Vision Pros Are Getting Returned

Good morning, folks!

In a recent podcast, Mark Zuckerberg explained exactly why he shot the controversial review video dissing the Apple Vision Pro and also revealed Meta’s entire plan for the future of AR & VR. We’ll definitely be talking more about that.

Plus, we have a ton of new subscribers joining us today. Make yourself at home, guys; it’s about to be a crazy ride into the future.

 — Joel Johnson, Founder & Chief Editor

Headlines for people in a hurry:

• 🥽 Apple Fans Are Returning Their Vision Pros

• 😲 Meta Is Working On Mind-Control AR Technology

• 🖐️ New Quest Update Lets You Use Hands & Controllers Together

• ❤️ Vision Pro CPR App Wins Prize At Stanford Hackathon

Read time: 3 minutes

TOP STORIES

APPLE

Vision Pros Are Getting Returned. Is It Bad?

It looks like people’s love affair with the Vision Pro might just have been a fling. The $3500 device has seen a wave of returns as the 14-day return window closes, which has sparked a ton of discussions across social media and tech circles.

But is there some truth to this? We’ve investigated deeply and found some interesting observations. First of all, Apple does not release the exact number or percentage of returns for us to definitively say whether this is bad news or not.

However, some Apple employees have reported that the numbers aren’t very big and also revealed the main complaints that led to returns. Discomfort, motion sickness, and the lack of killer apps/experiences to justify the price tag top the list.

Some experts have said that returns were expected, as many who brought it were small to big influencers and media organizations that were trying to milk the Vision Pro for content before returning it.

"It's just the f***ing YouTubers so far," said one retail employee. The good news is that many who returned said they’re willing to try a second generation of the Vision Pro which will have more useful apps, cost less, and might be more comfortable. Thankfully, Apple is carefully taking notes from every customer return.

META

Zuck Reveals Future Plans For VR & AR (Oh, And A Mind Controlling Device Too)

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined the Morning Brew podcast recently in an attempt to convince us that he’s definitely not an alien (you can’t fool us, Mark!) and also revealed the company’s plans for the future.

The host jumped straight into the question on everyone’s mind: why did he make the unconventional video roasting the Vision Pro?

Zuck explained that ever since the Vision Pro announcement, he had high expectations for the product, given that Apple is a top device manufacturer, had been working on it for decades, had a ton of VR patents, and was 7 times more expensive than Quest 3.

However, when he finally got it, he was a bit disappointed. Plus, he saw that many reviewers praising some of Vision Pro’s “revolutionary” features didn’t know that Quest 3 was capable of the same. So he decided to take a stand.

Mark then went on to reveal Meta’s vision, saying that walking down the street with your VR headset is not their intention. They have AR glasses like the Meta RayBans for that, and VR is supposed to be an at-home experience. He said that VR devices will be used like our TVs or monitor screens, while AR glasses will be the future of mobile phones.

Later, he shocked everyone by saying that they’ve been working on a mind-controlling device that lets you talk with AI on your glasses without speaking or typing commands but just by thinking about it! It will be released in a few years.

META

New Quest Update Lets You Use Hand Tracking & Controller Tracking At The Same Time

Finally, one of my biggest frustrations with Quest 3 has been answered by the geniuses at Meta. Switching between hand tracking and controller tracking always felt like a nightmare, but not anymore.

Meta has significantly improved tracking capabilities with the launch of two innovative features: Multimodal (MM) and Wide Motion Mode (WMM). The latest update to the Meta XR Core SDK (v62) brings these advancements to developers, allowing for more immersive and intuitive interactions within Quest Store and App Lab apps.

Multimodal allows for the simultaneous tracking of hands and controllers, a significant leap from previous limitations where the headset could only track one or the other. This feature enables users to enjoy the precision of controller input and the natural immersion of hand tracking simultaneously. Benefits include instant switching between controller and hand tracking, easier location of controllers in VR, and the potential for more complex interaction models in applications.

Wide Motion Mode expands the tracking volume for hands by utilizing the Quest 3's upper body tracking. This feature estimates the position of the hands even when they are outside the camera's field of view or obscured, enhancing interactions that require broad arm movements. WMM is particularly beneficial for social apps and experiences that involve wide-arm gestures.

NEWS FLASH

HEALTHCARE

Life-Saving Vision Pro CPR App Wins Prize At Stanford Hackathon

• ❤️ Good Samaritan CPR: The app combines Apple Vision Pro with machine learning to help first responders administer first aid.

• 🌐 Beond Offers Vision Pro In-Flight: Luxury airline Beond plans to offer Apple Vision Pro headsets to passengers on business-class flights to the Maldives, enhancing the in-flight experience with immersive movies and games.

• 🌙 Beautiful Things Vision Pro: The WebXR app that lets you bring 3D objects into your living room has crossed 100k+ interactions.

• 🧩 Loona Crosses 155K: People have spent over 155k minutes on the cozy puzzle game on Vision Pro.

• 🎮 ArcSine Launches on PC VR: Prop Logic releases ArcSine, a physics-based puzzle platformer inspired by Celeste and Portal, featuring a unique "jump & dash" locomotion system for PC VR.

• 🏗️ Anarchitects VR/MR Sandbox Announced: Squido Studio reveals Anarchitects, a VR/MR sandbox game inspired by Roblox and Garry's Mod, promising limitless creativity without the need for scripting or coding.

• 🌌 Somnium VR-1 Headsets Shipping Soon: Somnium Space announces the Somnium VR-1, a PC VR headset for enthusiasts, with shipments starting in April and pre-orders opening in March.

• 🪄 Vision Pro's Magic Room App: A Magic Room app for Apple Vision Pro transforms your environment into a colorful, swirling landscape using the headset's LIDAR scanner.

• 🚀 Breathedge Coming to Meta Quest 3: The humorous space adventure game Breathedge, featuring an immortal chicken, is set to launch on Meta Quest 3, Quest 2, and Quest Pro on February 22nd.

• 🛹 GLYDR Facilitates VR Movement: GLYDR, a foot controller designed for VR and video games, offers a new way to control games comfortably with your feet, enhancing immersion and reducing hand strain.

• 🌌 CitraVR's Super Immersive Mode: The Quest-native Nintendo 3DS emulator CitraVR tests a "Super Immersive Mode," allowing deeper game immersion with 6DoF head movement support.

• 🌐 Mozilla Sunsets Hubs: Mozilla announces the shutdown of Mozilla Hubs, including the Hubs Demo Server and Managed Subscription, as part of its organization-wide restructuring, set for May 31, 2024.

BOOKMARKS

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• Upload VR’s Long-Term Vision Pro Review.

UNREAL MONEY

FUNDING REPORT

AutoVRse Raises $2M In Seed Funding

AutoVRse, a startup specializing in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), has raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by Lumikai.

The round also saw participation from notable figures such as Rajat Monga, co-founder of TensorFlow and Inference.io, and Yash Kotak, founder of Jumper.ai.

The fresh capital will be utilized to enhance AutoVRse's foundational enterprise product, VRseBuilder, and support the company's expansion efforts in the United States. Additionally, AutoVRse plans to expand its product suite and team size, aiming to solidify its position in the VR and AR industry.

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