AWE USA 2024, Long Beach, CA

Monthly Spatial

The Monthly blog post below highlights

the news we captured in the previous month.

The AWE Weekly Spatial is a newsletter that curates the most exciting news within the XR industry each week. If you are not yet subscribed or wish to stay up to date with the VR/AR/MR happenings make sure to subscribe to the Weekly Spatial for the most relevant news delivered to your inbox every Friday.

AWE USA 2021 Recordings

ALL AWE USA 2021 Recordings Available on YouTube

We are still in AWE after experiencing AWE USA 2021 both virtually and in-person. In case you missed a talk, panel or demo from AWE USA 2021, recordings from all tracks are available on our YouTube Channel. Check out some fun demos and interviews from AWE as well.

December 2021 Highlights

Metaverse & NFTs

HYBE, Softbank Invest $189M in Naver Z's Metaverse Creator. (theblockcrypto)
Spatial to Become a Metaverse Platform & Announces $25M in New Funding. (Auganix)
Adidas Originals Launches NFTs. (VentureBeat)

Platforms and Tools

Meta Launches Horizon Worlds to US and Canada Users. (Auganix)
Mixed Reality VR Demo Unity Slices Table is Coming to Quest in 2022. (Road to VR)

Hardware

Sony Reveals VR Headset Prototype With Tech that Could Inform PSVR 2. (Road to VR)
Oppo Announces Air Glass ‘Assisted Reality’ Device. (TheVerge)

Enterprise

Cisco and Google Join Forces to Transform the Future of Hybrid Work. (WebEx)

Events

Upload VR Showcase Winter 2021: Everything Announced. (UploadVR)

Spatial Insights

What are top tactics for web AR marketing campaigns? (ARInsider)

What does the recent funding of these startups' mean for the future of AR wayfinding? (ARInsider)

How has this consumer AR leader achieved 6-billion engagements per day? (ARInsider)

Will this AR revenue segment reach $26 billion by 2025? (ARInsider)

Will this leading XR device hit its 10-million installed-base target imminently? (ARInsider)

XR Market

Metaverse & NFTs

OFF Secures $3.5 Million for NFT-Based Animated Avatars. (XR Today)
Jadu Raises $7M to Make Hoverboards for The Metaverse. (VentureBeat)
Space Metaverse Raises $7M. (SiliconANGLE)

Enterprise

Rec Room Raises $145M in New Funding. (Auganix)
Chiratae Ventures, Lenskart and Others Invest $4M in AR Startup Adloid. (VCCircle)
Ready Player Me Raises $13M in Series A Funding. (VentureBeat)
Virtualware Doubles Sales to $5.6M and Will Increase Workforce by 10%. (VR Voice)

Platforms & Tools

Unity Acquired Synchronized Real-time Collaboration Tools Creator SyncSketch. (Unity Blog)

Hardware

arpara Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Its New Tethered and Standalone VR Headsets. (Auganix)
Sword Art Online-Inspired VR Headset 'HalfDive' Hits Kickstarter, Starting at $750. (Road to VR)

Software

PARC Awarded $5.8M Contract by DARPA to Develop AI-Powered Task Training System. (Auganix)
OpenBCI Raises Funds for Brain-Computer Interfaces for Gaming and More. (VentureBeat)
Mawari’s CODEC Solution to Integrate 3D Content. (Forbes)

Launches & Announcements

Metaverse & NFTs

Balenciaga to Launch Metaverse Business Unit. (businessoffashion)
gmoney, PUNKS Comic and the Bored Ape Yacht Club lead adidas into the Metaverse. (adidas)
Zaha Hadid Architects featured NFTism, a virtual gallery, during the Art Basel Miami event in Florida. (Inside XR)
HTC Launches Vive Arts NFT Store. (UploadVR)
Marriott Joins Metaverse with NFT Travel Art. (XR Today)
Snoop Dogg Opens Sandbox Metaverse LAND Sales. (XR Today)
Bulgari Serpentis NFT is Based on A Legendary Creature. (LinkedIn)
Nike Gains in Metaverse Race with NFT Studio Deal. (XR Today)

Enterprise

DPVR Continues Its Global Expansion and Announces Two New Partnerships in Russia with TFN and Vizzion. (Auganix)
Nextech AR Signs Multi-Year Virtual Event & “Metaverse Marketplace” Contract with Restaurants Canada. (Auganix)
ThirdEye’s Mixed Reality Enterprise Solutions Aid in Sustainability. (martechseries)

Hardware

Nreal Launches $600 ‘Light’ AR Glasses in the US via Verizon. (nreal)
Gabe Newell: Valve is Making "Big Investments" in New Headsets and Games. (Road to VR)
RealWear Announces Navigator 500 “Assisted Reality” Headset. (ARPost)
Oppo to Reveal Smart Glasses, Retractable Camera and More on December 14. (The Indian Express)
Simula One is a Standalone VR Headset Running Linux Desktop, Kickstarter in January. (Road to VR)
Somnium Space Plans Modular 2800x2800 VR Headset With XTAL Maker. (UploadVR)
bHaptics Reveals TactGlove $299 Haptic VR Gloves For Quest 2. (UploadVR)

Software

Masterpiece Studio Announces Free Edition of its 3D Software Suite for Virtual Reality Creation. (Auganix)
WayRay Designing AR-Powered Ride-Share Car For Zoomers. (VRScout)
Manus launches Polygon, a Free Software Solution for VR, Motion Capture and Virtual Production. (Auganix)
Taqtile Adds AR Manifest Support for Apple iPads. (XR Today)
Quest Apps Can Now Use Hand Tracking With Passthrough. (UploadVR)
Meta Releases Quest Hand Tracking Showcase For Unreal Engine. (UploadVR)
Google Building 'Augmented Reality OS' For New AR Device. (UploadVR)
Meta's Latest Avatar System is Finally Available to Unity VR Developers. (Road to VR)
'Bigscreen' Update Greatly Improves Remote Desktop Feature. (VRScout)

Platforms, Tools & Services

Snap Debuts Creation Tools for More Sophisticated Augmented Reality Experiences. (TechCrunch)
Saks Partners With Yahoo To Create AR Selfie Filters For Instagram. (ARPost)
KDDI and Mawari to Launch a Digital Human as a Service (DHaaS) Using AWS Wavelength. (Business Wire)
XCOM Labs Unveils Extended Reality Platform at MILCOM 2021. (prnewswire)
Taqtile Announces Updated Capabilities to Its Manifest AR Work-Instruction Platform on iPad. (Auganix)
'VRChat' Avatars Are Getting A Major Upgrade. (VRScout)

Education

Michigan University, GigXR Build XR Medical Trainer. (XR Today)
Ozobot Launches MetaBot, The Free AR Robot For Education. (ARPost)

Training, Gaming & Entertainment

Samsung Debuts Its New Augmented Reality Playgrounds. (VRScout)
Dreamscape Partners with Zoe Immersive on VR Learning Experiences. (VentureBeat)
'Arvizio Instructor' to Transform Industrial Remote Guidance & Training. (XR Today)
Cities: Skylines is heading to VR. (VentureBeat)
Emergency Meeting: Among Us VR Announced For Quest, PSVR And PC VR. (UploadVR)
Dreamscape Expands To East Coast With New Jersey VR Destination. (ARPost)
Geenee Announces WebAR Full-Body Tracking SDK for 3D Augmented Reality Try-On and Avatars. (Auganix)
Mobile AR Christmas Returns To Westfield Shopping Centers. (ARPost)
'Horizon Zero Dawn' VR Support Arrives from Modder Behind 'GTA' & 'Red Dead Redemption' VR Mods. (Road to VR)
AT&T And Meta Release A 5G AR Game. (ARPost)
Vuzix Announces Agreement with Verizon to Deliver Augmented Reality Experience for Sports and Gaming. (Auganix)
VR Series 'Space Explorers' Releases Its Biggest Episode Yet. (VRScout)