Facebook is looking into facial recognition software for its upcoming smart glasses, hardware chief Andrew “Boz” Bosworth confirmed. In an Instagram Q&A, the AR/VR executive clarified that dialogue is still needed with the public — given facial recognition's many controversies — and "if people don’t want this technology, we don’t have to supply it."

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• He went on to say that the company smart glasses devices would be fine with or without the technology, adding that "there are some nice use cases out there, if it’s something people are comfortable with."
• When asked about ethical concerns, he acknowledged that facial-recognition tech and AR cameras/microphones have the potential to be abused by "authority structures," particularly against marginalized communities.
• His remarks confirm a BuzzFeed News report, which cited comments Bosworth made during an internal company meeting. He reportedly told employees that Facebook is looking into the privacy and legal issues linked to facial recognition, telling one employee "the benefits are so clear, and the risks are so clear, and we don't know where to balance those things."
• Facebook plans to release its Luxottica-partnered smart glasses product sometime this year, Bosworth noted. The Ray-Ban maker and tech giant are working to ensure its functionality and form factor are up to par, "and it’s coming together pretty nicely," he said.

Oculus Quest 2 headset owners can now activate voice commands by saying "Hey Facebook." The company is rolling out the wake word feature to the second-gen headsets, with the original Quest to follow later.

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• The wake word is now an opt-in experimental feature within settings. The device won't hear it when the headset is asleep or powered down or the microphone is turned off.
• In a blog post, Facebook said users can "easily view, hear, and delete your voice commands activity at any time" and can also turn off this voice storage in the settings menu.
• Facebook launched voice commands for Quest last year, which allowed users to double-tap the controller's Oculus button to launch apps, browse the store, and more.
• The "Hey Facebook" feature is also coming to the company's Portal smart displays. The Verge's Cameron Faulkner noted that while such a wake phrase seems like a "natural progression" for Portal, it would make more sense to say “Hey Oculus” for the VR headsets, as the feature could "infuriate some users who oppose Facebook’s ever-growing presence in virtual reality."
• The company plans to eventually make it a default rather than an experimental option for Quest, though it claims it will remain an opt-in feature.

VR GAMING NEWS:

• Ramen cooking game "Counter Fight Ichiran" has launched on SteamVR and Oculus Quest for $13.49.
• Early Access title "WCBVR," an adaptation of wheelchair basketball, is now available for free on the Oculus Store for Rift and Rift S.
• Sony confirmed that PSVR-exclusive, first-person shooter "Farpoint" will be in its March PlayStation Plus lineup. 

You can now wirelessly stream PC VR games to the Quest platform on Virtual Desktop without sideloading. Developer Guy Godin received full Oculus Quest store approval for the app after initially submitting it for Oculus’s App Lab.

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• The update makes it much easier for Quest app users to wirelessly stream their Rift and Steam games (looking at you, "Half-Life: Alyx") by avoiding the complicated sideloading process.
• The app was included on the Quest store 20+ months ago until Facebook reportedly forced Godin to remove it.
• Godin told UploadVR that it makes sense to have it in the official store because more than 90% of users "had to go through complicated steps to unlock the feature."
• The app's latest update removes the patch needed to stream PC VR games; it also adds voice-over for notifications and multi-account support in the Streamer app, among other upgrades.
• Facebook is reportedly developing wireless PC VR streaming tech, which won't rely on existing Wi-Fi networks, according to UploadVR.

"Star Wars Pinball" is coming to SteamVR, PSVR, and the Quest platform on April 29. The VR rendition of the popular game will have eight pinball machines, including a new one based on "The Mandalorian."

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• Others include the new "Star Wars Classic Collectibles" table and existing ones focused on the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, "Rogue One," and more.
• The title's minigames will have a total immersion mode, which shrinks players down onto the table "so sequences like the speeder bike chase are as immersive as possible," VRFocus reports. The 360-degree minigames surround users with set pieces from "Star Wars."
• In addition, the VR game has a customizable “fan cave" with an in-game pinball table along with lightsabers, helmets, and other earned items.
• Developer Zen Studios said it built the game for future expansions. You can watch the trailer here:

Sony will wind down its game developer Japan Studio and re-organize it as Team Asobi, the division behind "Astro's Playroom" and PSVR title "Astro Bot: Rescue Mission." The studio confirmed that the newly condensed team will "build on the popularity of Astro’s Playroom," potentially leading to more Astro VR games.

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• Sources told VGC that Sony declined to renew the contracts of most Japan Studio staff, some of whom were reassigned to its inner division, Team Asobi. Others moved over to Bokeh, a new studio from "Silent Hill" director Keiichiro Toyama.
• The long-running Japan Studio, which dates back to the PS1, is also behind "The Playroom VR" through its Asobi division and contributed to games such as "Everybody’s Golf VR" and "The Last Guardian" VR experience, according to UploadVR.
• Astro’s Playroom, described as "Wii Sports" for the PS5, is a "3D platformer designed to show off the advanced haptic feedback of the new DualSense controller," according to The Verge.  Before that came "Astro Bot: Rescue Mission," the PSVR exclusive released in 2018 that's since become one of the standout titles for VR. Players go on a mission as captain bot "Astro" to rescue bots across space.
• Earlier this week, Sony announced that its future PS5 VR headset will have a wider field of view, higher resolution, and better tracking than the PSVR when it launches sometime after 2021. The tech giant revealed a few details of the next-gen headset, which will connect to the PS5 via a single cord, though it hasn't shared a launch date yet.

• This company is reinventing home and renters insurance. Get a quote to see how much you could save.*
• During Snap's first-ever Investor Day, co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel emphasized the company's AR ambitions but noted that the tech is still years away from hitting its stride. “AR is the next major shift in computing and we are committed to leading the way,” he said, adding that “a new era of self-expression” is coming.
• Snap also released its Lens Studio 3.4 update, which improves AR hand and body tracking and adds an asset library to help developers build AR lenses for Snapchat.
• Experimental VR video player "HereSphere" launched today on Steam Early Access; the app enhances immersion through software IPD correction, an autofocus depth algorithm, distance-based head tracking, and more.
• Luxexcel and WaveOptics plan to release a prototype of their AR smart glasses during the SPIE AR, VR, MR conference in March; samples of the AR prescription glasses are due out in Q2 2021.
• Scope AR launched WorkLink Create, a web-based AR creation platform that doesn't require Unity; the company claims it's “more user-friendly and scalable” than competing software.
• What are the costs of inefficiencies in your product release cycle? Read how top companies save over $1M each year.*

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Tweet of the Day: Unity dev Matt Buelt finished his Early Access demo for exploration-adventure game "Otherfalls," which is coming soon to SideQuest.