Apple Reportedly Has Numerous XR Headsets & Glasses Coming Between Now & 2028

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Independent tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple’s XR and smart glasses roadmap will feature multiple XR devices, including a spec-bumped Vision Pro slated to release later this year. At the far end of the spectrum, Kuo also says Apple is making AR glasses, reportedly coming in 2028.

Kuo is a long-time tech analyst and respected figure in Apple product leaks. In a new blogpost, Kuo has laid out a timeline for a number of Apple XR releases, ostensibly based on various supply chain leaks.

Kuo reports that a new Vision Pro featuring the company’s M5 chip is scheduled for mass production in Q3 2025, with 150,000–200,000 units expected to ship. This next Vision Pro is reportedly upgrading the chip from M2 to M5, but will otherwise retain the original specs.

Kuo maintains the iterative approach is based on Vision Pro’s current position as a niche product, as the company hopes to use the next version to maintain market presence, reduce component stock, and further refine XR applications.

Photo by Road to VR

Next, Kuo says Apple is preparing a much lighter headset, reportedly called ‘Vision Air’, set to release in Q3 2027. Vision Air is said to be dramatically lighter at over 40% less than the current Vision Pro, which weighs in at 21.2–22.9 ounces (600–650 g), excluding the battery.

Kuo maintains Vision Air will include plastic lenses, magnesium alloys, fewer sensors, a top-tier iPhone chip, and be priced significantly lower to appeal to broader users.

The true next-gen Vision device is said to be ‘Vision Pro 2’ though, which Kuo says could arrive in 2H 2028, replete with a full redesign, Mac-grade chip, reduced weight, and a lower price, signaling Apple’s shift to move away from niche XR products and move toward mainstream adoption.

Meanwhile, Kuo says Apple is investing heavily in smart glasses.

A Ray-Ban-like, audio-first wearable is expected to arrive in Q2 2027, Kuo says, noting that the company is hoping to manufacture 3–5 million units—ostensibly a significant push towards making its first smart glasses a mainstream success.

Oakley Meta HSTN | Image courtesy Meta, EssilorLuxottica

Like Ray-Ban Meta, and the recently unveiled Oakley Meta HSTN, Apple’s smart glasses are said to have no display, rather offering audio playback, photo and video capture, an AI assistant, and both gesture and voice controls.

Arguably the biggest claim among Kuo’s timeline is the mention of Apple XR Glasses, which the analyst maintains will include a color display (LCoS + waveguide) and AI features, making it the first true AR glasses from the company. Kuo says Apple is targeting release in 2H 2028, with a lighter variant being developed in parallel.

This follows reports of Apple potentially scraping a more casual XR glasses-type viewer, which would be tethered to Apple devices and use birdbath optics. The device was originally planned for release in Q2 2026, but Kuo maintains it was paused in late 2024 due to insufficient differentiation, especially around weight.

Granted, Apple is one of the most opaque black boxes in tech for a reason. The company historically announces products on stage, which typically also comes with a price and release date attached. While Kuo has a fairly reliable track record of reporting insider knowledge of Vision Pro, we’re taking this data dump with an equally-sized grain of salt.

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‘PianoCafe’ is a Wildly Creative Approach to Gamifying Piano Lessons

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As with any instrument, learning the piano can be intimidating when you first start out. But indie developer Plai Technologies is developing an interesting approach to gamifying piano lessons with its upcoming mixed reality app, PianoCafe.

Coming to Quest 2 and above on July 30th, the MR game isn’t about ‘beat-ifying’ keystrokes like we’ve seen with other games, such as PianoVision (2023) from Zarr Apps, but by turning your keys into actual cooking ingredients.

Here’s the gist: as a short order chef, you use a real piano to cook meals by playing chords and serving ghostly customers a variety of dishes and drinks.

And you’ll need to serve up the right dish by summoning the right components, which are linked to individual keys and chords. For example, you might play a C major chord to get bread, F major for cheese, A minor for meat, and G major for lettuce. Put it all together, and you’ve got yourself a musical sandwich.

Granted, PianoCafe isn’t really supposed to be an all-in-one piano learning app—the studio says it’s “designed for curious minds and musical beginners”—but it does sound like a unique way to build early muscle memory and ease you into playing the piano before heading onto more difficult tasks, like learning to read sheet music.

You’ll also need your own MIDI-compatible piano to play PianoCafe; the app itself is currently using MIDI detection from the keyboard to the headset, which allows the app to accurately detect keys across MIDI-outputting electric keyboards with 45 to 88 keys.

The studio says the app’s next phase will however include using the Quest’s cameras to automatically detect keys, which will open gameplay up to traditional acoustic pianos without needing MIDI input.

In the meantime, you can wishlist PianoCafe over on the Horizon Store for Quest 2 and above before it comes out on July 30th.

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‘MYST’ Studio Cyan Announces Second Layoff Round This Year

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Cyan, the indie studio behind VR-supported revivals of classic puzzle adventures MYST (1993) and RIVEN (1997), announced a second tranche of layoffs following a round in March that reduced the company by half.

Cyan announced the news in a Bluesky post, linking an updated Google document with contact details of affected employees.

The updated list includes 14 names, although it’s unclear how many were affected in this second round versus March layoffs. Several of the listed employees were previously confirmed to have departed earlier this year. Additionally, inclusion in the document was voluntary.

Cyan announced in March that it was laying off twelve staff members, “roughly half the team,” the studio confirmed. Since Cyan ostensibly had around 24 employees before March layoffs, it’s likely now down to single digits following the recent round.

At the time, Cyan said its “number one priority is to secure financing for our next project, and to restabilize the studio,” further noting the studio has “been around for a very long time, and have been through tough times before.”

“Industry conditions have forced us into a tricky spot where we are having to weigh the future health of our studio against the month-to-month realities of game development in 2025,” Cyan said in March. “Throughout the past year, we have been ultra-transparent with the entire Cyan team about the choppy waters we find ourselves in, as well as the dangers ahead. While the news of a layoff was not a surprise to the team, it was (and is) still deeply saddening for all of us.”

Caught up in the recent layoff round was Lead Game Designer and Writer Harrison Pink, who joined the company in 2023. In a LinkedIn post, Pink calls the industry is “a complete mess right now.”

“It breaks my heart to say it, but unfortunately I was caught up in this layoff,” Pink says. “The industry is a complete mess right now, and I don’t blame any of this on the folks at Cyan, who have done as right by me as they possibly could.”

Cyan is best known for creating Myst, the groundbreaking 1993 puzzle adventure game that became a cultural phenomenon and helped popularize CD-ROM gaming.

Over the years, the studio released four other direct entries in the Myst franchise, including Riven (1997), Myst III: Exile (2001), Myst IV: Revelation (2004), and Myst V: End of Ages (2005).

Cyan’s first foray into VR gaming began with the release of Obduction (2016), a spiritual successor to Myst that was successfully crowd-funded via a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. The first-person sci-fi puzzle adventure was released across PC VR and the original PSVR, as well as console and PC.

In 2021, Cyan then launched a 3D remake of Myst, which released on Quest, PC VR, PC and console, updating the nearly 30-year-old game with modern graphics.

In 2023, the studio released Firmament (2023), its atmospheric puzzle adventure in the spirit of Myst and Obduction, launched across PC, console, PC VR and PSVR 2. Shortly afterwards, Cyan released the 3D remake of Riven, bringing the game to Quest, PC VR, PC and console.

The recent layoff round follows the release of ‘Rime’, a new free Age added to the Myst remake, launched on March 20th. Meanwhile, the studio is getting ready to launch Firmament on PS5 and PSVR 2 on July 2nd.

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Quest 3S Xbox Edition Sells Out in Just Days From Meta, Availability Remains at Retailers

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It’s been less than a week since Meta launched the Quest 3S Xbox Edition headset, but the “limited edition” device is already out of stock if buying from Meta directly. However, it’s still available at third-party retailers.

Meta said previously that the Quest 3S Xbox Edition is “extremely limited” and will be gone for good once it sells out. So while it’s a bit surprising that it’s already listed as ‘Out of Stock’ when trying to buy directly from Meta (in both available regions; US & UK), it’s unclear at this point if demand is higher than expected, or if Meta simply didn’t have much direct stock to begin with.

It’s worth noting that the Quest 3S Xbox Edition is still available at Best Buy in the US, and at Argos and EE in the UK; but considering even the official Xbox website is still pointing buyers directly to the Out of Stock page on Meta, it’s possible that neither company expected stock to sell out so quickly.

The ‘Buy Now’ button on Xbox.com directs customers to the sold out listing of the headset at Meta.com

Granted, there’s plenty of brand new Quest 3S Xbox Edition headsets already available for a significant premium on Ebay, so scalpers may also have a hand in this.

The Quest 3S Xbox Edition is functionally no different than the Quest 3S—it’s the same display, lenses, processor etc. But it comes with a unique color scheme, an Xbox controller, and three months of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which gives access to Microsoft’s cloud gaming library which includes a fairly large selection of modern Xbox titles, but not all Xbox titles are compatible.

While this bundle serves the specific use-case of flatscreen gaming with the headset, any existing Quest 3S owner with an Xbox controller can play Xbox Cloud Gaming content just the same.

However, the bundle at least offers a little extra discount for people wanting to use a headset this way. The Quest 3S Xbox Edition at $400 is $75 less expensive than separately buying a Quest 3S ($300), Quest Elite Strap ($60), Xbox Controller ($55), and three months of Game Pass Ultimate ($60)—making for a discount of 16%.

Microsoft had said way back in 2016 that its upcoming Xbox One X would support “high fidelity VR”, but unfortunately that never materialized. This is the closest Microsoft has gotten to a full-blown Xbox VR headset, but those not tuned into the VR space might be disappointed to find that they can’t actually use the Quest 3S Xbox Edition to play their favorite Xbox games in VR, but just play them on a flatscreen in a VR headset.

But hey, it’s a nice option to have. Maybe one day we’ll at least get 3D rendering of Xbox games to give them some depth inside their windowed screen.

Update (July 27th, 2025 – 2:45PM ET): A prior version of this article incorrectly stated that the total value of the individual components in the Xbox Edition bundle was $415. This has been corrected to $475.

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Bigscreen Beyond 2 Starts First Wave of Shipping, Aims for Immediate Fulfillment by September

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Bigscreen announced it’s officially begun shipping the first production units of Beyond 2, the company’s latest slim and light PC VR headset.

Following a recent production delay, the company says in a blogpost that Beyond 2 headsets are now shipping, noting that due to a backlog of pre-orders, fulfillment will continue through August and beyond.

Bigscreen says that new orders placed today are expected to ship between August and September, with the goal of clearing the backlog by late September and transitioning to near-immediate fulfillment.

This includes both versions currently on sale—Beyond 2 and Beyond 2e—the later of which includes eye-tracking. Beyond 2 is priced at $1,019 and Beyond 2e at $1,219, both of which can be purchased direct from Bigscreen.

And Beyond 2 has proven to be pretty popular with pre-order customers. The company said during its March pre-order launch that its first 24 hours of sales outsold the original Beyond by “more than the first four months”.

Additionally, Bigscreen now says that more units were sold in the first 11 days than all Beyond 1 units sold in its first year. This has prompted the company to expand manufacturing at its Los Angeles factory, as well as hire new technicians and customer support staff. Bigscreen says it’s additionally deployed engineers to overseas suppliers to supervise production.

As for its other products, the company says that orders with the optional Custom-Fit Cushions placed through May 7th will ship by mid-August, while Halo Mount orders will begin shipping in late September or October due to manufacturing delays.

What’s more, customers who ordered a Beyond 1 and haven’t received a unit yet will automatically be upgraded to Beyond 2, putting them first in line for shipments, which is expected to complete by July 25th, Bigscreen says.

Notably, the company assured customers back in April that its latest PC VR headset wouldn’t increase in price due to tariffs, which have been levied by the US government on many goods manufactured in China.

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HTC Slashes Price of Vive Pro 2 for a Limited Time, Including Headset & All-in Bundle

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HTC launched Vive Pro 2 in 2021, and it’s been the company’s flagship PC VR headset ever since. Now, for a limited time, Vive Pro 2 is cheaper than ever.

HTC’s Summer of Gaming Sale has already kicked off, going from now until June 30th. There are a few choice deals to nab if you’re in the market for an admittedly very capable, albeit last-gen PC VR headset, including both a Vive Pro 2 hardware bundle and the headset alone.

• Vive Pro 2 Full Kit ($1,199 – $799.99): includes headset + SteamVR 2.0 Base Station + SteamVR 2.0 Vive wand controllers
• Vive Pro 2 Headset ($699 – $499.99): only includes Vive Pro 2 headset (no base stations or controllers)

Both come with two months of Viveport Infinity, the company’s game subscription service that lets you freely download and play from a library over 1,000 VR titles.

Vive Pro 2 Specs
Resolution	2,448 × 2,448 (6.0MP) per-eye, LCD (2x)
Refresh Rate	90Hz, 120Hz
Lenses	Dual-element Fresnel
Field-of-view	120° horizontal
Optical Adjustments	IPD, eye-relief
IPD Adjustment Range	57–72mm
Connectors	USB 3.0, DisplayPort 1.2
Cable Length	5m (breakout box)
Tracking	SteamVR Tracking 1.0 or 2.0 (external beacons)
Controllers	Vive wand controllers, rechargeable battery
Audio	On-ear headphones, USB-C audio output
Microphone	Dual microphone
Pass-through Cameras	Yes

–

Granted, it’s definitely an aging device, owing to its thicker Fresnel lenses and bulkier profile—a far cry from recent PC VR entries like Bigscreen Beyond 2 ($1,019), which promises a slightly higher resolution at a dramatically lower overall size and weight.

Still, at $200 cheaper than Beyond 2, and including SteamVR 2.0 base stations, controllers, and deluxe audio strap in the box, $800 isn’t a terrible deal. You just need a capable VR-ready PC to drive it—click here to find out if your PC is up to the task.

What’s more, HTC is also offering up some new bundled pricing for its more recent Vive Focus Vision, released in late 2024. Focus Vision is capable of native standalone virtual and mixed reality, as well as PC VR wireless streaming and cabled DisplayPort tethering.

From now until June 30th, you can get two specific Vive Focus Vision bundles, both of which toss a few games your way:

•  Vive Focus Vision – PC VR Kit ($1,149): includes headset and controllers + Wired Streaming Kit (DisplayPort compatible) + Metro Awakening, Arizona Sunshine 2 and 3 bonus titles
• VIVE Focus Vision ($1,049): includes headset and controllers + Metro Awakening, Arizona Sunshine 2 and 3 bonus titles

You might have noticed Vive Focus Vision is actually more expensive now than when it launched last year at $1,000. This is due to ongoing US tariffs levied on China-based products, prompting HTC to offer Focus Vision at the original launch price up until May 31st, later bumping it up by $49 to cover increased tariffs.

Notably, the company’s Europe and UK stores have a few headset and accessory bundles currently on sale too, good from now until June 30th:

• Vive Pro 2 Full Kit (€839/£699): includes headset + SteamVR 2.0 Base Station + SteamVR 2.0 Vive wand controllers
• Vive Pro 2 Headset (€469/£449): only includes Vive Pro 2 headset (no base stations or controllers)
• Vive XR Elite (€829/£699): includes headset + controllers + Arcaxer, Yuki and Green Hell VR
• Vive XR Elite + Vive Ultimate Tracker 3+1 Kit (€1,418/£1,198): includes headset + 3 Vive Ultimate Trackers + Vive Wireless Dongle
• Vive Ultimate Tracker 3+1 Kit (€589/£499): 3 Vive Ultimate Trackers + Vive Wireless Dongle
• Vive Tracker 3.0 (€114/£99): 1 Vive Tracker 3.0
• SteamVR Base Station 2.0 (€175/£149): 2 SteamVR Base Station 2.0
• SteamVR Base Station 1.0 (€99/£79): 2 SteamVR Base Station 1.0
• Controller 1.0 (€89/£69): 2 Vive wand-style controllers 1.0

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Former Oculus Execs Are Jumping Back into Wearables with Sesame Smart Glasses

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Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell announced he’s joining former CEO Brendan Iribe and hardware architect Ryan Brown at Sesame, the smart glasses startup that exited stealth earlier this year.

Mitchell announced in a LinkedIn post that he’s joining Sesame as Chief Product Officer, noting his mission is to “help bring computers to life.”

“Getting the band back together with Brendan Iribe, Ryan Brown, and many of the original Oculus crew. Building the future together again,” Mitchell says in the post.

Sesame is currently working on an AI assistant along with a pair of lightweight smart glasses, which the company says is “[d]esigned to be worn all day, giving you high-quality audio and convenient access to your companion who can observe the world alongside you.”

Nate Mitchell on stage at Oculus Connect 2 | Image courtesy Oculus

Mitchell, who co-founded Oculus along with Palmer Luckey, Brendan Iribe, and Michael Antonov in 2012, served as VP of Product for a number of years, later leading Rift and Meta’s (ex-Facebook’s) broader VR product strategy. Mitchell departed the company in 2019 as the last remaining founder.

In 2020, Mitchell announced he was founding Mountaintop Studios and leading the company as CEO. The studio went on to release free-to-play tactical shooter Spectre Divide (2024) on PC and console, however within six months of release, the studio announced it would be shuttering the studio and taking Spectre Divide offline following tepid response to the game’s first big DLC drop, ‘Season 1: Flashpoint’.

Founded in 2023, Sesame is backed by a number of former Oculus investors, including Anjney Midha and Marc Andreessen at Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital, and Matrix Partners.

The company completed its most recent Series A funding round in November 2023 to the tune of $47.5 million, making for a total of $57,624,975 invested in the company to date, according to data obtained by Crunchbase.

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Xiaomi Unveils China’s Answer to Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses with a Few Killer Features

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Today at Xiaomi’s ‘Human x Car x Home’ event, the Chinese tech giant revealed its answer to Meta and EssilorLuxottica’s series of smart glasses: Xiaomi AI Glasses.

Reports from late last year alleged Xiaomi was partnering with China-based ODM Goertek to produce a new generation of AI-assisted smart glasses, which was rumored to “fully benchmark” against Ray-Ban Meta—notably not officially available in China.

Now, Xiaomi has unveiled its first Xiaomi AI Glasses, which include onboard Hyper XiaoAi voice assistant, 12MP camera with electronic image stabilization (EIS), five mics, two speakers—all of it driven by a low-power BES2700 Bluetooth audio chip and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1. So far, that’s pretty toe-to-toe with Ray-Ban Meta and the recently unveiled Oakley Meta HSTN glasses.

Image courtesy Xiaomi

And like Meta’s smart glasses, Xiaomi AI Glasses don’t include displays of any kind, instead relying on voice and touch input to interact with Hyper XiaoAI. It also boasts foreign language text translation in addition to photo and video capture, which can be toggled either with a voice prompt or tap of the frames.

One of the most interesting native features though is the ability to simply look at an Alipay QR code, which are ubiquitous across the country, and pay for goods and services with a vocal prompt.

The device is set to launch today in China, although global availability is still in question at this time. Xiaomi says the glasses were “optimized for Asian face shapes,” which may rule out a broader global launch for this particular version.

Image courtesy Xiaomi

While there’s only a singular frame shape to choose from, it will be offered in three colors—black, and semi-transparent tortoiseshell brown and parrot green—in addition to three lens options, which aim to beat Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta in cool factor.

The base model with clear lenses is priced at ¥1,999 RMB (~$280 USD), while customers can also choose electrochromic shaded lenses at ¥2,699 RMB (~$380 USD) and colored electrochromic shaded lenses at ¥2,999 RMB (~$420 USD).

Xiaomi’s electrochromic lenses allow for gradual shading depending on the user’s comfort, letting you change the intensity of shading by touching the right frame. Notably, the company says its base model can optionally include prescription lenses through its online and offline partners.

Image courtesy Xiaomi

This makes Xiaomi AI Glasses the company’s first mass-produced smart glasses with cameras marketed under the Xiaomi brand.

Many of Xiaomi’s earlier glasses—such as the Mijia Smart Audio Glasses 2—were only sold in China and lacked camera sensors entirely, save the limited release device Mijia Glasses Camera from 2022, which featured a 50 MP primary and 8 MP periscope camera, and micro-OLED heads-up display.

Here are the specs we’ve gathered so far from Xiaomi’s presentation. We’ll be filling in more as information comes in:

Camera	12MP ultra-wide angle lens
Weight	40 g
Charging	USB Type-C
Charging time	45 minutes
Battery life	8.6 hour (estimated)
Audio	two frame-mounted speakers
Mics	4 mics + 1 bone conduction mic
Design	Foldable design

–

According to Chinese language outlet Vrtuoluo, the device has already seen strong initial interest on e-commerce platform JD.com, totaling over 25,000 reservations made as of 9:30 AM CST (local time here).

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‘The Invisible Hours’ Creator Aims to Bring Immersive Mystery to Modern VR Headsets, TV & Film

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Rob Yescombe, co-creator of immersive VR mystery game The Invisible Hours (2017), recently regained the rights to the game, which he says could led to a remaster across modern VR headsets, as well as TV and film.

As confirmed by Hollywood Reporter, Yescombe is currently looking for partners for a potential film or TV adaptation of The Invisible Hours—probably one of the most unique takes on the VR mystery genre.

Seemingly inspired by Agatha Christie classics and the board game Clue, The Invisible Hours lets you observe unnoticed as you try to piece together a mysterious murder that takes place in a massive mansion on a remote island.

You’re not a player character as such, but rather an impartial viewer who can rewind and fast-forward time, effectively letting you trail the game’s seven suspects, and unravel the thread of who killed world-renowned engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla.

Initially launched in 2017 across PC VR headsets and the original PSVR to critical acclaim, developer Tequila Works announced in 2020 it was aiming to bring the game to Quest. Unfortunately, the studio was later shuttered in late 2024 before it could port the game.

Now, as owner of the game’s IP, Yescombe says The Invisible Hours is a “prime candidate to remaster for a new generation.”

“I adored making The Invisible Hours. Truly, the best creative experience of my life. Fans still reach out to me, even after all this time — they love it as much as I do,” Yescombe says in a statement obtained by Hollywood Reporter. “The VR hardware market has grown massively since 2017 — multiple millions of units — making The Invisible Hours a prime candidate to remaster for a new generation.”

Following the release of The Invisible Hours, Yescombe has been credited as a writer for a number of games, including Pocket Money Games’ The Twilight Zone VR (2022), Arizona Sunshine 2 (2023) from Vertigo Games, and recently released flatscreen title The Precinct (2025) from Fallen Tree Games.

Yescombe is also credited for writing Mikael Håfström’s Netflix action film Outside the Wire (2021), Paul Feig’s action comedy Jackpot! (2024), and has worked on a number of franchises, including Alien, Blade Runner, Family Guy, and The Twilight Zone.

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Bandai Namco’s Hit Puzzle Platformer Series ‘Little Nightmares’ is Coming to VR Soon

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Bandai Namco announced that a new entry into the hit puzzle-platformer franchise Little Nightmares is coming to VR.

Called Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes, the game is currently in development by Iconik Studio, known for its work on both Quest title Hunting VR (2024) and King Pong (2021) for PC VR headsets.

Details are still thin, so there’s no word yet on target platforms or potential release window, which leaves more than a few question marks. What is certain though is we’re in for some more of the franchise’s creepy, atmospheric horror.

Additionally, the game’s official copy reads: Every step echoes closer… does this tune sound familiar, little ones? Check out this Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes teaser for the upcoming game, coming soon.

While the 45-second teaser trailer offers little insight into whether the game is going for a Moss-style third-person view, or a more immersive first-person view, we did get a brief glimpse at the franchise’s iconic Music Box, which is seen throughout the series across puzzles and environmental storytelling.

We’ll have our eyes peeled for any more information on Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes in the meantime. As the trailer was released by Bandai Namco Europe, we’re hoping to learn more at the company’s next big gaming expo appearance, which is slated to be Gamescom 2025—kicking off August 20th in Cologne, Germany.

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Meta Launches Quest 3S Xbox Edition for $400, Including Controller & 3 Months of Cloud Gaming

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Meta and Microsoft unveiled the Quest 3S Xbox Edition, a limited edition bundle that launches today, packing in everything you need for both XR and Xbox cloud gaming.

Make no bones about it: this isn’t Xbox’s long-awaited answer to PlayStation VR—i.e. it’s not a headset that you can hook up to your Xbox to play VR games. Essentially, it’s a new, limited edition colorway of the standard Quest 3S (128GB), skinned in Xbox’s Carbon Black and Velocity Green. Ok, it is slightly more than that.

Priced at $399.99, in the box you’ll also find a pair of matching Touch Plus controllers for VR and MR gameplay, a limited edition Xbox controller, matching Elite Strap (not the extended battery edition), and a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.

Image courtesy Meta, Microsoft

That said, the bundle is actually a pretty good deal if you wanted to purchase everything separately, which would otherwise cost you around $490. Here’s the breakdown: Quest 3S 128GB with controllers ($299), Quest Elite Strap ($69), standard Xbox controller ($64), and 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($60).

Granted, if you already have a supported Xbox controller and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you don’t need the special edition Quest 3S, as Meta and Microsoft introduced Xbox cloud gaming on Quest in late 2023, supporting Quest 2 and above, letting you play over 400 cloud streaming-supported games.

Notably, Quest 3S Xbox Edition also comes along with a three-month subscription to Meta’s Horizon+ game service, which is normally priced at $8 per month. Horizon+ lets you download 30+ Quest games, such as Asgard’s Wrath 2 (2023), Red Matter (2018), and Demeo (2021), as well as two select games each month and keep them as long as you’re a subscriber.

If you’re on the fence, make sure to check out our review of Quest 3S for all the specs and deep dive impressions.

While the Quest 3S Xbox Edition was initially announced at Connect 2024 last April, Meta is also gearing up to offer a few other XR headsets too that we still haven’t heard about.

Meta tapped ASUS Republic of Gamers and Lenovo to create entirely new headsets running Horizon OS—the first third-party companies to do so. Meta says the Asus headset is targeting performance, while Lenovo is looking to target “productivity, learning, and entertainment.”

In the meanwhile, you can find the Quest 3S Xbox Edition starting today over on meta.com, Best Buy in the US, and Argos and EE in the UK. The companies say supplies are “extremely limited,” so once they’re gone, they’re gone.

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Google Reportedly to Invest $100M in Smart Glasses Partner Gentle Monster

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Ahead of Google’s planned rollout of Android XR-equipped smart glasses, the company is reportedly making a $100 million investment in hardware partner Gentle Monster, the South Korean fashion eyewear brand.

According to a Korean Economic Daily report, Google is slated to sign a deal worth around 145.0 billion Korean won (~$100 million) in Gentle Monster.

Citing investment banking sources, the report maintains talks are now at final stages, wherein Google will obtain a 4% stake in the South Korean eyewear brand.

Google announced in May that it was partnering with both Gentle Monster and US-based eyewear brand Warby Parker to release the company’s first generation of Android XR-based smart glasses.

Android XR smart glasses seen at Google I/O | Image courtesy Google

Expected to release sometime in 2026, the smart glasses are said to prominently feature Google’s Gemini AI, with some even including on-board displays for visual output.

Meanwhile, its competitors are maneuvering to capture what could be the next big push in wearable computing.

Meta revealed last week that it’s deepening its ties with Ray-Ban Meta partner EssilorLuxottica with the upcoming release of Oakley Meta HSTN—the company’s next smart glasses following the release of Ray-Ban Meta in 2023.

Previous reports additionally suggest that both Samsung and Apple are looking to launch their own smart glasses at some point in the future; reports allege Samsung could release a device this year, and Apple as soon as 2026.

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VR Treadmill Company Virtuix Raised Another $3M in Crowd Investments, Now at $200M Valuation

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VR treadmill company Virtuix launched a crowd-based investment campaign late last year to further scale Omni One, its consumer-focused VR locomotion device. Now, the campaign’s second phase (Series B-2) has come to an end, garnering the company over $3 million.

The company’s Series B-2 round has come to a close, which offered Series B Preferred Stock to investors via crowd-based platform StartEngine, making for a total of $3,272,865 raised from over 1,300 investors. Overall, this puts its entire Series B round at over $18 million raised.

While Omni One is largely pitched as an at-home consumer device, replete with optional Pico 4E headset for $3,495, its latest round is also positioning Omni One as a potential platform for military training programs with the launch of Omni Mission Trainer (OMT), a military training system.

Created in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force, Virtuix OMT is designed to allow soldiers move physically in 360 degrees inside realistic VR environments while carrying their actual weapons, gear, and equipment, which includes team-based training for 12+ soldiers.

With its latest funding round now complete, Virtuix is also now boasting a $201.13 million valuation, which is partially based on its pre-IPO stock price—currently valued at $6.22 per share. Notably, as a privately held company, Virtuix stock is not publicly traded on major exchanges.

Founded in 2013, Virtuix initially started its journey on Kickstarter with the launch of the original Omni, going on to raise $1.1 million from backers. Since then, the company has attracted over $40 million in funding from major investors such as Mark Cuban, Maveron, & Scout Ventures.

Too boot, the company says it has now sold over $18 million worth of products to major companies such as Dave & Buster’s, and currently has over 400,000 registered players to date. Additionally, Virtuix says its factory can produce “up to 3,000 Omni One units a month.”

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Quest’s Mega Summer Sale Begins, Bringing up to 50% Off Top VR Titles

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Meta kicked off its big ‘Mega Summer Sale‘ on Quest this past weekend, bringing deep savings to VR games, apps, and DLC packs until June 29th.

There are currently hundreds of games on sale, ranging from some of the latest VR games, to old favorites that never go out of style.

We rounded up a few of our favorites below:

Title	MSRP	Sale Price	Percent Off
Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR	$40	$20	50%
Alien: Rogue Incursion	$40	$20	50%
Skydance’s BEHEMOTH	$40	$20	50%
Metro: Awakening	$40	$26	35%
Blade & Sorcery: Nomad	$30	$24	20%
GORN 2	$20	$18	10%
I AM CAT	$20	$14	30%
Arizona Sunshine II	$40	$22	45%
Arizona Sunshine Remake	$30	$18	40%
BONELAB	$40	$32	20%
The Climb 2	$30	$15	50%
SUPERHOT VR	$25	$15	40%
Moss	$20	$13	35%
Moss: Book II	$20	$13	35%
Demeo	$40	$28	30%
The Last Clockwinder	$25	$10	60%
Red Matter 2	$30	$19	36.70%
Pinball FX VR	$10	$6	40%
Phantom: Covert Ops	$30	$15	50%

Remember: these a just a few of our tops picks; you can find the whole list of Quest games currently on sale here.

There are also a few choice bundles on sale, which notably include dynamic bundle pricing—i.e., if you own a game in the bundle, the price automatically adjusts.

• Arcane Adventures: Dungeons of Eternity, Battle Talent
• Tactical Battles: Pavlov Shack, Contractors.
• Adventures With Friends: Walkabout Mini Golf — all five DLCs bundled
• Work-Life Balance: Vacation Simulator, Job Simulator
• Stylish Shooters: SUPERHOT VR, Vendetta Forever
• Real VR Fishing: Coast to Coast: Real VR Fishing — DLC pack bundle
• Triple Sweat Bundle: Synth Riders, Pistol Whip, Racket Club.
• The Walking Dead Series: The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution

Quest’s big Mega Summer Sale ends on June 29th at 11:59 PM PT (local time here).

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Meta Reveals Oakley Smart Glasses, Promising Better Video Capture & Longer Battery Life at $400

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Meta today revealed its next smart glasses built in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica— Oakley Meta Glasses.

As a part of the extended collaboration, Meta and EssilorLuxottica today unveiled Oakley Meta HSTN (pronounced HOW-stuhn), the companies’ next smart glasses following the release of Ray-Ban Meta in 2023.

Pre-orders are slated to arrive on July 11th for its debut version, priced at $499: the Limited Edition Oakley Meta HSTN, which features gold accents and 24K PRIZM polarized lenses.

Image courtesy Meta, EssilorLuxottica

Meanwhile, the rest of the collection will be available “later this summer,” Meta says, which start at $399, and will include the following six frame and lens color combos:

• Oakley Meta HSTN Desert with PRIZM Ruby Lenses
• Oakley Meta HSTN Black with PRIZM Polar Black Lenses
• Oakley Meta HSTN Shiny Brown with PRIZM Polar Deep-Water Lenses
• Oakley Meta HSTN Black with Transitions Amethyst Lenses
• Oakley Meta HSTN Clear with Transitions Grey Lenses

Image courtesy Meta, EssilorLuxottica

It’s not just a style change though, as the next-gen promises better battery life and higher resolution video capture over Ray-Ban Meta.

In comparison to Ray-Ban Meta glasses, the new Oakley Meta HSTN are said offer up to “3K video” from the device’s ultra-wide 12MP camera. Ray-Ban’s current second-gen glasses are capped at 1,376 × 1,824 pixels at 30 fps from its 12MP sensor, with both glasses offering up to three minutes of video capture.

What’s more, Oakley Meta HSTN is said to allow for up to eight hours of “typical use” and up to 19 hours on standby mode, effectively representing a doubling of battery life over Ray-Ban Meta.

Image courtesy Meta, EssilorLuxottica

And like Ray-Ban Meta, the Oakley Meta HSTN come with a charging case, which also bumps battery life from Ray-Ban Meta’s estimated 32 hours to 48 hours of extended battery life on Oakley Meta HSTN.

It also comes with five mics for doing things like taking calls and talking to Meta AI, as well as off-ear speakers for listening to music while on the go.

Notably, Oakley Meta glasses are said to be water-resistant up to an IPX4 rating—meaning its can take splashes, rain, and sweat, but not submersion or extended exposure to water or other liquids.

The companies say Oakley Meta HSTN will be available across a number of regions, including the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. The device is also expected to arrive in Mexico, India, and the United Arab Emirates later this year.

In the meantime, you can sign up for pre-order updates either through Meta or Oakley for more information.

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