Reality Bytes

Join Eric, Todd, and Skeeva on another lively Reality Bytes episode! We celebrate hitting 20,000 subscribers and our regular live schedule. Our sponsor, VRwave, gets a shout-out as Todd shares his positive experience with their custom prescription lenses for Meta glasses and the convenient charging station, highlighting its practical benefits.

The main topic is a deep dive into the competitive XR/VR glasses market. Todd reviews the lightweight URXR glasses, noting missing audio and VR support. Ska shares excitement for Xreal Aura's XR gaming despite launch delays. Eric champions Meta VR glasses for comfort and weightlessness over a smaller field of view. We also cover PSVR2's affordability, modding potential, and touch on the bulky Snap Spectacles.

Conversation shifts to Eric's AI-powered Mimo Mind One glasses, highlighting transcription and teleprompter. Gaming discussions follow: a Light Brigade Steam key giveaway, and Eric’s take on the Titanfall 2 VR mod, covering its merits and legal challenges. Finally, we delve into AI's profound impact on coding, with Epic Games using it exclusively, stressing professional adaptation. Don't miss the Flatout 4 playtest announcement!

Welcome back to Reality Bytes! Eric, Todd, and Skeeva kick things off with their usual banter, including Discord drama and Todd's "love muscle" intro. The guys then discuss their Teimu finds and dive into early tech impressions, comparing new Vive Eagles glasses to Eric's Meta Ray-Bans and recalling the flop of the Vive Flow.

This week's highlight is the Flat2VR Studios VR Game Showcase! Eric recaps his post-showcase trip to England, then the team shares exciting trailers for Grimwolf's title, the anticipated *I Am Your Beast*, and the massive reveal of *High on Life VR*. They tackle the ongoing "VR winter" affecting many studios and the importance of community investment via Start Engine crowdfunding (Eric's AMA tomorrow!). Plus, the physical return of Game Informer magazine!

The main event: Eric's hands-on unboxing and review of the Steam Frame. He praises its ergonomics, light weight, and seamless wireless PCVR with the Y-gig dongle, but notes "serviceable" LCD visuals and poor passthrough, sharing thoughts on *Gunman Contracts* and *Half-Life Alex*. Todd then showcases the incredibly light URXR1 AR glasses, highlighting crisp color passthrough, multiple virtual screens, and hand-tracking. Don't miss our XRREL 1S glasses giveaway! Eric's off to Meta Connect next week, so expect more tech talk soon.

This week on Reality Bytes, Eric, Todd, and Skeeva welcome VR OGs Artur and Shodah from Somnium Space! They dive deep into the ever-evolving XR landscape, sharing their candid thoughts on Meta's 'Trojan horse' strategy with Quest, the rise and fall of PCVR, and Google's hit-or-miss approach with Android XR. Hear their insights on why the industry is undergoing a 'purification' and how Apple's Vision Pro might just be a brilliant, albeit expensive, beta test for Vision OS.

Artur and Shodah then pull back the curtain on Somnium Space, showcasing their groundbreaking Somnium VR1 headset — a European-made PCVR powerhouse with stunning visuals and modular design. They reveal how their persistent, economy-driven metaverse is striving for true Ready Player One immersion, complete with C# scripting and dynamic asset loading. Plus, learn about their innovative karma system and strict age verification process, creating a unique, adult-focused social VR experience free from screaming kids and predators.

With a mobile app on the horizon and Somnium Space hitting Steam Wishlist this month, the future looks bright. The hosts even explore the possibility of hosting a Reality Bytes studio *inside* Somnium Space! Don't miss this unhinged discussion on the past, present, and exciting future of VR, and be sure to check out all the links below for Somnium Space, their Discord, and more.

Welcome back to Reality Bytes for a super-sized "Nerd Talk" episode with Todd and Ska! What started as a quick chat about Todd's new Galaxy ZFold 8 Ultra quickly spiraled into an epic deep dive into the wild world of home automation. We're talking about everything from smart sprinkler valves and water leak detectors to monitoring every breaker in your electrical box – all controlled locally with Home Assistant. Learn how Todd used Matter, Zigbee, and Z-Wave to automate his entire life, including his laundry, and how you can do it too without bogging down your Wi-Fi or losing privacy.

Then, the conversation shifts into the fascinating (and sometimes terrifying) realm of AI. We break down the controversial "Flock Cameras" popping up across the US, AI making employment decisions (yes, an AI fired someone!), and the ongoing debate around AI in creative work. Todd even shows off his personal, local AI assistant, Jarvis, which handles everything from launching games to managing his calendar, showcasing the incredible power of self-hosted AI solutions.

Finally, we wrap up with some shocking gaming news: the US Army is offering a 4-day paid leave to officers who re-enlist just to play Grand Theft Auto 6 – seriously! Plus, Ska shares some exciting updates from FlatV Studios, including High on Life VR and System Shock VR, and don't miss our giveaway for a pair of XREAL 1s AR glasses. Check our socials for the Gleam link!

The Bytes crew – Eric, Todd, and Skeeva – kicked off this episode with their usual chaotic energy, navigating YouTube's mysterious censorship algorithms and announcing last week’s Robo Quest winners. Then, it was time for the Teimu (or Teemu? or Timu?) Tech Challenge! Todd impressed with a capable $38 4K mini-projector, while Eric brought intensely sour Final Boss candies. Skeeva, however, got hilariously bamboozled by $12 "AI Smart Glasses" that were just terrible Bluetooth speakers in warped plastic frames – a Teimu gamble!

Eric also accidentally unboxed some potentially embargoed Ray Neo GT Max glasses. Todd unveiled his P09 Ultra handheld emulator, packed with 30,000 retro games. Eric and Skeeva *both* revealed identical Bitbox handheld emulators in purple transparent casings! Both were praised for their massive game libraries, proving Teimu can deliver unexpected gems.

Robo Quest winners were announced, then Eric shared exciting news: he'll be heading to Gamescom soon, promising a full report. Mark your calendars: a highly anticipated VR Game Showcase on August 13th is an event you'll want to "call in sick to work" to watch live! The gang also teased the next Teimu Challenge ($25 or less tech) before signing off for more Bytes-style shenanigans next week!

Welcome to Reality Bytes! Eric, Todd, and Skeeva are back. Todd recounts his amazing Japan trip, from polite phrases and local beer to his son's anime-focused adventures. The chat lights up with familiar faces as they dive into gaming, including Eric's excitement for *Halo Combat Evolved* (Todd's not a fan) and their differing opinions on *Deep Rock Galactic Survivor* and *Rogue Core*.

The conversation swings to movies and TV, with Eric catching up on a mountain of Marvel content, hyped by the new Captain America trailer! They debate *Spider Noir* and the new *Stuart Fails to Save the Universe* spin-off. Eric also shares insights from the *Double Fine Adventure* and *Psych Odyssey* documentaries, drawing parallels to FlatVR Studios' development journey, from Kickstarter challenges to game creation's daily grind.

In tech, the hosts tackle the rise of "vibe-coded" VR mods, acknowledging their ingenuity but contrasting them with professional development's polish and challenges. They tease a new "Teemu Tech Challenge" for next week, reviewing budget tech finds. Steam Frame's FCC approval and the Quest Pro's declining support also get a mention. Finally, the team celebrates *Roboquest*'s successful Quest launch, detailing immense optimization efforts and the crucial role of Impact Labs. Stay tuned for a Humble Bundle announcement and enter our giveaway for a *Roboquest* key and t-shirt!

Eric's back from his global travels, joining Skeeva and special guest Jasmine! Todd's off on an epic vacation, so we dive straight into the recent VR Game Showcase. We cover the wild launch of FlatOut 4 VR and the community's Herculean efforts with wheel and pedal support, plus the excitement for Robo Quest hitting Quest on July 23rd. Get the magical scoop on how the Trombone Champ Disney DLC came to be (hint: it involved walking Disney execs through VR!), new content for V-Racer Hoverbike, and teasers for upcoming titles like Raid, Primal Rumble's closed beta, and the action-packed I Am Your Beast. We also chat about Squido's many games, Maestro's Attack on Titan DLC, and the highly anticipated new Payday VR.

Then, it's all about the Augmented World Expo (AWE)! Skeeva and Eric share insights on the XR industry's 50/50 sentiment and Eric's invigorating trip to BitSummit Japan, where VR is still fresh and exciting. We delve into new tech: the controversial Snap Spectacles, impressive Xreal/Google Aura glasses (Eric's laptop replacement!), and the revolutionary Keyring controller that could replace all your remotes. The vision is clear: a phone-less, screen-less "smart life" is closer than you think, with AR glasses transforming how we work and play. Plus, a huge shoutout to Salvador for his generous gift memberships!

Finally, we check out cool gear like Dbrand PS5 skins and the beloved Manba One controller. We discuss our plans for more regular episodes, covering cutting-edge tech and our commitment to VR roots, all while navigating YouTube's ever-changing censorship rules (damn it!).

This week on Reality Bytes, Todd and Ska hold down the fort as Eric is out sick! Ska kicks things off with news of his recent wedding and how his whole family (and even the Greywolves!) are diving deep into multiplayer VR, playing chaotic rounds of Deadly Delivery and Acron: Attack of the Squirrels. They also highlight other fantastic asynchronous VR games like Fruit Golf and the horror-filled Rico's Fragments, perfect for single-headset households.

The guys then shift to exciting Impact Labs projects, including the highly anticipated Quest launch of the PC VR Game of the Year, Roboquest, and ongoing community testing for the Hell Divers-esque Guardians Planetfall. Todd reveals his new addiction to the flat game Dead Zone Rogue, fueled by a surprise review unit: the incredible, drift-proof Manba controller, which Ska also praises for playing Star Wars Outlaws. For tech on the go, they rave about the InAir AR Laptop Go Pack 2, a revolutionary portable workstation, just in time for Todd's trip to AWE (Augmented World Expo) – where Eric and Jasmine will also be speaking. Ska, unfortunately, won't be joining due to a trip to Japan.

Looking ahead, they tease an AWE recap show, potential Valve Steam Frame VR headset news, and a future live show to connect with the community. Don't miss their honest takes on these cool products!

Welcome to another "Nerd Talk" episode of Reality Bytes, where Todd and Skyler dive deep into all things tech and gaming! This week kicks off with nostalgic banter about their musical past and AI's role in learning instruments. They share TV recommendations like the video game satire Mythic Quest and the new Big Bang Theory spin-off, Stewart Fails to Save the Universe, along with a shout-out to the underrated VR gem, Trover Saves the Universe.

The conversation quickly shifts to an in-depth look at Flatout 4 VR, a game from their own studio that Todd can’t stop playing. They rave about its incredible destruction, immersive cockpit view, and the sheer adrenaline rush, calling it a "game of the year" contender. Hear how the developers are uniquely offering a save file editor for instant car unlocks, and get the scoop on upcoming multiplayer events and a potential Reality Bytes giveaway!

Finally, the guys geek out over Home Assistant automation, detailing how AI helps them create incredible setups for lighting, security, and laundry, making their houses truly smart. Todd and Skyler then vent about the outrageous rise of subscription services in cars (heated seats, acceleration!) and digital media, questioning ownership and the return to physical media. If you're into Home Assistant, they're offering to share their automation code!

Welcome back to Reality Bytes for another episode of Nerd Talk! This week, Todd and Skeeva are joined by special guest Tribe Greywolf for an episode packed with tech and gaming. We kick things off with some hilarious behind-the-scenes banter (including Todd's infamous tattoo and the surprising success of Trombone Champ) before Tribe dives into his big move to Arizona and the incredible growth of his YouTube channels, celebrating a 100k subscriber plaque and detailing how AI tools like ClaudeBot, Open Claw, and Claude Code power his daily content creation.

The conversation quickly shifts to the cutting edge of AI, exploring ChatGPT 5.5's new multimodal capabilities, particularly its mind-blowing image generation. We demo creating everything from a Quest 3 blueprint poster and an "Impact Boys" boy band album cover to action scenes from Resident Evil 4 and After the Fall, complete with Samuel L. Jackson and Chewbacca! The hosts also discuss the ethical implications of AI, from the groundbreaking Project Glasswing fixing internet vulnerabilities to the wild tale of a Roomba hack and Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against OpenAI.

In gaming news, the crew gets hyped about the upcoming Steam/Garry's Mod collab, promising an explosion of user-created games with the Source 2 engine. We also touch on VR fitness, celebrating listener weight loss stories and highlighting games like Flatout VR and Pistol Whip. Finally, we explore new AI tools like Claude Design for front-end development and discuss the future of AI-powered game creation and automation, including a fascinating "Meme Lord" success story. Audio listeners, head to YouTube to see all the incredible AI-generated images!

This week on Reality Bytes, Eric, Todd, and Skeeva kick off with Todd’s new look and AI banter. Gaming highlights include celebrating Wrath Aeon of Ruin VR Brutal Edition's success on PlayStation and Quest, with a call for Steam reviews! Eric's Robo Quest VR addiction continues, and Miles Dyer got a first taste of FlatOut 4 VR, coming to PC VR on May 7th. Wishlist it on Steam!

Skeeva dives into the "bonkers" world of AI, detailing Claude Code’s automation of home light shows and API generation. Special guest Ralph, XREAL General Manager, showcases the XREAL 1S glasses' modular camera, Sound by Bose, and dimmable lenses. We also explore the XREAL Beam Pro, a dedicated XR hub, and tease Project Aura—XREAL's groundbreaking Google/Qualcomm partnership for full spatial computing and VR, slated for this year. Ralph reveals new lower pricing: XREAL 1 Pro at $599 and 1S at $449.

Inspired by Ralph's generosity, the crew announces an XREAL 1S giveaway! Discussion wraps with the exciting future of XR glasses and current games like Helldivers 2 and Firewatch in 3D. Eric and Skeeva detail their upcoming Vegas trip for a GamesCat meetup, including Player One bar and Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart. Don't miss the tech, games, and banter!

In this episode, Eric, Todd and Skeeva welcome ZStorm back to the show after a long hiatus, catching up on his motion-capture and animation work in Unreal Engine for Ghosts of Tabor at Combat Waffles, plus a look back at the early Impact Labs playtesting that helped shape the multiplayer horror hit Deadly Delivery.

The crew also digs into Todd's deep dive into AI-assisted development, breaking down the differences between Claude Chat, Claude Code, and Claude Co-work as he shares how he built his own custom dashboard through vibe coding, along with a discussion of Anthropic's recent Claude Code source-code leak and what it means for the AI coding space.

Plus, the guys premiere the launch trailer for Wrath: Aeon of Ruin VR - Brutal Edition, Team Beef's gore-soaked VR port of the classic boomer shooter, complete with a RotoVR chair giveaway and a look ahead to FlatOut VR's launch at the end of the month.

In this episode, Eric and Skeeva (with Todd taking a well-earned break) provide an exhaustive breakdown of the Spring 2026 VR Games Showcase. The duo is joined by special guest Myles Dyer to celebrate his 20th anniversary on YouTube and get his unique perspective on the latest wave of virtual reality announcements.

The core of the discussion focuses on the massive wave of reveals from Flat2VR Studios and Impact Reality. The team explores the technical hurdles and excitement surrounding upcoming ports like FlatOut 4: Total Insanity, Roboquest VR, and the rhythm-fueled Trombone Champ: Unflattened. They also dive into high-profile showcase reveals including The Boys: Trigger Warning, Payday: Aces High, and Wrath: Aeon of Ruin. From discussing the philosophy of "unflattening" games to addressing the challenges of VR development in 2026, this episode is a deep dive into the future of immersive gaming.

In this episode, Eric returns from the front lines of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) with a massive hands-on report of Valve’s newest hardware: the Steam Frame. The team discusses Eric's impressions of the headset’s lightweight design and display quality, debating whether Valve’s standalone vision for a portable Steam library can finally make high-end VR mainstream in 2026.

The conversation then shifts to a comprehensive GDC 2026 wrap-up. The hosts break down the industry's pivot toward the "Festival of Gaming" model and the major downsizing of traditional trade shows. They also analyze the hardware landscape beyond Valve, including the latest from Pico and the future of "vibe coding" in spatial computing. From reminiscing about classic sitcoms and UFOs to a deep dive into why VR is far from dead, this episode offers a definitive look at the tech and gaming outlook for the year ahead.

In this episode, Todd and Skeeva (with Eric taking a breather) dive head-first into the ultimate AI showdown: Claude versus ChatGPT. The team analyzes the 2026 landscape of LLMs, debating whether Claude’s superior reasoning and "human" flow have finally dethroned ChatGPT’s versatile ecosystem. They break down the technical nuances that separate these titans and discuss why your choice of AI says more about your workflow than ever before.

The highlight of the show is a high-stakes "Vibe Coding Live" experiment. Watch as the hosts attempt to build and iterate on a functional application in real-time—including audience-selected projects like "Alien Diner"—without writing a single line of manual code. It is an exploration of the "vibe coding" phenomenon, where natural language prompts and intuitive AI guidance replace traditional programming. From paranormal theories to the "Year of the Robot" and the future of wearable tech like MIT’s AlterEgo, this episode is a deep dive into the chaotic, brilliant future of technology.

In this episode, Eric, Todd, and Skeeva tackle the major industry shift as Meta reportedly plans to sunset the VR version of Horizon Worlds in favour of a mobile and AI-centric approach. The team discusses the implications of this pivot for the metaverse and whether the platform's struggle to find a consistent audience marks the end of an era for Meta's original VR vision.

The conversation then moves into a deep dive on the current state of the workforce in 2026. With AI automation rapidly advancing, the crew explores the growing anxiety surrounding job displacement. They examine which industries are being hit hardest, how "agentic" AI is moving beyond simple tasks to handle entire workflows, and whether we are looking at a future of mass unemployment or a massive evolution in how we work. Additional segments include Skeeva’s report on the Pokémon GO Kalos Tour and a look at the latest AR glasses hitting the market.

In this episode, Eric, Todd, and Skeeva explore the official reveal of Project Aura, the highly anticipated Android XR collaboration between Google and Xreal. The team breaks down how this hardware aims to redefine the spatial computing market and its potential impact on the existing VR ecosystem.

The conversation then shifts to the "Developer Storm" surrounding Genie AI. We examine the growing tension between rapid AI automation and the software engineering community, addressing the critical question of whether Genie AI serves as a powerful collaborator or a replacement for human developers. Additional topics include the emergence of OpenCLaw, the future of VR headsets, and a look at upcoming smart glasses technology for 2026.

In the ninth episode of the series, we analyze the current trajectory of the virtual reality industry and the long term durability of Arc Raiders. We break down the mechanics and progression loops of the extraction shooter after 230 hours of play to determine if it possesses true staying power. The conversation covers recent hardware updates in the VR market and evaluates the latest balancing changes impacting the raiding meta.

We are one month into 2026, and the "spatial computing" revolution is hitting its stride. In Episode 9 of Reality Bytes, we take a bird's-eye view of the VR landscape before zooming in on the game that has consumed our lives for the last 200+ hours.

•

The State of VR 2026: From the "Android moment" of the Google/Samsung XR collaboration to Meta’s dominant 74% market share, we discuss why this year feels like the definitive turning point for mass-market adoption.

•

Arc Raiders: 230 Hours Later: Embark Studios’ extraction shooter was a breakout star at launch, but how does it hold up after the honeymoon phase? We discuss the "social experiment" of proximity chat, the brutal AI uprising, and whether the gameplay loop still feels fresh after hundreds of drops into Speranza.

•

Staying Power or Seasonal Fad?: With a recent wave of DDoS attacks and the "three-strike" ban system rollout, we look at the health of the Arc Raiders community. Can it survive the competition from GTA VI and upcoming VR titans like Aces of Thunder?

•

Looking Ahead: A quick preview of the February VR slate, including why you might want to keep an eye on Orcs Must Die! By The Blade.

Is Arc Raiders the "forever game" we’ve been waiting for, or is the magic starting to fade? Let's look at the data.

We’ve just touched down from Las Vegas, and the future is looking... a little crowded. In Episode 8 of Reality Bytes, we’re breaking down the absolute chaos of CES 2026. From humanoids that can actually fold your laundry to smart glasses that read your mind (well, your muscles), we cover the biggest pivots in tech:

•

The Year of "Physical AI": Robots have officially left the lab. We discuss the Boston Dynamics x Google DeepMind partnership and the swarm of Chinese humanoid bots (like AgiBot) that are moving from "cool demos" to "mass production."

•

Meta Ray-Ban Displays & The Neural Band: Meta stole the show without even having a booth on the main floor. We deep-dive into the new Ray-Ban Display features: the teleprompter mode and the "air-writing" EMG tech that lets you text just by moving your fingers.

•

The International Pause: Why has Meta suspended the Ray-Ban rollout in the UK, Canada, and Europe? We talk supply chain drama and the "unprecedented" demand for AI wearables.

•

Smart Home 2.0: From LG’s CLOiD home assistant to robot vacuums with actual legs that can climb stairs—is your house about to become a sci-fi set?

CES 2026 proved that AI isn't just behind a screen anymore—it’s out in the world. Let’s talk about whether we’re ready for it.