The Immersive Wire - 30 June 2021 (News edition)

The Immersive Wire - 30 June 2021 (News edition)

June 30, 2021

NEWS DIGEST EDITIONCurated VR/AR analysis every Wednesday and Sunday

// 30 June 2021

Back and feeling refreshed after a trip to the Peak District. It was glorious.

 

Qualcomm spokes to Protocol Next up about their vision on the future of VR and AR.

  • I highly recommend reading the full article and support their reporting, but in summary, Qualcomm is very excited about the future of immersive technologies. 'Over the next few years, it's going to grow exponentially,' said Qualcomm VP and GM of XR Hugo Swart. 'Every person on the planet is likely going to have one.'

  • He highlights the four parallel tracks of immersive technologies, including:

    • VR headsets;

    • Enterprise headsets (HoloLens);

    • Smart glasses;

    • Wireless viewers.

  • And eventually, a number of these could converge into a true AR device - though the actual specifications and details are several years into the future.

  • Following chip manufacturers like Qualcomm is important to keep tabs on a component of building future hardware. Their recent work with 5G mmWave technologies is an example of how it can branch out into XR, for example. In many cases, they are acquired by the big tech companies to keep the skills in-house, like Snap acquiring WaveOptics.

  • Also bear in mind that the company supplied the Snapdragon XR2 for the Oculus Quest 2, though it is unclear if the relationship is still continuing after the launch of the product.

  • So if you want to see what's possible, keep an eye on their announcements over the next few years.

What do you think about Qualcomm's comments?

Join the debate o

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.

An example of their work. Photo credit: Qualcomm.

Smash Drums is an arcade VR drumming game that will shake your house, and it is OUT NOW! Get ready to ROCK and DRUM HARD in this VR rhythm game for the Oculus Quest! Embark on an epic drumming journey that will have you destroying multiple environments through chaos and flames! This is Smash Drums! Rock & roll has never been more alive...FULL GAME: Check out the game now on

LAUNCH TRAILER: Watch the

Other stories

  • Decathlon UK will present the world premiere of Tennis Esports in partnership with VR Motion Learning GmbH & Co KG, and people can sign up to try it in the London Surry Quays store today.

    • For those who don't know, Decathalon is a massive sporting goods retailer that sells everything from boots to blankets, backpacks to baseball bats, and everything else in between. Decathalon entering the in-store immersive experience game is another telling example that retail stores are continuing to adapt to challenging conditions.

  • Laval Virtual Europe is happening in two weeks.

  • Motive.io secured additional funding to further its expansion.

  • Steam is having a summer sale, which includes a range of VR games.

  • Tripp raised $11m in Series A funding.

    • Think of it as a subscription service for psychedelic VR meditation experiences. There is almost certainly the market, but the key question is how big is it?

    • In any case, the company reeks of Silicon Valley tech culture. I can't think of many people who own VR headsets, want to get high, and would pay a subscription for the pleasure - but I reckon many would be based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • Virti raised $10m in Series A funding.

    • The company specialises in developing soft skills via VR. A very safe investment in the spade, and the next step is for Virti to differentiate itself from its competitors.

  • VRChat raised $80m in Series D funding.

    • From a disaster bumbling echidnas to a social VR powerhouse, investors have a lot of trust that the platform will remain relevant into the future.

    • The funding will go towards creating a self-fulfilling creator economy - a smart focus, to put more trust in the users that helped it gain popularity.

  • Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife is now available on Viveport Infinity.

  • Zappar announced a partnership with AiBUY. The company also announced SDKs with PlayCanvas + Babylon.js.

    • Disclaimer: I worked with Zappar until last week, as I depart the freelance role and enter a new full-time one next week. I provided freelance PR and communications support for both of the above announcements before I left.

Jobs boardGAME SUPERVISOR, UK. ATMOS VR is looking for a Games Supervisor. This is an interactive role that places you at the centre of the game. You will pull all the right levers and press all the correct buttons to skilfully co-ordinate the game zone, ensuring the smooth running of the experience from the comfort of the Operations Room.

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, UK. Rock Paper Reality is hiring an ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE who has experience in immersive technology. Ideal candidate can manage the entire sales cycle from finding a client to securing a deal to maintaining the relationship post-sale. Experience in enterprise sales, C-level presentations, and marketing desired.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS, UK. VRTUOSO, a rapidly growing and multi-award winning company, is looking for three full-time B2B Sales Managers who are excited about technology advancements, and able to sell to CxO/Director level within enterprise accounts.

HEAD OF MARKETING, UK. VRTUOSO, a rapidly growing and multi-award winning company, is looking for a Head of Marketing capable of taking VRtuoso to the next level. We’re looking to make the leap to working with enterprise level companies at scale and we hope you’re the one to help us accomplish this.

CHANNEL SALES MANAGER, UK. VRTUOSO, a rapidly growing and multi-award winning company, is looking for a Channel Sales Manager to lead the channel and reseller programmes. The role is primarily responsible for onboarding new partners, serving as the primary liaison for new partners, growing the sales of existing partners, and assisting with sales/marketing initiatives for our reseller channel as a whole.

DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, UK. VRTUOSO, a rapidly growing and multi-award winning company, is looking for a Director of Engineering to lead our engineering department and help us build, deliver, and maintain the leading VRtuoso Virtual Reality products for the enterprise market.

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That's all for this week! Want to have a chat, let me know about a news story, or talk business? Either reply to this email, or contact tom (at) virtualperceptions (dot) com. Have an excellent day!