Snap is buying its AR display supplier for more than $500 million

Snap’s fourth-generation Spectacles. | Photo: Snap Snap has agreed to acquire WaveOptics, the supplier of the augmented reality displays that power its new Spectacles glasses, for more than $500 million, The Verge has learned. The deal is Snap’s largest ... more - theverge

Snapchat gets augmented reality Legos you can build with a friend

Snapchat is introducing a new type of augmented reality lens, called “Connected Lenses,” which allows Snapchat users to connect and enjoy an AR experience or game together — even if they’re not in the same physical space. The company is partnering with ... more - theverge

Snap’s new Spectacles let you see the world in augmented reality

Snap’s fourth-generation Spectacles. | Photo: Snap Snap’s new Spectacles glasses are its most ambitious yet. But there’s a big catch: you can’t buy them. On Thursday, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel unveiled the company’s first true augmented reality glasses, ... more - theverge

Google Maps’ Live View feature now offers more useful information about restaurants and businesses

Image: Google Google announced a bunch of new features for Google Maps at its 2021 I/O developer conference today, including upgrades to its handy Live View tool, which helps you navigate the world through augmented reality. Live View launched in beta ... more - theverge

Oculus’ latest Quest update brings mixed reality capture that only requires an iPhone

Oculus Oculus will soon roll out its v29 software for Quest and Quest 2 headsets, and this one adds more features and functionality to the lineup. The most exciting one is a new Live Overlay casting feature that will give you an easy way to capture a ... more - theverge

Hugo Barra is leaving Facebook

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Facebook’s vice president of AR and VR Hugo Barra is leaving the company, he announced (where else) on Facebook Monday. “Today is my last day at Facebook Reality Labs, after 4 years working on projects that have ... more - theverge

Epic Games sues AR company Nreal for sounding too much like ‘Unreal’

Nreal Epic Games has sued smart glasses maker Nreal for infringing on its Unreal Engine trademark. Epic, which filed the case late last week, claims it’s “no coincidence” that Nreal’s name “looks and sounds virtually identical” to Unreal’s branding. ... more - theverge

HTC’s self-contained $1,300 Vive Focus 3 headset has a 5K screen and ships June 27th

HTC is revamping its Vive Focus standalone virtual reality headset, adding a 5K screen, a 120-degree field of view, and a swappable battery. The Vive Focus 3 follows HTC’s Vive Focus Plus. Like its predecessor, it’s a self-contained product that uses ... more - theverge

Real-life Mario Kart looks amazing from the perspective of a self-flying Skydio drone

Mario Kart in real life is a commonly shared dream, one that doesn’t typically live up to your imagination — but we’re definitely not giving up. Recently, Nintendo launched an official $100 R/C car with mixed-reality tracks and and a full-on AR ride ... more - theverge

The next PlayStation VR will be 4K and include eye-tracking, according to UploadVR

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge UploadVR has some exciting rumors about what Sony will be including on the next-gen VR headset it’s announced for the PS5: it’ll apparently include 4K resolution, eye-tracking, and a vibration motor in the headset for ... more - theverge

These art collectors are making their own metaverse through games

Forgetter. Dslcollection is using technology to explore new ways to show off works of art Continue reading… ... more - theverge

Apple is giving a laser company that builds some of its AR tech $410 million

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple has announced that it’s awarding Pennsylvania-based optical technology company II-VI with $410 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund. Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted that the company’s tech helps power ... more - theverge

Apple is giving a laser company that builds some of its AR tech $410 million

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Apple has announced that it’s awarding Pennsylvania-based optical technology company II-IV with $410 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund. Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted that the company’s tech helps power ... more - theverge

The Verge’s Father’s Day Gift Guide 2021

Photo illustration by William Joel If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement . Finding a good gift for Father’s Day can be really difficult — especially with all those “traditional” dad gifts out ... more - theverge

HTC may announce two new Vive VR headsets on May 11th

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge HTC is planning to unveil two Vive virtual reality headsets at its ViveCon 2021 conference that’s happening on May 11th and May 12th, according to Protocol . While the original Vive and Vive Pro headsets were ... more - theverge

WNBA to stream games on Twitter, Facebook, and Paramount Plus

Japreece Dean of the Minnesota Lynx handles the ball against the Atlanta Dream. | Photo by Dale Zanine/NBAE via Getty Images For its upcoming 25th season, the Women’s National Basketball Association will broadcast games on Twitter, Facebook Watch, Oculus, ... more - theverge

Upgrades to the US Army’s night vision technology make darkness into a video game

The new tech improves contrast. | Image: Lancer Brigade The US Army’s Lancer Brigade showed footage of the world as seen through the latest in night vision technology, and it’s a major improvement on the familiar blurry green visuals. By swapping the ... more - theverge

Facebook acquires the developers of VR military simulator Onward

A screenshot from Onward . | Image: Downpour Interactive Facebook’s Oculus division has snatched up yet another popular virtual reality game developer. On Friday, the company announced it has acquired Downpour Interactive, the studio behind the hit multiplayer ... more - theverge

HTC now lets you directly buy Vive repair parts through iFixit

HTC has partnered with iFixit to make its Vive virtual reality systems more repairable, selling a list of screws, cables, adapters, and other standalone components directly to consumers. In a blog post, HTC says the move is aimed at helping people whose ... more - theverge

SideQuest’s new Android app can sideload VR games to your Oculus Quest

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge SideQuest has launched an Android app that lets you do the same neat trick as its desktop app: sideload VR content from outside the official Oculus Store onto your Quest or Quest 2 VR headset. The free app, ... more - theverge

Apple will now let you add virtual lasers and confetti to your Clips videos

Image: Apple Apple now lets you add augmented-reality lasers, confetti, and more to your Clips videos, thanks to an update to the short-form video app. The feature, called AR Spaces, will let users with LIDAR-equipped Apple devices (so far, that’s the ... more - theverge

Video game industry wins first Oscar with documentary short Colette

Colette , a short film featured in the Oculus VR game Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond , has won this year’s Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject). Presented by Oculus Studios and Electronic Arts’ Respawn Entertainment, and later acquired ... more - theverge

Oculus has turned on wireless PC streaming for the Quest 2

Oculus is turning on its Air Link PC streaming feature for the Quest 2 virtual reality headset. Air Link is part of the Oculus v28 software update, which recently started rolling out to Oculus headset owners. Facebook Reality Labs head Andrew Bosworth ... more - theverge

Oculus is rolling out its new and more expressive avatars starting today

Oculus is beginning to roll out redesigned avatars that are more expressive and customizable than those that launched in 2016. They’ll appear starting today in just a few games for the Quest VR platform, including Epic Roller Coasters , PokerStarsVR ... more - theverge

Humble extends its Spring Into VR Bundle into next week

Job Simulator, HTC Vive Last week, Humble launched its Spring Into VR Bundle, which includes a pack of games for use with a virtual reality headset. Originally set to end on April 21st, the company has decided to extend the deal until April 28th, giving ... more - theverge

The Oculus Quest 2 VR headset is on sale for the first time

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The Oculus Quest 2 head-mounted display launched last October, and if you are on the hunt for a deal on this VR headset (unfortunately, not a bundle deal), Verizon is offering a 10 percent discount for both ... more - theverge

Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 VR remake launches later this year

Capcom Facebook Reality Labs has offered more detail about a virtual reality remake of Resident Evil 4 , following Capcom’s original announcement last week. The game will launch later this year exclusively on Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2 headset, although ... more - theverge

The Tamagotchi Pix has a built-in camera for taking pictures with your pet

image: Bandai Today, Bandai is announcing the Tamagotchi Pix: a combination of its classic Tamagotchi pet-rearing toy line with a new built-in camera for taking pictures with your digital pet. The Pix is shaped like a hatching egg, with the top part ... more - theverge

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro are available refurbished for 45 percent off

Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge At Best Buy, you can get a refurbished set of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro truly wireless earbuds for $110 today in the silver colorway. This model released just a few months ago alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21, and ... more - theverge

HTC downplays leaked Vive Air headset, says it’s just a concept

Leaked images appeared to show a new fitness-focused VR headset from HTC. HTC has downplayed leaked images that appeared to show a new fitness-focused VR headset built by the firm. Pictures and details of the HTC Vive Air leaked online earlier this week ... more - theverge