XR Weekly Roundup (February 25, 2025): Niantic Considers Selling Pokemon Go, Meta Unveils $50M Creator Fund for Horizon Worlds, and More!

It’s a fresh week, so let’s delve into some exciting XR updates!

Top News of the Week

Niantic Consider Selling Its Gaming Division

Bloomberg has reported that Niantic is contemplating selling its gaming branch to Scopely, a Saudi-owned company, for $3.5 billion. You read that right, folks—Niantic might be handing over Pokémon Go to someone else. This news really caught me off guard! Pokémon Go has remained a cash cow, despite its initial craze wearing off, thanks to its dedicated fan base. Surprisingly, Niantic has struggled to replicate this massive success with any of its other titles, including its Harry Potter AR game, which didn’t last long. The notion of Niantic parting ways with its most profitable asset—a game that not only generates revenue but also provides swathes of data for training its AR technologies—seems baffling. Analysts suggest that Niantic’s aim is to fully embrace the "outdoor metaverse" vision, focusing on AR service tools and headsets, as they hinted at a few years back. With a hefty $3.5 billion and freedom from gaming distractions, the company could make significant strides in AR innovation. It’s a bold, almost all-or-nothing gamble on AR—as an entrepreneur, it’s a risk I wouldn’t dare take, yet as an XR enthusiast, I’m thrilled. It suggests Niantic has immense confidence in XR’s future, possibly forecasting a major AR boom within three years.

Find out more here.

Other Noteworthy News

Meta Unveils $50M Fund for Horizon Worlds

In a push to boost its metaverse platform, Horizon Worlds, Meta has launched a $50 million fund to reward creators. This fund serves as bonuses for significant contributions to the ecosystem based on time spent, user retention, and in-world purchases. Starting March 11, Meta is also kick-starting a contest for world creation with prizes up to $100,000. They’ve partnered this initiative with improved creation tools, introducing a more robust desktop editor akin to game engines like Unity or Unreal. While I generally see this as a positive step—since both financial incentives and better tools are good news—there are aspects I’m skeptical about. This comes amid widespread developer complaints about visibility within Horizon Worlds, with some suggesting Meta’s focus is harming the whole Quest ecosystem. Meta announcing more funding feels a tad out of touch. Also, the approach to fund distribution is flawed, as it doesn’t attract serious professional teams due to the lack of upfront financial certainty. Instead, it feels more suited to enlist kids and hobbyists, much like Roblox. A stronger product should naturally attract creators without the need for lavish financial baiting. Plus, building a thriving ecosystem demands more.

Further details can be found here.

Continued Challenges in the XR World

The tumultuous phase in XR persists, coupled with ongoing Meta Horizon Store issues. Developers lament their games’ obscurity while users often encounter subpar content. Yet, successful stories do emerge now and then. Recently, Embracer Group admitted Metro Awakening didn’t meet financial expectations despite good reviews; Toast Interactive had to downsize due to market problems; Reddit is abuzz with dissatisfaction over the Horizon Store’s offerings; Schell Games rebranded Among Us VR to Among Us 3D to reach broader audiences, and amidst this, 3R Games’ Thief Simulator VR proves there’s hope by selling over 310,000 copies on Quest alone. This discrepancy highlights the struggle many face but also serves as a beacon of optimism.

Get Ready for Meta Connect 2025

Mark your calendars for September 17 and 18 as Meta Connect returns! While no agenda is out yet, expect updates like new smart glasses—one from Oakley for athletes—and news about third-party Horizon headsets from Lenovo and ASUS. There won’t be AI announcements here since Meta’s planning a separate event dubbed LlamaCon for those details.

Discover more here.

Highlights Worth Mentioning

Palmer Luckey’s Military Headset Advancements

Palmer Luckey, in conversation with ex-Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan, revealed intriguing info about his upcoming military headset, promising superior augmentation systems far surpassing existing tech. Luckey vouched for its ground-up design tailored for military use, integrated with Anduril’s Lattice for unmatched environmental awareness. These are some pretty bold claims which have piqued my curiosity about this potentially game-changing device.

More information is available here.

Meta’s New MR Terminology Shift

Meta has now started using "MR" to describe both Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR). This shift has resulted in developer input forms using "MR" where one would expect "VR," a confusing move considering the significant distinctions between these domains. Many speculate it’s Meta attempting to align itself with Apple’s terminology. Yet, this leaves VR developers anxious about Meta possibly losing focus on VR.

Explore further here.

The Latest from Meta Quest v74 Update

The Quest v74 runtime brings some neat additions, notably the "DisplayPort" capability, facilitating high-end casting to external displays—ideal for demonstrations. Other exciting features include opening 2D windows during VR gameplay and adaptive travel features. Meta seems to emphasize enhanced casting in this iteration.

For a full overview, click here.

Upcoming VR Games Showcase

Save the date—March 11 brings a VR Games Showcase! Expect a fresh glimpse of titles like Hitman: World of Assassination on PSVR 2, Roboquest VR, Wrath: Aeon of Ruin VR, alongside announcements from Flat2VR Studios.

Learn more here.

Developer’s Dream: A Humble Bundle

Humble Bundle has unveiled "The All-In-One VR Game Dev Bundle," offering an arsenal of resources for devs using Unity, Unreal, and Godot engines. A fantastic opportunity for developers looking to expand their toolkit.

Find out more here.

Content Corner

New titles are making waves! Detective VR brings narrative-driven mystery gameplay soon, Silent North promises multiplayer VR zombie thrills, while Monster Snap and Mythic Realms look poised to enchant players.

Check out more about these exciting releases here:

Detective VR
Silent North
Chronostrike
Monster Snap
Orion Drift
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neko Atsume
Pixel Arcade
Pinball FX VR
Ghost Photographers
Mythic Realms

Reviews Reel

Got your eye on VR content? Here are some noteworthy reviews:

"One True Path – Part 1" delivers a captivating VR tale.
"Realize Music: Sing" offers karaoke fun despite some technical hiccups.
Ashen Arrow blends VR shooting with roguelite elements.
"Selina: Mind At Large" delivers immersive storytelling, though occasionally buggy.

Full reviews and insights are just a click away:

One True Path
Realize Music: Sing
Ashen Arrows
Selina: Mind At Large

Other Tidbits

An Upload VR feature looks at how the RTX 5090 enhances VR visuals.
Details of VisionOS 2.4’s upcoming features for Apple users are out.
An in-depth comparison of hand-tracking on PSVR 2 vs. Quest.
Microsoft’s breakthrough with quantum chips is making headlines.
An insightful video traces the evolution of VR headsets over time.

For more, check out the links provided.

Updates from Partners and Pals

Curious about Golden Kingdom? This indie game aspires to be a realistic graphics-driven, open-world fantasy action RPG. If this intrigues you, don’t miss the free demo available during the Steam Next Fest.

[Discover Golden Kingdom’s official website](Official website)
[Check the free demo on Steam](Free demo on Steam)

Just for Laughs in XR

Can AI pull this off? Explore some humorous musings.
Meta seems to be all ears to developers – with a funny spin.
“Technically a war crime” yet oddly intriguing.

Delight in these fun links.

Do Some Good

In this concluding section, while I typically welcome support for my blog, this week I encourage directing aid towards those devastated by war. Please consider supporting Ukraine through the Red Cross. Here’s the link to contribute:

Support The Red Cross in Ukraine

Big thanks go to my Patreon contributors who unwaveringly support my work:

Alex Gonzalez VR
DeoVR
GenVR
Eduardo Siman
Many more amazing supporters

I genuinely appreciate the assistance you all provide. Stay updated, support wisely, and keep the XR community thriving.

(Header image by Niantic)