Virtual & Mixed Reality Experiences

[Nick]

$3499. Looks great for a prosumer device and for Apple's first attempt in the AR space. Disney+ coming to this and being a big announcement sort of pisses me off as i've been waiting for a VR compatible version of Disney+ for while and now it seems like it'll be exclusive to this expensive ass headset

2 hour battery life is ridiculous though and while this is a good start for Apple, this is not 7x better than the Meta Quest 3 (which will be $500). A lot of what I saw in this demo can *mostly* be done on the Quest 3 from what i've heard and seen.

The main upper hand this has is the ability to connect all apple devices together and open them up within your headset seamlessly using an apple OS whereas Meta is sort of doing their own thing and focusing more on games.




Found this hilarious:

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

It's been almost a decade since the public first got their hands on VR/AR, and besides the occasional game, there's nothing it can do that I wouldn't rather do on something else.

 

[Nick]

It's been almost a decade since the public first got their hands on VR/AR, and besides the occasional game, there's nothing it can do that I wouldn't rather do on something else.

That’s the thing. I can never understand using these to replace your monitor, TV, workspace, etc. At this point, it’s not practical imo. Maybe within another 10-15, but not yet.

To me, VR is fun for gaming as an accessory or if you want to watch a 3D movie. I’ve watched Avatar on Quest 2 in 3D and it’s convincing enough, I certainly don’t need to pay $3500 to see it in 3D. Games for VR are still advancing, with many devs jumping in after the 2020 VR boom to the industry and we’re only just now starting to see some of these games.

VR gaming will always be niche imo, console and PC are obviously king. But VR is a nice add-on to a gaming experience. AR though, which is what Apple is doing, has a chance to go full mainstream whenever they announce a version of the Apple Vision that is at a more consumer friendly price point instead of a prosumer price. Mostly because it’s Apple and that being the only reason.

 

[Grabnar]

$3499. Looks great for a prosumer device and for Apple's first attempt in the AR space. Disney+ coming to this and being a big announcement sort of pisses me off as i've been waiting for a VR compatible version of Disney+ for while and now it seems like it'll be exclusive to this expensive ass headset




Found this hilarious:

I think they really missed the mark with their messaging on this one lol

Behind the scenes they’re allegedly working on cheaper models launching in 2025ish, this is very much a dev model that shouldn’t have been billed the way it was.

That said it looks amazing, I’d pick one up at $1500 or below; $3500 is insane.

 

[Nick]

I think they really missed the mark with their messaging on this one lol

Behind the scenes they’re allegedly working on cheaper models launching in 2025ish, this is very much a dev model that shouldn’t have been billed the way it was.

That said it looks amazing, I’d pick one up at $1500 or below; $3500 is insane.

Yeah, like, I know this is meant as a Prosumer device, but when this is your first foray into the AR space, I would've launched the consumer version along with the Pro.

It's possible they thought if they waited until 2025 those two years would be too much time to allow Meta to continue to build up market share, especially with the Quest 3 coming out? This is clearly more inline as a competitor to the Quest Pro (which is $1500). Not exactly sure where the extra $2K comes from aside from a bit of Apple tax just for it being an Apple product.

It has 4K lenses, hand tracking, and eye tracking but so does the Quest Pro. The Quest Pro also has controllers with tracking built in which had to be insanely expensive and why the Quest 3 controllers are using AI to track the controllers instead of a Halo ring or inside out tracking in the controllers.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

It’s the chicken and the egg problem, you need apps to sell the hardware but devs can’t build apps till the hardware is out.

Apple’s selling it super high end and then coming in with refinements and revisions. See: iPod

 

[Nick]

Hands-on reviews/first look. CNET video has a lot of good insight.






As always with Marques Brownlee, this is required watching regarding a new product:

 

[Nick]

Great video here. Not someone who used the Apple Vision Pro, but they used the Meta Quest Pro to build a working prototype to try and see if something like what Apple has shown off would even work on an existing system with the same basic features… and it did.

He said while it was just something he threw together, it changed how he viewed what the technology is capable of. He released it for anyone to use if you have a Quest Pro or Quest 2 even on SideQuest.

 

[Nick]

I haven’t really been into the AC franchise since Black Flag, but if this game is anywhere close to what this pre-render looks like then I’m sold.

The AC franchise is seemingly perfect VR. You play as Ezio, Connor, and Kassandra.

 

[Nick]

Just got into playing RE4 on Quest 2. If this game is this good and fun, while only having slight graphical enhancements from 2005 (and compromises made in porting such an old game), then I can't wait to play the RE4 remake on PSVR2 once the VR Mode for that is released.

 

[Nick]

Quest 3 releases tomorrow and it looks like, in many ways, this headset beats out newer hardware from this year alone like the PSVR2 in most metrics which is extremely impressive given the standalone nature.

Graphics are heavily improved, clear pancake lenses help get rid of screen door effect, much smaller headset, color pass through, mixed reality is a focus, and Meta has a few heavy hitter exclusives on the gaming front coming (Assassins Creed: Nexus & Asgard’s Wrath 2, Roblox, Stranger Things VR will only be MR playable on Quest, Xbox Game Pass coming to Quest).

This all said, PSVR2 still has me quite a bit with their exclusives (I’m also betting AC: Nexus is just a timed exclusive on quest), and am looking forward to Madison VR, RE4 remake VR Mode, Wanderer: The Fragments Of Fate, Arashi: Castles Of Sin, and currently playing Crossfire: Sierra Squad, RE: Village VR Mode, and games I haven’t gotten yet like Synapse or Switchback. Vertigo 2 is also coming to PSVR2 from PCVR which I can’t wait to play.

Will probably update to Quest 3 at some point from Quest 2, but may wait for a sale as I don’t see the immediate need to upgrade.

 

[TheUniC6]

Disney has filed patents that pertain to VR in their theme parks. Here are a few of them:

Disney Patents Virtual World Simulator That Doesn't Require Headsets, Goggles, Or Smartphones

The immersive tech could eventually allow park visitors to interact with Mickey Mouse and Elsa as images, not cast members in costume.

www.cartoonbrew.com

Disney files patent for 3D rides without headsets or smart devices

Disney has filed a patent for AR or VR rides that would offer a 3D virtual experience without VR headsets or AR-enabled devices.

blooloop.com

 

[Nick]

Disney has filed patents that pertain to VR in their theme parks. Here are a few of them:

Disney Patents Virtual World Simulator That Doesn't Require Headsets, Goggles, Or Smartphones

The immersive tech could eventually allow park visitors to interact with Mickey Mouse and Elsa as images, not cast members in costume.

www.cartoonbrew.com

Disney files patent for 3D rides without headsets or smart devices

Disney has filed a patent for AR or VR rides that would offer a 3D virtual experience without VR headsets or AR-enabled devices.

blooloop.com

Those articles are from a year or two ago depending on the article. We’ll see if anything comes of it.

 

[MrBlonde]

VR video on YouTube to promote HHN.

Video

Edit: This is a really nifty way to introduce HHN and the icon as well as show off a couple of the sets. I absolutely loved the 5 min video and if they have the cameras already in the houses, I really hope they did runs to show off after the event is done and create an archive of houses for people to experience in some fashion.

 

[Nick]

VR video on YouTube to promote HHN.

Video

I’ll have to throw my quest on and watch that. As I’ve said in the past, I’ve been able to do BTTF: The Ride in VR which was really cool considering I never did that ride. I know this is just a 360 video.

I sort of would like a smallish HHN “experience” build that has some level of love thrown into it beyond just a 360 camera. Horror works great in VR, so I feel like they could really do something cool.

 

[MrBlonde]

I’ll have to throw my quest on and watch that. As I’ve said in the past, I’ve been able to do BTTF: The Ride in VR which was really cool considering I never did that ride. I know this is just a 360 video.

I sort of would like a smallish HHN “experience” build that has some level of love thrown into it beyond just a 360 camera. Horror works great in VR, so I feel like they could really do something cool.

Definitely check out the video on your quest. The resolution definitely should’ve been better but that’s the device not the video.

 

[Nick]

Featurette for AC Nexus. This as Asgard's Wrath 2 are the only reasons I *might* upgrade to a Quest 3 sooner than I otherwise would see necessary because I guarantee with both being big, open world titles that are trying to pull the best possible graphics out of a standalone Quest device that a game like this will look and play terrible on a Quest 2.

 

[Nick]

Haven’t been playing a ton of Quest lately (mostly PSVR2 for VR Gaming), but I’m highly looking forward to this game tomorrow!


Also, smart glasses closest to what we got accustomed to from Tony Stark are here:

 

[Nick]

Asgard's Wrath 2 comes out next week and it looks like a true next-gen VR game. Sanzaru Games is boasting a 60 hour campaign and 130 hours worth of content, including a roguelike mode featuring daily challenges. This game seems to be setting out to do something that VR games pretty much never do: keep you engaged and playing for YEARS. It's also positioning itself to be a potential system seller for the Quest 3 as it is a Quest exclusive.

It honestly seems like after Meta acquired Sanzaru they essentially wrote them a blank check to make this game and honestly the only limiting factor they had was the hardware that the game was going to operate on. Everyone I follow in the VR community is praising the game so far as the biggest thing to happen to VR since Half-Life: Alyx.

 

[Nick]