In this episode, Don and Ben sit down with Austin Lewis—one of Horizon Worlds’ most prolific and influential creators—to break down the latest Horizon Worlds updates, the future of creator tools, and the rapidly shifting landscape of avatar wearables, player concurrency, and mobile-first game design.

Austin shares behind-the-scenes stories from building his upcoming game Kart Clash, the polished PvP arena battler spinning out of his earlier work on A Pirate’s Life and the viral hit Spin the Bottle. The hosts dive deep into what makes a game “actually fun,” how Austin approaches prototyping, and why optimizing for mobile players is now essential for success on the platform.

The conversation also unpacks:

🕶️ Meta Ray-Ban Displays – Real-world tests, UI gestures, early limitations, and why wearable tech may replace screens sooner than expected.

🎮 New Horizon Worlds Competition – How creators integrated generative AI into gameplay, sound design, skyboxes, and backend logic.

⚙️ Player Concurrency & Horizon Studio’s 5x Capacity Boost – What bigger worlds and higher populations mean for open-world RPGs, social games, and future development pipelines.

🧢 Avatar Clothing Rarity System – A passionate debate: Is Meta’s new auto-rated clothing system a tool for empowering virtual brands… or a poorly-designed economic trap?

📊 New Demographics & Attribution Tools – How creator analytics are reshaping marketing, player acquisition, and monetization strategies.

🚀 The Future of Horizon Worlds – Custom matchmaking, avatar attributes, real brand-building inside VR, and whether fantasy games like A Pirate’s Life could finally live up to their original vision.

Packed with creator insights, industry predictions, and practical takeaways, this episode is must-listen for VR developers, Horizon Worlds builders, and anyone curious about the future of social VR, immersive worlds, and the creator economy.

~~~Connect With Us!~~~

Don's Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkianian/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dkianian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.dfk

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dkianian

Website: https://dkianian.com/

Ben's Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-veaner-7643a980/

Discord: https://bit.ly/HABITXR

Website: https://habitxr.net/

Austin's Links

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meta.jesus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meta.jesus_vr/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special Meta Connect recap episode, Don and Ben reunite to unpack the biggest announcements, behind-the-scenes stories, and future-shaping trends from Meta’s flagship XR conference.The conversation kicks off with stories from the Creator Summit and networking dinners—where they reconnected with past guests, shared pizza with Ubi, and even had Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth (“Boz”) drop by for drinks. From there, they dive into the major Meta Connect reveals:

🚀 Horizon Studio & Horizon Engine – The next evolution of Horizon Worlds, promising 5x concurrency and pro-grade tools, but raising questions about accessibility for hobbyists and younger creators.

🕶️ Meta Ray-Ban Display & Wearables – Hands-on impressions of Meta’s latest smart glasses, including live demos, intuitive controls, and potential to replace everyday devices.

🤖 Contextual AI – A bold vision of always-on AI that sees and hears what you do, offering powerful assistance but also sparking debate over privacy, bias, and regulation.

🎮 New Games & Updates – From Thieves and Warlocks’ massive overhaul to the launch of Comic Royale and new experiments like Magnet Dream and Frogs, the duo highlights how studios are evolving alongside Meta’s platform.

This episode is part insider report, part future forecast—perfect for VR developers, XR storytellers, AI enthusiasts, and anyone curious about where immersive tech is headed next.

~~~Connect With Us!~~~

Don's Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkianian/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dkianian/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.dfk

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dkianian

Website: https://dkianian.com/

Ben's Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-veaner-7643a980/

Discord: https://bit.ly/HABITXR

Website: https://habitxr.net/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.