All articles tagged with #virtual reality
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin VR - Brutal Edition translates the classic boomer shooter into VR with gesture-based reloading, dual-wielding, blade combat, and VR-specific moves, delivering a robust retro campaign and strong level design, but pacing, aiming challenges, and some added flourishes can detract from the speed and flow fans expect from the genre.
Meta has cut about 700 roles across multiple divisions, including Reality Labs, following an earlier 10% reduction that led to the closure of three VR studios; the company says it regularly restructures to align with its goals, even as Reality Labs posted a significant annual loss.
A ComicBook.com list highlights ten of the rarest arcade cabinets, from urban-m legend Polybius to limited-run machines like Blaster’s cockpit, Sega’s R360 (G-LOC/Wing War), and LaserDisc titles Time Traveler/Holosseum, back to Pac-Man VR and Quake Arcade Edition. Each entry explains why the cabinet is hard to find—extremely low production runs, special configurations (cockpit setups, vector graphics, or VR rigs), licensing quirks, or barscreens in limited venues—with production totals cited (often just hundreds or a few dozen units). The piece notes these cabinets are sought after by retro gaming fans and collectors, and it emphasizes the cabinets’ distinctive features that made them memorable despite their scarcity.
Firesprite Studio reportedly worked on a PSVR Breaking Bad VR experience around 2017–2018, described as a narrative VR “experience” rather than a full game, which was canceled about a year after the initial reports. A second shelved project was a sci‑fi horror IP with Body horror visuals, also never released. Despite layoffs and several canceled entries (including a Twisted Metal battle royale), the studio has continued development on other titles, including rumored projects like Project Heartbreak (a potential Until Dawn sequel) and Project Pillar using Unreal Engine 5.
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth announced in an Instagram AMA that Horizon Worlds will continue to support VR, but only for experiences that already work in VR; new games will be mobile-only, with the majority of Reality Labs’ focus shifting to mobile and AR investments after layoffs, marking a partial retreat from first‑party VR while keeping Horizon Worlds alive in VR.
The Pitt spotlights real emergency-medicine technologies—from the LUCAS 3 automated CPR device and the Butterfly iQ3 AI-enhanced handheld ultrasound to AI-assisted charting, virtual reality for anxious patients and training, and the XStat rapid hemostatic device—while also examining AI’s limitations and the practical challenges of deploying cutting-edge tools in busy ERs.
Nintendo's Virtual Boy is rebooted as a $100 Switch 2 accessory that slots the console into a red-filter headset on a tripod to run seven of 16 promised retro games; it's a novelty museum piece rather than a serious gaming device, delivering a nostalgic indie vibe but with ergonomic compromises, a need for Switch Online Plus Expansion Pack, and cheaper cardboard goggles as an alternative.
A randomized trial of more than 50 chronic stroke patients found that training the less-impaired arm for five weeks improved everyday hand tasks more than training the most-impaired arm, with gains persisting for six months, suggesting a positive feedback loop where better arm function leads to more use and further improvement.
An UploadVR opinion piece argues that eye-tracking is the essential missing piece in Meta's VR strategy, noting rivals like Apple, Valve, and Google are embedding eye-tracking into their headsets and platforms. It traces Meta's decade-long push toward a metaverse, highlights leadership reshapes and layoffs, and contends that re-emphasizing eye-tracking and embracing open, standards-based hardware could better align Meta’s ambitions with the evolving VR landscape.
John Carmack’s 2015 memo to Oculus leaders argues for a pragmatic, platform-first VR strategy: avoid an expensive standalone hardware path, leverage Facebook’s infrastructure and a robust app store, push for consumer software delivered at practical scale, support a mix of 2D/VR content, and pursue mobile expansion. He critiques over-ambitious “box” plans, emphasizes leveraging existing tech like Steamworks, and urges Oculus to be a scrappy, consumer-focused software company that prioritizes rapid feature delivery and a broad, sustainable ecosystem over grand but uncertain initiatives.
Wolverhampton University unveils the Digital Futures Lab to explore how AI and VR can enhance humanities research and culture, enabling collaboration across academia, business, and communities, with a February launch and a focus on language, literature, social challenges, health, and sustainability.
Meta announced that its VR fitness app Supernatural will stop receiving any new content or feature updates, though existing workouts remain accessible and users can still interact with past coaches. The move has sparked concern among users about lost coaches and licensing, with Meta directing questions to support; the company later clarified that current content will continue to be available.
VRChat set a new record for concurrent users during New Year's Eve, with nearly 150,000 users online across various time zones, surpassing its usual peak of around 120-125K, highlighting increased VR headset adoption and virtual celebrations.
Apple has reportedly cut production and marketing of its Vision Pro headset due to poor sales, with estimates suggesting only 45,000 units sold last quarter. The high price, limited app ecosystem, and user discomfort have contributed to its underwhelming performance, leading Apple to shift focus towards AI-enabled devices and away from virtual reality headsets.
Virtual reality technology is being used in retirement communities to enhance social interaction, mental stimulation, and emotional well-being among older adults by allowing them to experience travel, revisit childhood memories, and engage in immersive activities, potentially reducing social isolation and cognitive decline.