The XR industry has been rocked by massive developments from several of the world’s largest companies and organisations, leading to some exciting news stories on the menu of updates.
Major tech firms and organisations such as Meta, Microsoft, and the XR Association topped our list of headliners last week, which namely included Meta’s ongoing saga of highs and lows.
Here are the biggest stories from last week for XR Today. Be sure to also stay posted with our newsletter by visiting https://www.xrtoday.com/sign-up/ for further updates!
Meta Quest Debuts Mixed Reality Developer Tools
Meta Platforms Inc recently introduced keyboard tracking and upgrades to its software development kit (SDK) following the release of its Quest 2 v37 update, which offered a list of major improvements to the headset.
The tools will add to the device’s improved link sharing, hand tracking, menu, and other features to enhance user interaction with Meta’s Quest lineup of virtual reality (VR) hardware.
Meta Adds ‘Personal Boundaries’ to Horizons Platform
Menlo Park’s Meta Platforms upgraded its Horizon Worlds and Venues platforms with a new Personal Boundary function to protect users, namely after a woman wrote she had been sexually harassed and assaulted within 60 seconds of entering the virtual space.
Meta addressed the issue as part of its pledge to safeguard online users with a four-foot boundary around avatars on the two apps to block “unwanted interactions” from unethical users.
Meta Q4 Earning Reports are in, Shares Decline
Meta continued to top the headlines after releasing its fourth-quarter (Q4) results, which recorded net losses of $10.2 billion USD for its Reality Labs wing tasked with developing VR/AR/MR solutions.
Mark Zuckerberg, Company CEO and Founder, blamed increasing competition from rival firms such as ByteDance’s TikTok, Snapchat, and others, despite stating the company had “solid” earnings.
Accenture, Unity, Qualcomm Join XR Association
The Washington, DC-based XR Association (XRA) announced last week it had onboarded several massive multinational firms — Qualcomm, Accenture, and Unity Technologies — as members.
The new entrants will allow the global XR industry to tackle rising challenges and develop new ecosystems and solutions for the rapidly-expanding sector, as well as facilitate platforms for open discussion.
Microsoft Cancels HoloLens 3 Headset, Reports Say
Microsoft Corporation reportedly axed its plans to release the HoloLens 3, Business Insider reported last week, triggering a wave of rumours on the fate of the upcoming MR device.
Microsoft had failed to agree on how to market the headset and Satya Nadella, Company Chief Executive, aimed to end its hardware development to focus on third-party manufacturers, the report claimed just weeks after 100 Microsoft employees defected to rival firms Apple and Meta.
