XR = eXtended Reality (everything VR, AR, MR)

🥳 But there’s more:

🤖 The multiplayer mode for Underdogs will feature completely remade physics and introduce new mech types

👟 Hockerty has innovatively integrated VR into its custom sneaker shopping experience

🕶️ Alibaba is set to challenge Meta's smart glasses market dominance with the late 2025 launch of its AI-powered Quark AI Glasses

eXtend your gaming:

Welcome to XR Gamer Digest #72

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).

🏡 Little Planet, a VR life simulator sandbox, is transitioning to a free-to-play model on Quest this fall, inviting players to build and terraform homes across various planets while interacting with NPCs.

XR Games

⚔️ Warpfrog, the studio behind Blade & Sorcery, has confirmed its next VR title will retain the original's physics-based combat and modder-friendly DNA, though it won't be a direct sequel.

🎶 CYBRID, a rhythm-action game drawing inspiration from Pistol Whip, is set to launch in early access on the Meta Quest platform on September 5.

🤖 The multiplayer mode for Underdogs will feature completely remade physics and introduce new mech types, moving beyond the "stiff" original Rilla mech for enhanced PvP combat.

🥏 DISC, a free-to-play arcade fitness game for Quest, blends elements of frisbee and air hockey into a 1v1 multiplayer experience with a solo campaign and full-body workout.

🚀 After a decade of anticipation, Star Citizen's VR mode is finally expected to begin internal testing in the coming months, signaling a potential return to immersive gameplay for the vast space simulation.

XR Entertainment

👟 Hockerty has innovatively integrated VR into its custom sneaker shopping experience, enabling customers to virtually preview their personalized designs before making a purchase.

💖 Meta Avatars have received a significant update, introducing diverse new body types, clothing options, poses, emotes, and AI styling features to enhance user personalization and expression.

XR News

🎮 The VRMMO Eldramoor: Haven in the Mist successfully concluded its Kickstarter, raising over $170,000 to develop its immersive world for Quest 3 and Steam, surpassing initial goals.

👓 Brilliant Labs is set to launch its third device, a next-generation pair of smart glasses, on July 31st, following its previous Monocle developer kit and AI-driven Frame smart glasses.

⏱️ Meta has identified a "Goldilocks Zone" of 20-40 minutes for optimal Quest VR sessions, a duration balancing user value and comfort against the inherent friction of headset use.

🏊 The FORM Smart Swim 2 Pro augmented reality goggles, now upgraded with durable Gorilla Glass 3, offer enhanced clarity and real-time swim metrics for guided workouts.

📈 Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses revenue has more more than tripled year-over-year in H1 2025, prompting Meta to deepen its partnership with EssilorLuxottica with a reported $3.5 billion investment.

📉 Meta Reality Labs reported a 5% revenue increase in Q2 2025 to $370 million, primarily due to soaring Ray-Ban Meta glasses sales, despite a continued decline in Quest headset sales and a $4.53 billion division loss from XR investments.

💡 Quest Horizon OS v79 introduces Adaptive Lighting, an always-on feature that intelligently adjusts the color temperature of 2D windows and the Navigator UI to seamlessly match the ambient lighting of the physical environment.

🎧 A new progressive web app (PWA) for Spotify on Quest 2 and above now allows users to listen to music and podcasts both in the background and maximized, supporting free and paid subscriptions.

🤖 Alibaba is set to challenge Meta's smart glasses market dominance with the late 2025 launch of its AI-powered Quark AI Glasses, integrating the Qwen large language model for features like real-time translation and hands-free payments.

Until next time, enjoy your other reality gaming!

Bobby Voicu