The Ghost Howls

APRIL 5, 2021

The rumors on the Apple Glasses are intensifying. It is not a secret that Apple is working on an XR device: the mystery is when it is going to release it and what it will actually be. The hype is rising, and Apple is playing with it. (My usual terrible image to wish you Happy Easter, if you celebrate it). Top news of the week.

Apple 268

Apple AR Microsoft Magic Leap 268

The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 10, 2022

New rumors on Apple and Meta devices. I know it may sound weird to you, but we have new rumors on Apple headsets and also about the future Meta Project Cambria and Quest 3. Regarding Apple, the super-reliable analysts have stated that the headset may feature three displays because just two are for losers. Other relevant news.

Apple 319

Apple Simulation Las Vegas Haptic 319

Upload VR

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Apple Vision Pro is a very impressive fusion of hardware and software, but it's by no means perfect. Apple Vision Pro Specs, Features & Details Apple officially revealed the full Vision Pro specs when opening preorders today. And Apple did not send UploadVR a review unit, we bought our own. But does it deliver?

Apple 144

Apple Eye Tracking Hand tracking Video 144

The Ghost Howls

MARCH 23, 2020

More info (How to pre-load Half-Life: Alyx) More info (Leaked review of Half-Life: Alyx) More info (Suggestions on how to stream the game) More info (Valve Index on top of Steam charts) More info (Oculus Rift S soldout) More info (Vive Cosmos Elite gives Alyx for free) More info (Vive Cosmos Elite review) More info (Gabe Newell talks BCI).

Oculus 205

Oculus Magic Leap AR Augmented Reality 205

The Ghost Howls

AUGUST 3, 2020

Some time ago, the most important companies of the XR ecosystem (HTC, Oculus, Microsoft, etc…) joined the Khronos Group to discuss a standard to end the fragmentation of the XR space. That is if every company implemented OpenXR, a program built for the Oculus should work with SteamVR as well. Image by Oculus).

Oculus 313

Oculus Eye Tracking Hardware Las Vegas 313

The Ghost Howls

MARCH 15, 2021

Apple already made hardware, so it already had the infrastructure to build it and just added XR people on top of this infrastracture, while Facebook could not). In September, the new Facebook Avatars will come and substitute the current Oculus avatars. Apple AR headset may have been delayed to 2025. But it is impressive anyway.

HTC 445

HTC Apple Magic Leap AR 445

The Ghost Howls

MARCH 14, 2022

Apple chips may be its secret weapon for XR. The new Apple M-series chips continue to make strides in the tech communities: they are proving to be fast and reliable while being small and consuming little battery power. More info (Apple M chips) More info (Rumors on M2 chips in the upcoming Apple headset). Image by Waymo).

Magic Leap 402

Magic Leap Apple Ukraine AR 402

The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

monthly connected headsets only on Steam (so this doesn’t consider Oculus Store users and PSVR users), and t he year-over-year growth is +75%. He said that only on Christmas day, people spent $5M on the Oculus Store , and we can expect that most of this money was spent on Quest. According to Road To VR, we have now 1.3M

Unity 255

Unity Latency AR Amazon 255

The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

References found in the Oculus Quest 2 firmware by users Reggy04 and Basti564 highlight how the Quest 2 Pro should have: Eyes tracking Facial expressions tracking Eye relief knob Granular IPD adjustment External charging station. Apple VR headset may feature a 3000PPI microOLED display. Apple Event was not about AR, like, at all.

AR 507

AR Nigeria Apple Oculus 507

Hypergrid Business

FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Although Unity 3D is undoubtedly the most common and trained standards for developing and deploying augmented and virtual reality application for both beginner or expert developer, it is cannot be employed for developing content for some headsets. You also give 5% of net revenues per quarter although its free to use.

AR 117

AR Unity Virtual Reality Course 117

The Ghost Howls

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Some months ago, we all read that letter where Zuckerberg claimed wanting to get complete control of the hardware and software stack so that Facebook shouldn’t depend on external companies, like Google or Apple for the SO, or phone manufacturers for the hardware. Oculus releases hands tracking SDK, official Link cable for Quest and more.

Oculus 210

Oculus Hand tracking AR Unity 210

The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 13, 2021

It was too early for Unity, but they taught me about C++, C#, Java, OpenCV, OpenGL and other fancy development stuff. In that period, the Oculus DK2 ordered by Gianni arrived, and he told me that I should go to his office to try that device, and my reaction at that time was like “Oculus what??”

Virtual Reality 441

Virtual Reality Unity Course AR 441

The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 26, 2020

While Oculus is getting all the glory for the Quest, its competitors are not sleeping. Huawei has upgraded its sleek VR glasses and now they support 6DOF movement and 6DOF controllers that are very similar to the Oculus Touch. Notwithstanding all this hate, the Oculus Quest 2 is selling very well. Other relevant news.

HTC 416

HTC Oculus Conference China 416

The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 25, 2022

I can’t guarantee that these predictions will come out to be true (I always joke about the fact that I miss many of the predictions about Meta/Oculus), but I think they will be worth reading anyway to understand what can be the trends to look for in this new year. Me wearing my branded Oculus Quest 2. So… let’s start!

Virtual Reality 495

Virtual Reality Eye Tracking Apple Government 495

The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

This has been a hectic week for the leaks on the upcoming new Oculus Quest Pro device. Marky Z hinted that the device should feature eye and face tracking, and recent findings in Oculus Quest 2 runtime confirm this. I also thank everyone of you that supported me in this journey! Top news of the week. Image from Imgur).

Eye Tracking 294

Eye Tracking Apple Controllers Oculus 294

The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 22, 2021

Regarding the glasses, I have not big hopes for true AR glasses, but I think that thanks to Facebook and Apple, finally we’ll have some important smartglasses entering the market , making the mainstream think about wearing something on their face to enjoy notifications from the phone. Phone AR will be always more popular.

Augmented Reality 489

Augmented Reality Magic Leap AR Apple 489

AR Insider

MARCH 24, 2020

This post is adapted from ARtillery Intelligence’s report, Spatial Computing: 2019 Lessons, 2020 Outlook. As we roll into 2020, that leaves the question of where we are now? Brand spending on sponsored mobile AR lenses is a bright spot, as is Apple AR glasses rumors. And Oculus Quest is a beacon of hope on the VR side.

AR 208

AR Industry Retail Data 208

The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 12, 2020

Facebook has started today enforcing the “Facebook login” rule , asking Oculus users to merge their Facebook and Oculus accounts. So I imagine a Quest 2 where you can avoid having a Facebook account, but you can’t use the Oculus Store, or all the most important apps and games , and so you are de facto forced to use it.

AR 440

AR Google Machine Learning Augmented Reality 440

The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

A few weeks after I officially entered VR, the technology started being overhyped after Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus. The Quest cracked the formula for VR consumer success , and then other things happened that increased the popularity of VR, like the release of Half-Life: Alyx in 2020 which created a huge hype.

Virtual Reality 429

Virtual Reality Technology Trends Apple 429

The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

Oculus Quest 2. The biggest announcement of the event has been for sure the Oculus Quest 2, that Facebook has not only revealed but also launched. Oculus Quest 2 is a great piece of technology. Then Oculus will move the whole experience to 90Hz. The magic of the Oculus Quest 2 (Image by Facebook). Specifications.

Oculus 545

Oculus AR Data Gaming 545

The Ghost Howls

JUNE 1, 2020

It’s a new month, we’ve reached level 6 of this Jumanji game that is 2020. They should guarantee better tracking both for the headset and the controllers; The controllers are smaller and seem a mix between the Oculus Touch and the WMR 1 controllers. Shipping is expected for fall 2020. Oculus Link 2 could be tetherless.

Magic Leap 238

Magic Leap AR China Unity 238

XR for Business Podcast

DECEMBER 29, 2020

2020's been a hell of a year, huh? Alan: Well, I figured since we're about to end 2020, and I also figure that since this is our 150th episode, I would crack a beer while we record this episode, because what a year we have had. And so Apple bought them shortly thereafter. So SPACES was acquired quietly by Apple this year.

Machine Learning 78

Machine Learning Education Apple Technology 78

XR for Business Podcast

DECEMBER 29, 2020

2020's been a hell of a year, huh? Alan: Well, I figured since we're about to end 2020, and I also figure that since this is our 150th episode, I would crack a beer while we record this episode, because what a year we have had. And so Apple bought them shortly thereafter. So SPACES was acquired quietly by Apple this year.

Machine Learning 78

Machine Learning Education Apple Technology 78

The Ghost Howls

MAY 4, 2020

This is why we praise so much the Oculus Quest (1M+ of engaged users) and not the Cardboards (20M devices, almost unused). What is interesting is that Facebook’s non-advertising revenues in Q1 2020 signed a +80% with respect to the same period last year, for a total of $297M. Talking about the Quest, it is doing great as well.

Virtual Reality 228

Virtual Reality Machine Learning Augmented Reality Oculus 228

The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 20, 2021

Let’s be honest: no one made correct predictions for 2020. But hey, let me play this game anyway, so here you are my predictions for virtual reality in 2021 based on the trends and the anticipations that we had at the end of 2020! 2021 won’t be the year of VR. I know, we all feel like this. The Quest will still be the king.

Virtual Reality 528

Virtual Reality Trends China HTC 528

The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 2, 2019

Feature comparison between ARCore, ARKit and the Unity Handheld AR SDK (Image by Unity). Apple glasses. Concept of a future AR glass by Apple (Image by iDropNews). In 2019 we’ll see more strategic acquisitions by Apple and more rumors about an incoming AR glass by Apple. Surprises.

Augmented Reality 403

Augmented Reality Magic Leap Leap Motion AR 403

The Ghost Howls

DECEMBER 14, 2020

The actions coming from the US are not much related to VR and Oculus, but mostly to the social space. This could also mean splitting the Facebook Reality Labs into a separate company (a new Oculus?), In Germany, instead, the legal action regards the mandatory Facebook login for Oculus Quest 2. Oculus Rift S now costs $300.

Gaming 308

Gaming Augmented Reality Germany Oculus 308

The Ghost Howls

APRIL 27, 2020

We’re looking for a Unity dev for a freelance gig lasting 1–2 months, ideally from Italy or a nearby country (for easier management). It is in Italian, but basically it says that we’re looking for a Unity dev with preferred experience with VR and/or multiplayer games. Maybe Oculus planned to showcase Del Mar at GDC.

Course 272

Course Magic Leap AR Oculus 272

ARVR

JULY 15, 2020

Apple seems to be cornering the popular entertainment industry, with the acquisition of NextVR, as industry rivals such as Magic Leap focus on enterprise solutions. With the Starboard UI and Apple Glasses release anticipated for Q4 2020/Q1 2021, the world is eagerly awaiting the next generation of extended reality (XR) standards. . #3:

Augmented Reality 130

Augmented Reality Virtual Reality Tips AR 130

The Ghost Howls

NOVEMBER 10, 2019

Is Apple partnering with Valve on AR? A report by DigiTimes claims that Apple is partnering with Valve for the production of its AR glasses. According to the same report, the glasses should be released around Q2 2020 , and Taiwan’s ODMs Quanta Computer and Pegatron should handle the assembly job. Image by Eurogamer).

Augmented Reality 165

Augmented Reality Google Machine Learning AR 165

XR for Business Podcast

DECEMBER 29, 2020

2020's been a hell of a year, huh? Alan: Well, I figured since we're about to end 2020, and I also figure that since this is our 150th episode, I would crack a beer while we record this episode, because what a year we have had. And so Apple bought them shortly thereafter. So SPACES was acquired quietly by Apple this year.

Machine Learning 60

Machine Learning Education Apple Technology 60

The Ghost Howls

JUNE 15, 2020

Late to the party after Oculus and Microsoft already released prototypical implementations, but finally Valve has implemented OpenXR into its runtime SteamVR. Someone is working on a Linux driver for the Oculus Rift. Indie developer Thaytan is working on a Linux driver for the Oculus Rift. Unity details its MARS solution.

Sony 322

Sony AR Augmented Reality Czech Republic 322

The Ghost Howls

MARCH 2, 2020

To make you understand how these features are incredible, Qualcomm has stated that “the [XR2] reference design has 2x the CPU and GPU performance, 4x more video bandwidth, 6x higher resolution and 11x AI improvement compared to our current widely adopted XR platform [the Oculus Quest ]”. 20 AR trends to follow in 2020.

Hand tracking 239

Hand tracking AR Oculus HTC 239

The Ghost Howls

MARCH 21, 2021

The shape of the controllers is slightly different than the one of the Oculus Touch, though, and there is a ring that surrounds the wrist of the user. There is also “finger-tracking” a la Valve Index , but just for the thumb, index, and middle finger (so, it is more a la Oculus Touch). Some XR fun.

Sony 437

Sony Controllers AR Haptic 437

The Ghost Howls

JULY 19, 2021

This is confirmed also by a previous prediction by the CEO of Unity, which foresees that in 2030 VR headsets will be as popular as gaming console: that is mainstream, but still not as TV, for instance. Inside this growing VR market, the headset that is selling the most is the Oculus Quest 2. billion in content revenue by 2025?—?

AR 518

AR Technology Data Gaming 518

The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

But in China, they are very famous, and now they are also organizing a big event about XR called FBEC with hosts from all the major VR companies (HTC, Unity, Alibaba, Huawei, etc…). Since Meta made the acquisition and took over Oculus, VRTUOLUO began to write original and in-depth articles on the XR industry.

China 326

China Industry Government AR 326

The Ghost Howls

JULY 16, 2021

VR has got the attention of the mainstream thanks to Alyx and the commercials by Oculus. For every studio that made $10M on Quest, maybe 20 indie studios have worked on some VR games of theirs that they never published, or that went on Steam but no one cared about, or that were refused by Oculus.

AR 545

AR Technology Gaming Groups 545