Apple hosted a special ‘Meet with Apple’ developer session this week that was focused on its spatial computing platform, visionOS. After months of questions about its commitment to XR, the company reiterated that it remains invested in the space.
The News
“We want to ensure that we’re obviously very committed to the platform,” said Yuri Imoto, a product manager at Apple’s Spatial Computing division. “We’re very excited actually. In a relatively short amount of time, spatial computing has evolved pretty rapidly.”
Imoto further underscored the platform’s growing importance to surgery, healthcare, education, training, and immersive film—areas all covered in the day-long developer event.
One of the bigger announcements to come from the event was the unveiling of Blackmagic’s new pro-level ambisonic microphone, which includes an internal processor that natively convert signals from its 108 microphone array for direct use in Apple spatial content.
Courtesy Blackmagic
“I think this is all testament to say that we are pushing forward spatial computing, and Apple is committed to this platform.”
Notably, Apple’s most recent XR headset release was in October 2025 with its M5 hardware refresh of Vision Pro. Despite bringing improvements to processing performance, visual clarity, refresh rate and comfort, it was largely an incremental upgrade, and not a next-gen offering in its own right.
Over the course of the last year though, the company has seemingly focused on improving visionOS’ user experience across the board, both for casual users and enterprise. To boot, Apple has been pumping out a load of spatial content, including immersive documentaries, live MLB baseball games, as well as introducing third party support for unique tracked controllers and accessories for Vision Pro.
My Take
The company is very careful to say they are committed to spatial computing and the visionOS platform, although I wouldn’t conflate that to mean it’s also specifically backing its Vision Pro hardware efforts.
Apple are developing their own smart glasses and AR hardware in addition to mixed reality devices, all of which could support some flavor of visionOS in the future—much like AndroidXR does now.
While unsubstantiated by Apple (of course), a report from Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from earlier this summer indicated that a prospective Apple Vision Pro 2 release has been pushed back or delayed to late 2028 or 2029 at the earliest, as the company is focusing on releasing smart glasses by late 2027, effectively bringing competition to Meta and Google/Samsung’s own efforts.
So, I’d expect that as smart glasses and AR take the center stage at Apple, visionOS will continue to evolve in those directions as Apple further appeals to professionals, and nor consumers, to continue buying its current Vision Pro M5 release.
Blackmagic Design today announced a new pro-level microphone designed to capture spatial audio for immersive video production, including built-in support for Apple Vision Pro.
Called the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, the new ambisonic microphone array features a staggering 108 digital MEMS microphones designed to capture the entire sound field.
Essentially, an internal processor runs Apple-licensed array geometry and encoding filters, which convert those 108 signals into 64 channels of 32-bit audio in real time, eliminating the need for external breakout boxes or separate encoding software.
Aimed at professional use—and priced at $1,695—the device’s microphones are mounted flush in a solid, faceted metal body. It’s not as big as it seems either; Blackmagic says it’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, or be mounted on top of a camera.
Courtesy Blackmagic
The microphone connects and is powered via a single USB-C cable. Blackmagic says it’s also class compliant, so there are no drivers or plug-ins to install.
The proposition: customers can mount it on top of Blackmagic’s recently released URSA Cine Immersive camera, plug it in, and begin capturing spatial audio for Apple Immersive content, with spatial audio recording directly into the camera’s immersive files.
Courtesy Blackmagic
The company notes that users can also connect the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone to a computer and record and mix in real-time with Fairlight Live, or record directly to iPhone using the Blackmagic Camera app. There will also be a USB to SMPTE-2110 converter available for advanced broadcast workflows, the company says.
“This microphone started when we were collaborating with Apple on the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera. I heard a high resolution spatial audio capture for the first time and it was like hearing an acoustic reality, I was totally blown away,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “Apple licensed their array geometry and the ambisonic encoding filters, we did the engineering and design, and the result is an ambisonic microphone where you just plug in one cable and capture true spatial audio.”
There’s no precise ship date yet, although the company says we can expect availability in December.
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades 2 is here, bringing a heaping dose of the shooting range fun and gun realism you’re used to from the original. Now you can also take on an extraction-based roguelike campaign that puts your shooting (and reloading) abilities to the ultimate test. Read on to find out why it may just be VR’s smartest, most hardcore roguelike to date.
Undoubtedly, this game is for the people who love the original Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, which on the face of things isn’t really saying much since it’s a sequel to the game that’s been cooking in Steam Early Access for a decade. At its heart though, Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades 2 is a roguelike shooter built atop the scaffolding of a gun simulator. Newcomers to the series may find it a little daunting at first, but also surprisingly deep and rewarding too.
Courtesy RUST LTD
At first, you’re thrown into the game with minimal explanation, which can be frustrating, especially if you haven’t followed along with developer Anton Hand’s regular dev logs which do a much clearer job of describing the game’s various systems.
The expectation is that you’ll stumble your way through multiple deaths before figuring out how to reload each gun, how to clear levels, how the game’s in-universe currency works, and a host of other important things that I kind of wish were more apparent at the onset of the game. That is, unless you want to put a pause on the campaign, and hang back at base and do the measurably less fun job of reading WienRpedia text entries, or going through various guided ‘Certification’ tutorials. You don’t have to, it just helps.
Captured by Road to VR
That said, H3VR2 is everything it was promised to be. Procedurally generates levels are filled with unique traps and alarms, an increasingly difficult array of hot dog-flavored enemies (aka ‘Sosigs’), and a lot of really fun humor along with way.
As an extraction-style roguelike, each level allows you to extract loot, which you find throughout the map. You can fit in your gear transport pod before heading back to base, and going for your next run.
Courtesy RUST LTD
And you’ll find a ton of loot—more than you can shake a meatstick at. Like, a lot of seemingly useless stuff, like ammo that doesn’t work with your current loadout, or red dot sights for (again) stuff you don’t have. The choice here is to either keep it to the end of the run and hope all of it fits in your single allotted loot pod, or recycle it for its base parts: meat, mustard, or metal, and try to spawn something more useful in to use or take back as extracted loot. It’s a fun balancing act that really makes you think before hoovering up random stuff.
That seems to be the overarching theme with H3VR2: smart balancing that gives you just enough to keep going, but not enough to feel like you’re the ultimate badass right away. After all, how can you feel like a badass with a little Hi-Point peashooter? You need to earn your guns, spend your money on worthwhile upgrades, and also earn your understanding of the game in the process.
And personally, H3VR2 represents the high point so far this year in VR gaming.
Immersion
Honestly, at first I wasn’t really feeling H3VR2 solely based on the level of difficulty related to handling and reloading guns. It’s a faff—no two ways about it.
Guns are as realistic as they can get, requiring multiple (and unique) steps to reload, chamber, fire, and unload—a fairly tall order when gun-toting hot dog men are hunting you down and attempting to end your latest run. After playing for a few hours, that’s much less of a complaint now. I understand most pistols and long guns. Even if they’re all different, I’ve developed the muscle memory to get them working, which is in part thanks to taking time at the range, and pushing through a particularly unsuccessful string of first runs.
That said, I can’t pretend like the game’s high gun realism isn’t a barrier to entry. I can’t count the times I tried to cock a gun only to find out the model needed me to toggle the safety off first, or how many times I dropped a spent magazine in terror as I frantically tried to reload, only realizing later that it was actually my last, and I wouldn’t be able to restock it with bullets at one of the many reloading stations dotted throughout the game. In short, you’ll be expected to intuit a lot of interactions from the start, and git gud.
Still, after about an hour of attempts and you inevitably fail your way up a level or two, the game starts to give back. You’ll start to find more loot, more ancillary weapons that actually come in handy, and you’ll get better at developing your own tactics on how to best take down a patrolling Sosig, who might even have a little healer robot floating overhead to suck up even more of your ammo. It’s always difficult, but once you create those fundamental gun handling skills, the game starts to really take off.
Sosigs are delightfully frangible too, as melee weapons and bullets take noticeable bites out of them. And as you’d expect from a hot dog-flavored war simulator, it never gets too serious either, as Sosigs are full of one-liners.
As far as object interaction goes, you can grab most guns in a number of ways, which is nice since you’ll need both hands to load and rack any given weapon. Meanwhile, you can also force grab stuff from far away, or on the ground to keep you from having to crouch or move in odd ways just to grab a Soviet grenade or a single shotgun shell.
Level design is also a high point, as it entirely fits the backrooms-esque narrative purpose of the game. There is a good amount of non-interactable doors, lockers, and other set dressing which may have been better integrated into levels though. Still, levels feel intentional, from the reloading stations to the door opening buttons, which you can push with the tip of your gun, back, hand—whatever you have on you.
Comfort
All of your standard VR locomotion options are here, so it’s very comfortable for most anyone.
Seated mode, although depending on your inventory style, can sometimes make it a pain to grab something by your hip if you’re in a chair with arm rests.
Eyewear giants Gentle Monster and Warby Parker are set to launch their first Android XR smart glasses next month, built in collaboration with Samsung and Google.
Pre-orders are now open for both Gentle Monster and Warby Parker Android XR-powered frames.
Much like Meta’s array of smart glasses include built-in cameras and off-ear speakers so you can capture video and photos, and also interact with AI for things like live translation, turn-by-turn directions, and making calls and listening to music.
Instead of Meta AI though, you have Google’s Gemini in your ear, with many of the familiar Google services
Gentle Monster and Warby Parker smart glasses will be available in their respective retail stores in select countries (more below), with demos also available at select Google Stores; in-store and online availability is coming December 10th. Check out the styles, pricing and availability below.
Gentle Monster
Gentle Monster is taking a decidedly more high-end approach to its Android XR glasses, with frames starting at $449.
The company revealed three more designs in addition to the three initially shown before today. All six are set to include a variety of color combos: dark red, pink, gray, and yellow, as well as tinted, clear, blue, and brown lenses. Prescription options are available for most frames, the company says.
Courtesy Gentle Monster
Notably, Gentle Monster’s collection will only be available initially in the United States and South Korea. At the time of this writing, the company hasn’t released plans for a wider international rollout.
Although not as cheap as, say, Meta’s latest $300 smart glasses, which omit the Ray-Ban/Oakley branding, Warby Parker appears to be rounding out Android XR’s lower end with optical or sun styles starting at $395.
The frames were created by Warby Parker’s in-house design team in New York City, and feature three styles—Alden, Reid, and Wren. The company says these was inspired by some of its most popular designs.
Courtesy Warby Parker
Warby Parker smart glasses will be available in Pine, Saddle, and Jet Black colorways, with a wide range of prescription, width, and lens options, the company says.
You can find all three direct from Warby Parker, which notably only sells in the US and Canada. You can also book a demo in participating locations.
Warby Parker & Gentle Monster Specs, Privacy
This first generation of Android XR smart glasses feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chipset, a single 12MP front-facing camera with indicator LED, and up to 9 hours of use per charge, with a portable charging case providing seven extra charges.
Notably, that 12MP camera is ultra-wide, and is said to include HDR processing and image stabilization. It’s built-in mic array also captures audio spatially, the company says. All of the Android XR smart glasses are said to work with Android and iOS phones.
Courtesy Warby Parker
Undoubtedly, privacy has become a major concern for smart glasses wearers, as some places are even banning them outright. Just like with Meta smart glasses, taking a photo or video prompts an indicator LED to light up, and covering it or disabling it in some way will stop it from recording.
Google says that camera visuals captured by Gemini are not saved in your Gemini History and aren’t used to train AI models or target ads. What’s more, glasses are also designed to “automatically redact bystanders’ faces from these visuals before Gemini processes them,” the company says.
Data stored on glasses is also encrypted, and if data leaves your glasses, it’s also encrypted in transit to keep it private and secure.
Much like how Android works on mobile, Android XR lets you control which apps have access to the device’s camera and mic, which you can change at any time. Google says you can also review or delete your chats with Gemini, and adjust your settings at any time in Gemini History.
‘Siege of Heaven’ was a DLC for VR bowshooter In Death: Unchained (2020), but starting today, it’s getting its own game.
Called In Death: Siege of Heaven, the single-player game essentially replaces the original’s creepy corridors and intense face-to-face enemy encounters with pure, single vantage point archery, making the roguelike experience more of quick drop-in, drop-out wave-based tower defense game.
Now available on Quest Pro and Quest 3/3S, In Death: Siege of Heaven features eight different maps set in the atmospheric world of In Death, two difficulty modes (Easy and Normal), as well as global leaderboards.
Developer Superbright tells us that by offering it as a standalone game has allowed them to upgrade the graphics pipeline with Mobile HDR rendering at 90 Hz (on Quest 3/3S and Quest Pro), build a new 3D Lobby and first-time shop tutorial, add dynamic wave music, and launch fresh Season 1 leaderboards.
Notably, the original ‘Siege of Heaven’ DLC is still accessible in In Death: Unchained for everyone who already owns it.
You can find In Death: Siege of Heaven on the Horizon Store, priced at $11.99.
Somnium Space, the adult-only social VR platform, was delisted from Steam during Valve’s crypto games purge in 2021. Now, the platform is slated to return to Steam next month.
We first learned that Somnium Space was eyeing a Steam re-launch earlier this summer, as the company promised it would launch on SteamVR (incl. Steam Frame) and Steam Deck, and also eventually Apple Vision Pro too.
The company is hosting its Somnium Connect event on November 28th, where we hope to learn more about just what’s changing, although this ostensibly means Somnium Space will be complying with Steam’s blanket ban on cryptocurrency and NFTs.
The platform was heavily involved with both starting in October 2019, when virtual land was auctioned off, and a year later when its cryptocurrency CUBE was released. Then, in 2021, Valve purged all crypto/NFT-centric games, which also meant Somnium Space would essentially attract players by funneling them to their own launcher.
Notably, Somium Space says the Steam release is slated to include the company’s signature user ID system, which ensures all users are verified as being over 18.
“Our goal is to keep the core Somnium experience accessible to everyone who meets the platform’s 18+ age requirement and completes the mandatory free age verification. We do not plan to lock core platform features behind a purchase price,” the Steam page reads, noting it’s aiming to stay in early access for the next 1-2 years.
Unlike VRChat, which is primarily built around user-created avatars and worlds, Somnium Space was founded as a persistent virtual world with a more monolithic structure. After its v3.1.6 update in July however, users can now host paid and/or private instances, allowing for things like concerts, classrooms, meetings, paid events, and moderated gatherings.
Meta may soon rebrand Horizon+, its VR game subscription service for Quest, to ‘Meta VR+’, as the company appears to be bundling a number of 3D films to better appeal to Meta VR Glasses owners.
Ostensibly sourced from the latest HorizonOS 2.10 release which began rolling out late last month, dataminer ‘NT2182’ (via ‘NoriDoesVR’) has uncovered an image that suggests Meta is getting ready for another rebrand.
This time, the company is reportedly refocusing its Horizon+ game subscription service for Quest to include 3D films, and renaming it Meta VR+ the process.
Courtesy NoriDoesVR, NT2182
Notably, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), Project Hail Mary (2026) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) are all actually owned by three different entities: Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, and the Disney-owned Marvel Studios, respectively.
This suggests that Meta could be hand-picking specific films to license individually rather than offering a wider swath of exclusive content, like Disney+, Prime Video, or Netflix tends to do.
Meta announced in September it would begin hosting 3D Disney films via Disney+, soon to be available to subscribers in select countries. In the past, the company also inked a multi-year partnership with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Vision to develop new stereoscopic content.
Courtesy Meta
This follows the unveiling of Meta VR Glasses in September. The company is differentiating the $1,300 device from its comparatively cheaper Quest 3/3S gaming platform by focusing on casual content consumption, as well as its use as a private productivity device/virtual screen.
The headset (or glasses, rather) are exceedingly light at just ~100g on-head weight, which is done by offloading the compute and battery to a tethered, pocketable puck.
