Resident Evil Village Wins Best VR Game

Meta teases advanced headset, Asgard's Wrath 2, Horizon Worlds and more

December 08, 2023

Good morning, folks!

We have a lot of new subscribers joining today. An official welcome to the coolest VR newsletter on the planet, where I give you the latest updates in the industry and occasionally rant at Meta regarding bugs in my Quest 3. Speaking of which, they finally fixed the YouTube VR app not playing 4K videos on Quest 3 yesterday. Kudos guys!

There’s so much news to talk about, so let’s dive right in…

Headlines for people in a hurry:

  • 🧛 Resident Evil Village Wins VR/AR Category At The Game Awards

  • 😲 Meta Teases An Advanced Headset To Rival Vision Pro

  • 🎮 Asgard’s Wrath 2 Previews: “Half-Life Alyx of Quest.”

  • 🧸 You Can Now Play With Legos In Mixed Reality

Read time: 3 minutes

TOP STORIES

GAME AWARDS

Resident Evil Wins Best AR/VR Game At The Game Awards

Resident Evil Village has clinched the Best VR/AR Game title at The Game Awards, beating out big contenders like Horizon Call of the Mountain, Synapse, Humanity, and Gran Turismo 7.

The real winner, in my opinion? Its….Sony! That’s right, all of the nominees are PSVR exclusives except Humanity, which is also available for PC VR headsets in addition to PlayStation VR 2.

The Game Awards was held on December 7, 2023, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Games are nominated by over a hundred international game publications, journalists, and influencers. However, a panel of judges (90%) and public fan voting (10%) determine the winners.

Originally designed for PC gaming, Resident Evil Villages’s VR Mode for PSVR 2 has been a game-changer, offering a deeply immersive horror experience. The game's VR adaptation has been praised for its seamless integration of the original game's elements into a new, more visceral format, setting a high bar for future VR adaptations of popular titles.

But I’m willing to bet that next year, Meta will bag most of the nominations thanks to Assassins Creed Nexus, Asgard’s Wrath 2 and more mixed reality game titles.

META

Meta Teases An Advanced Headset Prototype

When Apple teased their upcoming Vision Pro headset back in June, one of the standout features was the reverse passthrough feature called ‘EyeSight’ that shows your eyes on the front display. It seems like Meta, who has been in the VR game for a long time finally said, “Hold my beer!”

Meta has unveiled a render of 'Mirror Lake,' an advanced VR headset prototype that stands as a significant leap in VR technology. The render, showing what the headset would look like being worn, was teased by Meta's Director of Display Systems Research, Douglas Lanman, during a talk titled "How to Pass the Visual Turing Test in AR/VR" given at The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences.

This prototype, which was first teased last year, incorporates cutting-edge features like Holocake, multi-view eye tracking, and reverse passthrough. In the talk, Lanman said that this tech is “achievable and practical to build now." We might see the second-generation Quest Pro rocking this tech and going head-to-head with the Vision Pro.

GAMING

Asgard’s Wrath 2 Previews Are Blowing Gamers Away!

"Asgard's Wrath 2" will be released next week on December 15 and it’s shaping up to be a monumental title in VR gaming. Influencers and journalists have been given the game a week in advance, and it’s still not enough time to cover the surface of the game.

Developed by Meta and Sanzaru Games, this game offers an extensive 60+ hour campaign set in a richly detailed world of Norse and Egyptian mythology. The preview highlights not only the game's expansive narrative and stunning visuals but also its innovative use of VR technology to create cinematic moments and large-scale action sequences.

Some VR Youtubers like Matteo311 have called it “The Half-Life Alyx” of Quest and couldn’t believe you were playing it on a Quest. If you didn’t know, Half-Life Alyx set the standard for PCVR games, so this is the highest form of praise a standalone VR game could get. But not all is perfect, as it has some flaws with easing motion sickness, and the fact that it’s still optimised for the Quest 2 and Q3 upgrades will only come later.

The game will set you back a whopping $60 but thankfully it comes free with the Quest 3 for now as Meta acquired Sanzaru in 2020.

NEWS FLASH

META

Lego Bricktales & Demeter To Spearhead Mixed Reality Games

  • 🧱 LEGO Bricktales Review on Quest: LEGO Bricktales, originally a flatscreen game, impresses in its VR adaptation for Quest, offering engaging brick-building puzzles and a kid-friendly story.

  • 🎵 Beat Saber's 120Hz Mode & OST 6 on Quest 3: Beat Saber updates with 120Hz support on Quest 3 and Original Soundtrack 6, featuring four new songs from artists like Lindsey Stirling and Dragonforce.

  • 🎮 Vertigo 2's Digital Release on PSVR 2: Vertigo 2, a single-player VR adventure, will have a delayed release due to a “bug.” It offers a journey through alien environments and intense boss fights.

  • 🌐 Meta Horizon Worlds Introduces Members-Only Worlds: Meta Horizon Worlds now supports members-only worlds, allowing for exclusive access to clubs, groups, and communities within the platform.

  • 🎮 Demeter: The Asklepios Chronicles on Quest: "Demeter, The Asklepios Chronicles," a new mixed reality platformer, is set to launch on Quest, turning your furniture and walls into interactive puzzles.

  • 🕶️ Shiftall's MeganeX PC VR Headset: Shiftall's MeganeX, a slim and light PC VR headset, is gearing up for a 2024 release in the US, featuring high-resolution micro-OLED displays and both SteamVR and inside-out tracking.

  • 💃 Les Mills XR Dance on Meta Quest 3: "Les Mills XR Dance," a new VR fitness app with over 45 songs and 25 dance routines, is launching on Meta Quest 3, offering a dynamic workout experience.

  • 🎄 8th Wall's Holiday-Themed WebAR Experiences: 8th Wall unveils unique holiday-themed WebAR experiences and announces a Holiday Developer Challenge with a $1,000 cash prize, showcasing the latest in AR technology.

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UNREAL MONEY

FUNDING REPORT

Japanese Studio MyDearest Raises $7.8 Mil

Tokyo-based VR studio MyDearest, creators of the Chronos Universe, has raised $7.8 million in a funding round led by SBI Investment Co., with participation from several key investors.

This investment will support the expansion of their VR titles on Quest 2 and PSVR 2. MyDearest is set to broaden its global presence and develop new projects, including "Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate" and the multiplayer game "Brazen Blaze."

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MEME OF THE DAY

“tHiNk DiFfErEnT”

Have a great weekend, folks.

Honestly, I wasn’t really excited for Asgard’s Wrath 2 but once I saw the gameplay and the experience of reviewers, I think it’s going to be a banger. Can’t wait for it to be released so that I can withdraw into my mancave for two weeks to finish it and come out looking like Neanderthal.

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