18 Mar 2019
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Tom Emrich
AR+VR Weekly: Beat Saber hits 1M, new Facebook avatars, & SXSW winners
AR/VR Weekly
Catch up on the latest AR+VR highlights, funding news & launch announcements: Week of March 18
Image Source: Wired
Highlights
It’s been another busy week in AR+VR! In addition to keeping you up-to-date on the top AR+VR news, funding activity, and launch announcements, here are the three stories you need to know: Beat Saber hits 1M, Facebook's realistic avatars, and SXSW winners.
Popular VR indie game Beat Saber announced it has sold over 1 million copies of its game. Road to VR confirms that these are all consumer sales.
Meanwhile, Facebook Reality Labs showed off its work on Codec Avatars, which use machine learning to create highly realistic and expressive avatars.
Finally, SXSW wrapped up in Austin last week and announced its Jury and Special Awards, including those featured in its VR cinema. AR/VR winners this year included Intel Studios' "Runnin," RYOT's "Gloomy Eyes," and VRAI Pictures "Traverse."
Funding News
VIVE X Startup Mindesk Secures $900K to Create VR Multiuser Design Software (Road to VR)
Launch Announcements
Miller Lite, Angry Orchard uncap AR-linked bottles (Mobile Marketer)
Puppetoon AR app wants to democratize animation (Next Reality)
YouTube Stories adds Snapchat-like AR effects (CNET)
VRAI Pictures launches spatial audio app Traverse (Engadget)
Morpholio lets you jump into a sketch with augmented reality (VentureBeat)
HaptX teams up with FundamentalVR to create VR surgery gloves (VentureBeat)
Google releases Lookout app for visually impaired and blind on Pixel devices (CNET)
Insta360 Evo is a foldable 3D camera (CNET)
Vuzix Strikes Reseller Partnership with Verizon for Enterprise Customers (Next Reality)
Adventurous taps live actors and AR to take families on high-tech scavenger hunts (TechCrunch)
HTC's VIveport Infinity unlimited VR service will cost $99 per year (VentureBeat)
Nissan Design works with HaptX to bring realistic touch to VR vehicle design (VentureBeat)
Event Listings
Collegiate XR Student Festival (VRARA, Oculus & Microsoft): Friday, April 12 (Los Angeles, CA)
AWE USA 2019: May 29-31 (Santa Clara, CA)
SIGGRAPH: July 28-August 1 (Los Angeles, CA)
EWTS 2019: September 17-19 (Dallas, TX)
