XR Weekly Round-up: Samsung previews new OLED displays, Pimax unveils ultra-light VR Headset, and Google teases Smart Glasses
Google hints at new smart glasses, Pimax shows off lightweight OLED headsets, Meta launches codec avatar testing, and Apple Vision Pro adds eye-based scrolling — here are the week’s top XR stories.
Welcome to our weekly XR Update, where you’ll find a concise rundown of the most important XR news from the past week. If something catches your eye, click through to the full article for more details. As always, we share context and opinions alongside the facts.
Enjoy exploring!
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Content
MIXED Previews & Reviews
Guardian of Realms: Free Mixed Reality Combat on Quest 3
Guardian of Realms, a mixed reality game for Meta Quest 3, is now free to play. The game brings a Blade & Sorcery-style combat experience into your living room. In Survival mode, you fend off waves of enemies breaking in through virtual portals, while Sandbox mode lets you customize gameplay and try out community mods.
Smash Drums Hits PSVR 2 with Technical Upgrades
Smash Drums, the popular VR drumming game, is making its way to PlayStation VR 2 with a range of technical enhancements. The PSVR 2 version features foveated rendering, headset haptics, adaptive triggers, and runs at 120 frames per second. Players can expect improved visuals with more detailed environments and effects. While this release skips the mixed reality mode from the Quest version and online multiplayer, it offers three game modes (Arcade, Classic, Fusion) and up to 93 songs in the Premium Edition, catering to all skill levels.
VR Fitness on Meta Quest: My Routine for Losing Weight
I’ve revamped my VR fitness routine to help burn calories and drop extra pounds. Instead of using subscription apps like FitXR or Supernatural, I focus on three main titles: Synth Riders for warm-up, Les Mills XR Bodycombat for intense workouts, and Fitness Fables for cooldown sessions. My plan includes 60–90 minutes of training three times a week, plus lighter activities on two other days.
XR Hardware: VR, AR, and Mixed Reality Headset Highlights
Samsung Previews Next-Gen OLED Microdisplays for VR
Samsung showed off two new OLED microdisplays at SID Display Week, setting new standards for brightness and color. The 1.3-inch model delivers 4,200 PPI and hits 20,000 nits, while the 1.4-inch version offers 5,000 PPI and a resolution of 5,200 x 4,000 pixels at 15,000 nits. Both displays use RGB OLEDoS technology from eMagin, a recent Samsung acquisition, eliminating color filters for much brighter images than current VR headsets like the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple Vision Pro: Eye Scrolling and Accessibility Upgrades
Apple is adding a new eye scrolling feature to Vision Pro with visionOS 3. This lets users scroll through content in any Apple app using just their eyes, thanks to the headset’s built-in eye tracking. The update also brings accessibility improvements, including full-field zoom, "live recognition" for VoiceOver, and passthrough camera support for select accessibility apps.
Rokid Unveils Lightweight AR Glasses with Sony Micro-OLEDs
Rokid introduced its "AR Spatial" glasses, weighing just 75 grams and capable of projecting a virtual image up to 300 inches across. The glasses use 0.68-inch Sony micro-OLED displays with 1,200P resolution and 600 nits brightness, connects to an external controller via USB-C, and features built-in diopter adjustment, multi-screen mode, and a touchpad. It ships with Google services and streaming support, priced at $698.
Pimax Dream Air SE: Ultra-Light Micro OLED VR Headset with Eye Tracking
Pimax announced the Dream Air SE, a more affordable version of its Dream Air VR headset. The SE model features micro-OLED panels with 2,560 x 2,560 pixels per eye, while the standard Dream Air offers 3,840 x 3,552 pixels. Both use pancake lenses, integrated audio, SLAM tracking, hand tracking, and Tobii eye tracking for foveated rendering. Each headset weighs under 150 grams and is set to launch in Q3 2025, starting at $899.
Pimax Adds Hand Tracking to Crystal Super & Crystal Light
At Pimax Connect 2025, Pimax revealed that upcoming firmware will bring hand tracking to the Crystal Light, Crystal Super, and Dream Air series, with a beta expected in Q3 2025. Shipping of the Crystal Super with 50PPD optics is on track, with all pre-orders due by June. The Micro OLED version will follow in early Q3, priced at $1,199. The long-awaited 60G Airlink module is also scheduled for Q3 2025.
Google Teases New Smart Glasses Ahead of I/O
In its stream "The Android Show: I/O Edition," Google teased a smart glasses demo for the upcoming I/O conference on May 20. At TED, Google had already previewed a prototype with a built-in display and Gemini features, capable of real-time translation, transcription, and conversation capture. Reports suggest Google and Samsung are planning a smart glasses product codenamed "Haean" for later this year, potentially to compete with the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which have already sold 2 million units.
XR Market and Business News
Cybershoes Shuts Down After Six Years
Vienna-based Cybershoes, the startup behind VR shoes for Meta Quest and other headsets, has officially ceased operations. Co-founder Igor Mitric Lavovski announced on LinkedIn that Cybershoes GmbH was dissolved a month ago, though production had already stopped nearly two years earlier. Launched in 2018, Cybershoes offered a more immersive VR walking experience using sensors to map swivel chair movements into virtual locomotion, supporting 81 games.
Meta Pays $50/Hour for Codec Avatar Training Volunteers
Meta is recruiting volunteers for research that pays $50 an hour to record facial expressions, movements, and conversations — a project known as "Project Warhol" managed by data company Appen. The studies, "Human Motion" and "Group Conversations," will help Meta advance codec avatar technology. The company has also built "Instant Codec Avatars," which can be generated with a one-minute smartphone scan and run on standalone headsets.
Meta’s Generative AI for VR Worlds Gets a Major Upgrade
Meta unveiled AssetGen 2.0, a new and improved AI model for generating 3D content in Horizon Worlds. Trained on a large set of 3D assets, AssetGen 2.0 delivers higher-quality models from text and image prompts. Combined with the TextureGen model, it produces production-ready assets with detailed textures. Meta also teased a future AI tool capable of generating not just individual 3D models but entire 3D scenes.
VR Games and XR Apps: What’s New
Meta Quest: EarthQuest App Adds Space Update
EarthQuest for Meta Quest received a "Space Update" (v44.5) that introduces a realistic Earth atmosphere and enhances space navigation for a more immersive experience. The app, available for €9 in the Horizon Store, delivers a Google Earth VR-style experience for Quest users. The new update boosts immersion, though it doesn’t match all the features of the original PC VR version.
Meta Quest: Skybox VR Adds Multiplayer and More
Skybox VR, the popular media player for Meta Quest, is rolling out its biggest update yet, adding multiplayer support, Blu-ray ISO playback, accurate HDR for Dolby Vision, and Ambisonic 5.1/7.1 surround sound. Users can now join public or private rooms to watch media together, connect to Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin servers, and download content from their local network. The preview version of update 2.0.0 is available now, with the full update selling for €10 in the Horizon Store.
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