XR Round-Up Feb/Mar ‘22
At ROSE, we are constantly looking for advancements and inspiration within the XR community. We thought it would be fun to share the things that have caught our attention each month, as extended reality technology and web3 are developing at a rapid pace. You can expect each round-up to contain important feature updates from XR vendors, amazing experiences we think you should know about, web3/metaverse news, and things that make us excited to be in the XR field. Without further ado, here is our February/March ’22 round-up!
1. Niantic Acquires 8th Wall
Niantic announced this week that it has acquired WebAR platform 8th Wall. The platforms are set to remain separate, but the acquisition makes Niantic one of the most complete sets of AR tools available. Read more about it here.
2. Film Screenings Have Entered The Metaverse
Metaverse spaces creator Spatial hosted the “first-ever metaverse film screening,” according to ARPost. The immersive space hosted the premiere of the documentary film GameStop: Rise of the Players on March 1. The virtual event featured a screening of the film, a director Q&A, selfie opportunities, and visitors received a proof of attendance protocol — a kind of NFT keepsake.
3. ROSE Creates Museum-Like Experience For Black History Month
In case you missed it, in honor of Black History Month ROSE created an augmented reality experience that honors Black Americans’ contribution to medicine, a nod to this year’s theme of health and wellness. The portal experience, called “Black History And Medicine: An Augmented Reality Experience” brings users into a museum-like space that allows them to explore 30 historical milestones and events. To make the space a manageable size for the average user’s home, the exhibit content dynamically updates when the user chooses to explore different periods. Try it for yourself at bhm.builtbyrose.co.
4. Roblox And Snap Make Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies By Bringing XR Technology To The Masses
In a big vote of confidence for the future of the metaverse, XR content creation, and experiences, Snap and Roblox were named two of Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. Fast Company specifically called out Snap’s software upgrades for virtual try-on capabilities as well as gesture and voice recognition. Roblox continues to wow with their interaction number and revenue numbers with Roblox’s total engagement at more than 11.2 billion hours in the third quarter of 2021 and revenue growing more than 100% year over year and surpassing $500 million for the quarter. The utilization of the platform for virtual experiences and concerts as well as the ability to purchase virtual merch has skyrocketed the platform in the eyes of big companies looking for a hold in the metaverse.
5. Vote for the Shorty Awards
The Shorty Awards are open for voting until Mar 18, 2022. Take some time to peruse the augmented reality and immersive categories to see some of the best experiences to be released last year. Some notable entries:
TWITCH AND PRIME VIDEO: FAIRFAX INTERACT
VERIZON AR PRO INTERACTIVE APP
THE OAKLEY KATO VIRTUAL LAUNCH
Tune in next month for the March/April round up!
