🥽 Vision Pro + Marvel Collaboration

Good morning, folks!

I’m so happy to announce that we’ve just crossed 1,500 subscribers. To all the new members joining our rapidly growing mixed reality community, thank you for letting us into your inboxes and headspaces each week. We've got an absolutely packed issue lined up to celebrate.

 — Joel Johnson, Founder & Chief Editor

Headlines for people in a hurry:

• 🥽 New Report: Cheaper & Lighter Vision SE Coming In June 25

• 🦸‍♂️ Marvel Plans “What If” Mixed Reality Experience For Vision Pro

• 🕹️ 2024 Is Going To Be The Best Year Ever For VR Gaming

• 🐱 “Pokemon Go” Studio Launches Cute Pet Experience For Quest 3

Read time: 3 minutes

TOP STORIES

APPLE

Apple’s Budget Vision Headset To Be Lighter Than Quest 3. Might Launch in June 2025

You know that whole "the Vision Pro costs more than a decent used car" situation? Well, as our avid readers know, Apple is aware of the situation and has been working on a cheaper variant. According to a new report, it could be coming as soon as June 2025!

• The details are coming from a Chinese outlet that claims to have the lowdown straight from Apple's supply chain. Apparently, this budget-friendly model will shave off around 200 grams compared to the Pro version. At 400 grams, this will be substantially lighter than the Quest 3, which weighs 515 grams.

• But here's the real kicker - they're saying Apple is gearing up to produce this thing at a "tens of millions" scale. That number does seem a bit far off owing to the manufacturing challenges of Apple’s device.

• How do they plan to drive down costs? Most likely by using an A-series chip like in iPhones instead of the beefy M-series. Or hey, maybe they'll remove the ridiculous front display, have a built-in battery, reduce the resolution a bit…wait a minute, that’s just a Quest 3!

Why It Matters: As impressive as the Vision Pro is, its astronomical pricing automatically limits it to a luxury toy for the wealthy or companies with deep pockets. If Apple can somehow engineer a sub-$2,000 version without stripping away all the good stuff, it could open the VR/AR floodgates for regular consumers. No more saving up birthday money for three years just to hang out in the metaverse! That's a future even modern Scrooges can get behind.

MARVEL

Marvel Announces “What If” Mixed Reality Experience For Vision Pro

Brace yourselves Marvel fans, because the mind-bending animated series "What If...?" is getting the full mixed reality treatment courtesy of ILM Immersive and Apple's Vision Pro headset.

• Simply titled "What If...? - An Immersive Story", this ambitious new project promises to let you step into the leading role of an original narrative that hopscotches across multiple Marvel realities.

• The developers are teasing full-blown augmented and virtual reality environments where you'll come face-to-face (or mask-to-mask?) with iconic MCU characters' multiversal variants. Sounds like the perfect excuse for an Infinity War rematch!

• But the real showstopper could be the chance to learn some legitimately mystic arts and maybe even wield the power of the Infinity Stones themselves. Next stop, becoming the latest Sorcerer Supreme?

• While they're keeping story details tightly under wraps for now, the eerie "time, space and reality are not linear" hint definitely has our Spider-senses tingling in anticipation.

Why It Matters: Let's be real, the Vision Pro's game library is still pretty sparse for a $3,500 device. But an AAA Marvel experience developed by the geniuses behind amazing VR titles like Vader Immortal? That's a potential system-seller. By tapping into the MCU's mind-bending multiverse premise, ILM Immersive could create something that really showcases mixed reality's ability to transport us into fantastical new worlds. It may be Apple's first big chance to flex Vision Pro's magical powers over us and convince us to take a second mortgage on the house.

GAMING

2024 Might Be The Best Year For VR Games Yet

Thought 2023 was the golden age for must-play VR titles? Well, hold on to your headsets folks, because 2024 is shaping up to be even more insane for virtual reality gaming!

• We're talking heavy-hitter franchises finally going all-in on VR in a major way. Alien? Check: Survios is cooking up an original adventure called Rogue Incursion, promising an utterly terrifying new adventure in the iconic Alien universe

• But that's not all! The Batman is also swooping into VR with Arkham Shadow, promising to be the first big Batman game in years designed exclusively for headsets. Now you can live out your shadowy vigilante fantasies properly.

• Fans of gritty, post-apocalyptic action won't be left out either. Vertigo Games is bringing the intense Metro series into VR with Metro: Awakening, based on Glukhovsky's iconic universe.

• And let's not forget that Skydance, the geniuses behind Saints & Sinners, are working on an enigmatic new project called Behemoth that has VR fans buzzing with anticipation.

• And that’s not all, Meta is gearing up for more exclusive titles which will be announced along with the release of their Quest 2 successor.

Why It Matters: After years of VR gaming being treated as an afterthought or tech demo, we're finally seeing AAA franchises embrace it as the main event. If this cavalcade of high-profile releases hits it out of the park this year, it could be the tipping point that gets VR firmly established as a mainstream gaming platform. No more "is there anything good?" skepticism - 2024 may be serving up so many blockbuster VR bangers that the real struggle is finding time to play them all!

POLLS

NEWS FLASH

VISION PRO

New Rumour Suggests Vision Pro Japan Launch In May

• 🍏 The Apple Vision Pro is set to launch in Japan as early as May, with pre-orders rumored to start soon.

• 🎭 Meta Quest introduces a star-studded VR comedy series launching in May, offering a new entertainment dimension.

• 🎮 Razer enhances the Quest 3 with a new head strap and facial interface, designed to improve comfort and gameplay.

• 🌍 Sandbox VR expands its footprint to 25 locations, blending VR with physical play spaces.

• 👐 Ultraleap releases Hyperion, advancing the precision of hand-tracking in virtual reality.

• 🚢 XR Training secures a contract to develop a VR trainer for U.S. Marines' amphibious combat vehicles.

BOOKMARKS

Immersive Articles From The Web

• UploadVR: NewImages Festival Showed Me What VR Experiences Can Offer Beyond Games

• Major Auto Makers Are Fully Embracing XR in the Vehicle Design Process

• UbiSim offers new VR simulations for better nursing education

• Apple’s Official Vision Pro Case May Be Pricey, But It Saved a Headset From a 4,000 Pound SUV

COOL APPS

LIFESTYLE

“Pokemon Go” Studio Now Lets You Have Cute Mixed Reality Pets

• 🐾 Peridot: Niantic releases Peridot on Quest, a charming virtual pet game where you care for and nurture magical creatures.

• 🐉 Dragon Fist VR: Dive into martial arts with Dragon Fist VR, now featuring a mixed reality mode that enhances your kung fu experience.

• 🕵️ Thief Simulator VR: Stealth and strategy collide in Thief Simulator VR, launching today on PSVR 2 for immersive criminal capers.

• ⚔️ Last Ancient Hope: Embark on a mythical adventure with Last Ancient Hope on Quest 3, featuring expansive quests and rich storytelling.

• 🎭 Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2: Brace for scares in Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2, hitting Quest platforms with thrilling new gameplay mechanics.

UNREAL MONEY

FUNDING REPORT

XR Optics Technology Company OPTIX Raises $15M in Funding to Date

Beijing-based XR optics startup OPTIX has announced closing an oversubscribed pre-Series A funding round led by Primavera Venture Partners, with existing investor Lanchi Ventures also participating. This brings OPTIX's total funding raised to $15 million to date. The company develops advanced optical solutions for augmented and virtual reality hardware, including waveguide technology for AR and pancake optics with 8K resolution and 115-degree field of view for VR headsets.

The new capital will allow OPTIX to integrate additional technologies like gaze tracking and foveated rendering into its pancake optics module. The startup also plans to launch an AR waveguide module in Q3 2024. With heavyweights like Apple and Meta fueling growth in the XR market, OPTIX's optical innovations could help overcome key bottlenecks around display quality and field of view for next-generation headsets. The funding comes on the heels of rapid expansion for OPTIX, which has established its own lab and manufacturing capabilities since launching in 2022.

WRAP UP

MEME OF THE DAY

“But Does Your Book Have An External Battery?”

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