The XR Weekly Digest (2025.07.28): Quest’s Upcoming Features Revealed, Brilliant Labs’ New Smartglasses Launch, and More!

Oh wow, summer’s in full swing, isn’t it? Hope you’re soaking up the sun—unless you’re more of an AC person like me. Anyway, I’ve got this mishmash of XR news that’s kinda cool, and yeah, there’s also this BEATABLE giveaway thing you might wanna check out!

So What’s Buzzing This Week?

Quest’s Sneaky New Features

Okay, so this Luna person did some digging and found out that Quest is getting a glow-up. First off, Horizon Home’s getting revamped—it’ll be all social and alive, not the frozen tundra it is now. It’s turning into this Horizon Worlds extension. You’ll even get to stick portals and watch stuff together. Neat or too much? Not sure.

Now, Horizon Worlds is also getting a makeover—like, why wasn’t this done before? And then there’s the Events Arena. Seems like there’s a social theme running through here, huh?

Remember Horizon Hyperscape? No? Yeah, same. But Meta’s making it a real thing called Horizon Photoreal, where you can scan places with your phone and share them. Cool, right? I mean, that could blow up social media sharing. Or just flop. Who knows?

But hey, don’t take this as gospel. It’s datamining, not the Zauberflöte.

Brilliant Duo or Step in Two Glasses

Brilliant Labs is set to reveal some smartglasses, and it’s happening July 31st at 10 am PT. Could be mind-blowing, could be meh. They’ve done neat stuff before, so fingers crossed. Plus, they’re letting developers tinker with it. Bobak Tavangar’s doing an AMA on Reddit, so if you’re a smartglasses geek, that’s your jam.

Oh, Look! A Sharp Controller (No One Asked For)

Sharp’s cooked up some kinda strange glove-controller thing. It’s got wiggly bits that make VR feel immersive or something. Honestly, nobody was clamoring for it, but here we are. Costs a ton, though.

Wristband Whiz by Meta

Meta’s diving into these EMG wristbands that let you make gestures, like swiping and tapping. It feels natural, they say. There’s a video out there if you’re into science-y glimpses into the future.

Google’s Prototype Lab Goggles

So, Google might’ve shown off some lab-level smartglasses at TED. Karl Guttag says they’re using Raxium tech with a terrible yield. Basically, lab stuff—not ready for us normies.

VR Games Galore

Heads up, VR Games Showcase is back on August 12th. They’ll spill the beans on some big titles, and there’s a pre-show for indie stuff. Worth setting an alarm for? Maybe.

Money-Saving Pico

Got a Pico headset? Their summer sale’s got some crazy discounts. Shop smart, I guess.

Mix Your Golf Realities

Check out Putt Window if you’ve ever wanted to play real golf in your living room…without shattering a window, hopefully.

Dungeon Dive Done

Sad face: TxK Gaming Studios, the brain behind Dungeon Full Dive, is closing shop. They’re being nice, though, and gifting their GM Edition for free next week. Kickstarter dreams, huh? They ran out of cash. Happens more than you think.

Bits & Pieces

• Sound Bath: New trippy experience by TRIPP. Zen vibes, y’know?
• Eldramoor: They got $170K on Kickstarter…probably need a lot more dough, let’s be real.
• Billie Eilish: She teased some 180° 3D filming for Meta Quest at her concert.
• Rec Room Plus: AI buddy “Roomie” now part of the package.
• Beat Saber: Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” hits the game.
• Spotify: Now streaming on Quest. Because why not?

Reviews and Rundowns

• The Pirate: Sail and scheme in VR. Sounds fun.
• Dreams of Another: Shoot to tell the tale—yea, you heard that right.
• Elsewhere Electric: Solve mysteries but hold that manual, it’s a bit clunky.
• Clone Drone: Medieval madness with roguelite modes. Honest chaos.

Novelty Nods: VR and Beyond

• Xiaomi AI Glasses: Get the scoop from DannieVR’s review.
• Viture’s Shine: Glowy smartglasses make you go “oooh.”
• Sneaky Sideloading: New Android File Manager lets you load APKs sly as a fox.
• Pimax Discounts: Trade in, level up—those Crystal Light headsets await.
• VRgamerdude’s Review: Bhaptics Tactsuits—loud or loveable?
• Rayneo Air 3S Teardown: Peek inside.
• VR Training Tips: Get your company cruising in VR.
• Google’s Try-on Tech: Snap a pic, try a ‘fit. Simple magic.

By The Way, Friends’ Corner

Hey, wanna win a copy of BEATABLE? It’s fresh outta Early Access. They’ve got song editors and shiny upgrades—grab it for $10 or snag a free key if you’re fast!

Check out this wicked cam that films in 12K. Yeah, that’s a lotta Ks.

Lastly, a giggle from VR land—clothes are optional virtually…or so it seems.

Support If You Can

Instead of helping my blog, think about donating to folks struggling in Ukraine. Red Cross is doing what they can—I’ll drop a link. Shoutout to my Patreon pals for keeping my rambling alive. Seriously, thank you.

Anyway, catch ya later!