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    <li>
      <p>
        XR headset manufacturer Varjo announced a 50% price reduction of its consumer-focused Varjo Aero VR headset, bringing its price down to USD 990 before taxes.
      </p>
    </li>
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      <p>
        The Varjo Aero is recognized for its image quality, offering 35 pixels per degree, with minimal god rays or glare. To commemorate the two-year anniversary of the Varjo Aero, the company conducted an &quot;Aeroversary Webinar,&quot; discussing various topics related to VR, and also organized a raffle, giving away a Varjo Aero headset to one of the participants.
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  <p>
    <b>Analyst QuickTake: </b>
    Meta has been another notable player in the space, and it implemented numerous price cuts for its older XR headsets. This included reducing the Quest Pro&rsquo;s price from USD 1,499 to USD 999 and the Quest 2 from USD 499 to USD 429 in 
    <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16859">
      March 2023
    </a>
    . Following this, the company slashed Quest 2 headset prices to USD 299 for the 128GB version and USD 349 for the 256GB version in 
    <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19043">
      June 2023
    </a>
    , as it announced its new Quest 3 headset.
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  <p>
    <a href="https://mixed-news.com/en/high-end-vr-headset-varjo-aero-is-now-available-for-half-the-price/">
      Mixed Reality News
    </a>
  </p>
</div>


Extended Reality

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Varjo, a manufacturer of XR headsets, has reduced the price of its Varjo Aero VR headset by 50%, making it available for USD 990 before taxes. The Varjo Aero is known for its high image quality, offering 35 pixels per degree and minimal god rays or glare. Varjo also held an "Aeroversary Webinar" to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Varjo Aero, discussing various topics related to VR and giving away a Varjo Aero headset to a participant. Meta (formerly Facebook) has also implemented price cuts for its XR headsets, including the Quest Pro and Quest 2.

Varjo reduces Aero VR headset price by 50% to USD 990

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Industrial-grade virtual reality and mixed reality solutions provider Varjo has teamed up with defense, aerospace, and security solutions provider BAE Systems to develop Project OdySSEy. The aim of the project is to create a unified synthetic environment for military training, bringing together air, land, sea, space, and cyber forces in a virtual setting. This will allow military personnel to train together and gain battlefield experiences in a virtual world, overcoming the limitations of live training scenarios. BAE Systems plans to use XR technology to offer immersive training experiences and capture data to tailor the training according to learners' needs. Varjo's high-resolution and eye-tracking technology will be integrated into this synthetic training environment.

Varjo partners with BAE Systems for Project OdySSEy

Immersed has unveiled three versions of its Visor XR headset, aimed at replacing traditional monitors and TVs. The headsets come with features such as hand and eye tracking and high-resolution color passthrough. The different models include a Visor with 4K resolution per eye priced at $750, a Founder's Edition Visor 4K priced at $1,249 (discounted to $1,000 until September), and a Visor 2.5K priced at $500. Preorders are now open, with delivery expected in 2024. Immersed, previously focused on VR software for remote work, is now competing with Apple's Vision Pro spatial computing device in the XR hardware market.

Immersed announces Visor XR headset with multiple models and pricing options

HTX Labs has been awarded a $90 million contract by the US Air Force to deliver immersive training content and solutions. The contract will last for three years and aims to streamline the procurement process for digital classrooms and lessons. HTX Labs specializes in immersive learning software, including its flagship platform EMPACT, which is used to build immersive environments and simulations. This contract is the result of over five years of collaboration between HTX Labs and the US Air Force and will benefit both the US Air Force and the US Space Force.

HTX Labs secures USD 90 million contract from US Air Force for immersive training solutions

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has announced that it will no longer support three of its exclusive virtual reality (VR) titles: Dead and Buried (2016), Dead and Buried II (2019), and Bogo (2019). The company will stop providing support for these games after March 15, 2024. Dead and Buried was a popular multiplayer VR shooter game that was released in 2016. Dead and Buried II introduced new features and gameplay mechanics, while Bogo allowed users to care for a virtual pet. This decision could be part of Meta's strategy to focus on new game developments for its upcoming Quest 3 headset.

Meta discontinues support for 'Bogo' and 'Dead and Buried' games in 2024

Fallen Planet Studios, a VR game development company, has secured a £0.5 million investment from fund:AI, managed by River Capital. The investment will be used to develop new VR gaming titles, with a focus on AI-driven workflows. The company aims to improve their proprietary toolsets and create gaming experiences that respond to player insights. Fallen Planet Studios has established relationships with major platforms like Sony and Meta and has developed popular VR games, including "Affected: The Manor" which uses spatial audio for enhanced user immersion. The company's games have been among the top 10 all-time downloaded VR titles on Meta headsets.

VR gaming studio Fallen Planet Studios raises GBP 0.5 million in funding

HaptX has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) to develop virtual reality (VR) technology for US government training missions. Under the agreement, HaptX Gloves will be integrated into training sessions at CNS-operated facilities. The collaboration will involve improving virtual training environments and application features, with a focus on high-hazard scenarios. HaptX has previously partnered with Lowe's to develop touch simulation for retail customers and has also launched an R&D facility called X-Lab for further haptic innovations.

HaptX partners with Y-12 National Security Complex for VR nuclear operations training

Amazon has made several improvements to its mobile product search capabilities, putting it in competition with search platforms like Google and Pinterest. These updates include multimodal search which combines text and image inputs, an expansion of its augmented reality feature, and a "Find-on-Amazon" tool that identifies similar products to those in a shared photo. Users can now refine search results by combining photos with text, and the AR functionality now includes tabletop items and small appliances. The Find-on-Amazon feature allows users to search for products using any photo. Other updates include sales trend data and improved search for previously purchased items.

Amazon introduces updated visual and AR search features

Epic Games is exploring the possibility of integrating its Unreal Engine with Apple's upcoming mixed reality headset, Apple Vision Pro, slated to release in 2024. This decision comes in the wake of Unity, another popular game engine, announcing hefty fees for developers, leading some to seek alternatives like Unreal Engine. The aim of integrating Unreal Engine with Apple Vision Pro is to provide developers with an alternative platform to create projects for the new headset. While specific details and timelines are still uncertain, this move follows Apple's demonstration of native Unity support for its XR operating system, visionOS, during Vision Pro's unveiling. Unity's recent pricing changes, which involve fees based on installation thresholds, have prompted developers to reconsider their game engine options, with Unreal Engine emerging as a prominent alternative.

Epic Games explores Unreal Engine support for Apple Vision Pro

Capcom has collaborated with Niantic to create Monster Hunter Now, an augmented reality (AR) game available on iOS and Android smartphones. The game allows players to hunt lifelike monsters in the real world, team up with other players, and craft armor and gear. With over three million pre-registrations and a successful closed beta test, there is significant interest in the game. Capcom plans to expand the Monster Hunter experience to a global audience through its collaboration with Niantic. Analysts note the potential of the game, following the disappointing launch of Niantic's previous AR pet simulator game, Peridot. Users found Peridot's gameplay slower and costly compared to Pokémon Go.

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