🤯 Meta's 2027 VR Headset Is CRAZY

Good morning, folks!

It's been a rollercoaster week in the XR world, folks. Meta's playing musical chairs with their product lineup, canceling the Quest Pro 2 (the high-end Apple Vision Pro competitor) while simultaneously dreaming up VR headsets so light they’re indistinguishable from regular glasses. Meanwhile, Apple's Vision Pro is getting some unexpected company in the form of third-party controllers.

 — Joel Johnson, Founder & Chief Editor

Headlines for people in a hurry:

• 🚫 Meta Cancels Quest Pro 2

• 🎮 Third-Party Controllers for Vision Pro Hit Kickstarter

• 👓 Meta's 2027 Ultra-Light VR Headset Looks Like Sunglasses

• 💰 Meta Quest End-of-Summer Sale: 30% Off 200+ VR Games

Read time: 3 minutes

TOP STORIES

META

Meta Cancels The Long-Awaited Vision Pro Competitor: The Quest Pro 2

Looks like Meta's high-end VR ambitions just hit a reality check. The company has reportedly pulled the plug on its Quest Pro 2 headset.

• The Information reports that Meta has canceled its planned 2027 high-end headset, codenamed "La Jolla."

• The culprit? Those pesky micro-OLED displays. Meta wanted to keep the price under $1000, but couldn't make the math work with high-res screens.

• Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth tried to downplay the news, saying they have a ton of projects and prototypes that get scraped from time to time and this is just one of those incidents.

• Don't worry, Quest fans—the next news story regarding what will replace the Quest Pro 2 will give you some comfort.

Why It Matters: The Quest Pro 2 was supposed to be Meta’s answer to Apple’s Vision Pro. Everyone, including myself, expected Meta to come up with a high-end headset that comes close to the specs of Vision Pro but at a significantly lower price. It was Meta’s chance to show who the real top dawg was in the VR game. However, Vision Pro’s lower-than-expected demand is a stark reminder of the challenges in balancing advanced tech with consumer-friendly prices.

META

Meta’s Ultra-Light VR Headset For 2027 Will Look Like Regular Sunglasses

Just when you thought Meta was scaling back its VR ambitions, they pull a featherweight contender out of their hat. Say hello to "Puffin," Meta's alleged attempt at ultra-compact mixed reality glasses.

• Codenamed "Puffin," these MR glasses are reportedly aiming for a 2027 release. That's the same year the now-canceled Quest Pro 2 was meant to drop. Coincidence? We think not.

• We're talking seriously lightweight – under 110 grams. That's about as heavy as a deck of cards, or a small puffin (ah, that’s why they called it that).

• The catch? The brains and battery live in a separate, wired device that you’ll have to keep in your pocket.

• No controllers here – it's all eye and hand tracking, just like Apple's Vision Pro. Great minds think alike... or is it great lawsuits?

Why It Matters: This project signals Meta's recognition that bulky headsets are a barrier to mass VR adoption. By shrinking the form factor to "bulky glasses," they're aiming to make MR tech more accessible and less isolating. It's a bold move that could bridge the gap between current VR headsets and the AR glasses of the future. However, with the project still in early stages, there's no guarantee it'll see the light of day. But if it does, it could represent a significant leap towards making mixed reality a part of our everyday lives. Just don't expect to look cool wearing them... yet.

VISION PRO

Third-Party Controllers For Vision Pro Just Hit Kickstarter

All VR experts agree that controllers are essential for an immersive VR gaming experience. But when Apple became adamant that Vision Pro wouldn’t have controllers, Surreal Touch basically said, “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” Here's the scoop:

• Surreal Touch controllers just launched on Kickstarter, blasting past their $50,000 goal faster than you can say "Apple doesn't make controllers."

• Priced at $249 for early birds (MSRP $369), these bad boys promise to let you play SteamVR games on Vision Pro.

• They're packing some serious tech: inside-out tracking, 6DOF input, and a design that'll feel familiar to VR veterans.

• Surreal Interactive is also working on a Vision Pro-native streaming app for 4K, 120Hz PC VR goodness.

Why It Matters: This could be a game-changer for Vision Pro, literally. By enabling VR gaming, Surreal Touch might broaden the headset's appeal beyond productivity and mixed reality apps. It's a bold move that highlights both the potential and the limitations of Apple's official Vision Pro offerings.

POLLS

NEWS FLASH

META

Upto 30% Off On 200+ Quest Games

• 🛒 Meta Quest kicks off its End-of-Summer Sale, offering up to 30% off on over 200 VR games until September 3rd.

• 🦸 Marvel Powers United VR: Fans work to bring this old Marvel PC VR game back to life

• 🎮 PlayStation VR2 sees a price hike in Japan, impacting accessibility for local gamers.

• 🍏 Meta reportedly asks Apple for AirPlay support on Quest, aiming to enhance cross-device functionality.

• 🕹️ Valve rumored to be working on a standalone VR game and headset.

• 🛑 Zenith MMO ceases development on its Nexus expansion, shifting focus to other areas.

BOOKMARKS

Immersive Articles From The Web

• Upload VR Review: Raspberry Pi 400 With Quest HDMI Link Shows The Promise Of Keyboard PCs For Spatial Computing

• Why the Cancellation of Quest Pro 2 is a Good Thing

• What is the Quest Games Optimizer and is It Safe to Use?

• Valve Keeps Making Quest a Better PC VR Headset with Continued Improvements to Steam Link

COOL APPS

MIXED REALITY

One Of The Best MR Games Now Available On Quest

• 🏎️ Track Craft: Build and race in a mixed reality environment, now available on Meta Quest as a full version.

• 🐍 Vivarium: Immerse yourself in a virtual ecosystem where you can interact with various creatures and environments.

• 🌌 Into Black: Explore a mysterious space station in this atmospheric VR game.

• 🏗️ Wall Town Wonders: Build and explore towering structures in a whimsical, interactive world.

• 🌌 Astro Hunters VR: Gear up for intense extraction shooter action in this upcoming VR game, launching in September on Meta Quest.

UNREAL MONEY

FUNDING REPORT

ArborXR Raises $12M for Enterprise XR Device Management

ArborXR, a company specializing in XR device management for enterprises, has secured $12 million in a new funding round. This investment brings ArborXR's total capital raised to over $25 million since its launch in 2020.

The funding round was led by Mercury Fund and Cortado Ventures, with participation from Impact Venture Capital and Lewis & Clark Ventures. This follows the company's first funding round in 2021, which was led by Early Stage Venture.

ArborXR's platform offers mobile device management (MDM) solutions for companies deploying fleets of XR devices, with a focus on streamlining content delivery and device management. The company counts several Fortune 500 firms among its clients, including Bank of America, Pfizer, Delta, Walmart, and UPS, who use XR devices for employee training.

The new capital will be used to further scale ArborXR's MDM platform and enhance its capabilities. As enterprises increasingly adopt XR technologies for training and operations, ArborXR's growth reflects the rising demand for efficient management solutions in the enterprise XR space. This investment underscores the continued interest in backend infrastructure supporting the expanding XR ecosystem.

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