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LBX Collective
The Stinger Report #1247 - The Hyperscape Reality – Part 2
Leading investors should note a shifting landscape in XR, with Samsung advancing a high-priced MR headset targeting prosumers, alongside AR glasses leveraging Qualcomm and Google tech. Consumer VR faces slowdown, with delays and uncertain releases for Valve’s Deckard and Pimax’s headset, amid waning interest from AAA studios. Conversely, the location-based entertainment (LBE) sector is invigorating, exemplified by new immersive rides, strategic retail expansions, and a dedicated XR LBE hub at AWE 2026, signaling increased institutional focus. Additionally, Disney’s retraction of 3D in their Paris ride highlights ongoing technical challenges in immersive media. Overall, the sector pivots towards AR/VR convergence, LBE innovation, and strategic collaborations, presenting diverse investment opportunities.
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This is the Stinger Report, issue number 1247, The Hyperscape Reality Part 2 by Kevin Williams. The concluding of a two-part overview of the VR slash AR and MR landscape. And we look at the rest of the consumer VR headset universe, not all pivoting to AR smartware. And an honest appraisal of the state of VR in the location-based sector, with announcements of new industry developments leading to the end-of-the-year trade events. And the rest in consumer VR, away from MetaConnect 2025, and it was revealed that Samsung had pushed forward with their plans to release their MR headset this year, as previously rumored. Holding their own event with Galaxy Unpacked 2025, the corporation revealed an October release for the Android XR headset, currently Project Muhan, was proposed from well-placed sources with an expected$2,999 price point. The Samsung platform bears a striking resemblance between a fusion of Apple Vision Pro and MetaQuere development in a single package. The system supporting the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chipset will have a limited rollout, initially only in Korean and then internationally. The partnership with Google to share their Android XR firmware hopes to offer a wide selection of MR apps on launch, though the high price and MR fixation has cooled original excitement from the consumer VR community as they realize this is an enterprise-facing design from Samsung, some event trying to call it pro suma, with an incredibly lower production plan rumored to be about 100,000 units in the first year at launch, compared to Apple's revised 400,000 for their platform over the same period. The corporation had previously expected a much higher production plan, but significantly reduced the number. At the same time, reports surfaced of Samsung's entry into the AR glasses space. The company revealed the Project Hayen, AI Smart Glasses AR Light. These are direct competitors with the Meta Ray Ban glasses, offering no in-lens display, displayless, but just taking pictures and video and offering AI assistant support to the wearer. The system hopes to employ a competitive advantage against its rivals in the smart glass arena using the latest Qualcomm AR chipset while running the new Google Gemini infrastructure. Regarding actual VR slash MR technology, the Samsung Muhan platform seems to have been the second to last headset of what we like to call the fourth phase of VR adoption of the modern generation. Since the first attempts in the late 1980s, the first fully fledged attempts at adoption in the 1990s, and now the 2016 effort at mass market appeal, and then the standalone VR voyage. While some see the pivot from VR to AMR future as a new phase, this is more an attempt to try and salvage the investment in VR hardware made so far than a seriously new phase of innovation. The hoped successor to the Valve Index, codenamed Decard. The PC VR hardware release, rumored to be called Valve Steam Frame, now seems the last chance that the Stalwart VR fanbase are betting on to reignite interest in consumer VR, not including the laborious and chaotic attempts by PyMax. All this in the face of the slowing of Meta and Sony in the consumer VR sector and imminent announcement from other manufacturers. It would later be revealed that PMAX were altering the business plans. The intended roll-out of their new micro OLED headset was pushed back to 2026. Their planned Pimax Dream Air and Pimax Dream Air SE are proposed to be ambitious PC VR hardware solutions, still tethered but offering lightweight, wide field of view performance. This delay comes as no surprise to those that have followed the trials and tribulations of the Pimax operation. Some observers even speculating that PyMAX management may be holding back till they have seen the valve release of their VR solution to react accordingly to a changing VR landscape. That by the time of going to the wire with this rundown of consumer VR, that we still have not had definitive release information on the much-rumored Valve Index 2, codenamed Descard, speaks volumes of the slowing nature of consumer VR. Numerous projects abandoned for a more standalone solution away from the tethered PC VR route to market. The reality of the Apple and Meta presentations seeming to have cast VR to the sidelines. Abandonment of VR content projects by numerous AA studios and a migration of Now VR reporting the meta marketing investment in VR investors seems to have dried up. But what away from consumer, what is the temperature of VR? XRLBE investment, away from the consumer XR space, and we have started to see a redrawing of the battle lines in the changing VRLBE sphere. It has been obvious that as the consumer VR scene has been under great pressure to perform, the LBE VR sector under extreme pressure, with some operations even walking away from the table. But many others are still investing heavily in VR or broadening their investment in XR. An actual consideration of a commercial placement for the Meta range of Metaverse technology was revealed with the continued roll out of their retail store aspirations. Meta confirmed plans to launch a flagship Los Angeles retail store at Melrose Retail District, proposing to be joined by a suite of pop-up and permanent show stores. The company originally opened their first retail store in 2022 in California, but has now reinvested in opening stores to promote their VR and AR consumer platforms. Rumors suggest the VR demonstration area will be curtailed for a more AR glasses demo focus. But it was not the commercial retail application of VR that was the key issue. LBEVR applications were also gaining more interest. LAI Games and Sega Amusement International, SAI, marked the eighth anniversary of Virtual Rabbids with the reveal of the platform successor. The new Ubisoft All-Star VR system offers a new take on the mounted VR ride system with an improved DBox G5 actuator motion seat, now interactive with a patent pending controllers and using DP VR tethered headset. The much larger cabinet also incorporates a 17.4-inch cinematic LED wall as an audience attraction. The dual rider system is also available in a four-player, two-unit deluxe configuration. Arguably the first successful amusement VR platform, LAI Games, has taken their time in developing Virtual Rabbit's successor, working again with Ubisoft, who originated the concept. Back in 2017, then partnered with LAI to release the system to popular appeal and could be said to have fired the starting gun on the latest phase of VR adoption in amusement. In the evolving commercial entertainment scene, and HeroZone acquired the assets of SPREEE Interactive regarding their VR family-friendly multiplayer VR Arena attraction, VR Playground, Spree continues to develop their new line of Spree Play, motion-controlled interactive gaming platform launched this year. HeroZone acquiring the VR assets will also take on the support of the VR Playground installation in venues such as their 50-plus urban air adventure park installations, as well as at the Happy City chain. This will boost HeroZone's networks of installed venues to over 500. HeroZone recently signing a licensing agreement with Sony to release a VR experience based on the Terminator movie property. This will see a soon-to-be launched VR Experience using the IP available across the platform. Spree will now be focusing its efforts on their range of XR products beyond VR, with their recently launched Spree Play, a motion-controlled interactive gaming system. Available in four and eight-player configurations, the system tracks the player's hand movements and represents them in the game on the LED screen. This is the latest of the mixed reality entertainment deployments we have seen using hand or ball tracking technology, part of a drive of unencumbered immersive entertainment systems. Another VR developer broadening their investment in XR, away from just VR applications, is VEX Solutions. The company announced the launch of their VEX Hyperdash. The developer call this the first mixed reality arcade attraction in the market. The dual LED screen platform places the players within the two to five minute game experience. The platform building off the popularity of interactive floor gaming with a more immersive experience. The latest in LED screen supported attractions in the amusement sector. We expect a report on several new immersive enclosure systems favoring an unencumbered approach to entertainment during the buildup to IAAPA 2025. New gathering for XRLBE. A major announcement for the XR sector had direct involvement from the Stinger report owners. It was announced that the Alternative World Expo, AWE, taking place in June of 2026, will be including a brand new XRLBE hub, a dedicated launch pad and engagement component to the veteran event specially focused on the XR sector's involvement in location-based entertainment. This initiative is being driven by Kevin Williams, the publisher of the Stinger Report and leading specialist in the international immersive out-of-home entertainment sector. Kevin's involvement will see him as a senior advisor to the sales and operation team, driving a new XR LBE component to AWE, seen as the world's leading spatial computing event series for the AR and VRXR industry, to be held in Long Beach, California in June 2026. This event is to offer an independent conference and exhibition stage for the LBE industry for the first time. We have covered AWE over the years, and it is great to be able to support a dedicated XR launch pad for the industry. Along with advising the stellar team running AWE, Kevin will be presenting at the event, bringing experience of the sector to the stage in an overview of trends and development, as well as moderating a number of sessions. AWE is a series of international events, including AWE Asia and United XR. This European event, to be held in December of this year, will see Kevin attend a special panel session on XRLBE, where he will expand on the opportunity that XR at AWE can support the sector. After attempts at VR-based summits in the past, the move by AWE to formulate a dedicated strategy for XRLBE will hopefully offer a chance for the constantly evolving sector to gather and define its destiny on a level playing field. AW offering a fantastic foundation to build a true platform for diversity and innovation in the LBE sector to gain recognition against the highest bidder to sponsor their platform over others. The work with the AWE team will lead hopefully to not just the Los Angeles event, but ASO, the European and Japanese AWE event, incorporating a dedicated XRLBE component. Watch this space for more updates on developments and first supporters. XR Immersion Home Screen. Speaking of the level of immersion from attractions, and it was revealed that after guest testing, Walt Dinsey Imagineers have decided on removing the 3D projection capability of their brand new Disneyland Paris, Ratatouille L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Remy, attraction reverting to a 2D projection presentation for audiences when it opens in 2026. The ride, based on the original autonomous trackless vehicle and projection sequence attraction, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, opened at Walt Disney Studio Park in 2024. This is a major development in the application of immersive projection, and not the first time that fast-moving media-based attractions have removed the 3D element after complaints and concerns regarding motion sickness, also called sim sickness, induced by fast movement of the ride vehicle and the sinking of the 3D screen narrative. One of the first successful media-based motion ride experiences was the 1999 Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal Islands, Orlando. The originator of the motion ride vehicle and projected screen sequences, the system came to define the media attraction era and the popularity of the technology when done correctly. Behind the scenes, the development team at Universal created many specialist elements to address the issues of marrying passive 3D glasses technology with a constantly changing audience viewing window. Many following attractions that tried to emulate this experience found it difficult to achieve, with the ensuing audience complaints of motion sickness. For Disney to announce this decision a full year before the attraction is planned to be open is a way to manage the message regarding the failure of the ride team to convey the immersive experience in 3D. In the announcement, the corporation stated that they intended to be making other technical upgrades and scenic enhancements to address the removal of the effect. Some observers commented on the news that will Disney also consider removing the 3D from the original ride at Disney Studio Park, as there have been complaints since its opening regarding the experience. As with all aspects of XR deployment currently, the need to have a team well versed in the marriage of motion programming and on screen visuals to avoid this issue reflects on the level of experience retained within the corporation's R D since recent layoffs and retirements.
