The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Passthrough camera access is a hot topic in the XR community right now and while the positions of Meta, Apple, and Pico are known, everyone is wondering what Google will do with Android XR. Meta, Pico, HTC, then Apple… all of them prevented the developers from accessing the camera frames. Keep reading to discover more!

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Road to VR

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Vision Pro, on the other hand, doesn’t support motion controllers, which means the vast majority of the most popular VR content to date doesn’t have a straightforward path to working on Apple’s XR platform. While this is confirmed, details here are slim too. It looks to be leaning toward the latter.

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The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 4, 2025

This is the first newsletter of 2025, so happy new year to you all! And it promises to have also some features that surpass the Apple Vision Pro (I hope not the price!). From this quick look, it seems a mix between Android and the interface of the Apple Vision Pro. I wish you all the best!

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The Ghost Howls

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Top news of the week (Image by Google) AI models to generate 3D scenes start to surface This week we had the announcement of two AI models dedicated to the generation of 3D worlds. These glasses should be built in partnership with Google and Qualcomm and have a similar form factor to the successful Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

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Upload VR

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Samsung's first standalone headset is coming in 2025, running Google's new Android XR operating system and powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset. I went hands-on with an early headset developer kit showcasing Google's software and Samsung's hardware. Beyond this, Samsung isn't yet sharing specifications.

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Road to VR

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Meta Quest developers looking to port their Unity-based apps to Google’s newly unveiled Android XR operating system shouldn’t have a tough time of it, Unity says, as the game engine creator today released all of the tools devs need to get cracking. “This is as simple a port as youre ever going to encounter.

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The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

The hype for the Apple Pro is starting to deflate and it is possible to see that from some cues: for instance, there are more critics of the headset and fewer articles are talking about it. The release of this headset is expected for the first half of 2025. It’s still the gadget of the moment, but a bit less shiny than before.

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Upload VR

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Android XR will let apps access the passthrough camera view, Google confirmed. While headsets like Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro use cameras to let you see the real world, today only the system software gets raw access to these cameras. UploadVR has also reached out to Google for independent confirmation.

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Upload VR

DECEMBER 20, 2024

On Wednesday, we noted our favorite newly released platform favorites for Quest, PCVR, and Apple Vision Pro. We recognized the breakthrough work of Maestro with hand tracking and Figmin XR with mixed reality, and also highlighted some early work like Airspace Defender and Laser Dance that we're hoping to see continue to develop in 2025.

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Road to VR

APRIL 24, 2024

Independent tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo maintains Apple may be reducing Vision Pro shipments for its international debut by a wide margin due to demand falling “sharply beyond expectations” in the US market. Apple hasn’t intimated yet when we can expect international availability of Vision Pro however.

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Road to VR

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

Meta is reportedly teaming up with South Korean tech giant LG Electronics to offer up competition to the Apple’s forthcoming Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which is slated to arrive sometime in 2024. Provided the report is true, it seems some very distinct battle lines are being drawn.

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XR Today - Augmented Reality tag

JANUARY 2, 2025

Avid XR Today readers will be more than familiar with the big XR moments in 2024, including the likes of MR headsets, digital twins, Apple Vision Pro, Orion, and others; those moments are becoming history, however, and tomorrow’s innovations will take a stride. Will Samsung Enter the AR Wearables Market in 2025?

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The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

In his latest report, Gurman says Apple canceled some tethered AR glasses that should have been connected to the iPhone to show a large screen in front of the user. This does not mean that Apple has given up on AR glasses, though. But they got bad feedback from early testing so they were canceled altogether.

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The Ghost Howls

MARCH 18, 2025

The approach chosen by Meta is similar to the one that Google promised to take with Android XR. This means that Samsung wont go all-in with hand tracking like Apple did. This will let Google enrich its content library pretty fast. It is not clear if the controllers will be shipped in the headset box or not , though.

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XR Today - Augmented Reality tag

JANUARY 23, 2025

One is that Google will contribute to developing the device via the AndriodXR OS, another is that the device will adopt elements of Samsung’s mobile AI technology, and thirdly, it will receive more public-facing updates this year. Notably, Google is developing this XR OS in collaboration with Samsung.

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XR Today - Augmented Reality tag

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Today, Google announced Android XR , an operating system the firm purpose-built for XR devices and services, which Google calls the “next generation of computing. Notably, Google is developing the XR OS alongside Samsung; during the announcement, Samsung also highlighted how it is poised to release a headset in 2025.

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The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Boz states that 2025 is the make it or break it year for XR at Meta , but I personally dont think it is true. The controllers would be sold separately and would be fully optional, mostly dedicated to people who want to play games requiring controllers on the Apple Vision Pro. There are a few passages worth a comment.

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Upload VR

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Hands-On With Samsungs Android XR Headset, Shipping In 2025 Samsungs Android XR headset is launching in 2025, and we went hands on. UploadVR Ian Hamilton If you missed the news, Samsung finally revealed its standalone headset today, and Google revealed the Android XR platform that it will run.

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Road to VR

DECEMBER 12, 2024

The device, codenamed “Project Moohan,” is planned for consumer release in 2025. Note: Samsung and Google aren’t yet sharing any key details for this headset like resolution, weight, field-of-view, or price. YouTube is another app Google has updated to take full advantage of Android XR.

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XR Today - Mixed Reality tag

MARCH 4, 2025

MWC 2025 is proving itself to be a hotbed for XR innovation. At MWC 2025, Samsung showcased many products, from its mobile AI suite to new smartphones. While MWC 2025 only gave attendees a glimpse of the upcoming headset, here is everything readers need to know about the upcoming device.

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The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

The success of the Ray-Ban Meta has triggered the smartglasses hype: when I was at CES, I saw many startups launching their AI-powered smartglasses and we have heard rumors of all the major brands (including Apple and Samsung) working on their own smartglasses devices, too. But as usual, I warn you to be careful of the hype.

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The Ghost Howls

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

The glasses should work with Google Gemini AI and have the following features: Processors : Snapdragon AR1 and NXP Camera : 12MP with Sony IMX681 Battery : 155mAh Weight : 50 grams The first batch of production should be around 500,000 units , with more to come if the glasses prove to be successful.

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XR Today - Virtual Reality

MAY 27, 2024

Google Project Starline finally looks like it’s going to be rolling out to workplaces worldwide, potentially transforming the way we meet and collaborate in the future of work. So, what is Google Project Starline, and what makes it different from the current solutions available? What is Google Project Starline?

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XR Today - Mixed Reality tag

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman ; the Apple visionOS 2.4 This marks an evolution evolution in the company’s mixed reality strategy, as Apple recently ceased development of its planned Mac-ready AR smart glasses to focus exclusively on Vision Pro. Professional Applications of the VisionOS 2.4

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XR Today - Virtual Reality

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

Following its landmark $100 billion investment into XR, then in turn metaverse, solutions Bosworth revealed in a leaked memo that 2025 will be a standout year for the once headline and imagination-stealing technology as well as Reality Labs as a whole. Mark Zuckerberg remembers… Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth , remembers too.

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The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Apple claims the M4 has a 50% more powerful CPU an d 4 times more powerful GPU than the M2 chipset mounted on the Vision Pro, so an M5 chipset may give the new Vision Pro unprecedented performances for a standalone MR headset. This headset should go into production in the second half of 2025, so realistically be available in 2026.

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Upload VR

MARCH 20, 2025

When Bigscreen founder Darshan Shankar told us he was bringing the sequel to his Beyond SteamVR headset to GDC 2025, I booked a flight from New York to San Francisco and back with less than 24-hour turnaround. You can go get a Quest or Vision Pro and wear the weight of the Apple or Meta platforms, quite literally, upon your brow.

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XR Today - Augmented Reality tag

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Google has announced the launch of Android XR, a platform designed to support the creation of mixed reality (MR) applications. The initiative builds on ARCore, Googles existing augmented reality framework. Google has partnered with several hardware manufacturers for Android XR, including Samsung and Qualcomm.

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The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 3, 2023

As I said a few months ago , we are in the middle of a paradigm change: the cycle that started with the Quest is arriving at an end, and a new cycle driven by new technologies (mixed reality headsets) and new players (Apple, Google) is starting. They are Apple AR glasses!” I have this impression for a few reasons.

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Upload VR

JANUARY 15, 2025

Play For Dream MR, the high-end standalone headset from China, was the big surprise of CES 2025. Play For Dream MR's hardware and software design is definitely heavily inspired by Apple Vision Pro, and a representative admitted as much to me.

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XR Today - Augmented Reality tag

JANUARY 23, 2025

This week, following last month’s AndriodXR announcement and this week’s Samsung Moohan teasers, Google made a massive parrel move. In return, Google will gain valuable XR-related support from the headset vendor. What a HTC/Google Unitifaction Mean? This move is huge for the industry.

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The Ghost Howls

DECEMBER 6, 2021

Apple may announce its headset at WWDC 2022. A new week, a new rumor about Apple. This time it comes from Bloomberg, which predicts that Apple will announce its MR headset in June 2022 during WWDC , to launch it some months later, probably during the holiday season. Google details Project Starline. (Image from the web).

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Road to VR

MARCH 6, 2023

Samsung announced last month it was partnering with Google and Qualcomm to develop an XR device, something the company said at the time was “not too far away.” ” Google is building the software, while Samsung builds the hardware.

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Upload VR

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Since launching in 2016 and 2019 respectively, Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator have both been ported to most XR headsets across the years, most recently on Apple Vision Pro. Detailing its decision in a new blog post , Owlchemy states this provides a streamlined approach to creating immersive experiences across various XR devices.

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The Ghost Howls

AUGUST 28, 2023

First of all, Google has to keep the work on the headset very secret also internally , because Samsung is afraid that Google will steal its expertise to build a competing product. Google is working in parallel to build the Android XR operating system for this headset and a Micro XR operating system for AR glasses.

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XR Today - Mixed Reality tag

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Google is diving head-first back into the world of extended reality and this time, the company is going big. While it might not be ready to show off any physical products just yet, Google has officially laid out its vision for a brand-new unified Android XR ecosystem. Nor is the company simply investing in a new mixed reality headset.

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XR Today - Augmented Reality tag

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Later, in November, another leak emerged suggesting Samsung will use its partnership with Google and Qualcomm to release a pair of AI smart glasses similar to the Meta Ray-Ban glasses. Will customers be able to purchase a set of Samsung smart glasses in 2025? So, what does all of this mean? Here’s what we know so far.

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