Oculus founder Palmer Luckey is saying one thing in a number of weeks, which he says will show he isn’t out of the ‘XR sport’.
Luckey confirmed again in June he’s constructing a brand new XR headset, though the gadget in query appears to be primarily “pushed by army necessities” along with “non-military stuff,” he stated at its AWE 2024 announcement.
Now, as first reported by MIXED, Luckey says he’s set to announce one thing in “a number of weeks”.
Wait until you see what I’m saying in a number of weeks and see should you nonetheless suppose I’m out of the sport.
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) January 19, 2025
Notably, Luckey’s remark was in response {a partially} misguided declare that “Quest app gross sales are down 27% 12 months over 12 months.” This determine is in reference to the free Meta Horizon smartphone app, which did see a year-over-year lower by 27% in the course of the Christmas interval, however not the XR app ecosystem as an entire.
It’s speculated that Luckey’s headset is likely to be launched by way of his protection firm, Anduril, which he based in 2017. Alternatively, he may launch it as a facet venture, just like his Sport Boy-style handheld gadget, ModRetro Chromatic. Nonetheless, this appears much less seemingly given the headset’s obvious give attention to army purposes.
That stated, it’s unclear whether or not these XR tasks are associated on the time of this writing, as Luckey has but to elaborate.
What is evident: Luckey is aware of XR. Having based Oculus in 2012 on the age of 19, his firm performed a serious position in sparking the fashionable period of VR with the discharge of the unique Oculus Rift DK1. Shortly earlier than releasing its Oculus Rift DK2 follow-up in mid-2014, Oculus was acquired by Meta (then Fb) for greater than $2 billion.
Luckey remained concerned in VR at Meta for a number of years till political controversies led to his departure. After leaving the corporate, he based Anduril, which has since achieved a multi-billion-dollar valuation. Whereas Luckey has not been immediately concerned in XR since leaving Meta, he continues to be a distinguished voice within the discipline.
