Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced today the global launch of its next generation virtual reality headset, PlayStation VR2. Featuring high fidelity visuals, new sensory features and enhanced tracking, PlayStation VR2 takes virtual reality gaming to a whole new level, enabling players to feel a heightened range of sensations unlike any other. The PlayStation VR2 headset and included PlayStation VR2 Sense controller is available at the recommended retail price of $549.99 / €599.99 / £529.99 / ¥74,980

"Providing extraordinary experiences to gamers is what we strive for at PlayStation, and today we are thrilled to start this new chapter in virtual reality gaming with PlayStation VR2," said Jim Ryan, President and CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment. "PlayStation VR2's innovative technology has helped unlock the creativity of the industry's finest developers, who have designed outstanding games that deliver a greater sense of presence for players. I can't wait for fans around the world to experience PlayStation VR2 for themselves."

Bigscreen today unveiled Bigscreen Beyond, the world's smallest VR headset. Weighing just 127 grams and measuring less than 1-inch at its thinnest point, Beyond has an unprecedented form factor that is 6X lighter than competing VR devices. Beyond features ultra-high resolution OLED displays, custom pancake optics, and
tethers to a PC for ultimate VR immersion. Each device is custom-built to the shape of a customer's face, providing unparalleled comfort for long duration VR
experiences.

"As passionate VR enthusiasts, we built the VR headset we wanted for ourselves," said Darshan Shankar, Bigscreen's Founder & CEO. "Today's leading VR headsets have doubled in weight compared to headsets from 2016. We built Beyond because we felt VR was too heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable. We invented new technologies to increase comfort, and developed ultra-high-end components like OLED microdisplays and pancake optics to increase immersion. To deliver the best software experience for watching movies in Bigscreen, we also had to build the best hardware with Bigscreen Beyond."

We're already approaching the end of January and this coming week we're looking at both a new AAA title and a remake of an older AAA title that also gets a collectors edition. In other words, a lot of exciting things are happening, if you're looking at getting a new or old game with improved graphics to play.

Forspoken / This Week's AAA Title / Tuesday 24 January
Mysteriously transported from New York City, Frey Holland finds herself trapped in the breathtaking land of Athia. A magical, sentient bracelet is inexplicably wrapped around her arm, and Frey discovers the ability to cast powerful spells and use magic to traverse the sprawling landscapes of Athia. Frey nicknames her new golden companion "Cuff" and sets off to find a way home.

Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) at the 2023 International CES set up a small but popular booth, drawing crowds to go hands-on with the new DualSense Edge wireless controllers for the PlayStation 5, and the PlayStation VR2 virtual-reality system, besides a few more interesting bits of gaming gear. The new DualSense Edge goes on sale from January 26, and is a feature-packed new wireless controller that offers advanced new-generation haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, the ability to fine-tune stick sensitivity, user-replaceable stick caps and back button, and button-remapping. The premium controller is expected to be priced at USD $200.

The PlayStation VR2 headset launches in February 2023, and works exclusively with the PlayStation 5, for a new selection of VR2-optimized games. The VR2 packs much faster hardware than the original PSVR from 2016, a higher resolution display with a native resolution of 4000 x 2040 pixels, HDR, a 110° FOV, and refresh-rate of at least 90 Hz, that can be pushed up to 120 Hz in certain high-motion scenarios. The VR2 headset features "inside-out" tracking of the user with cameras embedded in the headset determining your body movements, augmenting the inertial sensors. The headset also features eye-tracking, advanced haptic feedback, and improved 3D spatial audio. We also got to see new gray camouflage body scheme for the PlayStation 5, its stock DualSense wireless controller, and Pulse 3D headset, and "God of War: Ragnarok" themed DualSense wireless controllers.

TrendForce estimates that global shipments of VR devices will come to around 8.58 million units for 2022, showing a YoY drop of 5.3%. There are three notable factors behind the decline. First, the ongoing high inflation has been suppressing the consumer demand for end products this year. Second, VR brands have either opted to not release a new product this year or pushed back the schedule for releasing a new product. Lastly, the demand for Meta's Quest devices has been dampened by a significant pricing adjustment. As for 2023, TrendForce forecasts that global shipments of VR devices will bounce back to a total of 10.35 million units and show a YoY growth of 20.6%. New products including the Sony PS VR2 and the Meta Quest 3 are scheduled for release next year, so they are expected to be a significant demand driver.

Meta has been the most aggressive in committing resources into the VR/AR market. However, the effect of its attempt to offer hardware at a low price has been quite disproportionate to its massive investments in related technologies. Due to mounting cost pressure, Meta has adjusted its pricing strategy for Quest devices. The Meta Quest 2, in particular, is now priced at US$1,499, which is more than three times its previous price. On account of this price hike and its relatively short battery life, the Quest Pro will unlikely follow the footsteps of the Quest 2 with respect to maintaining a strong shipment growth momentum. TrendForce estimates that that shipments of the Quest Pro will reach just to the level of 250,000 units for 2022. Meta will have to wait until next year, when the Quest 3 hit the market, to again see a notable positive growth in its shipments of VR devices. TrendForce currently forecasts that Meta's shipments for 2023 will total around 7.25 million units.

DPVR, a leading provider of virtual reality (VR) devices, has today announced the launch of its newest PC VR gaming headset with the introduction of the 'DPVR E4,' which is aimed at dominating the consumer market for tethered PC VR headsets. In a different category altogether from standalone VR headsets such as the Meta Quest 2 and Pico 4 devices, the DPVR E4 provides PC VR gamers with a tethered alternative that offers a wider field of view (FoV), in a more compact and lighter form factor, as well as offering a more affordable solution compared to high-price tag devices such as the VIVE Pro 2.

DPVR has been making VR headsets for seven years. Prior to E4's launch, the company's efforts were primarily directed towards the B2B market, with a specialized focus on the education and medical industries. Over the last decade, DPVR has completed three successful funding rounds, which the company has used for its research and development efforts into furthering its VR hardware and software offerings. This latest announcement from DPVR marks the company's first step into the consumer VR headset market.

Fringe Realities are pleased to announce that their atmospheric horror VR game Project: Nightlight is planning to be released on Steam VR with a release window of Q1 2023. Project: Nightlight sees the player take control of a nightguard, unravelling the mysteries of The Department and the secrets it's trying to keep from going public. When something is amiss with the contained Artifact, the player will be guided by the distressed co-worker Dave over the walkie-talkie.

Project: Nightlight aims to provide a whole new level of immersion thanks to the unique capabilities of virtual reality. The game allows the player to interact with objects with an acute attention to real-life accuracy, such as handling bolt cutters or melting locks with a blowtorch. Further details will be provided in the leadup to the launch of Project: Nightlight on Steam VR in Q1 2023. For more information and future updates, they'll be available on the official Twitter page @FringeRealities.

During Snapdragon Summit 2022, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. revealed the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 Platform, which delivers groundbreaking AR technology that will unlock a new generation of sleek, highly capable glasses. The Company built Snapdragon AR2 from the ground up to revolutionize the headworn glass form factor and usher in a new era of spatial computing experiences for the real-world/metaverse mix.

Purpose-built for AR: To help create the thinnest possible, high-performance AR glass, we have built a multi-chip distributed processing architecture combined with customized IP blocks. The main processor occupies a 40% smaller PCB area on glass and the overall platform delivers 2.5x better AI performance while consuming 50% less power to help achieve AR glasses that consume <1 W power. This enables rich AR experiences on glasses that can be comfortably worn for extended periods of time and meet the demands of both consumers and enterprise use cases.

During the Snapdragon Summit 2022, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Adobe announced an expanded collaboration to support creative experiences on Snapdragon powered devices across mobile, compute, and XR platforms. Together, the companies will push the boundaries of creativity and document productivity for Snapdragon users.

Building on the rich experiences already found with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom for Windows on Snapdragon devices, Adobe remains committed to bringing the best of Creative Cloud natively to the Snapdragon platform, including Adobe Fresco and Adobe Acrobat. Bringing the strength of Adobe Sensei, Adobe's artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, alongside the dedicated on-device Qualcomm AI Engine on Snapdragon compute platforms, users can experience enhanced device performance for creative workflows and tasks including super-resolution, background removal and color enhancement, editing content on-the-go, and more.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of premium gaming hardware, the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB series graphics cards powered by NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture are going to be available for purchase on Nov 16. The new GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs have a quantum leap in performance, allowing gamers and content creators to enjoy ultra-high FPS gaming and improve the workflow efficiency. GIGABYTE provides both WATERFORCE and WINDFORCE thermal solutions for users, including AORUS XTREME water-cooled graphics cards, AORUS MASTER, GAMING OC, AERO OC, and EAGLE OC air-cooled graphics cards, which all meet the diverse requirements and needs.

AORUS WATERFORCE WB is the top choice for those who wish to build open-loop liquid cooling systems. GIGABYTE specializes in thermal cooling solutions, providing optimal channel spacing between the micro fins for enhanced heat transfer from the GPU via stable water flows. The sunk-designed copper micro fins shorten the heat conduction path from the GPU, so that the heat can be transferred to the water channel area quickly. Moreover, with the patented "Leak detection" technology, the built-in leak detection circuit covers the entire fitting and water block and can promptly alert users by flashing lights at the first sign of a leak, so users can deal with the leakage early and prevent any further damage to the system. Both the front cover and the backplate of the graphics card support RGB lighting, allowing gamers to customize their own style through GIGABYTE CONTROL CENTER (GCC) software.

Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey designed a new VR headset that adds the ultimate layer of realism to VR—mortality. Thought to be relegated to dystopian cyberpunk fiction, this new headset comes with the ability to literally kill its user if killed in-game. Its design involves an Oculus Quest Pro, with explosive charges strapped to the forehead, which activate when the headset receives a specific pattern of red color flashes from the game's display-head, to a photo receiver (typically the "Game Over" screen). There's already a concept for a game designed for this.

Mortality replaces visual fidelity and photorealism (or other forms of sensory realism); as the most powerful stimulus. You play the game like your life depends on it—which it literally does. You're in an MMO playing against another human in an unpausable PvP game, where the consequence of losing the duel is losing your head in real life. But first, the good news—the cursed thing isn't in mass-production, and while the US-FDA has approved for certain kinds of pain-stimulating gaming peripherals, it didn't approve killing the user. The product will have to pass through a long line of political, legislative, legal, and philosophical hurdles before it's released to market as something you can buy. Please don't.

Sony has finally revealed the pricing for its upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset and for those interested in getting one, we really hope you've saved up, as the headset costs more than a PlayStation 5 console. The headset will only launch on the 22nd of February 2023, but Sony will start taking pre-orders later this month and you're going to have to cough up $549.99 / €599.99 / £529.99 / ¥74,980 depending on where you live to get your hands on one. For the money, you get the PS VR2 headset, the PS VR2 Sense controllers and a set of undisclosed stereo headphones. Sony will also offer a bundle with Horizon Call of the Mountain, which will retail for $599.99 / €649.99 / £569.99 / ¥79,980.

In addition to the headset, Sony will also offer a charging station for the controllers, which comes in at $49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99 / ¥5,480. The controllers would otherwise charge via USB-C. The PS VR2 also uses USB-C to connect to the PS5 console. The PS VR2 offers 2000 x 2040 pixels resolution per eye, using OLED displays that are capable of 90 and 120 Hz refresh rate. The headset also sports four cameras for headset and controller tracking, as well as an IR camera for each eye, for eye tracking. The eye tracking hardware is made by Swedish Tobii, which is a company that specialises in eye tracking solutions. Sony also announced 11 new PS VR2 games, which among others include Switchback VR, Cities VR - Enhanced Edition, Crossfire: Sierra Squad and The Light Brigade.

HaptX Inc., the leading provider of realistic haptic technology, today announced the availability of pre-orders of the company's new HaptX Gloves G1, a ground-breaking haptic device optimized for the enterprise metaverse. HaptX has engineered HaptX Gloves G1 with the features most requested by HaptX customers, including improved ergonomics, multiple glove sizes, wireless mobility, new and improved haptic functionality, and multiplayer collaboration, all priced as low as $4,500 per pair - a fraction of the cost of the award-winning HaptX Gloves DK2.

"With HaptX Gloves G1, we're making it possible for all organizations to leverage our lifelike haptics," said Jake Rubin, Founder and CEO of HaptX. "Touch is the cornerstone of the next generation of human-machine interface technologies, and the opportunities are endless." HaptX Gloves G1 leverages advances in materials science and the latest manufacturing techniques to deliver the first haptic gloves that fit like a conventional glove. The Gloves' digits, palm, and wrist are soft and flexible for uninhibited dexterity and comfort. Available in four sizes (Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large), these Gloves offer the best fit and performance for all adult hands. Inside the Gloves are hundreds of microfluidic actuators that physically displace your skin, so when you touch and interact with virtual objects, the objects feel real.

soundcore, Anker Innovations' premium audio brand, today announced the VR P10 Gaming Earbuds, the first audio product authorized for usage in Meta Quest 2. "We are excited that the VR P10 will be the first audio product to receive the 'Made For Meta' endorsement," said Steven Yang, founder and CEO of Anker Innovations. "Our new low-latency earbuds will be the perfect gaming accessory for Meta Quest 2 users."

The VR P10 were truly designed for video game fans. The VR P10 can pair to an included USB-C dongle that operates using a 2.4 GHz wireless connection with compatibility with the LC3 codec and when not in use, the wireless dongle can easily be stored inside the charging case. The USB-C dongle features soundcore's LightningSync wireless technology that provides a low-latency connection between the device and earbuds, reducing audio latency to 30 ms, perfect for avid gamers. Using the wireless dongle ensures that audio cues align with what's on a user's Meta Quest 2 VR headset. When playing first person shooter (FPS) games or reaction-type games, it is imperative that audio cues align with video as misaligned audio can be quite distracting to users.

Tap Systems is excited to announce the release of the new TapXR wearable keyboard and controller. The TapXR is the first wrist-wearable device that allows users to type, input commands, and navigate menus. It allows fast, accurate, discreet, and eyes-free texting and control with any bluetooth device, including phones, tablets, smart TVs, and virtual and augmented reality headsets. TapXR works by sensing the user's finger taps on any surface, and decoding them into digital signals.

While conventional hand gestures are slow, error prone and fatiguing, tapping is fast, accurate, and does not cause visual or physical fatigue. Tap users have achieved typing speeds of over 70 words per minute using one hand. While hand tracking supports relatively few gestures and has no haptic feedback, TapXR has over 100 unique commands, and is inherently tactile.

Today at Meta Connect, Mark Zuckerberg joined leaders from Reality Labs at Meta and a few special guests to showcase our progress in making the metaverse a reality. We highlighted the incredible success of Meta Quest 2, discussed how virtual reality is becoming more social, and showcased innovations for fitness, gaming and work. We also revealed Meta Quest Pro, a breakthrough device that's bringing the physical and digital worlds one giant step closer together.

In recent years, we've shared a few details about our next VR device, which we called Project Cambria. Today, we're dropping the codename and introducing Meta Quest Pro. This high-end headset will begin shipping on October 25, priced at $1,499.99 USD. You can pre-order your Meta Quest Pro on meta.com. Meta Quest Pro is the first in a new line of advanced headsets built to expand the possibilities of virtual and mixed reality. Its pancake lenses fold light over several times, reducing the size of the headset while showing sharper visuals. A new, curved battery on the back helps make Meta Quest Pro a more balanced and ergonomic headset overall.

D-Link Corporation unveiled today its much-anticipated DWA-F18 VR Air Bridge, a wireless dongle designed specifically for Meta Quest 2 in an exclusive partnership with Meta. The DWA-F18 VR Air Bridge provides high-performance wireless links between Meta Quest 2 and PCs/laptops, eliminating cable clutter to provide enhanced and safer VR gaming experiences.

"While connecting Meta Quest 2 through a PC/laptop will significantly boost performance and graphic quality, most gamers are connected via the home Wi-Fi router or a dedicated gaming router. Many home Wi-Fi router connections can be unstable and are likely affected by other connected home Wi-Fi devices. Gaming routers can be significantly higher in cost, more time consuming to set up, and definitely not tuned for optimized Meta Quest 2 connectivity," explained CJ Chang, CEO of D-Link Corporation.

Fast Travel Games today announced a publishing deal with VirtualAge Games for Guardians Frontline, a strategic VR shooter set in a sci-fi setting. Featuring powerful weapons, structural crafting, and an in-game map editor, Guardians Frontline allows players to take on the role of both soldier and commander. Originally released as Guardians on Oculus App Lab, Guardians Frontline will launch for Meta Quest 2 and SteamVR in early 2023.

In Guardians Frontline, players must defend the federation from an enemy onslaught as they attempt to extract a mysterious energy source. Battlefields can be strategically secured with a blend of brain and brawn, including tactfully spawned buildings, mechs, spaceships, heavy weapons, and more. The game can be enjoyed solo in single-player mode, four-player co-op, or with up to eight friends in PvP.

PICO, a leading VR brand with independent innovation and R&D creation capabilities, has today announced the launch of the PICO 4, a next-generation, all-in-one VR headset that aims to make VR accessible to everyone by combining comfort and performance.

Equipped with the Snapdragon XR2 platform, the PICO 4 features a super lightweight body, Pancake Optics, 4K+ resolution display, and an intuitive user experience. Pioneering the next generation of VR hardware design, PICO's new headset makes the unreal real, with a more vivid, and immersive VR experience. The PICO 4 will be available on October 18th in thirteen European countries, with plans to launch in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia this year.

Today, the National Football League, the National Football League Players Association and StatusPRO, Inc., a sports technology and gaming company that uses NFL game data to create authentic extended reality experiences, announced the release of NFL PRO ERA, the first-ever NFL and NFLPA-licensed virtual reality (VR) simulation gaming title. Available globally on Meta Quest 2 and PlayStation VR platforms, NFL PRO ERA will bring fans closer to NFL players' point of view with a first-person 3D immersive football gaming experience. NFL PRO ERA will feature the NFLPA group license to allow fans to play the current NFL roster in the game.

"The NFL is excited to partner with StatusPRO, which has developed cutting-edge VR technology and leveraged their expertise as former football players to create an incredibly immersive NFL experience," said Ed Kiang, VP of Video Gaming at the NFL. "NFL PRO ERA will enable fans to connect with the game and their favorite teams in a whole new way."

peel 3d, the developers of best-in-class professional-grade 3D scanners that offer superior value at unmatched price points, today announced the launch of peel 3 and peel 3.CAD—two new scanners that will elevate the 3D scanning experience for professional users across many different sectors without compromising affordability.

peel 3 and peel 3.CAD handle like a charm as they feature a revamped ergonomic design unlike any other on the market and an intuitive multi-function touchscreen interface. Industry-first haptic user communication through vibration simplifies generating high-quality 3D scans regardless of users' skill levels. Improved resolution and performance for more complex geometries, surfaces and colours provide additional versatility to 3D scan any type of object.

Law enforcement is investigating an alleged mail-bomb attack towards the Northeastern University's VR department (Boston). A 45-year-old mailroom employee was caught in an explosion late Tuesday evening after opening a parcel containing a hard plastic case, leading the improvised explosive device to activate. Luckily, the employee survived the attack with only lacerations on his hands.

A low-tech way of delivering explosive payloads, mail bombing in the US rose to prominence through the actions of the Unabomber. Now, it seems that this delivery method is once again being weaponized for political purposes, as the package carried with a note (described as "rambling") that criticized Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the relationship between university VR research and private interests. Northeastern University hosts several VR-oriented facilities, including an Immersive Media Labs Suite that "includes technologies for design, development, and exploration of virtual worlds, AR/VR/XR, and 360 video." It remains to be seen if this is a lone event or if it's a part of a more elaborate strategy of preventing change through fear.

According to the latest TrendForce statistics, revenue of the top ten global IC design houses reached US$39.56 billion in 2Q22, growing 32% YoY. Growth was primarily driven by demand for data centers, networking, IoT, and high-end product portfolios. AMD achieved synergy through mergers and acquisitions. In addition to climbing to third place, the company also posted the highest annual revenue growth rate in 2Q22 at 70%.

Qualcomm continues in the No. 1 position worldwide, exhibiting growth in the mobile phone, RF front-end, automotive, and IoT sectors. Sales of mid/low-end mobile phone APs were weak but demand for high-end mobile phone APs was relatively stable. Company revenue reached US$9.38 billion, or 45% growth YoY. NVIDIA benefitted from expanded application of GPUs in data centers to expand this product category's revenue share past the 50% mark to 53.5%, making up for the 13% YoY slump in its game application business, bringing total revenue to US$7.09 billion, though annual growth rate slowed to 21%. AMD reorganized its business after the addition of Xilinx and Pensando. The company's embedded division revenue increased by 2,228% YoY. In addition, its data center department also made a considerable contribution. AMD posted revenue of US$6.55 billion, achieving 70% growth YoY, highest amongst the top ten. Broadcom's sales performance in semiconductor solutions remained solid and demand for cloud services, data centers, and networking is quite strong. The company's purchase order backlog is still increasing with 2Q22 revenue reaching US$6.49 billion, an annual growth rate of 31%.

LG Electronics (LG) is unveiling its latest premium monitors at IFA 2022 in Berlin, Germany, including the superb, new UltraGear OLED gaming monitor (model 45GR95QE). LG's first curved OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate, the 45-inch model is designed for immersive gaming experiences, offering the visual performance, speed and features serious gamers demand.

Visitors to LG's booth at IFA 2022 can explore a wide range of cutting-edge LG monitor products, including the new UltraGear and the UltraFine Display Ergo AI (model 32UQ890), which delivers a truly customizable setup for superior user comfort at home or at the office.

A year after their exclusive Meta Quest release "Rainbow Reactor: Fusion", Tunermaxx are back with an ambitious VR adventure on Steam VR. The game spent five months in Early Access and was shaped by feedback from the community. Players will be immersed in a majestic Alpine landscape, preparing a remote little ski resort for reopening - all by themselves.

With all the stress that has been invading our lives recently, Snow Scout offers a chance to virtually get away from it all. Players experience the game's story as themselves, having decided to volunteer with a non-profit organization, with the task of preparing a remote little ski resort for reopening. They will have to perform tasks based on real ski patrols, like opening and checking slopes, performing snow cover tests to determine avalanche risks and even triggering controlled avalanches, as well as side-tasks like recycling trash and taking pictures of elusive Alpine birds.