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. PSVR 2 Hero view of PSVR 2 (Image by Sony Interactive Entertainment) I had big hopes for PSVR 2.

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The Ghost Howls

MARCH 20, 2023

I’m back in Italy! First of all, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki has said that he thinks that PSVR 2 may sell more than the 5–6 million units that the original PSVR sold. This shows that Sony is pretty bullish about its device, and it is confident that it will be appreciated by a good share of its base market. Such great news!

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The Ghost Howls

JUNE 26, 2023

After having announced some of the features and the price just before the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, now the company formerly known as Facebook is already working towards the launch of the device. According to the creators of Hubris, Sony is working on solving the issue , but he said nothing about when this update will be released.

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The Ghost Howls

MAY 17, 2021

Image by Sony Interactive Entertainment). I like everything that we know on the PSVR 2 device because it is visible that Sony Interactive Entertainment is putting a lot of effort into releasing a high-quality headset that is on par with what the competition is offering. Apple is working on a whole spatial ecosystem.

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The Ghost Howls

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

If you were wondering, we in Italy do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but I would love one year to participate in its celebration hosted by an American family. Apple XR headset may have great processing power. This week I’m so desperate that there is no news to write about that I’m even sharing a rumor about the Apple headset.

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The Ghost Howls

JULY 4, 2022

Inflation here in Italy is ramping up, and the impression I have is that we are entering into a recession phase. Of course for some ad-based tech companies, the current economic situation is not the only problem, but there is another big one which is Apple and its new privacy features embedded into iOS. Some news on content.

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The Ghost Howls

APRIL 13, 2020

Well, if the rumor becomes reality, this would mean that all next Apple devices will have both front and back depth cameras, for high-precision Augmented Reality and 3D reconstruction. Well played Apple. This week Sony has showcased the new DualShock controller for the PS5, dubbed DualSens. Other relevant news. Image by Acer).

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The Ghost Howls

MAY 4, 2020

While in Italy we get ready for the “Phase 2” of the lockdown, I write the best AR/VR news of the week just for you! At the same time, Apple having always mediocre graphics cards on its laptops and its closed ecosystem have not helped much either in keeping this VR support alive. Sony reveals finger tracking technology for controllers.

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The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 16, 2021

We were all expecting this since AR and VR are a bit in a transitional moment and the biggest brands (like Facebook and Apple) have their events through which they’ll announce their new devices, but for me, this lack of news was worse than the expected. We had a few interesting news, but nothing truly disruptive.

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The Ghost Howls

AUGUST 15, 2021

August, 15th is a special day in Italy: it is called “Ferragosto”, and people go out with their friends and families and grill some BBQ in the parks, have picnics, or just chill together. Almost no one works, and people are focused on enjoying good food and good company.

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The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 20, 2021

And in fact, some weeks ago Sony has made everyone understand that it has delayed the launch of the PSVR 2 because the market is not there yet. Sony believes in VR, and we definitely believe at some point in the future, VR will represent a meaningful component of interactive entertainment. PlayStation believes in VR. PSVR headset.

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The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 9, 2020

Let’s see how Apple and Google will answer. Sony closes its game studio in Manchester. According to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony is closing its Manchester-based game studio, that it opened in 2015 to produce ‘AAA’ PSVR exclusives. A lot of data that will be very useful to Facebook to create its Live Maps functionality. Learn more.

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XR Today - Virtual Reality

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

Other companies such as Apple, Samsung, LG, and Sony also invest in XR technology. visionOS 2 Enhances Apple Vision Pro Features Apple has updated its Vision Pro spatial computing headset to visionOS 2. Apple is optimising the device through incremental improvements to streamline the user experience.

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The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Coronavirus is back in Italy and from yesterday we’re having new restrictions like a night curfew, some kind of shops closed, etc… I hope that you and the people you love are safe. Sony will give PS4 camera adapters for PS5 for free. Sony has answered this question in the weekend. Learn more.

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The Ghost Howls

MARCH 2, 2020

The damn coronavirus continues to impact all our lives: the fact that many countries are applying restrictions on flights to and from Italy is, for example, creating various nuisances to my job. Is this really what Apple wants? (Thanks Robert Scoble for this news!). Coronavirus impacts headsets production and kills F8 and GDC.

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The Ghost Howls

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Italy won the Tennis Davis Cup, and that was pretty cool to see (the match between Sinner and Djokovic was just incredible). More info Discover Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro cost estimations A Chinese firm has tried to estimate the cost of the components of both the Quest 3 and the Apple Vision Pro. Who will it be… Sony or Meta?

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The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 30, 2022

It is also promoting the metaverse everywhere, also on mainstream media: yesterday a friend of mine who doesn’t work in tech told me to have seen a TV spot here in Italy about the metaverse. Meta wants all of us closed in a VR prison, but Apple/Snap/Niantic instead are the good guys doing AR. Meta is bad, Apple is our savior!

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XR Today - Virtual Reality

JULY 29, 2024

EssilorLuxottica, a multinational corporation based in Italy and France, is already working with Meta on developing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. This chipset will reportedly be integrated into Samsung and Sony headsets, Play for Dream MR and Immersed’s Visor. Based on LSEG data, this stake could be valued at $4.73

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The Ghost Howls

AUGUST 2, 2021

What a fun thing, this is the power of the intern… no, sorry, of the metaverse. (And if you were wondering, yes, I’m very happy about the two amazing gold medals that Italy won yesterday at the Olympics!). Sony has sold 10M PS5 worldwide. Facebook is evaluating the integration of Oculus Move with Apple Health.

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The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 16, 2022

This is ridiculous, not only because the Pro costs a lot of money, but also because it is sold as a “work device” I don’t know how things work where Zuck lives, but here in Italy, a typical workday is 8 hours, not 2. Unless Apple kills it, of course… Productivity ecosystem. 3D reconstruction.

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The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

This was to be expected and it is no big deal: VisionOS 2 is coming today and this is great news by itself because it is bringing a lot of new features and improvements to the Apple device (three of these features are actually launching later this year, but all the other ones are coming now).

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The Ghost Howls

JULY 3, 2023

It was our hope for Google entering the AR race together with Meta and Apple. Regarding all the rumors about the use of tracked controllers, Mark Gurman stated this in his latest report: “ I’m told that Apple isn’t planning its own Vision Pro game controller, nor is it actively planning support for third-party VR accessories ”.

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The Ghost Howls

APRIL 18, 2022

Anyway, today should be a vacation in Italy, but here I am writing this roundup for you, so if you want to show your appreciation, don’t forget to make a donation on Patreon ! He complained about having to obey platforms and their taxes (clearly hinting at Apple), saying that he had a different vision. Top news of the week.

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The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 31, 2021

Here in Italy we were not used to celebrating it when I was a kid, but children now have fun dressing up and asking for some sweeties from their neighbors. Sony is reported to launch a mobile VR headset. According to Xperia Blog, Sony is going to launch a mobile VR headset working out of Sony phones. Learn more.

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The Ghost Howls

APRIL 25, 2022

This was the final big surprise of the event: Sony Pictures and Meta, in partnership with nDreams, will bring the famous franchise to virtual reality. One of the biggest assets Apple has is its stores, and now Meta wants to copy it also about this feature. As you can see, very interesting news, but nothing mind-blowing.

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The Ghost Howls

DECEMBER 8, 2021

Today is a special day in Italy when families prepare the Christmas Tree, so I decided to publish a very special post that is a big gift to the whole XR community. Even the big players like Sony, Apple, and Microsoft have substantially reduced their production estimates for 2022, whilst processor manufacturers talk of delays into 2024.

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The Ghost Howls

MARCH 23, 2020

Jokes apart, before starting, let me send a big hug to all of you that are in quarantine because of the coronavirus and thank all the people that in these days have cared about me after having heard the sad news about Italy (Simon, David, Daniel, Suzie, Mark… John that has been so kind… Sebastian, and many others!). Top news of the week.

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