It’s been a nice week for me. I’ve also been honored by seeing the publication of the episode of the AI/XR Podcast where I have been a guest of three legends like Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz. I was pretty excited, and I hope I managed to say something smart. If you are interested in it, you can watch a little teaser in this LinkedIn post, or watch the full episode on YouTube or on all the main podcast platforms!
Top news of the week
Valve is ramping up production for the Steam Frame
A group of Chinese analysts known as “XR Research Institute” shared a report claiming that Valve’s upcoming headset, known as Deckard or Steam Frame, may launch soon.
According to these people, the launch of the headset is set for this holiday season, and the device may be called “Index 2”. The XR Research Institute estimates a production run of 400,000 to 600,000 units per year. It is a pretty low volume of production compared to the Quest, which makes us think of a price superior to $1000. The report also states that the headset may be manufactured in Shandong, China. Qingdao, which is the economic center of the Shandong province, is where Goertek is based, so this may hint at a production happening there. Anyway, some other reports claim that the manufacturer may be a company based in Taiwan, which makes me think about HTC, which has already collaborated with Valve in the manufacturing of its headsets.
I honestly don’t know what to believe: until a couple of months ago, it seemed that Valve Deckard launching in 2025 was almost impossible, but now this report states that it is actually happening. Then the naming “Index 2” seems very improbable to me, considering that this device is for sure a standalone headset. Or maybe the leaks refer to different headsets, and Valve is working on both an Index refresh to be released this year and the Steam Frame to be released next year. But I would find it weird that Bradley wouldn’t have mentioned an Index 2 up to today, he usually always hears something.
I think we have to do only one thing: wait and see. For sure, all these rumors confirm that the launch of the Steam Frame is coming soon… may it be the end of this year or the first half of 2026, the wait is coming to an end.
More info (Valve’s Steam Frame may launch this year — Road To VR)
More info (Valve’s Steam Frame may launch this year — Upload VR)
Other relevant news
Vision Pro Refresh may launch this week
The Steam Frame is not the only headset that may be launching very soon. According to the usual Mark Gurman, Apple is going to release the refresh of the Vision Pro very soon, probably even this week. The new headset should feature the very powerful M5 chipset together with a better headband, and it should launch alongside other M5-powered products, like the iPad Pro and M5 base MacBook Pro. The launch may even happen without a dedicated event, but just with press releases sent to news outlets and magazines.
In the same report, Gurman repeats that Apple is now removing resources from the Vision Pro project to dedicate them to smartglasses with built-in displays. The glasses are expected to leverage visionOS, Apple’s spatial/AR operating system (which currently powers Vision Pro). One idea is that when paired with a Mac, the glasses could deliver a full desktop-style experience, while when paired with an iPhone, they would opportunistically drop into a lighter, mobile mode. This would actually be very smart, but I wonder how they expect to give a good desktop experience with glasses that will probably have a FOV of around 50°.
The good news is that the report claims that Apple is not abandoning mixed reality, but only de-preoritizing it. This is basically what Meta is also doing. Smartglasses have a wider consumer appeal in the short term, so they seem the best thing to pursue in the short term for companies that aim to produce AR glasses in the future. Probably the launch of the M5 refresh of the Vision Pro is meant to create a device that is so powerful that it can satisfy the appetite for MR of businesses for the years to come, even if Apple is not releasing a new mixed reality headset in the next 2–3 years.
Still, I find it ironic that the company we all waited for 10 years to come and rescue VR, has basically semi-abandoned VR after its first headset…
More info (The full paywalled report by Mark Gurman)
More info (Vision Pro may launch alongside other M5-powered devices)
More info (New AVP may launch this week)
More info (Apple glasses may connect to phones and Macs)
More info (New AVP may launch without an event)
Project Moohan should ship soon with controller, while glasses are coming next year
The launch of “Project Moohan” is getting closer and closer. Rumors talk about Samsung launching it in less than 10 days from now. Android Headlines managed to obtain numerous pictures of the device and leaked information ahead of its launch, revealing some interesting new details about it.
The headset is allegedly called Samsung Galaxy XR. It features 6 tracking cameras, 2 color passthrough cameras, a depth sensor, and 4 internal eye tracking cameras. 4 of the tracking cameras are on the front of the headset, while 2 are facing downwards, most probably to look at the hands, to allow for the gaze-and-pinch interaction that many people (not me) liked in the Vision Pro.
Galaxy XR, though, has taken a different approach for what concerns the input: the device should ship with controllers that look very similar to Quest Touch Plus. I think that’s actually been a smart move by Samsung: Apple went for the hands-only approach and partially backtracked, because it realized that most of the entertainment content actually needs controllers.
The headset will feature a 4K micro-OLED display. You’ll get a PPI of 4,032 for a total of 29 million pixels across the two displays (against the 23 of the Vision Pro). It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset. And the battery should last for 2–2.5 hours. I suggest you have a look at Android Headlines’s report to see the headset from many points of view.
According to Upload VR. Samsung’s Android XR headset will also have, as a launch title, Asteroid, a 180-degree short film that premiered at Venice Immersive.
It is not a mystery that Google and Samsung are also working together on smartglasses. They seem to be working on a Ray-Ban Meta clone. This week, the Financial News reported that they are also working to launch smart glasses with a display, a la Ray-Ban Meta Display, next year, productizing the concept shown at TED and Google I/O. Interesting times ahead for smartglasses…
More info (Android Headlines’s full report)
More info (Galaxy XR should ship with controllers)
More info (Asteroid is a storytelling content for Android XR)
More info (Samsung and Google to release smartglasses next year)
Lynx teases its next headset
With the launch of Galaxy XR, the Android XR operating system will be officially released, and so all the other headsets running it will be able to launch, too. Lynx is one of the first partners announced with the Android XR project, so we all know that the French startup is working on a new headset running Google’s operating system.
This week, Stan Larroque, the CEO of Lynx, has shared a first darkened picture of his new headset. No details have been shared about it, with more info coming “early next month”. Considering that this headset must come after Galaxy XR, this seems to confirm the fact that Galaxy XR is indeed launching this month.
I’m personally very interested in what Lynx has come up with. Stan is a very intelligent guy, and the Lynx project was very cool, but it was ruined by low funding and a lot of inexperience. Now the company has the opportunity to take all the lessons it learned the hard way and go on with the launch of a good product. I really hope it comes out to be great.
SHARP is working on its headset
On Gizmodo Japan, I’ve discovered that SHARP is actually working on its own PCVR headset. This device is in the same league as the Bigscreen Beyond or the Shiftall MeganeX: a very lightweight VR headset to use with your own PC.
From the hands-on article, I’ve been able to learn that the headset is very small and lightweight (around 200–250g) and works with inside-out tracking. It mounts micro-OLED displays, so the FOV is not big, but the definition is high. There are also diopter adjustment dials so people can use it without glasses. We don’t know more about this device, and SHARP is also tight-lipped about a potential price.
But this is not the only XR device SHARP is working on. The company also showcased at the same event a haptic add-on for controllers, which was demoed together with the Quest 3. This add-on is able to provide rough, smooth, silky, and bumpy sensations to your fingertips. There are two types of this accessory: one is an exoskeleton, while the other is a glove. The exoskeleton is easier to wear, but the glove can provide better sensations while allowing your fingers to move more freely.
It is interesting to see SHARP entering our industry. And I’m very curious to try its devices…
(Thanks Rob Cole for the tip!)
More info (Gizmodo’s hands-on the SHARP headset)
More info (A tweet about the SHARP headset)
News worth a mention
Meta has delisted many Gorilla Tag clones
Meta has just delisted over one hundred Gorilla Tag clones from the Horizon Store. I am all for open stores, but in this case, I think it was something that needed to be done. These clones were all “spam” applications, all created from the same GitHub template: they were literally all identical and were just cluttering the store. This could have been acceptable on a well-designed store, but since the Meta Horizon Store is already crippled by discoverability problems, all this shovelware was creating problems for the other applications.
So good job on this one, Meta. It’s one little step forward towards a Meta Horizon Store that is more welcoming for developers. I truly hope that many other steps are to follow.
Varjo announces a refresh of the XR-4 headset aimed at the military sector
Varjo has just announced a refresh of its last series of devices, the XR-4 headsets. All the updates are meant to improve its performance when used for training and simulation, including an improved comfort for extended time usage and improved autofocus passthrough for pilot training inside real cockpits. The company has now almost completely pivoted towards the military sector, and in fact, if you click on the link below, you’ll find a video where the first sentence is “Military-grade XR solutions”. Considering this strong focus on the military sector, the prices of the devices have also become very steep: the XR-4 Secure Edition, which is meant for places where security is of paramount importance, has a price that starts from €22000. Of course, I’ve already preordered 3 for Christmas.
Meta released v81 of the Quest runtime
Meta has finally released the v81 of its Horizon OS runtime to the general public. Until now, it was available only on the PTC (Public Test Channel). v81 is a hell of an update, with many interesting features, like a new immersive home, the possibility of attaching windows to walls, the linking of PCVR games in the library, an improved Horizon Feed, and much more. Among these features, there is also the possibility of trying Horizon Hyperscape Capture to scan your room: it has been one of the most impressive things I’ve tried at Meta Connect, and I think everyone should try it, too. It’s good to see this update released to the public!
Horizon+ now also has an Indie Catalog
Meta’s VR gaming subscription service, Horizon+, is now adding a new section: the Indie Catalog. Together with the highly curated “big” titles that Meta is offering in the Horizon+ catalog, from now on, there will also be a curation of smaller indie titles that will be included in the program. Indie developers can apply to see their title featured there. I think it’s an interesting opportunity for indie studios to see their games have more visibility and revenues, so my suggestion is to apply your game for it.
Quest browser gets WebXR hit-testing
Meta’s web browser now uses depth sensing for WebXR Hit Testing on Quest 3 & 3S, enabling instant mixed reality object placement without a Scene Mesh. Before, to place an object in WebXR, you should have mapped your room inside Meta’s settings, while now, since the algorithm just uses the live data from the depth sensor, you can use it in a frictionless way wherever you are. This is good news for all WebXR developers.
Apple to livestream LA Lakers NBA matches
Apple announced that select LA Lakers NBA games will be streamed in Apple Immersive format to Apple Vision Pro owners next year. The recording will happen using the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Live, a special variant of the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera, which is set to go on sale next year. The streaming will be a 180-degree 3D high-definition video.
This is amazing news. The streaming is an immersive 3D one, and it is especially live. This means that you can not just watch some replays, like it happened in the past, but you can literally watch a live NBA match with the sensation of being there in the stadium. This is the fulfillment of the vision of NextVR, the company that Apple acquired exactly for this purpose.
Some news about content
- Super RC, a game that lets you perform multiplayer races with radio-controlled little cars, has been launched on the Meta Store for $7.99
- I Am Monkey is the latest game from the creators of I Am Cat and I Am Security. It feels like a crossover episode between I Am Cat and Gorilla Tag…
- Battlefield-like game Forefront has entered open beta. It got pretty good feedback from the VR community
- The Brookhaven Experiment, a horror action game that was very popular at the time of the OG HTC Vive in early 2016, has been ported to Quest 2, 3, and 3S. Its price is $12
- Memoreum, a new VR sci-fi action horror game, is out now on Quest for €30
- Deadly Delivery, a comedy horror co-op courier game, has a demo out now on Steam and an open beta for Quest (until October, 20th)
- Star Trek: Infection VR, a narrative-driven survival horror game coming to Quest 3 and PC VR, launches on December 11
- Crossings, an upcoming action-adventure roguelike set in the Norse afterlife, released a PC VR and Quest 3 demo ahead of Steam Next Fest
- Hand Physics Lab, the famous physics playground for your hands in virtual reality, is now available on Apple Vision Pro.
More info (Super RC)
More info (Monkey Around)
More info (Forefront)
More info (The Brokehaven Experiment)
More info (Memoreum)
More info (Deadly Delivery)
More info (Star Trek: Infection VR)
More info (Norse Afterlife)
More info (Hand Physics Lab)
Some reviews about content
- Both Upload VR and Road to VR agreed with me on Star Wars: Beyond Victory: the game is a high-quality production, but the MR podracing is not that good because it should have been done in VR
- Upload VR went hands-on with the home space in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City and appreciated that the game really puts you inside the TMNT world, the setting makes you feel inside the cartoon
- Wildlife Doctor makes you truly feel like being in the wild, solving the medical emergencies of animals
- RAGER is an enjoyable cyberpunk rhythm fighting game. Its production quality is good, its only problem is the lack of content in this Early Access version
- BlackGate is an enjoyable 4-vs-1 game, with good VR mechanics. But it’s hard to complete a full game without people leaving at half of a match
More info (Star Wars: Beyond Victory — Road To VR)
More info (Star Wars: Beyond Victory — Upload VR)
More info (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City)
More info (Wildlife Doctor)
More info (RAGER)
More info (BlackGate)
Other news
I had an amazing interview with Ben Lang: watch it, because it is packed with many interesting lessons about VR marketing, journalism, and technology!
iFixit did a teardown of the Ray-Ban Meta Display
The mobile-only Horizon Worlds game Super Strike, which I told you about last week, just got VR support after the community’s backlash
Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema has been released, bringing a more immersive visualization of horror movies on Quest
ValemVR released an open-source “emulator” of the Ray-Ban Meta display for Quest
News from partners (and friends)
Get your custom facemask for VR from Oblik Design!
Discover the interesting work that Oblik Design is doing from the words of its founder:
Oblik Design creates custom-fitted VR face gaskets made from a user’s face scan. Our goal is to eliminate the trial-and-error effort associated with aftermarket or DIY comfort fixes. As a founder and long-time gamer, I always expected a solution like this to exist because it never made sense that a premium VR headset would still require tinkering just to feel right. Oblik takes the guesswork out of fit so people can simply enjoy VR for what it offers, and not take on a comfort improvement project. Given the variety of face shapes and sizes, we believe that this can only be done with a custom-fitted solution.
Learn more
Jeremy Schreiber joined Dotted
I want to publicly congratulate my friend Jeremy Schreiber for joining Dotted. I met Jeremy when he was working on XR/Mesh-related things at Microsoft, and now he has become the Chief Commercial Officer of this interesting startup meant to improve communication inside companies. Quoting Jeremy’s words:
Dotted is a powerful AI platform that connects the dots across your organization — automatically pulling updates from tools like Jira, Linear, GitHub, HubSpot, and Salesforce, then turning them into clear, tailored messages for every audience. You stay in control by deciding exactly which data Dotted connects to, so it only brings in what is relevant. No clutter, no “dirty” data, and no sandbox noise. The result is more than just faster updates. It means information is delivered with the level of detail each leader wants, in the format they prefer, all with the click of a button.
I wish him and Dotted the best of luck!
Learn more
Join the XRCC hackathon!
I’m supporting XRCC again as a media partner, because it’s one of the best hackathons we have in the AR/VR ecosystem. The new XRCC Online version is coming soon, and I suggest you check it out because:
- The organizers (led by Dinesh Punni and Anna Punni) are amazing and have always delivered a good experience for the participants
- The participants are super-talented, and every time I’ve joined as a mentor, I was ashamed to know less than some of the participants
- You can enjoy the lessons of famous mentors from the XR space
- There is money on the table: $10,000 going directly to creators
Plus, being the next edition online, you don’t need to travel to Berlin to participate, so it is much easier to join! Of course, this also means you will miss one of the big perks of the XRCC glammathon, which is the delicious food, but hey, if you win the first prize, you have enough money to pay yourself a good dinner!
Learn more (Register to XRCC)
Join the Digital Days in Prague!
Join Digital Days at the French Institute, running alongside Signal Festival — Prague on October 16 & 18, 2025, a two-day program exploring the future of digital arts through talks, panels, and workshops on economic models, distribution, and international collaboration. Featured speakers include Mathieu Vabre (CHRONIQUES Biennial), Pavel Mrkus (Signal Festival), Annabelle Playe (Ana Compagnie), Céline Berthoumieux (HACNUM), and Paul Bouchard (Diversion). A selection of French VR works will also be showcased by Diversion during the event. Free entry with registration, and programming will be held in English.
Register now
Discover FM DUO camera!
Meet the FM DUO, a VR camera that is capable of filming up to 12K @30fps, and 8K @60fps. With built-in RTMP live streaming and 5G connectivity, the FM·DUO will immerse your viewers in real time! The FM·DUO features 2 full-frame CMOS sensors, with 6000 x 6000 pixels each. This allows for high-resolution zooming capabilities. Not only can you narrow in on one subject, but you can also focus on singular details of the subject’s facial expressions, clothing textures, and a multitude of other small details, enabling a much more immersive experience of VR video.
Visit the product website
Some XR fun
The developers of Elemental Towers made a nice video to promote their game
Funny link
After watching this meme, I’m considering selling my VR content at 20x its original price
Funny link
If devs could choose just one place, that would be great
Funny link
Starting a PCVR game…
Funny link
When I woke up today, I couldn’t imagine that I would have seen THE SUCKERBERG…
Funny link
Donate for good
Like last week, also this week in this final paragraph I won’t ask you to donate to my blog, but to the poor people who are facing the consequences of the war. Please donate to the Red Cross to handle the current humanitarian situation in Ukraine. I will leave you the link to do that below.
Let me take a moment before to thank anyway all my Patreon donors for the support they give to me:
- Alex Gonzalez VR
- DeoVR
- GenVR
- Eduardo Siman
- Jonn Fredericks
- Jean-Marc Duyckaerts
- Reynaldo T Zabala
- Richard Penny
- Terry xR. Schussler
- Ilias Kapouranis
- Paolo Leoncini
- Immersive.international
- Nikk Mitchell and the great FXG team
- Jake Rubin
- Alexis Huille
- Raghu Bathina
- Chris Koomen
- Cognitive3D
- Wisear (Yacine Achiakh)
- Masterpiece X
- Dimo Pepelyashev
- Carol Dalrymple
- Keith Bradner
- Jennifer Granger
- Jason Moore
- Steve Biggs
- Julio Cesar Bolivar
- Jan Schroeder
- Kai Curtis
- Francesco Strada
- Sikaar Keita
- Ramin Assadollahi
- Juan Sotelo
- Andrew Sheldon
- Chris Madsen
- Horacio Torrendell
- Andrew Deutsch
- Fabien Benetou
- Tatiana Kartashova
- Marco “BeyondTheCastle” Arena
- Eloi Gerard
- Adam Boyd
- Jeremy Dalton
- Joel Ward
- Alex P
- Lynn Eades
- Donald P
- Casie Lane
- Catherine Henry
- Qcreator
- Ristband (Anne McKinnon & Roman Rappak)
- Stephen Robnett
- KaihatsuJai
- Christopher Boyd
- Don Williams
- Giuseppe Pippi
- Mark Frederiksen
- Ken Lin
- Sebastien Poivre
- Sb
- Boule Petanque
- Pieter Siekerman
- Enrico Poli
- Vooiage Technologies
- Caroline
- Liam James O’Malley
- Hillary Charnas
- Wil Stevens
- Francesco Salizzoni
- Alan Smithson
- Steve R
- Brentwahn
- Michael Gaebler
- Tiago Silva
- Matt Cool
- Mark G
- Simplex
- Gregory F Gorsuch
- Paul Shay
- Matias Nassi
And now here you are the link to donate:
Support The Red Cross in Ukraine
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