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A group of four Rec Room avatars gathered together. Credit: Rec Room
Reality Check

Rec Room’s Value Balloons; A New Wave of Crowdfunded VR Headsets

By Mathew Olson · Dec 20, 2021 11:00am PST
Rec Room raised another $145 million in a round led by Coatue Management today, shooting its valuation up to $3.5 billion. It crystallizes Rec Room’s status as a real metaverse contender. Competitors like Roblox and Meta’s Horizon Worlds should be taking notes.Since its launch as a VR-only game in 2016, Rec Room has gradually become a... Rec Room raised another $145 million in a round led by Coatue Management today, shooting its...
Conor Russomanno, left, checking Galea devices attached to Valve Index VR headsets. Photo: OpenBCI
Reality Check

OpenBCI Gets VC Funding; Teasing Out Snap AR Trends

By Mathew Olson · Dec 15, 2021 11:00am PST
Brooklyn-based startup OpenBCI, which is working on a VR headset accessory designed in partnership with Valve and the eye-tracking company Tobii, is raising its first round of venture capital. Coming eight years after its founding, the funding round of undisclosed size signals that OpenBCI wants to get ahead of increased momentum in the sector.“... Brooklyn-based startup OpenBCI, which is working on a VR headset accessory designed in...
Artwork for Among Us VR, which was announced late last week. Credit: Innersloth/Schell Games
Reality Check

Meta’s Busy December; Spatial’s Art Gallery Pivot; A New AR Googler

By Mathew Olson · Dec 14, 2021 11:00am PST
Last week’s Horizon Worlds public debut was just the start of Meta Platforms’ busy December, it seems. Meta is engaged in a flurry of AR/VR activity, including the rollout of a new beta AR app, expanding the reach of the avatars it offers and its latest Quest advertising push. Mercifully, this slew of news is more grounded in the present than... Last week’s Horizon Worlds public debut was just the start of Meta Platforms’ busy December, it...
Arena Clash, a demonstrative game built for Horizon Worlds. Credit: Meta
Meta Is Finally Opening Up Its Horizon Worlds Beta
By Mathew Olson · Dec 9, 2021 10:00am PST
Arena Clash, a demonstrative game built for Horizon Worlds. Credit: Meta
Reality Check

Meta Is Finally Opening Up Its Horizon Worlds Beta

By Mathew Olson · Dec 9, 2021 10:00am PST
Today, Meta Platforms is letting a cohort of users flood into the beta version of its social VR app Horizon Worlds—something first announced as “Horizon,” back in the fall of 2019 when Meta was still Facebook. Opening up access to Horizon Worlds is a step in the right direction for the company, but based on what I saw in a preliminary look, I... Today, Meta Platforms is letting a cohort of users flood into the beta version of its social VR...
The newly revampe main island environment in Fortnite. Credit: Epic Games
Reality Check

A Curious Apple AR/VR Job Listing; Fortnite’s Engine Switch

By Mathew Olson · Dec 8, 2021 11:00am PST
A new job listing for a role in Apple’s AR/VR division suggests that Apple wants to rethink or potentially streamline the way that apps are made for its future headworn devices. It could also suggest that Apple is exploring a move beyond the App Store model that has brought it both success and waves of criticism on mobile.The listing in... A new job listing for a role in Apple’s AR/VR division suggests that Apple wants to rethink or...
An AR menu demo made for Snap's Spectacles by developer Brielle Garcia. Photo: Snap
Reality Check

Co-Founder Bobby Murphy on Snap’s AR Wins and Road Ahead

By Mathew Olson · Dec 7, 2021 11:00am PST
Snap’s co-founder Bobby Murphy is stepping out of the shadows. The company’s Chief Technology Officer long has taken a back seat to his colleague, CEO Evan Spiegel, when it comes to dealing with the public. But as Snap becomes more of a force in AR, Murphy has plenty to discuss.In an interview with The Information to mark today’s beginning of... Snap’s co-founder Bobby Murphy is stepping out of the shadows. The company’s Chief Technology...
A close-up of a controller for the next PlayStation VR headset. Credit: Sony
Reality Check

Sony’s Subscription Opportunity; An Indie VR Sensation

By Mathew Olson · Dec 6, 2021 11:00am PST
Sony appears to finally see Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service often likened to a “Netflix for games,” as a threat to the PlayStation business. It’s reportedly planning a revamp to its own set of subscription plans that will see it compete more directly with Xbox’s. If Sony wants to be really smart about this, though, it should... Sony appears to finally see Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service often likened to a “...
Konstantinos “KP” Papamiltiadis, VP of Platform Partnerships at Snap. Photo: Snap. Illustration: Mike Sullivan
An Interview With Snap’s New VP of Platform Partnerships
By Mathew Olson · Dec 2, 2021 11:00am PST
Konstantinos “KP” Papamiltiadis, VP of Platform Partnerships at Snap. Photo: Snap. Illustration: Mike Sullivan
Reality Check

An Interview With Snap’s New VP of Platform Partnerships

By Mathew Olson · Dec 2, 2021 11:00am PST
Given Snap’s determination to release its own AR glasses, it deserves to be part of all the metaverse talk coming from investors, analysts and press alike. Many of the products Snap is building to support its future in AR align with reasonable definitions of what the metaverse will be. That makes it all the more intriguing that Snap executives... Given Snap’s determination to release its own AR glasses, it deserves to be part of all the...
Art from "Curse of the Lost Pearl," a VR experience inspired by old movie serials. Credit: Dreamscape Immersive
Reality Check

Dreamscape’s CEO on VR for Education and Entertainment

By Mathew Olson · Dec 1, 2021 11:00am PST
In VR, there are only a handful of companies on the software side with the resources or nerve to try and tackle multiple kinds of content. Dreamscape Immersive is one of them, and a new partnership announced today could see its education arm become a more interesting side of the business than its location-based VR experiences.Dreamscape may be... In VR, there are only a handful of companies on the software side with the resources or nerve to...
Naver's headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea. Photo: AP
Reality Check

Zepeto’s Hefty SoftBank Raise; A Google Earth Reunion at Niantic

By Mathew Olson · Nov 30, 2021 11:00am PST · 1 comment
News that SoftBank is pouring $150 million into a yet-to-close Series B for South Korean social media platform Zepeto is a big vote of confidence for the burgeoning metaverse player. So far, Zepeto has focused on the quality of its avatars. It hasn’t spent much time building more immersive and deeply interactive experiences—but it’s not clear... News that SoftBank is pouring $150 million into a yet-to-close Series B for South Korean social...
Tim Cook presenting at an Apple product event. Photo: Bloomberg
Reality Check

Apple Analyst Predicts AR Replacing iPhone; Roblox’s “Hacking” Case

By Mathew Olson · Nov 29, 2021 11:00am PST · 1 comment
What use are 10-year projections in AR/VR? None at all, I’d argue, which is why a prediction from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo about how Apple plans to move away from the iPhone in favor of AR wearables over the next decade should be taken with a healthy amount of salt. What use are 10-year projections in AR/VR? None at all, I’d argue, which is why a prediction from...
The protagonists of Resident Evil 4. Image: Capcom
A Quest Record, HaptX Funding and AR for Grocery Lists
By Mathew Olson · Nov 24, 2021 11:00am PST
The protagonists of Resident Evil 4. Image: Capcom
Reality Check

A Quest Record, HaptX Funding and AR for Grocery Lists

By Mathew Olson · Nov 24, 2021 11:00am PST
VR game publishers, take note: Meta Platforms said Tuesday that Resident Evil 4 VR for Quest 2 became the fastest selling title (in first week sales) in the history of the Quest since its release last month. Evidently, with the right franchise and at least a little elbow grease, Quest owners are quite happy revisiting old games with a new VR... VR game publishers, take note: Meta Platforms said Tuesday that Resident Evil 4 VR for Quest 2...
A mock-up of the Fold app's new AR features. Credit: Fold
Reality Check

Niantic’s Gigantic Raise and Bitcoin Play; A Unity Exec’s Metaverse Doubts

By Mathew Olson · Nov 23, 2021 11:00am PST
Coatue Management’s injection of $300 million into Niantic has bolstered the game maker’s chances of becoming an AR force to be reckoned with. On top of that, the company is lending a bit of its AR credibility to Fold, a bitcoin rewards app, via a development partnership that’s rolling out a new AR experience today. Does this recent flurry... Coatue Management’s injection of $300 million into Niantic has bolstered the game maker’s chances...
The new signage at Meta's Menlo Park headquarters. Photo: AP
Reality Check

Meta Pushes Quest Hard Amid Rebranding; Unity’s New Zealand Plans

By Mathew Olson · Nov 22, 2021 11:00am PST
Is Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, a bit too eager to shift its VR headsets away from the Oculus branding and over to Meta? We may find out over the next few weeks as shoppers complete their holiday gift-buying, because it seems like a lot of people will encounter the name “Meta Quest 2” when looking for the company’s VR headset.Meta... Is Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, a bit too eager to shift its VR headsets away from...
The Nreal Light glasses. Photo: Nreal. Illustration: Mike Sullivan
Reality Check

Nreal Announces U.S. Glasses Launch; Ultraleap’s Tencent Win

By Mathew Olson · Nov 18, 2021 11:00am PST · 1 comment
China’s Nreal has finally set a date and pricing for the U.S. launch of its flagship AR glasses, the Nreal Light. The glasses, which must be connected to a compatible phone via a cable, will be released on November 30, retailing for $599.The glasses will first be sold only at 20 Verizon stores, followed by online sales beginning December 2. For... China’s Nreal has finally set a date and pricing for the U.S. launch of its flagship AR glasses,...
The latest in-production version of HaptX's VR gloves. Photo: HaptX
HaptX Throws Down Gauntlet on Meta’s Gloves; Roblox’s Voice Woes
By Mathew Olson · Nov 17, 2021 11:00am PST
The latest in-production version of HaptX's VR gloves. Photo: HaptX
Reality Check

HaptX Throws Down Gauntlet on Meta’s Gloves; Roblox’s Voice Woes

By Mathew Olson · Nov 17, 2021 11:00am PST
Meta Platforms, the company formerly known as Facebook, could be headed for an ugly fight with HaptX, a Seattle-based maker of haptic gloves for use in AR and VR. On Tuesday HaptX claimed Meta’s key haptic feedback tech for AR and VR was “substantively identical” to its own.This wouldn’t be the first time Meta has been accused of copying... Meta Platforms, the company formerly known as Facebook, could be headed for an ugly fight with...
A look at the latest haptic glove prototype from Reality Labs. Credit: Meta
Reality Check

Meta’s VR/AR Glove Project May Be Its Biggest Moonshot of All

By Mathew Olson · Nov 16, 2021 11:00am PST
Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, gets a lot of flak for working on ideas that others have pioneered first, not least of all the metaverse. Is its AR/VR Reality Labs division actually working on anything ambitious and fairly unique? In the case of its haptic glove research, which Meta detailed in a new post Tuesday, the answer might... Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, gets a lot of flak for working on ideas that others...
A promotional image for Snap's multi-user AR Lenses. Credit: Snap
Reality Check

Snap’s Latest AR Moves; Meta’s VR Safety Fallout

By Mathew Olson · Nov 15, 2021 11:00am PST
Add Google to the short list of big name companies that serve as an executive recruiting ground for Snap. Anne Laurenson is leaving Google’s Android team to become Snap’s first Managing Director of Global Carrier Partnerships, Snap said today. Laurenson follows recent high-profile arrivals at Snap from Facebook and Adobe.Laurenson spent a decade... Add Google to the short list of big name companies that serve as an executive recruiting ground...
Avatars standing in a Second Life world. Credit: Linden Labs
Reality Check

Disney, Facebook and the Risk of a Boring Metaverse

By Mathew Olson · Nov 11, 2021 11:00am PST · 3 comments
Disney CEO Bob Chapek wants a piece of the metaverse, he revealed Thursday evening. Disney’s creative talent is actually “biting at the bit,” as he said, to start making the company’s corner of the metaverse, Chapek added, in comments that inspired more eye-rolling than anything else.It isn’t difficult to see what Disney could bring to a more... Disney CEO Bob Chapek wants a piece of the metaverse, he revealed Thursday evening. Disney’s...
Weta's Peter Jackson. Photo by AP
The Big Idea Behind Unity’s Weta Purchase; Life at Google’s Owlchemy
By Mathew Olson · Nov 10, 2021 11:00am PST
Weta's Peter Jackson. Photo by AP
Reality Check

The Big Idea Behind Unity’s Weta Purchase; Life at Google’s Owlchemy

By Mathew Olson · Nov 10, 2021 11:00am PST
Unity is framing its $1.625 billion purchase of visual effects house Weta Digital as a metaverse play, and there’s enough of a vision there to justify the use of tech’s current favorite buzzword. To better understand why the deal matters, though—and why Epic might wish it had been the one signing papers with Peter Jackson—it’s better to focus on... Unity is framing its $1.625 billion purchase of visual effects house Weta Digital as a metaverse...