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report:-apple’s-mr-headset-said-to-include-120-degree-fov,-waist-mounted-battery-&-tons-of-biometric-trackers

Report: Apple’s MR Headset Said to Include 120-Degree FOV, Waist-mounted Battery & Tons of Biometric Trackers

Apple’s long-awaited mixed reality headset is still deep under wraps, although a recent report from The Information has shed what appears to be new light on some of the features coming to the fruit company’s first AR/VR headset.

There’s a lot of new information here, and of course, we can’t substantiate it even if we tried. We’ve restructured the main takeaways, courtesy of MacRumorsinto a sort of fantasy spec sheet:

Reported Apple MR Specs

  • Resolution: Dual Micro OLED displays at 4K resolution (per eye)
  • FOV: 120-degrees, similar to Valve Index
  • Chipset: Two 5nm chips. Includes a main SoC (CPU, GPU, and memory) and a dedicated image signal processor (ISP). Chips communicate via a custom streaming codec to combat latency.
  • Battery: Waist-mounted battery, connected via MagSafe-like power cable to the headset’s headband. Two-hour max battery life, although hotswappable for longer sessions.
  • PassthroughISP chip contains custom high-bandwidth memory made by SK Hynix, providing low latency color passthrough
  • Audio: H2 chip, providing ultra-low latency connection with the second-generation AirPods Pro and future AirPods models. No 3.5mm and possible no support for non-AirPod BT headphones.
  • Controller: Apple is said to favor hand-tracking and voice recognition to control the headset, but it has tested a “wand” and a “finger thimble” as alternative control input methods.
  • Prescription Lenses: Magnetically attachable custom prescription lenses for glasses-wearers.
  • IPD Adjustment: Automatic, motorized adjustment to match the wearer’s interpupillary distance.
  • Eye Tracking: At least one camera per-eye for things like avatar presence and foveated rendering
  • Face & Body Tracking: More than a dozen cameras and sensors capture both facial expressions and body movements, including the user’s legs.
  • Room Tracking: Both short- and long-range LiDAR scanners to map surfaces and distances in three dimensions.
  • App Compatibility: Said to have the ability to run existing iOS apps in 2D.

Then there are some design rumors, which don’t fit so well into our fantasy spec sheet. The Information says it has reconfirmed these previously reported rumors.

Design Rumors

  • Outer Shell: Aluminum, glass, and carbon fiber to reduce its size and weight. Cameras are largely concealed for aesthetic reasons.
  • Presence Displays: Outward-facing display can show user’s facial expressions and also presumably eye movements. Said to be an always-on display similar in latency and power draw of Apple Watch or iPhone 14 Pro.
  • Dedicated Passthrough Switch: Digital Crown-like dial on its right side to switch between VR and passthrough.
  • Headstrap: Various available, including consumer-focused headstrap similar in material to Apple Watch sport bands with built-in speakers. Unspecified, but different headstrap targeted at developers.

Apple supplier Pegatron is said to have already assembled “thousands of prototype units of the headset” over the course of 2022 at its Shanghai-based facility.

According to four people with knowledge of the matter, The Information reports that Apple could price its MR headset around $3,000 or more depending on its configuration.

The report maintains the headset was initially supposed to launch in 2022, although by now it’s clear it’s obviously been delayed. A previous Bloomberg report alleged this was due to “overheating, cameras and software” having been stumbling blocks along the way to launch.

Report: Apple’s MR Headset Said to Include 120-Degree FOV, Waist-mounted Battery & Tons of Biometric Trackers Read More »

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Valve Reveals Top Selling VR Games on Steam in 2022

Another year of VR gaming has come and gone, and Valve has again released its annual sales figures for the past year, highlighting the best-selling VR titles on Steam.

Valve has published a series of ‘The Best of 2022‘ charts showing which titles on Steam have fared the best across several metrics. Among the charts is a list of the top 100 best-selling VR games on Steam in 2022, as measured by gross revenue.

You’ll find titles broken up from Bronze to Platinum level, however take note that Valve intentionally obscures which game ranks higher within each individual tier. Reload the page, and each title is shuffled, so there’s no telling which game did better within a given section.

Here we take a look at the top 23 games across the Gold and Platinum tiers. To give a little more context, we’ve sorted games by their positive user review scores. Oh, and don’t forget: many of these games are currently on sale during Steam’s Winter Sale, which ends on January 5th at 10AM PT.

Platinum

Game Release

Positive User Review

VTOL VR 2017 98%
Half-Life: Alyx 2020 98%
Blade & Sorcery 2018 [EA] 96%
Beat Saber 2019 96%
Pavlov 2017 [EA] 94%
Into the Radius 2020 93%
BONEWORKS 2019 92%
BONELAB 2022 92%
Zenith: The Last City 2022 [EA] 83%
SUPERHOT VR 2017 83%
After the Fall 2021 77%
Skyrim VR 2018 75%

As you can gather from the chart, 2022 wasn’t a big year for PC VR gaming in terms of fresh and popular releases, with only two titles released in 2022 hitting the highest rung of Steam sales: Zenith: The Last City and BONELAB.

In the platinum tier, 25% of titles were released in 2017, 17% in 2018, 17% in 2019, 17% in 2020, and 8% in 2021. Of those titles, 25% were marked Early Access.

Gold

Game Release

Positive User Review

Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades 2016 [EA] 97%
Hard Bullet 2020 [EA] 88%
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 2020 88%
Hellsplit: Arena 2019 [EA] 85%
Cooking Simulator VR 2021 85%
Contractors 2018 84%
Legendary Tales 2021 [EA] 83%
Blood Trail 2019 [EA] 80%
VR Kanjo 2018 76%
Onward 2016 [EA] 71%
Fallout 4 VR 2017 64%

Here you’ll notice a lot more early access titles, offering up 55% of this year’s gold-tier sales.  None of these were released in 2022 however, which is a bit of a downer for newcomers.

On the flipside, many of these titles have benefitted from steadfast developer support, with titles like Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Hellsplit: Arena, Contractors, Hard Bullet, and Legendary Tales seeing updates over the course of the year.

In the gold tier, 18% of titles were released in 2016, 9% in 2017, 18% in 2018, 18% in 2019, 18% in 2020, and 18% in 2021—a strangely even spread.

– – — – –

Check out the full list of Steam’s top selling VR titles in 2022 to see which games made it into the Silver and Bronze tiers.

Looking for this year’s top VR games across platforms? Check out Road to VR’s 2022 Game of the Year & Design Award winners. You’re sure to see some familiar faces.

Valve Reveals Top Selling VR Games on Steam in 2022 Read More »

saudi-arabia-gains-majority-stake-in-magic-leap-in-$450m-deal

Saudi Arabia Gains Majority Stake in Magic Leap in $450M Deal

Saudi Arabia has taken majority share of the US-based augmented reality company Magic Leap, The Telegraph reports, widening the stake via its state-owned sovereign wealth fund with a deal amounting to $450 million.

Citing delayed accounts obtained from its European division, the company is said to have raised $150 million in preferred convertible stock and $300 million in debt from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) over the course of 2022. The investment puts the country’s ownership of Magic Leap over 50 percent, giving it overall majority control.

The Telegraph reports that, as of November 2022, Saudi Arabia’s PIF is “entitled to appoint four of the eight directors of the board of directors of Magic Leap.”

The wealth fund, which is controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, invests in projects considered to be strategically significant to diversifying its national economy.

Through PIF, Saudi Arabia owns minority stakes in Uber, Capcom, Nexon, Live Nation, Boeing, Meta, Alphabet, Citigroup, Disney, and Bank of America to name a few. It also owns Premier League football team Newcastle United and LIV Golf, a challenger to the PGA Tour.

Photo by Road to VR

Founded in 2010 by Rony Abovitz, the Plantation, Florida-based company kicked off its consumer ambitions with a long and ambitious tease of its first AR headset, Magic Leap 1 (previously styled ‘One’), starting its marketing campaign as it emerged from stealth in 2014.

Released nearly four years later, the developer-focused ‘Creator Edition’ headset was initially priced at an eye-watering $2,300, which not only deflated some of the potent hype behind the unicorn startup, but also cemented a long and bumpy road ahead if Magic Leap wanted to eventually offer its tech at a consumer price point.

Having awkwardly straddled the prosumer segment with limited success, in mid-2020 Abovitz announced he would be stepping down as CEO, signaling a pivot that would refocus the company’s efforts on servicing enterprise instead of consumers. Shortly afterward, Microsoft’s Executive VP of Business Development Peggy Johnson took the reins as CEO of Magic Leap.

The company has since released its follow-up headset, Magic Leap 2, to enterprise partners and through third-party vendors, putting the device in direct competition with Microsoft’s HoloLens 2.

To date, Magic Leap has raised $4 billion, with minority investors including Google, Alibaba, Qualcomm, AT&T, and Axel Springer.

Saudi Arabia Gains Majority Stake in Magic Leap in $450M Deal Read More »

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Every Game Getting a Free PSVR 2 Upgrade

The lack of backwards compatibility between PSVR 2 and the original PSVR is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, we’re getting a ton of games for Sony’s next-gen VR headset that have been specifically built or overhauled to make use of the new hardware, but it also means a lot of games in your PSVR library will forever be stuck in the past.

Thankfully, there are a handful of developers who have pledged free PSVR 2 support for their games, many of which you can already grab on the store before the headset launches on February 22nd, 2023.

Note: There are a ton of games coming to PSVR 2 you might recognize, although not all studios have mentioned free PSVR 2 support for those games. We’ll be updating this list, so check back for more. Also, in addition to previously released titles getting new PSVR 2 support, we’ve also included brand new titles launching with both PSVR and PSVR 2 support. You’ll find those at the bottom, labeled [NEW].

Resident Evil Village

A free PSVR 2 upgrade is expected at the headset’s launch in February, which includes the entirety of its main story in VR. We went hands-on with Village back in September, and it proved to not only one of the best-looking games on PS5 to date, but probably one of the best in VR, offering up a level of visual detail that approaches Half-Life: Alyx territory.

Store Link

After the Fall

Team zombie shooter After the Fall is cross-compatible with PC and Quest, but it’s soon to be available on PSVR 2 too, as Vertigo Games is tossing out support for Sony’s latest and greatest at some point in early 2023. It’s basically Left 4 Dead in VR, and it’s most definitely worth getting a team together since this horde shooter is cross-compatible with PSVR, Quest, and PC VR headsets.

Store Link

No Man’s Sky

This space simulator used to be considered gaming’s biggest flop, but thanks to Hello Games’ continuous updates it’s become the industry’s biggest redemption story. With the promise of free PSVR 2 support, you’ll be able to strap into No Man’s Sky on launch day with your shiny new headset.

Store Link

Pistol Whip

Pistol Whip is a rhythm-shooter from Cloudhead Games, which has thrown out tons of updates and free DLC to keep you blasting away like John Wick to some pretty infectious beats. On PSVR 2, the game is said to offer fine-tuned haptics, adaptive triggers, higher resolution, 3D audio, and SSD optimization to bolster how the game loads and runs.

Store Link

Zenith: The Last City

Zenith: The Last City is one of VR’s most successful MMOs to date, offering up hundreds of hours of quests, jobs, classes, you name it. Developers Ramen VR say it’s getting a free PSVR 2 upgrade. If you already own the PS4 version, the PSVR 2-supported PS5 version is already free to download, so nab it early so you can play with all of your friends on Quest, PC VR headsets, and the original PSVR.

Store Link

The Light Brigade – [NEW]

This is a new title coming to both PSVR and PSVR 2, developed by Funktronic Labs, the studio behind Fujii and Cosmic Trip. The Light Brigade tosses you on a procedurally-generated journey to free the souls of the fallen trapped within, making for a tactical roguelike shooting experience you can play on launch-day.

Store Link

Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue – [NEW]

Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue is another new title getting both PSVR and PSVR 2 support, letting you delve into the same universe of the popular Hello Neighbor stealth horror series. Sneak into your creepy neighbor’s house to save your friend, and don’t get caught.

Store Link


Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below, as we’ll be updating this article all the way up to PSVR 2’s launch in February.

Every Game Getting a Free PSVR 2 Upgrade Read More »

‘song-in-the-smoke’-is-getting-a-psvr-2-remaster-that’s-slated-to-rival-pc-vr-version

‘Song in the Smoke’ is Getting a PSVR 2 Remaster That’s Slated to Rival PC VR Version

Critically acclaimed VR survival game Song in the Smoke (2021) is getting a full overhaul when it launches on PSVR 2, something developer 17-BIT says will rival the visual quality of the game’s PC VR version.

Song in the Smoke launched on Quest, PC VR and PSVR last October—just in time to win our PSVR Game of the Year in 2021. We were impressed by its well-studied crafting depth, expressive art style, and harrowing encounters with the primeval world’s mosh of beastly creatures.

And although not a given, since PSVR 2 titles won’t share backwards compatibility with PSVR, developer 17-BIT says Song in the Smoke is definitely headed to the upcoming PSVR 2, and with more visual panache.

“It wasn’t a light upgrade – it was a ton of work and up-rezzing of so many visual systems,” creative director Jake Kazdal tells Edge in its 380th edition. “It stands alone, even compared to the highest-end version possible on PC VR – it’s honestly not even close.”

The studio says it wants to bring the PSVR 2 version of the game to players as a free upgrade to the original game on PSVR, although Kazdal admits they “still need to figure out the logistics of that.”

Dubbed Song in the Smoke: Rekindled, the game is said to be “more than a remaster,” as it’s set to feature what the studio says in a recent tweet “tons of polish and additional features driven by user requests and feedback,” calling it an “ultimate edition.”

The studio says we’re due to learn more soon. It’s not clear whether Song in the Smoke: Rekindled is destined for launch-day status for the PSVR 2 when it hits shelves February 22nd, 2023. We’ll be keeping our eye on 17-BIT in the meantime, and also adding it to our growing list of all PSVR 2 games announced to date.

‘Song in the Smoke’ is Getting a PSVR 2 Remaster That’s Slated to Rival PC VR Version Read More »

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Meta Acquires 3D Lens Printing Firm Luxexcel to Bolster Future AR Glasses

Meta has acquired the Belgian-Dutch company Luxexcel, a 3D printing firm creating complex glass lenses for use in AR optics.

As first reported by Belgian newspaper De Tijd (Dutch), the Turnhout, Belgium-based company was quietly acquired by Facebook parent Meta in an ostensible bid to bolster the development of its in-development AR glasses.

Details of the acquisition are still under wraps, however confirmation by Meta was obtained by English language publication The Brussels Times.

“We are delighted that the Luxexcel team has joined Meta. This extends the partnership between the two companies,” Meta says.

Founded in 2009, Luxexcel first focused on 3D printing lenses for automotive, industrial optics, and the aerospace industry. Over the years Luxexcel shifted to using its 3D printing tech to create prescription lenses for the eyewear market.

In 2020, the company made its first entry into the smart eyewear market by combining 3D printed prescription lenses with the integration of technology. One year later, Luxexcel partnered with UK-based waveguide company WaveOptics, which has since been acquired by Snapchat parent Snap.

Meta’s interest in Luxexcel undoubtedly stems from its ability to print complex optics for both smart glasses and AR headsets; Meta’s Project Aria is rumored to house Luxexcel-built lenses. Project Aria is a sensor-rich pair of glasses which the company created to train its AR perception systems, as well as asses public perception of the technology.

Meta Acquires 3D Lens Printing Firm Luxexcel to Bolster Future AR Glasses Read More »

these-vr-gloves-track-your-fingers-&-electrically-stimulate-for-haptic-feedback

These VR Gloves Track Your Fingers & Electrically Stimulate for Haptic Feedback

AI SILK is a Japanese wearable-tech startup that’s set to unveil a new haptic glove at CES 2023 next month which approaches both haptic feedback and finger-tracking in a different way altogether.

AI SILK is a Tohoku University spinoff that develops wearable products using their patented technology to produce smooth conductive fiber, turning them into electrodes that can be used for a number of things.

Called Lead Skin, the controller houses these conductive fibers, which not only provides finger-tracking and control buttons on the back of the gauntlet-style controller, but also an electrical haptic pulse that aims to simulate manipulating virtual objects.

Image courtesy AI SILK

Weighing in at 380g (~13.5oz), or about the weight of two Quest 2 controllers with batteries included, Lead Skin is said to measure the current impedance from the expansion and contraction of the fabric within, and then through deep machine learning-developed algorithms “understand the intended actions from glove wearers’ physical finger movements,” AI Silk says in a press statement.

Image courtesy AI SILK

Electrical pulses are sent to both the palm and fingers, which is a decidedly shocking departure from the standard haptic motor buzzes that we’ve seen in other VR gloves.

While specs are still thin on the ground, the flashy promo video is certainly something to behold, if not only for its peek inside the Japanese idol industry, which regularly host handshake events. It’s not clear how resistance training and face-punching fit into Lead Skin’s actual feature set, but the spot certainly looks electrifying, as our protagonist is recognized as the idol’s online training partner.


AI Silk’s Lead Skin haptic gloves will debut at CES 2023 between January 5-8, where we’ll have feet on the ground. Check back soon for more info on Lead Skin and all of the latest AR/VR tech out there at the biggest trade shows of the year.

These VR Gloves Track Your Fingers & Electrically Stimulate for Haptic Feedback Read More »

quest-new-year’s-game-sale-keeps-the-discounts-rolling-on-top-vr-titles

Quest New Year’s Game Sale Keeps the Discounts Rolling on Top VR Titles

Missed the Quest Winter Sale? Meta is offering up another opportunity to nab more paid Quest games on the cheap, including game bundles and a ton of top VR games.

The Quest ‘Celebrate 2023 Sale’ is going from now until January 2nd at 11: 59 PM PT (local time here), offering up to 40% off individual games.

Don’t forget to check out all of the best free games and apps on Quest too, many of which we would have gladly paid for.

Quest Game Packs*

*Note: Meta does dynamic bundle pricing, so if you already own a game in a pack above, the overall price will automatically adjust.

Top Quest Games


This is just a big slice of the games currently on offer for the Celebrate 2023 Quest Sale, but you can find the full list over at the Meta Quest Store, available from now until January 2nd, 2023.

Quest New Year’s Game Sale Keeps the Discounts Rolling on Top VR Titles Read More »

‘x-mask’-aims-to-bring-face-tracking-to-consumers-in-unique-facemask-form-factor

‘X Mask’ Aims to Bring Face-tracking to Consumers in Unique Facemask Form Factor

Dolami, a Japanese startup based both in the US and Japan, announced it raised 100 million yen (~$730,000) this week to help bring X Mask to market, a unique facemask capable of tracking a user’s facial movements in VR. While many of the specifics surrounding X Mask are still under wraps, the startup seems to have both consumer and enterprise users in mind.

According to a press statement (Japanese), the funding round was led by a fleet of Japan-based venture capital, including CyberAgentCapital, East Ventures, F Ventures, and NOW. Included in the round was former CEO of Anchor Japan Yoshitsune Ido, CEO of Mankind Games Yusuke Harima, Yuji Wakabayashi, and Executive Vice President of Photosynth Co. Hiroaki Watanabe.

Dolami, which partnered with Osaka University in 2021 to develop X Mask, says it will use the funds to strengthen the recruitment of core members and focus on product development.

Image courtesy Dolami

There’s still a lot to learn about X Mask, however the unique face-tracking mask is said to bring “over 95% accuracy” in replicating facial movements, with face-tracking latency speeds reaching 200 milliseconds. It’s also said to be fairly light, weighing in at 4.5oz (128g).

Since its initial development in 2021, the company has since applied for an international patent which will allow Dolami to market the headset in the United States in addition to Japan. Dolami is aiming to reach a $90 price point when it’s released next year.

Image courtesy Dolami

Granted, face-tracking can also be done optically by way of either built-in sensors, such as the ones seen in Pico 4 Enterprise, or in add-on modules like with the Vive Facial Tracker, which can plug into HTC’s line of Vive Pro headsets. Dolami seems hardware agnostic in its approach thus far, so it could mean we’ll see multiple headsets supported, which would give the device a wider reach than current aftermarket modules.

While X Mask is a novel approach to facial tracking, and may confer some accuracy benefits over optical methods, one of the things we’re hoping to see is how the company deals with hygiene, as anyone with a non-wipeable VR headset facial interface can testify how gross the glorified face sponges can get. It also remains to be seen whether consumers even want to wear a facemask now that medical facemasks are falling out of use in the post-pandemic world.

We’re hoping to learn more soon, as the company says it’s aiming to launch X Mask sometime in 2023.

‘X Mask’ Aims to Bring Face-tracking to Consumers in Unique Facemask Form Factor Read More »

steam-winter-sale-slashes-prices-on-award-winning-pc-vr-games,-ends-january-5th

Steam Winter Sale Slashes Prices on Award-winning PC VR Games, Ends January 5th

The holidays may have left you with a modest surplus of time and/or cash, and that never happens. Well, the fine people at Valve have a convenient solution in mind, as the Winter Sale has knocked down prices on top PC VR games that should get you through the cold winter.

Whether you’re kicking it with a bonafide PC VR headset or a shiny new Quest 2 to go along with your VR-ready PC, this winter’s Steam sale has you covered with a ton of top VR titles, some of which are currently ranging from 50-75% off.

The sale goes from now until January 5th at 10AM PT (local time here), so you still have some time to do the responsible thing and burn all of your fun money on video games.

Here’s our top picks. Remember, you can peruse the whole store easily here to see all of the VR stuff currently on sale.


We’re keeping an eye out for more sales heading into the new year, so check back soon for all things VR in the coming days. We’re expecting to see a repeat of the Quest New Year’s sale, which ought to give you a chance to get some Quest native titles on the cheap in case you missed the Quest Winter Sale that just ended.

Steam Winter Sale Slashes Prices on Award-winning PC VR Games, Ends January 5th Read More »

quest-winter-sale-brings-deep-discounts-to-top-vr-titles,-ends-december-26th

Quest Winter Sale Brings Deep Discounts to Top VR Titles, Ends December 26th

You might have checked out more than a few ways to spend your first $100 on the Quest Store, but the savings are so deep right now that you might just add a few more top VR titles to your shopping cart today to take advantage of the biggest Quest game sale of the year.

From now until December 26th at 11: 59 PM PT (local time here), you’ll be able to save up to 50% on some of the top VR games for Quest 2.

Some of the best savings can be found in the multitude of mixed game packs available. Remember:  Meta does dynamic bundle pricing, so even if you already have a game in the packs below, you’ll see pricing automatically adjust.

Game Packs by Genre

Originals + Sequels Packs

Notable Individual Games


There are a ton of games currently on sale, and you can check out all of the season’s savings here for a complete list of Quest titles currently discounted.

Also, don’t forget to check out all of the best free games and experiences on Quest 2 right now.

Quest Winter Sale Brings Deep Discounts to Top VR Titles, Ends December 26th Read More »

over’s-map2earn-beta-program-to-make-the-creation-of-3d-world-maps-more-accessible

OVER’s Map2Earn Beta Program to Make the Creation of 3D World Maps More Accessible

OVER’s Map2Earn Beta program makes creating 3D world maps more accessible to users with smartphones. Using the OVER app, they can now take photos of any physical location and generate an OVRMap. As a result, they can take part in OVER’s global mapping initiative, while also getting the opportunity to earn rewards.

Paving the Way for Richer AR Experiences

According to OVER, Map2Earn is the company’s’ “biggest project yet.” It introduces more accurate data collection capabilities and takes geolocalization capabilities to the next level.

The accuracy of GPS systems in outdoor spaces is limited to about 6 meters. However, with Map2Earn Beta, OVER has increased the localization accuracy to 20 centimeters.

This broadens the horizon for newer and more immersive AR experiences and use cases. For instance, users can have superimposed AR experiences on existing real-world structures or accurate geolocation of assets in indoor and multi-floor settings.

“When we think about the future of AR, we imagine an augmented world with contextualized 3D experiences that seamlessly merge with the physical world,” said Diego Di Tommaso, COO and co-founder of OVER, in a press release shared with ARPost. “In order to achieve this, we need a system to precisely locate the observer in space – we need geolocalization accuracy. That’s why we built Map2Earn, a system to precisely relocate you in space using computer vision that goes far beyond what can be achieved with GPS only. Such a system will finally enable the creation of the AR use cases that, as of right now, we can only just dream about.”

Its Alpha testing phase, which involved more than 1,200 maps created by 300 early users, was a success. Now, the Beta version is accessible to all users via the OVER app (available for both iOS and Android).

How the Map2Earn Beta Program Works

The Map2Earn Beta program is backed by an intuitive UX that guides the users through the capture process. Users, or – as OVER calls them – the mappers, will film each OVRLand location to generate three assets:

  • The location’s 3D point cloud, which delivers a precise visual reference of the location the user wants to augment through AR;
  • Relocalization algorithms, which use the point cloud to locate the observer and create a more immersive AR experience;
  • A NeRF (neural radiance fields)-generated digital twin of the mapped area, which creates a simulation of the mapped location.

The user-creator will own the 3D structure of the locations that they’ve mapped using their smartphone. As of this writing, users can view the digital twin via a virtual drone fly-through. However, OVER will be working toward making these locations freely explorable.

A New Way to Explore the Metaverse

With the Map2Earn Beta program, OVER and its users can build up-to-date, Web3-based 3D maps of significant locations. Also, the scope of the program covers both indoor and outdoor spaces.

“OVER’s vision is to create a Web3-based, community-owned, up-to-date 3D map of the most important indoor and outdoor locations in the world – the likes of which we have not seen before,” said Di Tommaso. “OVRMaps have a fundamental importance for AR. They are the portal to the AR metaverse, without which there is no way to reliably and coherently augment the physical world.”

The Map2Earn production release is scheduled for late January, when users will be able to mint their 3D maps as NFTs. Then, they can trade these assets via the OVER marketplace, as well as other decentralized marketplaces, such as OpenSea. This is one of the ways through which users can earn.

In the future, OVER will be launching a direct incentivization program. Through this, users will be able to access the so-called open-to-buy orders and acquire the maps of their desired locations.

To access the Beta program, download the OVER app on Google Play or the App Store and follow the directions, which you can find under “Map2Earn”.

OVER’s Map2Earn Beta Program to Make the Creation of 3D World Maps More Accessible Read More »