Recent Editions

A Pokemon Go stage presentation from Niantic in 2018. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

Layoffs at Unity and Niantic; Croquet.io’s Web-First Metaverse Vision

By Mathew Olson · Jun 30, 2022 11:00am PDT
Forget the euphemistic term “belt-tightening.” News yesterday of layoffs at Unity and Niantic, affecting around 4% and 8% of their respective workforces, has demonstrated starkly how the present economic downturn is making things tougher for companies building toward the metaverse and resulting in real pain for employees. The recent turmoil and... Forget the euphemistic term “belt-tightening.” News yesterday of layoffs at Unity and Niantic,...
Mojo Vision CEO Drew Perkins wearing an AR contact lens prototype. Credit: Mojo Vision.
Reality Check

A New Milestone for AR Contacts; Snapchat’s Subscription Service

By Mathew Olson · Jun 29, 2022 11:00am PDT
My time with Mojo Vision CEO Drew Perkins was limited, so I didn’t have time to ask him if he had seen this year’s The Batman, where the title character makes regular use of AR contact lenses to augment his nighttime detective work. As the first person to wear a functional prototype of Mojo’s in-development AR contacts—a major milestone for Mojo... My time with Mojo Vision CEO Drew Perkins was limited, so I didn’t have time to ask him if he had...
Screenshots from NBA All-World. Credit: Niantic, HypGames, NBA, and NBPA.
Reality Check

Niantic’s Shot at Mixing AR and Basketball; HTC’s Metaverse Phone

By Mathew Olson · Jun 28, 2022 11:00am PDT
If you squint, sports fandom doesn’t look all that different from video game fandom. In each, people have their favorite players (or larger-than-life characters), there are stats to pore over endlessly. Anyone with an impulse for collecting things can likely be drawn in by either pastime. It’s easy to see, then, how Niantic ended up landing an... If you squint, sports fandom doesn’t look all that different from video game fandom. In each,...
Apple CEO Tim Cook posing next to a line of new M2 MacBook products. Photo: Bloomberg.
The Importance of Apple’s M2 Chip; Meta’s New AI Audio Tricks for AR
By Mathew Olson · Jun 27, 2022 11:00am PDT
Apple CEO Tim Cook posing next to a line of new M2 MacBook products. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

The Importance of Apple’s M2 Chip; Meta’s New AI Audio Tricks for AR

By Mathew Olson · Jun 27, 2022 11:00am PDT
What’s in a name? In the case of Apple-designed silicon, not much: from the A-series of chips designed for iPhones through to the M1 and new M2 chips, Apple’s only revision to each new name is updating the number.So, when Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says he expects that Apple’s mixed reality headset will use the M2 chip—which lines up with what The... What’s in a name? In the case of Apple-designed silicon, not much: from the A-series of chips...
A promotional image for the Quest 2 VR headset. Photo: Meta Platforms.
Reality Check

A Peek at Meta VR Testing; Tim Cook Says “Stay Tuned” for AR News

By Mathew Olson · Jun 23, 2022 11:00am PDT
Meta Platforms is working hard—and shelling out money—to make sure it leaves no stone unturned when it comes to making sure its VR products work for a wide range of people. In recent days, for instance, Meta has been looking for very specific demographic groups—young people of South Asian descent or African American females who wear lipstick—for... Meta Platforms is working hard—and shelling out money—to make sure it leaves no stone unturned...
Meta's avatars featuring clothing from new fashion partners. Credit: Meta Platforms.
Reality Check

Avatar Fashion Comes to Non-VR Meta Apps; June News Roundup

By Mathew Olson · Jun 22, 2022 11:00am PDT
Starting today, users of Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will be able to start dressing up avatars they use on those apps in outfits from brands like Balenciaga and Prada. But this feature won’t be available to users of Horizon Worlds, the social VR platform which recently expanded its reach to users in the United Kingdom. Even though Meta... Starting today, users of Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will be able to start dressing up...
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg talking about AR glasses at F8 in 2017. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

Meta Shifts AR Glasses Plans; The Place of AR and VR at Tribeca

By Mathew Olson · Jun 9, 2022 11:02am PDT
This week has been a bit like watching a row of dominoes fall in slow motion. First in line was Apple’s developer event, which both sidestepped word of Apple’s long-anticipated but unconfirmed headset and left nearly no room for AR news. Then came Alex Kipman’s exit at Microsoft, casting doubt on the future of HoloLens. Now, thanks to a scoop... This week has been a bit like watching a row of dominoes fall in slow motion. First in line was...
Original HoloLens devices at a Microsoft retail store. Photo: Bloomberg.
The HoloLens Reorganization; Is Crayta Meta’s Horizon Backup Plan?
By Mathew Olson · Jun 8, 2022 11:00am PDT
Original HoloLens devices at a Microsoft retail store. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

The HoloLens Reorganization; Is Crayta Meta’s Horizon Backup Plan?

By Mathew Olson · Jun 8, 2022 11:00am PDT
Tuesday night’s shakeup at Microsoft’s HoloLens team, sparked by the departure of HoloLens co-creator Alex Kipman, likely ranks as the biggest blow to Microsoft’s efforts in AR hardware and related platforms and software since work on HoloLens started in earnest around 2010. In short, it could seriously disrupt any plans for enterprise, military... Tuesday night’s shakeup at Microsoft’s HoloLens team, sparked by the departure of HoloLens...
The RoomPlan scanning process on an iPhone. Photo: Apple.
Reality Check

Apple’s New AR Scanning Feature; TikTok Joins the Avatar Party

By Mathew Olson · Jun 7, 2022 11:01am PDT
Let’s call it like it is: Apple’s event on Monday made it seem all but certain that its mixed reality headset won’t debut until 2023. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now believes that’s the case, reasoning that lockdowns in Shanghai have slowed development such that a reveal before January likely wouldn’t make sense. With just the few... Let’s call it like it is: Apple’s event on Monday made it seem all but certain that its mixed...
CEO Tim Cook at the start of the WWDC keynote. Photo: Apple.
Reality Check

The AR News From WWDC; Apple Courts Favreau for Headset Content

By Mathew Olson · Jun 6, 2022 12:15pm PDT · 1 comment
Today marks the kickoff of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, an event that always results in a trickle of additional news following the flashy and, er, lengthy keynote. If you’ve been keeping up with all the recent Apple hardware coverage from The Information and other publications, then you knew not to expect major announcements... Today marks the kickoff of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, an event that always...
Kent Bye, host of the Voices of VR podcast. Photo illustration: Mike Sullivan.
Reality Check

Talking Ethics With VR’s Top Podcaster; Surreal Expands With New Partnerships

By Mathew Olson · Jun 2, 2022 11:02am PDT
Podcaster Kent Bye bought one of the early Oculus developer kits in 2014 and never looked back. In the eight years since he launched Voices of VR, an interview-focused podcast series, Bye has built up a library of over a thousand episodes, which together comprise one of the best historical resources for the VR and AR industry. Along the way, Bye... Podcaster Kent Bye bought one of the early Oculus developer kits in 2014 and never looked back....
An environment bult by BeardedEye using Eden. Credit: Tripp.
Tripp Raises Another $11 Million; Unity CEO's Metaverse Messaging
By Mathew Olson · Jun 1, 2022 11:15am PDT
An environment bult by BeardedEye using Eden. Credit: Tripp.
Reality Check

Tripp Raises Another $11 Million; Unity CEO's Metaverse Messaging

By Mathew Olson · Jun 1, 2022 11:15am PDT
Meditation and wellness platform Tripp is making a two-pronged announcement today, unveiling an $11.2 million extension to its Series A funding along with an acquisition of BeardedEye’s Eden, a VR-first world building tool. The addition of Eden to Tripp’s offerings—which already span AR, VR, web and mobile—could end up being the most important... Meditation and wellness platform Tripp is making a two-pronged announcement today, unveiling an...
The Galea headset. Credit: OpenBCI/Varjo.
Reality Check

OpenBCI Teams Up With Varjo on Biosensing VR Headset

By Mathew Olson · May 31, 2022 11:00am PDT
This morning, neurotechnology startup OpenBCI announced a new partnership with premium headset maker Varjo. Galea, a long in-development headset finally seeing a limited commercial run, melds the latest in VR tech with a wide range of OpenBCI’s sensors.Galea is based on Varjo’s Aero headset, a newer entrant at the higher end of PC VR’s consumer... This morning, neurotechnology startup OpenBCI announced a new partnership with premium headset...
LivingCities will begin testing its new social experience in downtown Manhattan. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

6D.ai Founder’s New Project Exits Stealth; Sony Lines Up PS VR2 Titles

By Mathew Olson · May 26, 2022 11:15am PDT
Bit by bit, inch by inch, we’re seeing companies start to put together full 3D maps of the world, and the implications for the future of AR and the feel of the metaverse could be profound. That’s the technology LivingCities, a new startup led by ex-Samsung, Lucasfilm and Foursquare talent, hopes to build on top of.LivingCities has emerged from... Bit by bit, inch by inch, we’re seeing companies start to put together full 3D maps of the world,...
A user wearing the R-1 headset. Photo: Lynx.
Reality Check

Lynx’s Series A Raise; New Research Toward Focusable VR Lenses

By Mathew Olson · May 25, 2022 11:02am PDT
Lynx, the French hardware startup aiming to launch its first mixed reality headset, the R-1, this summer, has completed a $4 million Series A raise at an undisclosed valuation. Led by Somnium Space, a blockchain-centric social VR platform and metaverse-focused investor, the new round is very likely Lynx’s last major announcement before... Lynx, the French hardware startup aiming to launch its first mixed reality headset, the R-1, this...
A depiction of the Lightship VPS scanning process. Credit: Niantic.
Niantic’s New Social AR Tool; Meta’s Improved Room Mapping
By Mathew Olson · May 24, 2022 11:00am PDT
A depiction of the Lightship VPS scanning process. Credit: Niantic.
Reality Check

Niantic’s New Social AR Tool; Meta’s Improved Room Mapping

By Mathew Olson · May 24, 2022 11:00am PDT
Niantic today launched its new visual positioning system for the Lightship AR platform, a tool that promises to make it easier for developers to deliver localized and persistent AR content in their apps. Niantic also unveiled today something even more intriguing: Campfire, a social tool coming first to the AR game Ingress. The company plans to... Niantic today launched its new visual positioning system for the Lightship AR platform, a tool...
Qualcomm's San Diego headquarters. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

Qualcomm’s Newest AR Design; Apple’s Gaming Hangup

By Mathew Olson · May 23, 2022 11:00am PDT
Since Qualcomm’s chips are so ubiquitous, each new AR or VR reference design from the chipmaker serves as a good yardstick for where glasses and headsets will move over the next few years. The company’s latest design is no different: Qualcomm’s new wireless AR glasses powered by its XR2 chip look positively slim compared to many existing... Since Qualcomm’s chips are so ubiquitous, each new AR or VR reference design from the chipmaker...
Jeffrey Zirlin of Sky Mavis. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

A16z’s Gaming Metaverse Play; Cognixion’s Assistive Reality Progress

By Mathew Olson · May 19, 2022 11:03am PDT
As investment pulls back and tech stock sell-offs continue, leave it to Andreesen Horowitz to dangle a bit of hope for startups aiming to power through to the next boom. The Menlo Park firm announced Wednesday the creation of its first fund focused on the gaming industry, totalling $600 million. And though there’s a current of optimism for... As investment pulls back and tech stock sell-offs continue, leave it to Andreesen Horowitz to...
A meeting in Horizon Workrooms. Credit: Meta Platforms.
Reality Check

Nick Clegg’s Stab at Hyping Up the Metaverse

By Mathew Olson · May 18, 2022 11:00am PDT
When Nick Clegg was promoted to be President of Global Affairs at Meta Platforms earlier this year, it was clear that one of his big responsibilities was handling heat from governments, freeing up Mark Zuckerberg to talk up the metaverse to anyone who will listen. But it seems you can’t be a higher-up at Meta without cheerleading the metaverse,... When Nick Clegg was promoted to be President of Global Affairs at Meta Platforms earlier this...
The glass cube entryway at Apple's New York City flagship store. Photo: Bloomberg.
The New Details on Apple’s Long Headset Journey
By Mathew Olson · May 17, 2022 11:00am PDT
The glass cube entryway at Apple's New York City flagship store. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

The New Details on Apple’s Long Headset Journey

By Mathew Olson · May 17, 2022 11:00am PDT
We’ve known for years now that Apple is developing both a mixed reality headset and AR glasses, and while The Information and other publications have regularly trickled out details on the former, CEO Tim Cook has not shied from talking up AR as “the next big thing.” Only now are we getting a better idea of exactly how and why Apple kept at this... We’ve known for years now that Apple is developing both a mixed reality headset and AR glasses,...