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

🥳 But there’s more:

Vision OS, the OS for Apple Vision Pro, got a big update to 2.0.

Batman: Arkham Shadow has a new story trailer.

Microsoft Flight Simulator will receive a VR mode.

eXtend your gaming:

Welcome to XR Gamer Digest #23

Discounts and Tips

🎉 Steam Sale offers up to 75 percent off on popular VR games. Some of them: Hitman: World of Assassination (-55%), No Man's Sky (-50%), Arizona Sunshine (-75%) and Arizona Sunshine 2 (-30%).

🤩 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).

XR Games

🚇 The Exit 8 VR, an indie hit inspired by Japanese subway passages, is coming to the Meta Quest Store on July 11, 2024.

🏍️ VRider SBK, the world’s first officially licensed Superbike VR game, is now available on Meta Quest with immersive controls and multiple racing modes.

🛸 Homeworld: Vast Reaches brings the iconic space-based RTS franchise to virtual and mixed reality on Quest and soon on PCVR.

🧛‍♂️ Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire is out now on Meta Quest, with a SteamVR release planned for 2024.

🦇 Batman: Arkham Shadow has a new trailer. The story trailer shows us more from the Quest 3 exclusive.

🥷 A new VR mod by Luke Ross makes Ghost of Tsushima playable in VR with stereoscopic 3D and 6DOF tracking, but without motion controls.

🧪 The first Bonelab update in over a year brings significant enhancements for Quest 3, modding, and physics, along with new content for Quest and PC VR headsets.

🔫 On Point is a '90s-inspired VR lightgun shooter coming to Quest and PC VR in Q3 2024. 

⚔️ Blade & Sorcery enters full release on PC VR on June 17, with the Quest version, Blade & Sorcery: Nomad, to follow later this year.

🤏 Hand-tracking action arcade game Thrasher launches on Quest and Vision Pro on July 25th, with PC VR and flatscreen versions to follow later.

🔫 The ‘STRIDE: Fates’ update for PSVR 2 enhances graphics and adds new content, including 25 missions, a wingsuit gadget, and adaptive trigger feedback.

🧩 Chrono Weaver is a new VR co-op puzzler you can play solo, with a free demo available on Steam and Quest.

🔫 Rogue Ascent, a VR roguelike sci-fi shooter previously exclusive to Quest, will soon be available on Steam with controller support. 

🛶 Kayak VR: Mirage's new Soča Valley DLC introduces its largest and most impressive environment yet, featuring whitewater rapids, now available on PSVR 2 and Steam.

🏃 The hide-and-seek VR shooter 'Mannequin' will arrive on Steam Early Access on June 20th, featuring cross-play support with Quest and an initial discount.

✈️ Aces of Thunder, the upcoming PSVR2 flight sim from War Thunder's studio, showcased Soviet aircraft in new gameplay footage.

XR Entertainment

🌎 Starting July 2024, Horizon Worlds will enforce a 6 GB storage limit per world, and update 165 introduces usability improvements and a new real-time performance metrics tool. 

🖥️ Virtual Desktop now supports multiple monitors, including virtual extra monitors on Windows, for various headsets with differing resolutions and bitrates.

🚣 ActiveLook integration with the CrewNerd app provides real-time AR performance metrics to rowers, enhancing their training experience and safety.

🥽 Wevr, the VR studio behind 'theBlu,' is developing next-gen spatial experiences with new investments from Epic Games and HTC.

🛫 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will offer a "spectacular" VR experience with confirmed PC VR support and performance improvements, releasing on November 19th.

💃 Just Dance VR, featuring 360° music experiences and social hub Dancity, launches on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro on October 15. 

🤖 HTC's upcoming AI-powered body tracking update may soon eliminate the need for some users to wear Vive Ultimate Trackers.

XR News

👂 Scientists are using VR games to help profoundly deaf UK children with cochlear implants improve their ability to localize sounds and understand speech.

📸 Canon is launching a more affordable stereo wide-angle lens for spatial video capture, priced at $1,099 and designed for vlog-style VR creation.

🥽 Apple Vision Pro's visionOS 2 update will introduce new features like spatial photos, SharePlay support in Photos, enhanced Mac Virtual Display, Magic Mouse and Keyboard support, available in fall 2024.

🌍 AVP is also expanding beyond the US, launching in multiple new countries including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK, starting this month.

🕶️ AR marketing is effective for grocery stores, as demonstrated by H-E-B's successful holiday campaign that boosted ad recall and purchase intent using AR filters and multi-channel distribution.

⛏️ The University of Utah and Minverso have developed a VR metaverse platform to train miners in safety and evacuation procedures, enhancing real-world readiness and improving mine safety.

Until next time, enjoy your other reality gaming!

Bobby Voicu