From must-play VR games like OhShape to top Black Friday headset recommendations and capturing real-world scenes for PC VR with Varjo Teleport, this week's newsletter is filled with everything you need to know to make this holiday season immersive and unforgettable!
- OhShape: Inspired by the Japanese TV show Hole in the Wall, OhShape is a full-body rhythm game where players dodge, punch, and fit through walls to the beat of music. Perfect for family laughs and holiday fun.
- Walkabout Mini Golf: Mini golf in VR with beautifully crafted courses inspired by Venice, Wallace and Gromit, and more. Crossplay ensures everyone, from kids to grandparents, can join in.
- Beat Saber: A VR staple, Beat Saber is easy for first-timers to pick up but challenging enough for skilled players, making it an ideal crowd-pleaser during the holidays.
- Pistol Whip: A stylized, rhythm-based shooter with broad appeal, perfect for teens and adults who want fast-paced action in their VR experience.
- Tentacular: Solve puzzles or just create chaos as a lovable tentacled creature. Great for smaller groups and puzzle fans looking for a lighthearted VR option.
- Meta Quest 3 stands out with significant hardware and design upgrades over its predecessor, offering improved resolution, mixed reality features with enhanced cameras, and a lighter, more comfortable design.
- For PS5 owners, the PlayStation VR2 shines with advanced integration, OLED displays, adaptive haptic controllers, and multiple play modes (seated, standing, room-scale), delivering a high-immersion gaming experience.
- In the premium range, the Valve Index remains a top choice for advanced PC VR users, boasting high refresh rates, precise tracking, and superior visual and interactive quality.
- Budget-conscious shoppers may find older models like the Meta Quest 2 an appealing entry point into VR, offering solid performance despite lacking the latest hardware innovations.
- Each headset caters to specific needs, whether standalone convenience (Meta Quest 3), console-based gaming (PSVR2), or high-end PC experiences (Valve Index), making it easier to find the perfect fit this Black Friday
- Varjo Teleport allows users to capture real-world scenes using an iPhone and view them volumetrically in PC VR. The plan includes up to 15 scans per month, with custom options for businesses.
- The platform leverages machine learning and Gaussian splatting for high-quality 3D scene reconstruction, rivaling Meta's upcoming Horizon Hyperscape features.
- Users walk around with an iPhone for 5–10 minutes to capture a scene, followed by 30 minutes to 24 hours of cloud processing depending on the scene's size.
- Scenes can be previewed in the iPhone app, on the web, or in the Varjo Teleport Windows VR software, compatible with all OpenXR headsets. Scenes can also be exported as PLY files for use in game engines like Unity or Unreal.
- VR viewing requires at least an RTX 3070 for small scenes or an RTX 3090 for larger ones. Varjo is developing a standalone client for headsets like Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro.
- Home Sports, a multi-sports game reminiscent of Wii Sports, launches on December 11 for Quest 3 and 3S at $20.
- Developed by Resolution Games, creators of Racket Club and Demeo, the game includes pickleball, hockey, bowling, mini golf, and badminton.
- Offers VR and mixed reality modes with boundaryless gameplay, allowing players to adapt the experience to their physical space.
- Features single-player mode and multiplayer options, supporting local and online play for up to three players.
- Combines "silly fun" with competitive elements, aiming to create a social and engaging experience for all ages
That's all for this week's highlights! Want to keep up with the latest in XR and tech trends? Sign up for our newsletter and stay informed with every update! 👇
