XR Week Highlights (2025.01.29): Google Brings on HTC Engineers, Meta to Launch Oakley Smartglasses, and More!

Happy Lunar New Year to everyone! As we usher in the Year of the Snake, I hope it brings you all joy, prosperity, love, and, of course, loads of XR headsets. For those celebrating, I wish you a wonderful time with loved ones filled with great food and laughter. Although I’m swamped with work and this newsletter is arriving a bit later than usual, it still packs all the essentials about the current happenings in the XR world!

Top News of the Week

Google Acquires HTC Vive Engineers for $250M

Out of nowhere, Google has snapped up a team of XR engineers from HTC Vive, along with a non-exclusive license on some of HTC’s intellectual property, for a hefty $250 million. The specifics of the deal are sparse, but Google mentioned that these new hires would help speed up the development of its Android XR platform across various headsets and glasses. This expertise infusion could fast-track Google’s product roll-out. While the exact role of these engineers is unclear—whether it’s enhancing Android XR or developing a Google-branded headset—I’m inclined to think it’s the former. This isn’t Google’s first HTC talent acquisition; back in 2017, they snagged HTC’s design team for about $1.1 million, signaling ongoing collaboration between the companies. Despite reassuring promises that VR projects won’t end up in what many refer to as Google’s “Graveyard,” there’s always a risk with big companies pulling out if more profitable opportunities arise. But, for now, this move underscores Google’s commitment to XR, which is heartening, even if I’m cautiously optimistic. Meanwhile, I’m curious about the impact on HTC. Losing senior engineers could mean HTC is either pivoting its business model—perhaps focusing on building headsets for other brands—or scaling back on its own product line. It’s an intriguing situation for a company that once led the VR market.

More info (Google acquires HTC engineers – Road To VR) More info (Google acquires HTC engineers – Upload VR) More info (Google wants to commit to XR)

Other Relevant News

Meta is Working on Multiple Smartglasses

Following the success of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, Meta is doubling down on this device category. According to a report by Mark Gurman, Meta is collaborating with EssilorLuxottica on new smartglasses set to debut under the Oakley brand this year. Targeting cyclists and athletes, these sunglasses will feature a centrally located camera and built-in speakers, but no display. Additionally, Meta is developing a premium model with a small display for notifications, touch-sensitive frames, or wrist strap controls for input—a concept explored in the Meta Orion AR glasses prototype. Though these high-end glasses aim at a niche market of prosumers with an expected price tag around $1,000, Meta isn’t neglecting the Ray-Ban Meta line either, with plans for star-studded Super Bowl commercials. Meta also anticipates expanding developer access to Orion glasses in 2026, with no concrete plans for commercial release until 2027, when a rumored less sophisticated and cheaper model, codenamed Artemis, is expected. It’s exciting to see Meta expanding across all XR sectors with VR/MR, smartglasses, and AR products.

More info (Meta’s new smartglasses in the works – Road To VR) More info (Meta’s new smartglasses in the works – Upload VR) More info (Superbowl ad about Ray-Ban Meta) More info (Orion glasses given to developers in 2027) More info (Original report on Bloomberg)

Meta is Still Working on a Successor to the Quest Pro

According to Mark Gurman, Meta is actively developing Quest 4 VR goggles alongside a potential high-end successor to the Quest Pro mixed-reality headset. This new high-end model might be the "Puffin" headset that was leaked recently—lightweight MR glasses linked to an external battery. Given the Quest Pro’s lukewarm reception, it’s logical for Meta to continue exploring premium headsets, especially with competitors releasing high-priced products like Vision Pro and Project Moohan. The Quest Pro’s flop resulted from it being a rushed project, but a well-executed Quest Pro 2 could secure a foothold in the enterprise market.

More info

Samsung and Google are Showing a Bit More of Moohan

Many awaited major XR announcements at Samsung Unpacked, possibly involving AR glasses, but such releases remain elusive. However, there were some noteworthy developments: Google and Samsung exhibited better Gemini AI integration in Samsung phones, suggesting that similar tech might soon be integrated into all Samsung devices, not just Moohan headsets. Moreover, the headset was on display at the event, with closed-door demos. Marques Brownlee, a renowned YouTuber, offered a hands-on review, allowing a closer look at the gear and its VisionOS-like operating system, hinting at capabilities akin to Vision Pro.

More info (Project Moohan shown at Samsung Unpacked) More info (MKBHD trying Project Moohan) More info (Samsung phones are getting better AI integration)

News Worth a Mention

Meta Explains What Bricked Quest Headsets at Christmas

Mark Rabkin, Meta’s Vice President of VR/MR, clarified a widespread Christmas-season headset malfunction. It wasn’t Meta’s fault, but a bug within the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) responsible for corrupt files during a key security patch—an unfortunate "rare race condition" within AOSP’s ext4 filesystem. Such bugs, notorious for being difficult to track and fix, likely troubled Meta’s engineers. Nevertheless, Meta managed to identify and address the issue, informing Google so they could rectify it within AOSP.

More info

CM Games Grossed $3M with Into The Radius 2

CM Games is basking in the success of Into The Radius, with the original game selling 800K units across platforms. The sequel, only available on Steam in Early Access, has already grossed $3 million. The game’s success lies in its collaborative development with the Steam community, which helps polish the game before launch on the broader Quest market, as explained by CM Games CEO Vlad Rannik.

More info (800K sales of Into The Radius) More info ($3M grossed by Into The Radius 2)

CREAL Has Further Miniaturized its Lightfield Engine

CREAL, a top-tier startup in lightfield display technology, revealed a breakthrough: a miniaturized version of its lightfield engine now nearly compatible with standard eyeglasses. This advancement brings realistic AR object displays closer to feasible wearables—a sharp contrast to six years ago when their tech was housed in a bulky framework.

More info

Quest 3 May Get Automatic Room Scanning

Luna reports that Meta is tackling a significant mixed-reality hurdle: room scanning. Currently, Quest users need to manually scan and re-scan spaces if furniture arrangements change, creating user friction. Meta is developing an automatic scanning feature that updates room layouts dynamically—a promising enhancement for the Quest 3.

More info

A Video About Our Future with AI Agents

Keiichi Matsuda’s latest short video, created with Niantic, imagines our future with ever-present AI agents in augmented reality. It’s a charming and thought-provoking presentation typical of Keiichi’s work, and I highly recommend watching it.

More info

Some News About Content

• Fitness Fables mixes VR fitness with fantasy action gameplay, launching on Quest for $12 on January 30th.
• FlatVR Studios plans for FlatOut VR to incorporate "some of the best things" from existing FlatOut games.
• "Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower," a Kung-Fu-inspired VR fighting game, hits Quest on March 12th.
• Elsewhere Electric, a cooperative puzzle game for Quest and PC VR, arrives this spring, allowing one player in VR while another uses mobile.
• "The Smurfs – Flower Defense," a VR and mixed-reality tower defense game, debuts on Quest 3 this May.
• Thanks to a mod, you can now play Crysis in VR. So, when someone asks if your headset can run Crysis, you can confidently say, "Yes, indeed!"

More info (Fitness Fables) More info (FlatOut VR) More info (Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower) More info (Elsewhere Electric) More info (The Smurfs – Flower Defense) More info (Crysis)

Other News

• A GDC survey reveals 35% of game developers now also work with XR.
• Students and teachers can buy Snap Spectacles at a 50% discount.
• Vrgamerdude explored the neural bracelet Mudra Link.
• The new Miami Apple store dedicates space to Vision Pro.
• Gabriele Romagnoli’s intriguing analysis of Horizon Store’s MR apps.
• CaddieVision AR glasses utilize AI to enhance your golfing experience.

Learn more

News from Partners (and Friends)

• SkyClimb’s multiplayer mode is now free. VRMonkey’s SkyClimb, a well-received platform adventure on Quest, embraces Gorilla Tag-style arm-based movement. Try it out!

Learn more and try the game

Some XR Fun

• Parenting a VR-savvy kid can be quite the adventure… Funny link
• Playing DOOM inside a PDF file? Believe it! Funny link
• The best upgrade for your VR setup might not be a gadget… Funny link
• Navigating VR intimacy… Funny link
• Don’t forget to clear your room space! Funny link

Donate for Good

Instead of asking for donations to my blog this week, I urge you to support the Red Cross’s humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Thank you to all my Patreon donors for their continuous support:

[Donation link to the Red Cross in Ukraine]

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