Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg explaining the headset prototypes and various optimizations and aspirations (Meta).
This Week in ARExperience
June 23, 2022 by Jon Jaehnig
- Meta’s Reality Labs released a post describing efforts to “pass the visual Turing Test” with a line of prototype headsets. The post was accompanied by a 90-second video of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg explaining the prototypes and their various optimizations and aspirations.
- The posts definitely got people talking about “retinal resolution” VR displays – including a cheeky Twitter post from Varjo — who already claim retinal resolution in their displays. Granted, their headsets are in a completely different price bracket than the consumer-oriented Quest.
- Last week, we looked at teased content from the Frame 4.0 beta that hadn’t released yet, knowing that there would be more to come. And more there was. The full release notes have more than we can cover in a piece like this, but the big takeaway is definitely the “Connect” feature that lets you find friends and colleagues and travel to their Frame.
- Other exciting features include Ready Player Me avatar integration, an easier asset tool, a dashboard for managing multiple Frames, and a progressive web app.
- In news thematically related to Frame Connect, Croquet announced an open beta of their platform for building interoperable virtual worlds. The company released its “multiplane portal technology” for linking immersive spaces created by different companies and developers.
- Microsoft has released the Trimble HoloTint, a clip-on adapter for the HoloLens 2 that helps the display appear more vividly in high-light conditions. The $300 screen adjusts dimness automatically based on ambient light conditions to optimize the enterprise headset’s display in any environment.
- In other Microsoft news, the Mixed Reality Dev Days Microsoft Hackathon is live now through July 8. There are over $17k in total prizes and anyone can compete. You don’t even need a Microsoft display – many other headsets will work. The website even has a list of emulators so that developers without access to a headset can participate.
- Other time-limited opportunities: The State of AR/VR survey is live for developers of immersive experiences to share their insights into their favorite creation tools and more.
- AR gaming company Tilt Five is shipping limited-edition sets to early kickstarter supporters. The company started in crowd funding like many tech startups do, but unlike many tech startups, Tilt Five continues to deliver and is currently one of the brightest stars in AR entertainment.
- The AltspaceVR community is gearing up for the second annual VR Prom this weekend. Attendees are invited to dress up their avatars, dance with other users in a bespoke virtual venue, and even vote live for the prom King and Queen.
Interoperability has to be a theme with the news from Croquet and from Frame. Even Frame’s Ready Player Me integration would have been enough to get me excited, but their Connect feature is definitely thrilling. AltspaceVR has had a version of the same tool for a long time, but taking that kind of ability off-app and into the web is a huge step.
Development in hardware is definitely in the air, too. While Meta is by no means the most technologically advanced hardware company out there, their low price point means that to some degree they get to set the trend for the industry – even when the trend they set is a benchmark that other solutions have already met.
