XR weekly round-up: Valve’s VR headset delayed to 2026, Meta Quest gets a new UI, and Xreal glasses go 6DoF
This week in XR: Google’s smart glasses get a style upgrade, Apple’s smart glasses slip to 2026, Xreal Eye adds 6DoF to One, and Meta Quest rolls out a major UI overhaul. Here’s everything you need to know from the world of VR, AR, and mixed reality.
Every week in our “XR Update,” we round up the most important news across the XR landscape, complete with bite-sized summaries and direct links to full articles if you want to dive deeper. As always, we add context and commentary to help you make sense of the headlines.
Happy reading!
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Content
MIXED Previews & Reviews
Into the Radius 2 Early Access: Hands-On with Meta Quest 3
Survival shooter Into The Radius 2 is now out in Early Access for Meta Quest 3 and 3S, and it’s essentially a one-to-one port of the PC VR version in terms of content. Expect roughly 15 hours of gameplay, 2K resolution at 72 FPS, and a beta co-op mode for two players. Bonus tip: The Quest Games Optimizer can boost the resolution while keeping things smooth. Through June 9, you can snag a 15% discount with code “ITR2_EA-501CA6”.
Trailblazer on Quest 3: A VR Journey with Bertha Benz
Trailblazer is a free, 20-minute interactive VR experience that puts you in the shoes of automotive trailblazer Bertha Benz, retracing her legendary 1888 long-distance trip in the Benz Patent Motor Car. You’ll assemble the vehicle and cruise through a historic village. The interactions are pretty basic and the polish is hit-or-miss, but it’s a compelling, visually charming story.
Cosmic XR: A Gorgeous Mixed Reality Tour of the Cosmos
Cosmic XR is a standout mixed reality app for Meta Quest, letting you explore the solar system and deep space in stunning detail. For €9, you’ll be able to pick up, rotate, and zoom in on the Milky Way, planets, and even the black hole Sagittarius A* using just your hands. Adjustable passthrough transparency and meditative music round out an experience that captures the sheer scale and beauty of the universe.
XR Hardware: New VR, AR & Mixed Reality Headsets
Meta Quest: Major Update Unveils a Fresh UI
The biggest Quest update in months just dropped, introducing a totally revamped user interface called the “Navigator,” replacing the old universal menu. The app library now takes center stage, spotlighting your recent and pinned apps (up to ten). Update 77 also brings a slew of new features: an AI tool that turns Instagram photos into 3D images, “following” windows, toggleable spatial audio, Bluetooth LE audio support, and text-to-speech for better accessibility.
Xreal Eye Brings 6DoF to Xreal One
The new Xreal Eye camera module upgrades the Xreal One and One Pro display glasses with true spatial 6DoF tracking. Weighing just 1.5 grams, it fits between the lenses and lets you capture photos and videos at up to 12MP. Shipping starts in late June at $100. Meanwhile, Xreal says all delayed One Pro pre-orders will ship by the end of May.
Report: Apple’s Smart Glasses Pushed to 2026
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is eyeing a late 2026 release for its answer to the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. Prototype production is set for this year, with mass chip manufacturing slated for 2025. The glasses will reportedly feature cameras, mics, and speakers, mirroring Meta’s product but with Apple’s signature build quality. Originally, Apple aimed for a 2027 launch.
Google’s Smart Glasses: Display, Style, and Brand Partners
At Google I/O, the company shared new details on its smart glasses, which will pack a camera, microphones, speakers, and an optional display. Eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker are on board to deliver stylish variants, while Samsung is developing a “software and hardware reference platform.” Prototypes are already out in the wild. Not to be outdone, Xreal also teased “Project Aura,” a new Android XR-based display headset.
Valve Deckard: No Launch Until 2026, Says Lynx Founder
Stan Larroque, founder of Lynx, claims Valve’s next-gen VR headset “Deckard” won’t arrive until 2026. Having seen the device firsthand, he describes it as “pretty great,” but notes it targets a different market and price point than Lynx’s own upcoming headset—so, not direct competition.
Google’s Holographic Video Calls: “Beam” Arrives in 2025
Google’s futuristic video chat platform, now named “Beam” (formerly Project Starline), is slated for a 2025 launch. Using a special light field display and six cameras, Beam creates a 3D hologram of your conversation partner—no VR or AR headset required. AI turns camera data into a spatial model, with all processing handled in the Google Cloud. HP will produce the first units, with a debut planned at InfoComm in June.
XR Market & Business News
Tobii and Prophesee Collaborate on Next-Gen Eye Tracking
Eye-tracking leader Tobii is teaming up with startup Prophesee to develop event-based eye tracking for VR/AR headsets. Unlike standard image sensors, event-driven sensors only detect changes, resulting in higher efficiency, more accuracy, and ultra-low latency. The specs are eye-popping: over 1,000 Hz sampling, sub-1 ms end-to-end latency, and under 2 mW power draw—perfect for standalone VR headsets and smart glasses.
Tier One: VR Tactical Shooter Faces Financial Trouble
Tier One: Direct Action, the tactical VR shooter that hit Meta Quest in February, is struggling to stay afloat. The developers say community feedback and engagement fell short, making it impossible to secure needed funding. Developer Niorun Studios—over 20 VR vets, including eight former Onward devs—are exploring options to keep the project alive, but the Early Access version has been pulled from the Horizon Store for now.
VR Games & XR Apps: What’s New
Into The Darkness VR: Promising Graphics & Physics-Based Combat
Sci-fi shooter Into The Darkness VR is gunning for eye-catching graphics and a physics-driven combat system where you can deflect missiles and dismantle robots. Expect a story mode with six levels and a sandbox for freeform play. Early Access launches May 29 for PC VR at around $20. A PSVR 2 port is planned after the full PC release.
Maestro: The Top Hand-Tracking Rhythm Game Hits PSVR 2
Maestro lands on Playstation VR 2 June 20, becoming the third title on the platform to support hand tracking. All versions get a Star Wars content pack (John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” and a mini lightsaber baton) on launch day. A free update adds the new “Fields of Fate” stage, an “Angels and Demons” orchestra, and Sergei Prokofiev’s “Battle on the Ice.”
Fresh VR Games Announced for Meta Quest & PC VR
The Creature Feature VR Showcase delivered a slew of new titles: Laser Dance (turn your living room into a mixed reality laser maze, Early Access this fall); Adepts Arena (earth-magic adventure for VR and flatscreen); Crossings by Neat Corporation (a wordless co-op journey into Nordic mythology); Deadly Delivery (co-op horror deliveries in haunted mines); and Wordbound (an MR puzzle game where the entire world is made of words).
Syberia: Adventure Classic Coming to Quest 3 in 2025
The cult adventure Syberia by Benoît Sokal is getting a full remaster at the end of 2025 for Playstation 5, Xbox Series, and PC, as well as a standalone VR adaptation for Meta Quest 3 and 3S. According to Microids founder Elliot Grassiano, Syberia VR is being designed from scratch as a true VR experience with a new narrative approach. Originally released in 2002, the point-and-click classic follows lawyer Kate Walker on her surreal journey across Europe.
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