- XR Gamer Digest
- Posts
- Meta Pushes Neural Control for XR
Meta Pushes Neural Control for XR
Headhunters live on Quest 3/3S, AI smart mirrors, visionOS 2.7 on June 8
XR = eXtended Reality (everything VR, AR, MR)
📣 If you only read one thing today 📣
🪦 Lynx, the French XR startup behind the Lynx-R headset, has entered judicial liquidation before its R2 mixed-reality device could launch.
📢 This is a major blow to diversity in XR hardware, removing one of the few independent European players and reinforcing how difficult it is to compete against giants like Meta, Apple, and Samsung.
🕶 And it means fewer alternative headsets, less innovation outside big ecosystems, and a more consolidated XR market with fewer bold, experimental devices.
🥳 But there’s more:
🎯 Darts VR2: Bullseye lands April 9 on Quest, PSVR 2, and PC VR with physics-based darts.
🎵 Beat Saber expands its library with Twenty One Pilots’ hit “Stressed Out”
⚡ Meta is granting six universities $150,000 each to study how people learn and use its sEMG wristband tech.
eXtend your gaming:
Welcome to XR Gamer Digest #98
XR Games
🕊️ Taking to the skies atop a giant bird, Skytail lets you use gesture-based telekinesis to rescue your companion’s kidnapped offspring in a Quest-exclusive flying adventure releasing March 26.
🎲 Headhunters, a chaotic four-player arena brawler where rolling heads swap between bodies for unique attacks, is now live on Quest 3 and 3S with online and couch multiplayer.
🛫 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s upcoming PSVR 2 update will fully adapt cockpits, controls, and foveated rendering so PlayStation pilots can inhabit richly detailed aircraft in VR later this year.
🎯 Darts VR2: Bullseye lands April 9 on Quest, PSVR 2, and PC VR with physics-based darts, multiple modes including Zombies, online leaderboards, and deep cosmetic customization.
🕵️ Among Us 3D: VR’s Definitive Edition - bundling past event maps, roles, and cosmetics - is slipping from March 24 to an April 7 launch, as Schell Games takes extra time before handing the project back to Innersloth.
💰 PAYDAY: Aces High, a four-player co-op heist spin-off for Quest and PC VR, has been unveiled with class-based “Ace” roles, customizable loadouts, and multi-location robberies coming sometime in 2026.
🎮 The March 2026 VR Games Showcase roundup catalogs dozens of reveals, demos, dates, and updates - from PAYDAY: Aces High and Compass to Roboquest VR, Wrath: Aeon of Ruin VR, and more - into one master news hub.
XR Entertainment
🎵 Beat Saber expands its library with Twenty One Pilots’ hit “Stressed Out”, arriving as a $1.99 Shock Drop track.
👗 Through Apple Vision Pro, Balenciaga’s Summer 26 show places viewers directly on the runway, delivering a highly detailed, front-row immersive fashion experience.
🪞 LOOOK.AI introduces real-time AI smart mirrors that let shoppers try on entire clothing catalogs instantly - without needing traditional 3D assets.
🧩 A calm, tactile VR journey unfolds in Interlocked: Puzzle Islands, where intricate 3D puzzles and a soothing atmosphere create a meditative escape.
XR News
☁️ NVIDIA’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service now streams flat PC titles to Quest, Vision Pro, and Pico at up to 90 FPS (and up to 4K/120 on Vision Pro with eye‑tracked foveated streaming), though native VR games still aren’t supported.
🪦 French XR startup Lynx, creator of the Lynx‑R line, has entered judicial liquidation before its R2 mixed reality headset could launch, likely ending one of Europe’s few independent standalone XR hardware efforts.
🗡️ Ubisoft is halting game development at Red Storm Entertainment - maker of Werewolves Within, Star Trek: Bridge Crew, and Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR - cutting over 100 roles as the studio shifts to internal IT and engine support.
⚡ Doubling down on wrist‑based neural input, Meta is granting six universities $150,000 each to study how people learn and use its sEMG wristband tech, from adaptive training to silent‑speech and assistive control applications.
🚫 After a DMCA notice centered on Beat Saber, Meta’s legal team forced piracy group VRPirates to shut down its servers and donations, effectively wiping out the main public source of cracked Quest games while leaving its sideloader tool usable only for user‑supplied APKs.
🍎 Apple is expected to unveil visionOS 2.7 at WWDC on June 8, with the update likely to refine Vision Pro’s core experience and add new features ahead of any potential hardware refreshes.
🗣️ A new Vision Pro social app is betting on Apple’s photorealistic Persona avatars to power intimate one‑on‑one video chats, aiming to make long‑distance conversations feel more like face‑to‑face hangouts in shared virtual spaces.
Until next time, enjoy your other reality gaming!
Bobby Voicu
How did you like today's newsletter? |