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Minifigure faces, likely to be a fixture of Epic and Lego's joint metaverse venture. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

A $2 Billion Round for Epic; Can Meta Catch Up to Apple on Chips?

By Mathew Olson · Apr 11, 2022 11:00am PDT
Sony and Lego’s controlling shareholder are putting a total of $2 billion into Epic Games, the biggest single investment in the gamemaker yet, Epic announced today. The investment suggests that Epic’s metaverse partnership with The Lego Group announced on Thursday might be more ambitious than just a simple, more kid-friendly offshoot of... Sony and Lego’s controlling shareholder are putting a total of $2 billion into Epic Games, the...
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on stage at F8 2019. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

Does Meta Need the F8 Developer Conference Anymore?

By Mathew Olson · Apr 7, 2022 11:00am PDT
Meta Platforms’s decision to skip its annual developer conference F8 this year raises a question: given the rising importance of AR/VR, does Meta even need its spring conference at all anymore? Maybe the Connect conference in the fall, which is focused on AR/VR, will take over as Meta’s premier developer event.Notably, CEO Mark Zuckerberg used... Meta Platforms’s decision to skip its annual developer conference F8 this year raises a question:...
A Maximus glasses-style waveguide coupled to its display engine. Photo: Lumus. Illustration: Mike Sullivan.
Reality Check

Lumus Unveils New AR Waveguides; A Meta-Backed VR Education Program Expands

By Mathew Olson · Apr 6, 2022 11:00am PDT
Israel-based Lumus likes to say that its OE Maximus is one of the highest-quality see-through displays for AR glasses—a waveguide—currently available to device makers. Today the company is revealing two new Maximus variants, and the ways they differ from the original suggest the company is getting serious about putting its tech in consumer... Israel-based Lumus likes to say that its OE Maximus is one of the highest-quality see-through...
Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders, one of the AR games NZXR staffers helped create. Credit: Weta Workshop/Magic Leap.
Niantic Acquires Ex-Magic Leap Developers; Ready Player Me Inks Adidas Avatar Deal
By Mathew Olson · Apr 5, 2022 11:00am PDT
Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders, one of the AR games NZXR staffers helped create. Credit: Weta Workshop/Magic Leap.
Reality Check

Niantic Acquires Ex-Magic Leap Developers; Ready Player Me Inks Adidas Avatar Deal

By Mathew Olson · Apr 5, 2022 11:00am PDT
It hasn’t even been a month since Niantic’s last acquisition, but the AR juggernaut is growing yet again. The Pokemon Go makers are acquiring NZXR, a New Zealand-based AR game development team. NZXR joins a list of recent Niantic purchases that includes 8th Wall, Lowkey, Hoss and Scaniverse. Niantic hasn’t disclosed the price for any of these... It hasn’t even been a month since Niantic’s last acquisition, but the AR juggernaut is growing...
A person using an HTC Vive headset to play a VR racing simulator. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

HTC’s Vive-Centered Metaverse Push; Epic’s Upcoming Unreal Event

By Mathew Olson · Apr 4, 2022 11:00am PDT
While Meta Platforms continues to scale back its usage of the Oculus brand name, in favor of Quest, HTC appears dead-set on slapping its Vive label on an expanding number of products. But in doing so, HTC risks tarnishing the Vive name if its metaverse expansion flops.Over the weekend, HTC announced two new Vive products that fit into its... While Meta Platforms continues to scale back its usage of the Oculus brand name, in favor of...
The developer-only AR Spectacles revealed in May 2021. Photo: Snap.
Reality Check

Snap Sets Partner Summit Date; Liv Raises $8.5 Million for Mixed Reality Streaming

By Mathew Olson · Mar 31, 2022 11:30am PDT
Snap will hold its annual partner summit on April 28, the company revealed today. And this year’s event bears an unsubtle subtitle: “Back to Reality.” The event name suggests that Snap will devote more time to its AR tech than it did at last year’s summit, which featured the debut of Snap’s developer-only AR Spectacles.As it has in the past, the... Snap will hold its annual partner summit on April 28, the company revealed today. And this year’s...
The new prototype from Mojo, a hard contact lens with a display, sensors, radio, and batteries. Photo: Mojo Vision.
Reality Check

Mojo Vision’s New AR Contact Lens Prototype; Nreal Raises $60 Million from Alibaba

By Mathew Olson · Mar 30, 2022 11:00am PDT
Mojo Vision, the Saratoga, CA-based startup working on AR contact lenses, has reached a new development milestone. The company said today it has completed an “advanced prototype” of its contact lenses featuring all the components needed to drive their AR functions, from batteries and an accelerometer to the super-small display that sits at the... Mojo Vision, the Saratoga, CA-based startup working on AR contact lenses, has reached a new...
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen. Photo: Bloomberg.
Adobe Buys Brio XR; VR Game Studio nDreams Raises $35 Million
By Mathew Olson · Mar 29, 2022 11:00am PDT
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen. Photo: Bloomberg.
Reality Check

Adobe Buys Brio XR; VR Game Studio nDreams Raises $35 Million

By Mathew Olson · Mar 29, 2022 11:00am PDT
Adobe isn’t wasting any time implementing its metaverse growth strategy. We learned Monday that Adobe is buying Toronto-based startup Brio XR, maker of a set of no-code cloud-based tools for presenting 3D content on the web or with AR/VR. The deal could help Adobe pair its growing set of 3D tools with publishing tools suited to social media and... Adobe isn’t wasting any time implementing its metaverse growth strategy. We learned Monday that...
A concept image of how mixed reality with Mesh and HoloLens 2. Credit: Microsoft.
Reality Check

Microsoft’s Metaverse Security Stance; Sony’s VR Eye-Tracking Gains

By Mathew Olson · Mar 28, 2022 11:00am PDT
Every new boom in internet tech comes with security risks—just ask all the crypto adherents who’ve had their NFTs pilfered and wallets drained. Microsoft’s new vice president of security, former Amazon Web Services executive Charlie Bell, says the potential security threats posed by the metaverse “could be deal-breakers for enterprises if we don... Every new boom in internet tech comes with security risks—just ask all the crypto adherents who’...
Tilt Five's glasses (designed to be plugged into a PC or Android device), controller and game board. Photo: Tilt Five.
Reality Check

Tilt Five Founder Jeri Ellsworth Talks AR Board Gaming; Autodesk’s AR/VR Acquisition

By Mathew Olson · Mar 24, 2022 11:00am PDT
Tilt Five, the AR startup focused on making glasses suited for digital board gaming, is finally shipping glasses to its early crowdfunding backers and today announced a lineup of 16 titles that will be available at the system’s commercial launch next quarter. For CEO and co-founder Jeri Ellsworth, both are major milestones along a winding path... Tilt Five, the AR startup focused on making glasses suited for digital board gaming, is finally...
Two NextMind developer devices, fitted with arrays of EEG sensors. Photo: NextMind.
Reality Check

Snap Makes a Brain Interface Bet; Yuga’s Ape Hype Meets the Metaverse

By Mathew Olson · Mar 23, 2022 11:00am PDT
Snap’s hunger for hardware acquisitions evidently hasn’t been satiated, as is clear from today’s news of the purchase of NextMind, a small Paris-based startup focused on brain computer interface tech. But this deal goes beyond Snap’s near-term AR glasses goals.Snap’s other recent hardware purchases have concerned highly sought-after AR display... Snap’s hunger for hardware acquisitions evidently hasn’t been satiated, as is clear from today’s...
A close-up view of the X-Craft AR device, designed for industrial use. Credit: Rokid.
Two Upstarts, Rokid and Nimo, Push Forward With AR Glasses; Epic’s Latest Unreal Partner
By Mathew Olson · Mar 22, 2022 11:01am PDT
A close-up view of the X-Craft AR device, designed for industrial use. Credit: Rokid.
Reality Check

Two Upstarts, Rokid and Nimo, Push Forward With AR Glasses; Epic’s Latest Unreal Partner

By Mathew Olson · Mar 22, 2022 11:01am PDT
The past few years in AR tech have seen plenty of acquisitions and more than a few startups shut down. Still, there are a few small hardware companies hoping to make it big with AR before the tech giants and major gadget brands swoop in.One of those companies, China manufacturer Rokid, just announced that it raised an additional $110 million for... The past few years in AR tech have seen plenty of acquisitions and more than a few startups shut...
A depiction of a Snapdragon-branded plaza in the metaverse. Credit: Qualcomm.
Reality Check

Qualcomm’s $100 Million AR/VR Fund; A Startup Fighting Toxicity in Virtual Worlds

By Mathew Olson · Mar 21, 2022 11:30am PDT
Qualcomm made two announcements on Monday morning, one launching a $100 million metaverse developer fund and the other revealing a gaming collaboration with Japanese publisher Square Enix. Considered in tandem, the moves show Qualcomm putting its money where its mouth has been—first expanding its focus to include software and developer tools for... Qualcomm made two announcements on Monday morning, one launching a $100 million metaverse...
Art featuring two of the character types in Zenith: The Last City. Credit: Ramen VR.
Reality Check

Team Behind Hit Game Zenith Raises $35 Million for VR “Super-App”

By Mathew Olson · Mar 17, 2022 11:00am PDT
What’s the next step for a VR developer once they’ve got a successful massively multiplayer online game on their hands? Expanding in the metaverse-like direction of Fortnite or Roblox might seem like the natural move, but the makers of Zenith: The Last City at Ramen VR—who say their MMO has gained “several hundreds of thousands” of players since... What’s the next step for a VR developer once they’ve got a successful massively multiplayer...
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaking at a conference last November. Photo by Bloomberg.
Reality Check

Google Buys microLED Supplier; Snap Expands AR for Landmarks; Meta’s New VR Parental Controls

By Mathew Olson · Mar 16, 2022 11:45am PDT
Here’s an Information-exclusive scoop that could send tremors throughout the AR/VR industry: Google has made a deal to buy Raxium, a Bay Area-based developer of microLED components. The move suggests that Google is indeed getting serious about launching a mixed reality headset and selling its Starline video conferencing booths within the next... Here’s an Information-exclusive scoop that could send tremors throughout the AR/VR industry: ...
A soldier wearing the IVAS headset during a test. Photo: Microsoft/U.S. Army.
More Doubts on the Army’s AR Deal; Adobe’s New Metaverse Angle
By Mathew Olson · Mar 15, 2022 11:30am PDT
A soldier wearing the IVAS headset during a test. Photo: Microsoft/U.S. Army.
Reality Check

More Doubts on the Army’s AR Deal; Adobe’s New Metaverse Angle

By Mathew Olson · Mar 15, 2022 11:30am PDT
It’s been almost a year since Microsoft won a $22 billion U.S. Army contract to create combat-ready AR headsets based on HoloLens technology. The work doesn’t appear to be going well; a new report from Business Insider quotes from a memo sent to members of Microsoft’s team working on the headsets warning that the company is “expecting negative... It’s been almost a year since Microsoft won a $22 billion U.S. Army contract to create...
Peter Moore pictured with Liverpool FC's 2019 Champions League trophy. Photo: AP.
Reality Check

Metaverse Partnerships and Skepticism Trickle Out of SXSW

By Mathew Olson · Mar 14, 2022 11:01am PDT
Why did Peter Moore, a former games industry executive who most recently enjoyed a few years as CEO of Liverpool FC, travel to a massive dance music festival in Las Vegas last fall? He was there on a mission, establishing a bond with the festival’s organizers Insomniac Events while drinking in the atmosphere—and wondering how it could be... Why did Peter Moore, a former games industry executive who most recently enjoyed a few years as...
Photos featuring the Magic Leap 2 headset. Compute pack and controller not pictured. Credit: Magic Leap.
Reality Check

Magic Leap Steps Into the Future; Niantic Buys 8th Wall

By Mathew Olson · Mar 10, 2022 11:00am PST
Over the past year, Magic Leap has been gradually pulling back the curtain on its new AR device. The company’s future is riding on it. After Magic Leap’s underwhelming hardware debut in 2018 came layoffs, a pivot to enterprise and a CEO change, all while development of this slimmer and lighter follow-up continued. Finally, just last week, I had... Over the past year, Magic Leap has been gradually pulling back the curtain on its new AR device....
A player takes aim to make a goal in Nock. Credit: Normal VR.
Reality Check

Normal VR’s Quest to Build a True Virtual Sport

By Mathew Olson · Mar 9, 2022 11:00am PST
Esports have become a huge offshoot of the larger video games industry. Gaming research firm Newzoo estimates that 2021 was the first year that esports generated more than $1 billion in revenue. Like gaming more generally, esports is driven by hits but includes countless failures, even from companies as well-resourced as Amazon.So, what hope... Esports have become a huge offshoot of the larger video games industry. Gaming research firm...
A promotional photo for the Quest 2. Credit: Meta.
A Meta Supplier’s Big VR Screen Business; Squinting at “Tinyverses”
By Mathew Olson · Mar 8, 2022 11:10am PST
A promotional photo for the Quest 2. Credit: Meta.
Reality Check

A Meta Supplier’s Big VR Screen Business; Squinting at “Tinyverses”

By Mathew Olson · Mar 8, 2022 11:10am PST
We got some new clues about how many Quest 2 headsets Meta Platforms is selling. Today, Nikkei Asia reported that Foxconn-owned display maker Sharp is now shipping over 1 million LCD screens for VR headsets per month, which would be a substantial increase on what it was doing last year. Sharp’s reported 2021 VR revenue suggests it only shipped... We got some new clues about how many Quest 2 headsets Meta Platforms is selling. Today, Nikkei...