direction for Canon, which up until now has been mostly focused on XR hardware aimed at enterprise.

The Japanese optics and imaging giant announced that early access to its Kokomo social collaboration software for Quest 2 is now available in beta in the US and Canada.

If you didn’t hear about it at CES 2023 back in January where it had a pretty big outing, here’s how it works: you first use a mobile companion app to scan your face while making several expressions to generate a model of your head. Combined with the camera on your phone, you invite a friend to jump into Kokomo’s social VR environment where your avatar is essentially a mixed reality projection of you, replete with that face scan you did earlier to cover where the Quest 2 would normally obscure your eyes.

Realistically, the app still needs a lot of work. There are only a few virtual environments, which although plush, are simple backgrounds without much utility beyond looking nice. Moreover, the face scanning and projection on the mixed reality avatar feels a little too uncanny to give that face-to-face vibe the Japanese tech giant is going for right now. The fail state of Kokomo’s headset replacement is pretty funny too, as your mug can sometimes end up pasted awkwardly in mid-air.

Kokomo failing to position a face scan correctly | Image courtesy TechCrunch

Granted, it’s still in open beta, so we’re hoping to see some improvements in the near term before considering it over professional collaboration apps like Meta’s Horizon Workrooms, Spatial or Immersed.

And why Canon? The Japan-based company accounts for nearly half of all global camera sales, putting it in a good position to look for ways to integrate its high-quality optics in service of metaverse immersion. For now, it’s far from the most functional social collaboration tool we’ve seen, although the company’s commitment to sidestepping some of the inherent weirdness of avatars today (Zuckerberg has fake legs for you) by using what you already have in your pocket may show some real results with time.

Contrasted with something like Google’s Project Starline, which provides a stereo correct 3D chatting experience thanks to its host of sensors, light-field display, spatial audio, and computer vision—more akin to a telephone booth from the future—Canon’s Kokomo certainly takes accessibility to heart.

On the flipside, Canon has a number of XR devices which are largely focused on the Japanese enterprise market. Its most recent MREAL mixed reality headset is still very expensive—think 10s of thousands of dollars—making Kokomo the first step in an entirely new direction for the company.

We’ll be checking in on Kokomo as it progresses in the coming months. In the meantime, you can try it out for yourself by downloading the free app on Quest’s App Lab, and free companion app for either Android or iOS device.

Meta to Open ‘Horizon Worlds’ Social VR Platform to Kids Ages 13+

From roadtovr

Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR platform for Quest, is only open to 18+ users for now, however the company says it’s expanding to include teens aged 13 to 17 in the US and Canada.

Meta says the new policy will go into effect in “the coming weeks,” effectively opening the company’s first-party social platform to its entire user base in those countries; Meta only allows users 13+ to actually use Quest devices.

To prepare for the wave of younger users, the company is also releasing some age-appropriate protections and safety defaults.

Safety features will include the ability for teens to control who they follow and who can follow them back. Profiles are also set to private by default, which obscures active status and location. Worlds and events will have content ratings, so younger teens can’t get in.

A new voice mode feature is also rolling out to everyone, which garbles voices of both unknown people and teen’s voices by default. Raising your hand to your ear temporarily lets you hear other users when voice mode is switched on, Meta says.

“We’re rolling out to teens slowly, so that we can carefully examine usage and are taking a phased approach before expanding more broadly,” the company says in a blogpost. “We can’t wait to see everything these new members of the community bring to Worlds.”

Parents and guardians can use the parental supervision tools to manage their teen’s experience and “support healthy conversations about safety in VR,” Meta says. To learn more, check out the new Family Center.

The company also released a safety tutorial to see the new features in action:

While Meta only just released official word of those changes to Horizon Worlds, the news was actually first reported by The Wall Street Journal in February, which was based on an internal memo that alleged the social VR platform was under performing and needed to increase user retention to keep up with the competition. According to the memo seen by WSJ, Horizon Worlds’ weekly retention rate was 11% in January 2023, which the company aimed to increase to 20%.

A goal outlined in the memo maintained Worlds needed to reach 500,000 monthly active users (MAU) in the first half of 2023, ultimately reaching the one million mark by year’s end. At the time, it was reported the platform was hovering around 200,000 MAUs, or just below the December peak.

There’s no telling when the flatscreen version of Horizon Worlds is due to arrive, however Meta maintained it would be opening the Quest-only social platform to Web and mobile devices “soon.”

‘VRChat’ Now in Development for Android and iOS Devices

From roadtovr

VRChat, the popular social VR platform, announced that flatscreen ports for both Android and iOS are currently in development.

The company says in a developer blog that while there’s still no release date on the books, the Android version has already been used by team members to attend large meetings.

Additionally, the Android version will support any world or avatar that works on Meta Quest, since the standalone also runs Android.

Here’s a quick look at an early build, which the studio stresses isn’t a final version:

VRChat on Android Mobile will only be available to VRChat Plus subscribers, the studio says, offering it as a beta to polish UI and UX before a full public launch. Beta access is expected to arrive to VRChat Plus members in three to four months. The full public launch on Google Play is expected in three to six months after the beta release, the studio says.

VRChat on iOS however is expected later, with more details to follow. The studio says it will be more complex, as content will need to be rebuilt for the iOS platform since it uses a different graphics framework.

The addition of iOS support is also slated to fracture VRChat worlds into three distinct supported platforms instead of the previous two, which for now includes PC and Quest. The studio maintains the situation is “[n]ot ideal”.

VRChat isn’t the first social VR app to offer flatscreen versions on mobile. Competitor Rec Room offers the widest network of supported devices, which in addition to VR support on Quest, PSVR and SteamVR headsets also includes flatscreen support for iOS, Android, Xbox, and PS4/PS5.

Meta’s own Horizon Worlds platform is also set to launch on non-Quest devices sometime soon, which will include both the Web and mobile versions.

‘Flipside Studio’ Brings Full-featured Virtual Production Studio to Quest 2 & Rift

From roadtovr

Virtual production suite Flipside Studio is now available on Quest 2 and Meta PC, targeting podcasters, vloggers, and anyone looking for a VR studio to produce their own video content.

Created by Winnipeg, Canada-based Flipside XR, the Flipside Studio app is packed with production tools and assets that let you to create your own virtual content, which can be livestreamed or recorded, edited and shared anywhere you might standard video, such as YouTube, TikTok, or Facebook.

Now available for free on Quest 2 and Meta PC platform, Flipside Studio lets you create solo projects or team-based content, which includes virtual sets, avatars, configurable environments, props, lighting, and a host of controllable cameras to capture the show.

Here’s a list of features, courtesy Flipside XR:

  • Custom Characters – Users can choose from multiple in-app pre-loaded characters or customize their own avatars through the Ready Player Me integration.
  • Sets and props – Creators can choose from a variety of sets and hundreds of props available in-app.
  • Multiple Cameras and Angles – Multiple virtual cameras can be positioned, placed and moved as users like, allowing for dynamic camera angles and even camera movement speeds.
  • Professional Production Tools – Virtual cameras, teleprompters, lights, and 1080p output with casting to the Flipside Broadcaster app are just a few of the tools available to creators.
  • Single or Multi-User Productions – Creators can collaborate in the same sets simultaneously from one or multiple locations – or even create a solo production with multiple characters by layering motion recordings together in-app.
  • Flipside Creator Tools – More advanced features can be found through the app’s free Unity plug-in that gives experienced creative teams the ability to upload fully customized environments, characters and props.

Flipside Studio was initially released in alpha on PC VR headsets in 2018 and then returned to closed testing after some time on Steam. If you played during that time, you’ll see some notable differences, as the studio says it’s undergone extensive testing and feedback from thousands of content creators and technologists who have been using a free early access version since 2020.

The studio says it’s working on a Steam version of the app, however there’s no information on when to expect its launch. In the meantime, users on Quest 2 and Meta PC can download and use Flipside Studio for free.

Report: Meta to Open ‘Horizon Worlds’ to Younger Teens Amid Renewed Retention Push

From roadtovr

Meta’s social VR app for Quest, Horizon Worlds, is lagging behind the competition when it comes to attracting and retaining VR users. According to a leaked memo obtained by The Wall Street Journal, the company is now ostensibly looking to boost numbers by more transparently appealing to younger teens in addition to funding a slew of new second-party content.

WSJ only posted snippets of the memo, entitled ‘Horizon 2023 Goals and Strategy’, which was allegedly written by Meta Vice President of Horizon Gabriel Aul. The memo is said to outline the team’s objectives for the first half of 2023.

Here’s some highlights we formatted into a bulleted list, which also includes additional info supplied by a source cited by WSJ:

  • Competitors are outperforming HW. Improving user retention is most important, especially among teens and young adults
  • HW to open to teens aged 13 to 17, which could come as early as March
  • Meta is working with outside studios to build new worlds and experiences for HW
  • The team is aiming to launch at least 20 new Horizon-hosted experiences built by second-party studios. Of the 20, it’s hoping for five medium hits and at least one a major hit
  • The flatscreen version of Horizon for mobile and desktops is set to come sometime in H1 2023

Additionally, WSJ reports the memo outlined some key performance metrics, claiming Horizon Worlds’ weekly retention rate was 11% in January, which the company aims to increase to 20%. The goal for monthly active users for the first half of 2023 is said to be 500,000, with hopes of reaching one million for the full year. Currently the platform is at 200,000, or just below the December peak, the reported memo outlines.

The previously reported flatscreen version, which is said to launch by the end of the first half of 2023, is hoping to achieve 150,000 monthly cross-screen Horizon users.

Meta’s Quest 2 headset is technically only available to users aged 13 and up. Horizon Worlds on the other hand has been limited to users 18+ since it was launched in 2021, and only to those in US, Canada, UK, France, Iceland, Ireland and Spain.

While none of this seems to have hindered children below 13 from playing all the Quest 2 has to offer, Horizon Worlds included. More transparently appealing to young teens though will likely come with a host of safety requirements that the company needs to fulfil for liability reasons.

Meta issued a response to WSJ, supporting in part its move to focus on teens:

“Teens are already spending time in a variety of VR experiences on Quest,” Meta spokesman Joe Osborne told WSJ, “and we want to ensure that we can provide them with a great experience in Horizon Worlds as well, with age-appropriate tools and protections in place.”

This comes hot on the heels of Meta reducing its workforce by 13% late last year, one of the biggest tech layoffs in recent memory, which saw 11,000 jobs cut from payroll.

Meanwhile, the company’s Reality Labs XR division has dramatically increased its operating budget in an ostensible bid to maintain market dominance over similar metaverse pushes from the likes of Apple, Google, etc. At the same time, Meta has slashed some XR projects, including first-party title Echo VR.

Provided the report is true, it appears Meta is making another important step towards competing more directly with cross-platform social gaming titans like Roblox and Rec Room. 

Meta’s Social VR App is Coming to Web & Mobile Soon, Alpha Begins for Members-only Rooms

From roadtovr

Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social VR platform for Quest users, is expanding with alpha tests of new members-only spaces, allowing creators to manage up to 150 card-carrying members in their private worlds. Meta says it’s also gearing up to release Horizon Worlds on non-Quest devices for the first time.

Meta is now rolling out alpha access to its new members-only worlds, which aims to let creators build and cultivate a space in Horizon Worlds. Each members-only world can have up to 150 members, although only 25 concurrent visitors can gather at any given time.

“Every community develops its own norms, etiquette, and social rules over time as it fosters a unique culture,” the company says in a blogpost. “To enable that, we’ll provide the tools that allow the creators of members-only worlds to set the rules for their communities and maintain those rules for their closed spaces.”

Meta says moderation responsibilities can be shared among trusted members, so creators can better control who gets in and who’s kicked out, however the company says its Code of Conduct for Virtual Experiences is still in effect in privately owned spaces.

What’s more, the Quest-only social platform is also going to be available on the Web and mobile devices “soon”, the company says, adding that rules will be made and enforced “similarly to how mobile operating systems manage experiences on their platforms.”

As it is today, Horizon Worlds plays host to a growing number of user-generated content in addition to first-party worlds. The release of Horizon Worlds outside of Quest would represent a massive potential influx of users and user-generated content, putting it in direct competition with cross-platform social gaming titans such as Roblox and Rec Room.

As a similar free-to-play app, Horizon Worlds offers an Avatar Store featuring premium digital outfits—very likely only a first step in the company’s monetization strategy. For now, the company says it allows creators to earn revenue from purchases people make in their worlds, which includes hardware platform fees and a Horizon Worlds fee, which Meta says is 25 percent.

In late October, Meta showed off a tempting preview of its next-gen avatars, although it’s clear there’s still a ton of work to be done to satisfy its existing userbase. Floating torsos are still very much a thing in Horizon Worlds, and that’s despite Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s insistence that full body tracking was in the works. It was too good to be true.

For now, Horizon Worlds is only available on Quest 2 headsets in the US, Canada, UK, France, Iceland, Ireland and Spain—something we hope they change well before it ushers in flatscreen users.

‘Rec Room’ to Bring He-Man Avatars in ‘Masters of the Universe’ Event

From roadtovr

Social VR platform Rec Room is getting another big brand collaboration with the limited-time release of avatar items based on the world of Masters of the Universe, which will let you transform into He-Man, Teela, or the dastardly Skeletor.

From December 15th to March 31st, Rec Room users will be able to don the armor inspired by the legendary heroes and boney villain from the Masters of the Universe franchise. To get a copy of the avatar items, just visit the stylized pop-up of Castle Grayskull which will be in the platform’s Rec Center hub.

Ok, so He-Man is clearly missing the massive, rippling muscles you’ll see in all of the franchise’s cartoons, which include the original ’80s show, 2002 reboot, and 2021 re-reboots, but the trailer is certainly on point with everything else:

The collaboration represents another big step for Rec Room, as content is based on the official Masters of the Universe IP owned by Mattel. In the past, Rec Room has run similar events too, such as its collaboration with the NBA to bring team jerseys and branded basketballs to the platform and an event featuring popular YouTuber Mr. Beast.

As a platform that tends to skew to the younger crowd thanks to it not only being free, but available cross-platform across essentially all flatscreen devices and VR headsets, the He-Man licensing agreement may prove as a valuable test case for similar brand engagement vehicles in the future. After all, Mattel owns a mountain of kid-friendly IP that may just as well fit in the growing platform, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, Thomas & Friends, Monster High, Bob The Builder, and Pingu to name a few.

And all of that’s possible thanks to Rec Room’s $294 million lifetime financing and reported $3.5 billion valuation. Since the studio last reported Q1 2022 data, Rec Room has attracted over 75 million lifetime users across all platforms, with a reported 29 million active players worldwide.