Weekly XR Update (2025.04.30): Meta Advances Ray-Ban Meta, Quest 3S Refurbished for $270, and More!

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So, here we are, right at the edge of May, and everybody seems to be on vacay—at least that’s what I’d like to think. Can’t say the same for myself ’cause, surprise surprise, I’m working on workers’ day. Go figure. Anyway, this newsletter’s a little late, but hey, the quality’s still top-notch—so don’t sweat it. I get it; you might be all cozied up with your loved ones tomorrow since it’s a holiday in many places, maybe take the time to dive into a good VR game? Speaking of which, snag a free copy of Harpagun in today’s giveaway. Lucky you!

### Top news of the… uh, week?

Oh, right, there’s all this buzz about Meta chugging along with their Ray-Ban Meta glasses. I swear, these things are probably getting smarter every second. Look, now they’re doing live translations and stuff—English, French, Italian, and Spanish—because, duh, Essilor-Luxottica. Honestly, I’m just glad someone’s thinking about what we need. Anyway, Europe’s getting all the fancy AI features—about time! Side note: Live AI sessions will soon hit the US and Canada. Good for them. Oh, Instagram calls on the glasses? Didn’t see that coming. The whole Skyler design, Ray-Ban Meta is going international— Mexico, India, and UAE, here they come. Honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my head around whether this whole smartglasses trend is booming or if it’s just a fling. Guess we’ll know soon enough.

### Throwing around other relevant—wait, why did I mention…

Meta thinks it’s a grand idea to sell refurbished Quest 3S at $270. Like, what? That’s a bargain! You get the same warranty as the new ones but no Batman VR game. Bummer. Quest 3S is solid, though not quite Quest 3 level. Still, that price? It’s like they want everybody hooked on XR already. Anyway.

### Meanwhile, BigScreen’s having a moment.

So, BigScreen Beyond 2 got its shipping delay bumped to June… why? Some tech hiccup with their PCB design. I’m no engineer, but fixing it with Valve means some serious care for quality. Here’s to hoping they sort this out by May’s end. Props to not cutting corners. (I mean, I’d probably mess it up worse, not gonna lie.)

### Italy attempts a Metaverse strategy. Kinda.

Oh boy, Italy’s on this metaverse bandwagon now. Heard they published some strategic fancy paper about AR and VR. Yay? Not exactly. Sad to say, it feels like ChatGPT had a hand in it. A line like “Italy’s leading in AR/VR”? Okay, since when? Must’ve missed the memo while endlessly staring at my PC. Okay, the laughable part—AR/VR’s “born” in ’92? Someone tell that to the ’80s XR pioneers. And how did Luxottica get mixed into Oculus’ history? Mind-boggling. Also, a shoutout to the parade of dead VR tech in that document. Could’ve thrown in Cardboard for good measure. But hey, government stepping up for XR’s good news, right? (Hope it’s more than just on paper.)

### Worthy of a mention? Maybe, maybe not.

Sightful’s doing what now? So, backtracking a bit, the laptop sans display, Spacetop, morphed into a software—eyewitnesses claim it’ll work with Intel Windows doohickeys and XREAL AR glasses. It’s one of those “could be genius or just awkward” situations. Also, Varjo’s cool new Teleport 2.0—I mean, creating 3D spaces with phones is wild. Free version too? Sweet.

Oh, and Quest 3’s live room meshing—I’m all for real-virtual world blending. Picture this: Insta360’s X5 camera dropped in too. 8K file with 11K capture in some snazzy HDR? Yes, please! And just when I was jumping between theater fests—hey, NewImages 2025’s offering looks pretty neat, by the way—Sony’s serving discounts for PSVR games, yay for deals.

### Fun fact tangents. Who knew?

Word’s out: Relic’s attempting to revolutionize TV watching with spatial visual pops! Not new, but mixed reality could just make the gimmick legit. Or not. I’m reserving judgment here. And oh, scroll Remastered Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion—it’s treating VR fans on Reddit to some juicy discussions. Isn’t the internet just a wild place?

### In with new XR content. Just because.

Vertigo 2 DLC’s peeking out and some spooky games are jumping onto VR. Arcade fighters, pet sims, god games, whatever floats your boat, VR’s got it all dropping or updating soon. More seriously, Meta’s dropped lists of best VR sellers plus they’re hosting XR talks at Google I/O. Meta also laid off folks—not cool—, but at least they’re bringing celeb avatars to Horizon Worlds. Doja Cat, anyone?

### Tidbits from friends and friendly folk

Portal to the Next Stage podcast should intrigue XR enthusiasts—join Kiira Benz’s chats with cool guests and dive into their worlds. Also, hands up if 131XR YouTube channel didn’t pop up on your radar before, ’cause… surprise, it’s here! Good stuff if you’re vibing XR stories.

### Giveaway? Oh, a Harpagun key’s up for grabs, folks.

Fancy a freebie? You might grab Harpagun—where smashing, music, and graphic vibes blend awesomely. Don’t say I didn’t hook you up. Speaking of hooks, Phygtl’s on the lookout for Unity folks—care to dive into their mobile-AR revolution mission? Hit them up!

### Wrapping up with some giggles and givebacks.

Meta’s top VR games gave me a chuckle. Physics sandboxes are a comedic goldmine. And before ending on a serious note, ponder donating to the Red Cross for Ukraine. It’s always been a spot of devastation, and helping where you can counts. Till next chaos!

Did that tire you out? Imagine writing it—had to pause and giggle more than once. See you next round!