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 navy necessities” along with “non-military stuff,” he mentioned 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 in the event you nonetheless suppose I’m out of the sport.
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) January 19, 2025
Notably, Luckey’s remark was in response {a partially} faulty declare that “Quest app gross sales are down 27% yr over yr.” This determine is in reference to the free Meta Horizon smartphone app, which did see a year-over-year lower by 27% through the Christmas interval, however not the XR app ecosystem as an entire.
It’s speculated that Luckey’s headset could be launched by means of his protection firm, Anduril, which he based in 2017. Alternatively, he might launch it as a aspect venture, just like his Sport Boy-style handheld gadget, ModRetro Chromatic. Nevertheless, this appears much less possible given the headset’s obvious concentrate on navy functions.
That mentioned, it’s unclear whether or not these XR initiatives 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 function in sparking the trendy 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 instantly concerned in XR since leaving Meta, he continues to be a distinguished voice within the discipline.
