XR Weekly Recap (August 5, 2025): Ray-Ban Meta Sales Triple, Brilliant Labs Introduces Halo Glasses, and More!

Sure thing, let’s dive in—

Hey there! So, another week has rolled around, and here I am, juggling the wild world of XR news. But first, I gotta tackle this buzz: Project Moohan. Everyone’s like, "Why’s Google so hush-hush?" Maybe they’re just laying low ’cause, honestly, if the price is sky-high, who’s gonna buy, right? Too much hype and bam—"VR is dead" headlines. Just my two cents—could change in a heartbeat though.

Highlights of This Week

Smartglasses Steal the Show

Okay, so Meta’s rolling in some dough thanks to their smartglasses! Reality Labs’ numbers are up, contrary to the Quest sales, which tanked. Surprise, surprise—it’s those Ray-Ban Meta glasses! People are snatching them up like they’re on some hot sale. Working with EssilorLuxottica, Meta wants to churn out more. Luxottica’s boasting about selling three times more than last year. Artillery Intelligence says about 600K Ray-Bans sold! Crazy, huh? Meanwhile, the Quest devices didn’t keep pace.

I feel a shift. Mixed Reality headsets kind of flopped—no killer app, I guess? Most folks want Quest 3S just for straight-up VR fun. I reckon that’s why Meta axed the Quest 4 design. Just doesn’t fit the mold anymore. Hold on to your hats for possible mixed reality glasses in 2026. Until then, it’s all about looking like a rockstar with smartglasses. Plus, Mark Zuckerberg (yeah, him again) says we’ll all be lagging without them soon. They’re leading us to the—yep—the metaverse. Who would’ve thought glasses could be the Trojan horse for tech on our mugs all day?

VR Time: Goldilocks Style

Meta suggests VR sweet spot timing between 20 and 40 minutes. I mean, who wants to spend all day in a headset, right? Quick sessions aren’t worth the hassle—turning on, updates, the whole nine yards. And yeah, after an hour, my forehead is just over it. Really, it’s about those 20–40-minute chunks for the best experience. People misunderstood, thought Meta meant games themselves were 40 minutes long—oops. Nah, they want levels or quests to fit in this timeframe.

Speaking from personal experience, short VR jaunts feel pointless, and long sessions, just painful. Always something new to learn. Mobile and VR—they ain’t the same, don’t employ identical strategies—or you’ll regret it.

New Kids on the Block: Halo Glasses

Brilliant Labs launched their Halo smartglasses—barely over 40 grams and a marathon battery life. They’re smart, sensing the world, and a personal AI named Noa who remembers stuff like no other. A little privacy-friendly too. Fully open-source—techies, rejoice! Tag—$299. Count me in—had to snag one just for kicks and experiments.

Ultra-thin Innovations

Meta and Stanford have this edgy thing—super thin MR glasses, around 3mm thick. It’s like something from a sci-fi flick. They mess with your senses with real-depth lightfields, none of that stereoscopic hullabaloo. Not ready for store shelves yet, but worth keeping an eye on.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

• Meta Avatars: New hairdos, more real than ever.
• Alibaba’s Smartglasses: Unveiling AI Glasses—hands-free calling, music, translations. Exciting—or not? Time will tell.
• DJI’s New 360° Camera: Osmo 360 comes in hot against Insta360. Competition just got fierce.

And there’s more, like Meta bringing immersive events in Teams—virtual meetings are officially souped-up 3D shindigs now. Yawn—meetings still meetings, even in 3D.

Fun and Games

Rezzil’s recreating a football match in VR—talk about living in the future. A bunch of VR games are hitting the shelves: Blade & Sorcery, Boxing Underdog, even some sci-fi action in CYBRID. Plus, that classic Syberia’s got a slice of VR life—can’t wait to check it out.

Okay, side note: there’s a VRChat escapade link that had me chuckling—imagine chaos and screaming kids. Totally relatable, right?

Finally, if your wallet feels itchy for a good cause—Red Cross needs those bucks in Ukraine. They’re doing some heavy lifting over there, so every bit helps.

Phew! That was a rollercoaster. Hope you enjoyed this chaotic ride. Catch you later!