Being able to get your non-VR friends in on the VR fun is often a challenge, especially if you’re trying to play with them remotely. Luckily VR Giants brings another rare opportunity to do so, offering up a fresh dose of asymmetric ‘VR + PC’ co-op gameplay that works just as well online as it does with local play.
We love a good asymmetric VR game that gives a VR player and a non-VR player two totally different roles. Unfortunately these games are a rare breed, surely not helped by the fact that they require both the VR player and the non-VR player to be in the same place to play on the same PC.
Luckily, back in 2019 Steam released a feature called Remote Play Together which allows local multiplayer games to be played with your online friends, no matter where they are.
That’s a perfect fit for VR Giants, an asymmetric co-op game just launched in Early Access. It has one player in a VR headset as a giant stone elemental, while another player on the same PC plays a tiny character that relies on the giant’s help to complete platforming challenges.
Thanks to Remote Play Together, you can have the same fun with any friend from afar. The feature basically tricks the game into thinking your friend is playing locally with you, even though they’re remotely controlling the game from afar. And because it works this way, only one of you needs to own the game!
Developer Risa Interactive tells us they know for sure the game works well with Steam Remote Play Together because all of its development was done remotely and tested with the Steam feature and Parsec (another popular app for remote-play gaming).
VR Giants is available on Steam in Early Access, currently with a 10% launch discount. The developer says the studio plans to add more levels before the game reaches its full launch, at which point the price will increase.
STRIDE: Fates, the upcoming story mode to the high-flying parkour game, was supposed to arrive late last year, although developer Joy Way delayed it in favor of fleshing out what promises to be a full-featured campaign.
Originally slated to launch in December 2022, STRIDE: Fates is set to introduce new parkour mechanics, new physics, and a narrative told from the life of a chaser in what at the time was said to be a 5+ hours solo adventure.
During the UploadVR Summer Showcase, the studio revealed new gameplay footage showing off the upcoming ‘Slums’ area, something slated to be a large open-world location that will take “about 15 minutes just to traverse from one end of the location to the other,” the studio says.
Notably, the Slums area is only “one of the many places you will parkour through as a chaser,” the studio says.
Joy Way says it will be revealing a launch date, target platforms, and all other details later this summer. The base game is already available on Quest 2, SteamVR and the original PSVR.
While release info is still thin on the ground, in the meantime we’ll be sticking to the game’s Twitter for all the latest updates.
Skydance Interactive announced during UploadVR’s Summer Showcase that the award-winning stealth-action VR game Arashi: Castles of Sin (2021) is finally making its way to major VR headsets this fall.
Developer by Endeavor One, Arashi: Castles of Sin is slated to bring its visceral melee combat to Quest 2, Quest 3, PSVR 2, and PC VR headsets for the first time.
Initially released exclusively on PSVR back in 2021, the studios say we can expect from the new ‘Final Cut’ version “improved visuals, updated enemy and boss behavior, revamped controls, and tons of additional quality-of-life features.”
Here’s how Endeavor One describes the action:
In Arashi: Castles of Sin – Final Cut, you’ll step into the shoes of deadly shinobi assassin Kenshiro and embark on a quest for justice, becoming one with the shadows as the last surviving member of House Arashi. This is your chance to experience feudal Japan in an era where the country is in chaos as the Six Oni of Iga have seized castles across the country, carving a bloody path of terror in their wake.
The game features a pretty wide assortment of weapons, tools, and techniques, all of which help you infiltrate conquered castles and outwit your enemies as you hunt down each Oni, the studio says.
Arashi: Castles of Sin – Final Cut is slated to arrive on the PSVR 2, PC VR and Quest platform sometime this fall. We’ll be keeping our eyes on the game’s new Twitter profile for more updates as they arrive.
Capricia Productions and Beyond Frames Entertainment unveiled a new VR platformer during UploadVR’s Summer Showcase that looks to take Gorilla Tag’s knuckle-dragging locomotion scheme and crank it to eleven for some fast-paced first-person platforming action.
Called Outta Hand, the game lets you embody one of the Hand-People, which developer Capricia calls “wide-eyed, hop-happy lab experiments with the power to jump great heights, leap impossible lengths, and shake hands from… really, really far away.”
Here’s how the studio describes the setup:
Due to not being dumb enough, loveable as you are, Dr. Vendelvom has selected you for immediate termination. Not like fired gone, more like dead gone.
To save yourself and your brethren, you must platform, jump, bounce, and punch your way through the bad doctor’s laboratory with your… uh… very long arms, to take down him and all his baddies. With multiple levels and boss fights along with an endless mode, things might get, shall we say, a little bit “out of hand?” Get it?! No? Fine…
Outta Hand is slated to arrive on Quest at some point this fall. Capricia hasn’t mentioned other VR platforms at this time, although we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled on the game’s new Twitter profile for more info as we approach the fall launch window.
This will be Capricia’s first VR game, following the release of Of Bird and Cage (2021) for traditional monitors. Publisher Beyond Frames Entertainment is known for a number of VR titles, including Ghosts of Tabor, ARK and ADE, Mixture, Down the Rabbit Hole, and Silhouette.
Espire 2: Stealth Operative (2022), the stealth action game from Digital Lode, is getting a free mixed reality mode for Quest 2, Quest Pro and Quest 3 later this year.
Digital Lode revealed footage of the mixed reality update during the UploadVR Summer Showcase, promising a series of stealth missions that “grow and adapt to the player’s personal playspace.”
“Missions are deliberately focused and optimized for all environments ranging from small areas to multiple rooms,” the studio says. “Play as Tempest, an agent who must pass a series of Mixed Reality Missions to earn their stripes and be cleared to pilot an Espire Frame.”
Each mission is said to offer a variety of objectives, and will also include enemy soldiers, bipedal mechs, electronic threats, and “more that emerge to prevent you from completing your objective.”
Espire 2’s mixed reality mode is slated to arrive for free on Quest headsets sometime later this year.
Meta Quest 3, the company’s next mixed reality standalone, is set to arrive sometime this fall, priced at $500. Besides being thinner and more powerful than Quest 2, Quest 3 promises the same color passthrough function as the company’s $1,000 Quest Pro, which could usher in a new influx of similar mixed reality modes in the coming months.
In addition to offering immersive experiences, Apple says that Vision Pro will be able to run most iPad and iOS apps out of the box with no changes. For video chat apps like Zoom, Messenger, Discord, and others, the company says that an ‘avatar webcam’ will be supplied to apps, making them automatically able to handle video calls between the headset and other devices.
Apple says that on day one, all suitable iOS and iPad OS apps will be available on the headset’s App Store. According to the company, “most apps don’t need any changes at all,” and the majority should run on the headset right out of the box. Developers will be able to opt-out from having their apps on the headset if they’d like.
For video conferencing apps like Zoom, Messenger, Discord, Google Meet, which expect access to the front-camera of an iPhone or iPad, Apple has done something clever for Vision Pro.
Instead of a live camera view, Vision Pro provides a view of the headset’s computer-generated avatar of the user (which Apple calls a ‘Persona’). That means that video chat apps that are built according to Apple’s existing guidelines should work on Vision Pro without any changes to how the app handles camera input.
How Apple Vision Pro ‘Persona’ avatars are represented | Image courtesy Apple
Persona’s use the headset’s front cameras to scan the user’s face to create a model, then the model is animated according to head, eye, and hand inputs tracked by the headset.
Image courtesy Apple
Apple confirmed as much in a WWDC developer session called Enhance your iPad and iPhone apps for the Shared Space. The company also confirmed that apps asking for access to a rear-facing camera (ie: a photography app) on Apple Vision Pro will get only black frames with a ‘no camera’ symbol. This alerts the user that there’s no rear-facing camera available, but also means that iOS and iPad apps will continue to run without errors, even when they expect to see a rear-facing camera.
There’s potentially other reasons that video chat apps like Zoom, Messenger, or Discord might not work with Apple Vision Pro right out of the box, but at least as far as camera handling goes, it should be easy for developers to get video chats up and running using a view of the user’s Persona.
It’s even possible that ‘AR face filters’ in apps like Snapchat and Messenger will work correctly with the user’s Apple Vision Pro avatar, with the app being none-the-wiser that it’s actually looking at a computer-generated avatar rather than a real person.
Image courtesy Apple
In another WWDC session, the company explained more about how iOS and iPad apps behave on Apple Vision Pro without modification.
Developers can expect up to two inputs from the headset (the user can pinch each hand as its own input), meaning any apps expecting two-finger gestures (like pinch-zoom) should work just fine, but three fingers or more won’t be possible from the headset. As for apps that require location information, Apple says the headset can provide an approximate location via Wi-Fi, or a specific location shared via the user’s iPhone.
Unfortunately, existing ARKit apps won’t work out of the box on Apple Vision Pro. Developers will need to use a newly upgraded ARKit (and other tools) to make their apps ready for the headset. This is covered in the WWDC session Evolve your ARKit app for spatial experiences.
Virtual reality’s favorite nostalgia-fueled game-within-a-game is back, this time throwing you into a handful of reimagined Atari 2600 titles from the early ’80s. It’s another solid entry into the series, and as its casual approach to serving up a rash of classic gaming tropes are fairly tried and true at this point. While its first-person RPG focus this time around doesn’t really feel like the sort of substantial evolution that it could be, 1978’s smorgasbord of novelty and undoubtably heartfelt love of classic games does a lot to smooth over many of its rougher spots.
Pixel Ripped 1978 Details:
Available On: SteamVR, Quest, PSVR 2 Release Date: June 15th, 2023 Price: $25 Developer: ARVORE Publisher: Atari Reviewed On: Quest 2
Gameplay
Pixel Ripped returns with our digital hero Dot, this time taking us to the dawn of home video game consoles of the late ’70s and early ’80s. You do visit 1978, although you’ll spend a good amount of time in the pre-NES days of the early ’80s too. If you haven’t brushed up on your gaming history, that means stuff like Frogger, Donkey Kong,Pac-Man, Space Invaders, etc. Okay, not those games specifically, but more on that in a bit.
If you’ve played the previous two standalone games, Pixel Ripped 1989 (2018) and Pixel Ripped 1995(2020), you probably know the score: the series mixes in classic gameplay on CRT monitors with more immersive 3D action when you jump into the game. The new entry into the series follows this pattern, so if you’re looking for more of the same Cyblin Lord-beating action, you’re in the right place. Now your overworld character is Barbara ‘Bug’ Rivers, a fictionalized Atari developerwho must help Dot stop Cyblin Lord from going back in time and completely changing the fundamental nature of the Pixel Ripped console game Bug is working on.
Image captured by Road to VR
Having Atari as an actual publisher comes with a few new perks for the series. For the first time Pixel Ripped 1978 has done away with its ‘near-beer’ approach to game references, which relied on its own litigation-free versions of popular console games to complete the nostalgic feel. Granted, the name brands you jump into, both as Dot and the overworld character Bug, aren’t the most iconic Atari has on offer: Crystal Castles, Fast Freddie, and Yars’ Revenge. In the game, they’re called Bentely’s Quest, Groovin’ Freddie, and Grave Yar, although the characters are all there.
Still, you’ll find some easter eggs as well as mini-games related to the system’s best-known titles, such as Frogger, Breakout, and Space Invaders to name a few, making it a true love letter to the second generation of console gaming.
Image captured by Road to VR
While late ’70s and early ’80s nostalgia is on full display—there’s an actual Atari 2600 console, game cartridges galore, and Atari 400 home computer—thankfully you won’t just be limited to the system’s eight-drectional joystick and single button when playing on your office CRT. As the game progresses, you’re handed more buttons which give those games significantly more depth and modern playability when played in 2D.
When playing inside the game, which is more consistently focused on first-person RPG gameplay, you’re again treated to a bright and blocky world that puts you head-first in reimagined 3D versions of each title, albeit infected by Cyblin Lord’s disruptive rips in space. The objective of each cartridge is to collect a crystal that will close each rip, leading you to an end-stage boss encounter.
Image courtesy ARVORE, ATARI
The RPG part of the game equips you with a few things: on the left hand is a wrist-worn device that can shoot out bug repairs, making up the bulk of the game’s casual puzzle-solving. On the right is a blaster which… blasts. And over your right shoulder is a random melee weapon, which is more comical than effective, offering stuff like an oversized tennis racket, a fish, or large ‘chancla’ slipper.
On first blush some things seem to be clear detractors in these first-person bits of the game, including repetitive shooting and melee combat, and some fairly lackluster upgrades. Enemy variation is also fairly low, offering up a pretty middling handful of flying and ground types, all of which feel like bullet sponges with their own unseen health bars.
Still, the game’s rhythmic drips of novelty do a lot to smooth over some of these momentary rough patches. Since there’s always something new around the corner and unique boss battle ahead of you, you might even think of those parts less as flaws and more like the sort of gameplay bottlenecks that were part and parcel of an era of gaming that was simplistic by necessity. Granted, Pixel Ripped 1978 is significantly more complex, but maybe it should be forgiven somewhat given the neurons it’s attempting to spark.
Immersion
Pixel Ripped 1978’s focus on first-person RPGs stuff gives a new latitude to move around and explore the world than previous titles, which were nearly entirely seated. Here, level design feels mostly logical and consistent, although at times I was left scratching my head as what to do next, which led to some unintentional backtracking through levels. Upon death, all enemies reset, which is basically on-brand for any classic game out there. Thankfully the game autosaves, which is a merciful break in immersion from the titles of the early ’80s.
While Pixel Ripped 1978’s first-person RPG focus isn’t the homerun I was hoping for, its higher fidelity connection to the nostalgia certain ups the overall immersion factor. There’s something about seeing a real Atari 2600, handling the cartridges, and hitting play on a small CRT that just clicks a few neurons in my brain way more than a ‘Game Girl’ or ‘Turbo Drive’ playing ‘Rad Racoon’ ever could.
Image captured by Road to VR
Characters inside the 3D-ified Atari games are suitably blocky and colorful, while the art style in the overworld feels decidedly more Pixar-ish than previous titles. Character design and voice acting is effective here, although some of the mouth movements seem to be a little less refined than they ought to. Object interaction is also something that feels like could need more refinement, as found items only have a single attach point which can make selecting through multiple items a more difficult task than it should be.
Image courtesy ARVORE, ATARI
Overall, Pixel Ripped 1978 is a little rough around the edges when it comes to physical immersion, although it’s difficult to be too wrapped up in its sore spots when it’s so charming and heartfelt. It doesn’t feel like the result of a developer who’s just going through the motions and trying to pump video game references in your face for the sake of hitting some sort of nostalgia quota; Arvore’s love for classic gaming definitely shines through.
Comfort
Dot’s helmet HUD does a lot to help mitigate some of the woes of free locomotion, so you can glide in all directions with minimal discomfort. There’s also teleportation and variable snap-turn available, which should keep basically everyone comfortable. The entire game is played on a single plane, so there isn’t any first-person platforming to speak of or vehicles that might cause user discomfort. Notably, like its other titles the studio designed Pixel Ripped 1978 to be played seated. Check out the full comfort checklist below:
‘Pixel Ripped 1978’ Comfort Settings – June 14th, 2023
Turning
Artificial turning
Snap-turn
✔
Quick-turn
✖
Smooth-turn
✖
Movement
Artificial movement
Teleport-move
✔
Dash-move
✖
Smooth-move
✔
Blinders
✔
Head-based
✔
Controller-based
✖
Swappable movement hand
✖
Posture
Standing mode
✖
Seated mode
✔
Artificial crouch
✖
Real crouch
✖
Accessibility
Subtitles
✔
Languages
English
Dialogue audio
✔
Languages
English
Adjustable difficulty
✖
Two hands required
✔
Real crouch required
✖
Hearing required
✖
Adjustable player height
✖
Full disclosure: The game features a number of voice-over cameos from people in the XR industry, most of which are found in a ringing telephone back at Bug’s office. I was offered a small, unpaid cameo here as well.
The next iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) was announced over the weekend, slated to arrive sometime on Xbox consoles and PC in 2024. While it’s disheartening an announcement promising VR support wasn’t made during its unveiling, the game is under development by Asobo, the very same that developed the VR-supported version released in 2020.
The company says Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is slated to bring the “most sophisticated, immersive and awe-inspiring flight simulator of all time,” powered by what the studio calls a “significantly evolved Asobo Studio engine.”
The studio is well versed in supporting PC VR headsets, as the team added SteamVR support to the PC version of the game in December 2020, or just four months after it was released on traditional monitors.
In a developer livestream in late May, Asobo revealed that its dedicated VR team has been disbanded to work on other aspects of the game. That may sound like bad news, however it’s possible the studio is currently in ‘all-hands mode’ to develop the new title for its target platforms, which includes day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows 10/11, and Steam.
Microsoft’s head of Flight Simulator Jörg Neumann revealed during that livestream that somewhere between 10% and 15% of players on the 2020 PC version of MFS play in VR—a fairly consequential number of users. To boot, Neumann and executive producer Martial Bossard say they are among those VR players.
The team says although MFS 2024 is going to be a standalone title, that “virtually all add-ons that work in Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) today will function in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024,” Asobo says in the game’s FAQ. “Add-ons that were purchased from the in-simulator Marketplace will not need to be re-purchased in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.”
So, while we don’t know whether VR support is coming for sure, promising to bring everything from the old to the new game is encouraging. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping our eyes on the game’s official website for updates and news of forthcoming VR support.
Meta unveiled Quest 3 earlier this month, its upcoming standalone VR headset that not only promises to be thinner and more powerful than Quest 2, but also offer color passthrough for augmented reality. Now renowned dataminer ‘Samulia’ has uncovered what appears to be an early video of the headset’s ‘Smart Guardian’ feature in action.
Samulia published four videos showing off what seems to be a work-in-progress look at a new user experience (NUX) for Quest 3. The videos below seem to show how a new user might setup and use the headset’s guardian function, which is designed to keep users safe from bumping into objects.
The clips, which appear to be early prototypes, look similar to other videos which Meta includes in its headsets to explain basic functions, such as how to use hand-tracking, guardian setup, how to fit the headset for best comfort, etc. Here are those videos, courtesy Twitter user @Lunayian:
In the first two videos, it appears a user is using the headset’s inside-out sesnors to scan their playspace, which includes recognition of objects such as couches, coffee tables, desks, TVs, desktop computers, and decorative items—all of which seem to be recognized and individually meshed.
In the last two videos we see the Smart Guardian in action, which notifies the user of close-by objects. There also appears to be a primary workspace marking function similar to what we see on Quest 2 and Quest Pro in addition to a quick clip of the user playing with a ball in mixed reality, which notably accounts for the user’s furniture as play surfaces.
Meta hasn’t detailed its Smart Guardian system, a naming scheme first mentioned in a leaked roadmap which was allegedly presented by Mark Rabkin, Meta’s VP of VR. The company has however said Quest 3 will “seamlessly blend your physical world with the virtual one,” and that its system will be capable of “intelligently understanding and responding to objects in your physical space and allowing you to navigate that space in natural, intuitive ways that were nearly impossible before.”
Samulia also has a good track record of mining data from Quest firmware releases well before their official announcements. They’re credited with uncovering NUX video in 2021 showing off the first glimpse at Quest Pro in addition to extracting the Meta logo before it was officially unveiled at the company’s February 2022 pivot announcement.
Step into the captivating realm of immersive retail, where customers are transported to a world beyond the traditional confines of e-commerce.
Virtual try-ons and mesmerizing augmented reality simulations have long held the attention of shoppers, but the path to these enchanting encounters was often reserved for big brands with substantial resources.
Today, a transformative alliance between 3D visualization platform Hexa and e-commerce powerhouse Amazon is breaking down the barriers of immersive retail. This dynamic collaboration is poised to redefine how merchants engage with their customers, unveiling a future where extraordinary shopping experiences are within reach of all.
Hexa: Shaping the Future of 3D Commerce and Immersive Retail
At the heart of this collaboration lies Hexa, a 3D visualization platform that uses artificial intelligence to create digital twins.
Since 2018, Hexa has been leveraging the potential of AI to breathe life into static 2D images and transform them into mesmerizing 3D renderings. They have been enabling brands to display 3D products, launch AR experiences, set up virtual try-ons, and create immersive marketing campaigns.
With Hexa, brands no longer need to rely on expensive investments in software and equipment to provide immersive retail experiences. They can harness the power of AI through Hexa’s cutting-edge technology to captivate their customers.
By seamlessly bridging the gap between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional domains, Hexa empowers brands to create hyper-realistic digital twins of their products. The sheer realism of Hexa’s CGI technology leaves consumers unable to discern the difference.
Hexa’s commitment to merging the realms of 2D and 3D not only expands possibilities for brands but also redefines the very nature of immersive retail experiences. It is through this collaboration that Hexa and its partners reimagine the boundaries of what is possible, driving the industry forward and transforming the way we perceive and engage with products in the digital space.
The Hexa and Amazon Collaboration: Empowering Merchants in The Era of Immersive Retail
Recognizing the untapped potential of immersive retail experiences in online marketplaces, Hexa has partnered with Amazon to empower merchants like never before. Through this collaboration, selling partners gain access to Hexa’s proprietary immersive OS, enabling them to create and display hyper-realistic 3D images, immersive 360-degree views, virtual try-on capabilities, and AR content directly on their Amazon product pages.
“Working with Amazon has opened up a whole new distribution channel for our partners,” said Gavin Goodvach, Hexa’s Vice President of Partnerships, in a press release shared with ARPost. “Brands now have the ability to distribute 3D experiences and deliver high quantity immersive shopping to Amazon’s global network of customers using Hexa’s proprietary content delivery network.”
Even without prior experience with AR or 3D tech, Amazon sellers can render high-quality images and videos for their product pages. They simply need to upload their products’ Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASIN) into the CMS of Hexa.
The system automatically converts the images into high-fidelity 3D models with AR compatibility. They can then use the 3D models for e-commerce and metaverse applications. This remarkable integration of technology bridges the gap between the tangible and the virtual, offering a transformative user experience that drives conversion rates to new heights.
“In addition to 3D reconstruction, further enhancements to Hexa’s 3D tech stack also allow Amazon selling partners to render high-definition marketing materials, including packshots and lifestyle images directly from their 3D digital twins,” said Hexa’s CTO, Jonathan Clark. “They’ll be able to do so by leveraging AWS Thinkbox render infrastructure and advanced capabilities.”
Unveiling the Incredible Potential of Immersive Retail
This collaboration between Hexa and Amazon marks a significant milestone in the evolution of immersive retail. By providing Amazon selling partners with the tools to seamlessly transition from 2D to 3D, the partnership unlocks endless ways brands can engage their customers.
No longer constrained by financial limitations, merchants of all sizes can now provide unforgettable shopping experiences that rival those of industry giants.
Looking ahead, the future of immersive retail holds incredible potential. As technology continues to advance, we can anticipate even more seamless integrations, heightened realism, and enhanced customer interactions.
Hexa and Amazon have set a precedent for innovation and accessibility in the industry, inspiring other platforms and retailers to follow suit and embrace the transformative power of immersive shopping experiences.
Cloudhead Games is one of the most successful and senior VR studios in the industry. In this Guest Article, studio head Denny Unger shares his thoughts on Apple’s entrance into the space.
Guest Article by Denny Unger
Denny Unger is CEO and CCO at Cloudhead Games. Based in British Columbia and founded in 2012 Cloudhead’s pioneering approach to VR gave rise to broadly adopted movement standards including Snap Turns and Teleportation. Working closely with Valve, Sony, and Meta, Cloudhead is best known for their title Pistol Whip and has shipped four popular VR titles (Pistol Whip, Valve’s Aperture Hand Labs, Call of the Starseed, and Heart of the Emberstone).
So let’s get the obvious over first; Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s first generation attempt at AR glasses using a Mixed Reality VR headset. AVP is a development platform also serving an enthusiast demographic. Make no mistake, this no compromise MR device appears to get many things right for AR at a premium cost. Will Cloudhead Games be buying one to better understand Apple’s approach? Heck yes. AVP will give developers a powerful foundation and ecosystem for which to develop AR apps for a future ‘glasses formfactor’ device in that mythical 5–10 year window. And to the victor, the spoils of a smartphone replacing device.
No doubt (and if rumors are true) there were many debates at Apple HQ about VR. Whether or not to open the device up to VR studios and successful titles. Whether or not to include controllers to support legacy VR titles. Whether to allow users to full-dive into Virtual Reality, freely move around, and be active in the medium. But in an effort to sharpen their messaging, and to command a dominating lead within the AR space, VR and its many benefits were expertly omitted on nearly every level. Do I understand the strategy to strike a different cord as an XR business owner? Absolutely. Does it frustrate me as a VR-centric studio owner? You bet it does.
Image courtesy Apple
I question why the AVP didn’t maximize its potential, leveraging almost a decade of know-how from the VR community working within this space. Why not set a vision for a future device that would accommodate both AR and VR as complimentary mediums? Apple could have embraced a dual launch strategy with a rich and proven catalog of best selling VR games, perfectly tuned to onboard a completely new audience to XR. Apple could have expanded into VR’s recent success, growth and competition within the current market. In their recent presentation VR is essentially reduced to a gimmick, the thing you lightly touch the edges of, instead of a complimentary and equally important medium. Unity engine support is promised but with no plans for motion control support, Apple has cut out any possibility of porting most of the existing or future VR catalog to its platform.
Hand-tracking is a logical affordance for AR based spatial computing and no doubt some experiences will work well with that design philosophy. However it is important to point out that most VR games built over the last 10 years (and many more in production) are not compatible with, nor will they ever be “portable” to hand-tracking only design. Inputs and Haptics are incredibly important to Virtual Reality as a major tenant in reinforcing immersion and tactile interaction with virtual objects. Buttons pushed, triggers pulled, vibrational feedback experienced, objects held, thrown or touched, alternative movement schemes supported. There is a comfort in understanding the topological landscape of a controller and a physical touchpoint within the virtual environments themselves. When introducing users to a radically different medium like VR, convention & feedback matters. And over the last 50 years in gaming, input has evolved to encourage a suite of highly refined game design standards, creating a particular kind of muscle memory in the gaming population. Say what you will about which genres remain popular in this 450 Billion dollar industry but it does strain belief to think we’ll all be playing with finger guns in the latest and greatest shooter.
I know what some are likely to say “ there will be new innovative standards and we’ll look back on controllers as a crutch”, but I would push back and say hand-tracked or not, moving away from future haptic devices and innovation is a backwards step in XR design. Even smartphone games utilize basic haptics, because touch is foundational to the human experience.
In the aftermath of the AVP launch some would argue that VR is not yet mainstream and that Apple did the right thing by ignoring it. I would argue that VR turned a significant mainstream corner when Quest 2 outsold Xbox, when Sony reentered the market with PSVR2, and when Google teamed up with Samsung to work on what’s next, and on it goes. Over its 10 year rebirth, the last 3 years of VR have experienced Hockey Stick levels of growth. OEM’s have increased investments, and significant indicators keep coming with more titles earning revenues north of $20 Million. Fully immersive VR is a legitimized medium not because I say it is but because people like it, and are willing to part with their hard earned money to experience it.
Image courtesy Apple
I hope Apple is more inclusive of VR over time but the Apple Vision Pro appears to be a VR headset pretending not to be a VR headset. Because of this strategy it represents a unique opportunity for Apple’s competitors to double-down on supporting Virtual Reality at a more affordable entry point. Sure, they can all wage the 5-10 year war for a smartphone replacement but why in the world would one ignore an equally compelling revenue stream within a blended MR ecosystem? Maybe, because it took too long to go mainstream? Sorry all, we had to learn a few things along the way but I’m happy to say that after 10 years, the trail ahead has never been this clear.
Ubisoft has finally officially Announced Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, the first VR game in the franchise, planned for release on Quest 2 and Quest Pro (and likely Quest 3) this holiday.
Today during Ubisoft’s online showcase, the company fully announced Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, though unfortunately the only glimpse of the game we’re getting on video for now is a “CGI announce trailer”:
The trailer does give a sense of the gameplay Ubisoft is trying to deliver, promising to give players a taste of stealth, parkour, and of course combat. The studio says players will inhabit three different well-known assassins from the franchise—Ezio, Kassandra, and Connor—which will have players jumping between various locales and time periods.
Although the trailer is purely CGI, Ubisoft revealed the first screenshots of the game which, assuming they’re representative of the visuals on Quest 2, are pretty impressive.
We don’t yet know much else about Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR, except that it will have a release date sometime “this holiday,” on Quest 2 and Quest Pro. We expect that the game will launch with, or not long after Quest 3, which it will also be available on. And it’s expected that Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR will be exclusive to Meta’s headsets.
We’ll be eager to learn more about how Ubisoft will deliver the experience shown in its announcement trailer—which includes significant bouts of movement, including swinging from poles—in a way that’s comfortable, fun, and unique to VR. If you’re interested, the game can now be wishlisted on the Quest store.
