This week, Meta opened its Meta Horizon OS [the operating system powering the Quest product portfolio] to third-party developers, allowing a more comprehensive range of developers to create applications for the firm’s portfolio of XR products. Meta’s open approach comes as Apple establishes a walled garden ecosystem to support its spatial computing vision. The intention appears straightforward, directly aiming at Apple’s approach to its hardware ecosystem. On the other hand, Meta is taking an open approach, giving developers a customisable framework for specified solutions. This approach makes ..read more

Today, workplace professionals are leveraging haptic glove devices to suit necessary use cases such as training, virtual prototyping, marketing, and entertainment. What haptic gloves provide is an evolution from a traditional XR controller input with a joystick. The technology elevates the overall user experience and adds value via realistic simulated feelings of pressure, weight, texture, and heat. The haptic glove market is booming; recent insights from Expert Market Research note that the haptic glove market is set to expand at a CAGR of roughly 53 per cent, forecasted between 2024-2032. So ..read more

Watch on YouTube. In this episode of the Big XR News show, Rory Greener, Tech Journalist, XR Today, welcomes some of XR’s top analysts to talk about the latest news from across the industry. Our guests include: Kevin ‘O Donovan, Co-Chair, Industrial Metaverse & Digital Twin Committee, VRARA Jay Latta, Founder and Speaker, The Fusionists Amy Peck, Founder and CEO, EndeavorXR Letitia Bochud, Director, Virtual Switzerland and Chair of the Board of Directors, XR4Europe Jennifer Rogers, Executive Officer, Learning Technology Standards Committee at the IEEE Thanks for watching. If you’d like ..read more

MR headsets are facing increased interest this year. The Apple Vision Pro brought expected eyes to the technology, and late last year, Meta launched its Quest 3, which introduced its brand of MR at an affordable price following its Quest Pro launch. Moreover, MR headset vendors are focusing on productivity usage – from frontline assistive reality tools to immersive desktop tools – and that could profoundly impact the future of work, as some believe MR headsets will become commonplace work tools like smartphones or laptops. With the MR headset marketplace facing growth with other prominent vend ..read more

 Last week, Siemens, in collaboration with enterprise XR software provider BILT, leveraged Apple Vision Pro headsets to provide on-site electricians with XR instructional overlays. The partnership also gives BILT a place as the newest member of its Xcelerator Ecosystem for scaling enterprise XR solutions.   Andreas Matthé, CEO of Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, noted that the partnership “is a great example of how we are maximizing digitalization to enable the next generation of electricians.”  Siemans and BILT are developing the 3D Intelligent Instructions ..read more

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is coming. The yearly event will showcase the latest, and at times potentially paradigm-shifting, products.   This year’s WWDC event is due between June 10 through 14, 2024. Apple will host a widely published in-person keynote showcase during the event, followed by three days of virtual content to bring budding developers the latest updates.   Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations, added:  We’re so excited to connect with developers from around the world for an extraordinary week of technolo ..read more

Nathan Pettyjohn, CEO of The Immerse Group and President of the VR/AR Association, has outlined the potential for how XR can solve the skilled workforce gap looming for industries like manufacturing and construction. In a discussion at this year’s Industrial IMMERSIVE Week, titled “Bridging the Industrial Skilled Workforce Gap with XR and AI”, Pettyjohn emphasised the looming challenge of the skilled workforce gap, amplified by the retirement of baby boomers and the entry of millennials into the workforce. He highlighted the significant shortfall in skilled workers, particularly in manufa ..read more

Apple Vision Pro vs Meta Quest 3: Which is the best headset? Both options have been available to the public for a little while now, and both have made quite an impact on consumers. After testing both of these headsets, it’s easy to see why. The Meta Quest 3 is easily the best headset Meta has created so far—not just when compared to the previous Quest 2. It even has an edge over the Quest Pro in some areas. Apple’s proprietary XR headset is revolutionary in its own way, introducing us to a new era of “spatial computing.” But with its hefty price tag, it’s not as accessible as the Quest 3 for m ..read more

Recently, an exciting new use case emerged from the XR space. NASA reports that its astronauts are leveraging virtual reality headsets to explore a digital twin of the space station they will soon occupy. Moreover, the firm will train astronauts on the space station’s workflows via VR and allow designers to refine the station, therefore laying the groundwork for putting a person on Mars. According to NASA’s provided pictures, its team will use an HTC VIVE branded headset to explore the space station – Gateway – enabling astronauts to explore insights into its design and functionality. Gateway ..read more

Big vendor news this week, Admist start-ups and fresh ideas; this week, big names like Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Apple took the headlines due to each firm’s optimisation of its XR product portfolio. From new features to new customer focuses, this week, like many in 2024, will prove vital in laying down the foundation for XR in the future. In the workplace, classrooms or at home, immersive devices might find a place in everyday life partly thanks to incremental updates and changes. New Quest 3 Features Earlier this week, Meta announced the upcoming release of a new product that will assist w ..read more