- XR Gamer Digest
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- Orion Drift (from Gorilla Tag devs) in Early Access
Orion Drift (from Gorilla Tag devs) in Early Access
Palmer Luckey unveiled EagleEye, 2 major Meta events in 2025, The VR Games Showcase returns
XR = eXtended Reality (everything VR, AR, MR)
📣 If you only read one thing today 📣
💻 Microsoft is shifting away from HoloLens and mixed reality hardware after losing its $22 billion IVAS contract to Anduril
⚠️ This marks a major shift in the XR industry, as Microsoft had been a key player in enterprise and military AR with HoloLens.
📢 The move signals a broader industry trend where companies are either doubling down on XR (like Apple with Vision Pro and Meta with Meta Quest) or pivoting towards AI and cloud-based solutions (as Microsoft is doing).
🥳 But there’s more:
🤖 Orion Drift, the sequel to Gorilla Tag, enters free early access on Quest 2+
🎥 Prima Immersive on Apple Vision Pro delivers the sharpest 3D immersive video yet
💡 Apple is set to integrate AI into Vision Pro with the visionOS 2.4 update
eXtend your gaming:
Welcome to XR Gamer Digest #52
Discounts and Tips
🤩 Don’t forget you can get up to 25% discounts when you buy a game from the Meta Quest store. Go here and look for your game (we’re not affiliated with the website, but it’s a great tool).
🎁 Meta Quest February Sale offers big discounts, up to 50% on hundreds of VR titles until February 23, here is the list.
XR Games
😱 Action Hero's free Cult of Darkness update adds a new horror-themed level and Arcade mode, now available on Quest.
🎣 Real VR Fishing expands with the Europe Vol. 2 DLC on February 26, adding 10 stunning European locations and 30 new fish species for $10.
🪖 Onward is making a major comeback with its biggest update yet, bringing a graphical overhaul, new operators, and fresh map content later this year.
⚔️ Skydance’s Behemoth receives its second major patch, fixing over 700 issues and improving animations, AI, and VR mechanics across all platforms.
🔫 Tier One: Direct Action launched in early access on Quest on February 20 for $13, featuring realistic military mechanics, destructible environments, and strategic gameplay.
🎮 StellarPlans VR, a sci-fi fantasy shooter featuring FPS combat, aerial mech battles, and large-scale exploration, launches on Meta Quest on March 7 with the enhanced 2.0 update, also coming to Steam.
🕹️ Into the Radius 2, the survival shooter, enters early access on Meta Quest 3 and 3S in Q2 2025 for $40, featuring the same content as the PC VR version.
📷 Monster Snap, an on-rails VR photography game inspired by Pokémon Snap, launches in Q1 2026 on Quest and PC VR, with PS VR2 and Switch versions planned later.
🤖 Orion Drift, the sequel to Gorilla Tag, enters free early access on Quest 2+ on February 25, featuring 200-player social VR, mini-games, and the fast-paced Drift Ball arena.
🗡️ Mythic Realms transforms your living room into a battleground with room-scale boss fights and procedurally generated adventures, launching March 13 on Quest 3, 3S, 2, and Pro.
🕵️♂️ Detective VR, a mixed reality investigation game inspired by Minority Report, arrives on Quest 3 and 3S on February 27.
XR Entertainment
🪄 Symphoni, a mixed reality rhythm game where players conduct classical music like a wizard, arrives on Quest March 6.
🐶 Living Room, the mixed reality animal-raising sim, now supports Quest 2 with black-and-white passthrough, expanding access to its interactive zoo-building experience.
🎥 Prima Immersive on Apple Vision Pro delivers the sharpest 3D immersive video yet, surpassing Apple’s own standard with advanced encoding technology.
🏀 The NBA's Vision Pro app introduces Tabletop, an AR feature that transforms live games into miniature 3D dioramas for NBA League Pass subscribers.
XR News
🕶 Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have surpassed 2 million sales, prompting EssilorLuxottica to scale production to 10 million units annually by 2026, as Meta prepares for growing competition in the AI-powered eyewear market.
📈 Sandbox VR surpasses $200 million in ticket sales, expands globally with new franchises, and invests in educational VR content alongside entertainment, including upcoming experiences based on Netflix IPs.
😞 Despite critical acclaim and winning Steam VR Game of the Year, Metro Awakening fell short of publisher Embracer Group’s financial expectations.
👤 Thief Simulator VR: Greenview Street has surpassed 310,000 copies sold on Quest, generating millions in revenue through base game sales and DLC expansions.
🦸🏻♂️ Palmer Luckey unveiled EagleEye, Anduril’s next-generation AR/VR/MR military helmet, promising superhuman battlefield awareness with AI-driven threat detection, predictive guidance, and real-time intelligence integration.
💻 Microsoft is shifting away from HoloLens and mixed reality hardware, confirming it will end major updates while supporting HoloLens 2 until 2027, following the loss of its $22 billion IVAS military contract to Anduril.
💡 Apple is set to integrate AI into Vision Pro with the visionOS 2.4 update, marking a strategic shift in its mixed reality focus and aiming to redefine spatial computing.
📅 Meta has announced two major events for 2025: LlamaCon on April 29, focused on open-source AI advancements, and Meta Connect on September 17-18, showcasing the latest in VR, MR, and Meta Horizon OS innovations.
🥳 The VR Games Showcase returns on March 11, featuring major reveals, updates, and trailers, including Hitman: World of Assassination for PSVR 2, new Flat2VR titles, and more across Quest, PC VR, and PSVR 2.
🛠️ Quest v74 update introduces web shortcuts, DisplayPort Out, improved casting, seamless multitasking, multi-room setup, travel detection, and enhanced passthrough night display, rolling out gradually.
🎮 AWE 2025 introduces the Gaming Hub, a dedicated space for XR developers to showcase, network, and collaborate in the expanding immersive gaming industry.
🩺 XRHealth aims to build the world's largest XR healthcare platform with the acquisition of RealizedCare, expanding AI-driven digital therapeutics for patient care.
Until next time, enjoy your other reality gaming!
Bobby Voicu
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