"The Thrill of the Fight" is unquestionably one of the most iconic and authentic VR experiences ever created. Now, with "The Thrill of the Fight 2," the franchise is entering a bold new chapter.

In this episode, I dive deep into the making of TOTF2 with Creative Director Edward Vasquez, exploring how the video game company Halfbrick is evolving the raw, room-scale intensity of the original, fully developed by the one-man-army Ian Fitz, while introducing multiplayer, a full career mode, smarter AI, and a stronger sense of presence and narrative.

Edward shares his personal story of falling in love with boxing, the moment VR “clicked” for him, the challenges of designing real-time multiplayer combat, and why the version of TOTF2 available today represents only 10–15% of their full vision. We also break down embodiment, agency, player freedom, and what it means to design a VR experience that truly makes you feel inside the fight.

Whether you're a longtime fan of TOTF, a VR developer, or someone curious about the future of immersive sports, this conversation delivers exclusive insights, big reveals, and an inspiring look at where VR boxing is headed.

I sit down with someone whose influence can be felt across technology, education, entrepreneurship, and global community building. Julie Smithson is the CEO and co-founder of METAVRSE, XR Women and Unlimited Awesome. She is a driving force in shaping how we create, collaborate, and thrive in the spatial web.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Julie shares the incredible trajectory that brought her to becoming one of today’s most respected voices in immersive tech. We explore how her human-centric background in hospitality, combined with more than a decade of XR experience, informs the way she leads and designs for people rather than machines.

She opens up about the mission behind Unlimited Awesome, a new educational ecosystem focused on perseverance, social impact, environmental responsibility, and preparing young people for a future where entrepreneurship and emerging technologies converge. We also discusse about why AI-first creation tools will redefine how students and creators build immersive worlds.

We dive into the importance of governance and AI literacy, the shift toward agents over assistants, and why collaboration may become the most transformative “killer app” in the next wave of immersive adoption.

And of course, we celebrate XR Women on its 5th anniversary: a vibrant global community now spanning more than 60 countries, empowering women and girls to lead, innovate, and shape the next era of spatial computing. Julie reflects on the current state of women’s representation in XR, where progress is happening, and where the industry urgently needs to evolve.

In this Stereopsia Session, I sat down with Roger ter Heide, CEO and Founder of ImproVive, to discuss the intersection of AI, VR, and interactive narrative design. His museum installation "Anders?!" from the Museum de Heksenwaag, immerses visitors in the emotional tension of historical witch-trial interrogations—powered by conversational AI and responsive avatars. Roger shares how this technology sparks reflection on modern discrimination and how AI-driven motion and emotion are reshaping VR storytelling.

In this Stereopsia Session, I spoke with Prof. Raigmor Barras and Prof. Rosemary Bernabe, coordinators of the EU project XR4Human, about creating a Code of Conduct for ethical and human-centred immersive technologies. They discuss the importance of accessibility, inclusivity, and interoperability in XR—and their hope that the European Commission will adopt their guidelines to ensure an equitable future for all users.

Dans cette Stereopsia Session, je rencontre Christophe Hermanns, directeur de Vigo Creative, pour discuter de la manière dont le Serious Gaming en réalité virtuelle transforme la formation professionnelle — des pompiers belges apprenant les protocoles liés aux matières dangereuses jusqu’aux simulations pour centrales nucléaires. Christophe partage également des réflexions sur le succès du studio avec The Smurfs: Blueberry Battle, un jeu bientôt disponible dans plusieurs parcs d’attractions à travers le monde, et explique pourquoi les expériences multijoueurs représentent, selon lui, l’avenir véritable de la réalité virtuelle.

In December 2024, live from Stereopsia 2024 in Brussels, I sat down with Alexandra Gerard, Co-Director and Co-Founder of UnitedXR Europe, and Managing Director of Stereopsia, to explore how one of the continent’s leading XR events has evolved over the years. Alexandra shares how she fosters collaboration across Europe’s diverse XR ecosystem, the growing presence of women in immersive tech, and her mission to create a circuit connecting XR events across the continent.

In this episode of Dr. VR, I sit down with Jon Yu, founder of Elysium AR, a no-code AR co-creation app designed to make worldbuilding accessible to everyone.

We talk about the inspirations behind Elysium, the challenges of designing for AR in vibrant public spaces, and why user experience is becoming the true “moat” in immersive technology. Jon shares his thoughts on the upcoming wave of wearable devices, from the Meta Ray-Ban Display and Orion to the Snapchat Spectacles, as well as the Meta Quest 3 and the Apple Vision Pro passthrough technologies, and what they mean for the future of creativity and connection in AR.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation about accessibility, storytelling, and the social dimensions of AR, and why the next chapter of immersive media might not be built in code, but through collaboration.

In this powerful episode of Dr. VR, I sit down with Māori filmmaker, educator, and immersive media innovator Wiremu Grace, the creative force behind "Atuatanga," a groundbreaking VR experience told entirely in te reo Māori. Premiered at the 2025 Imaginative Festival in Toronto, "Atuatanga" brings Māori spiritual narratives, environmental awareness, and ancestral wisdom into the immersive realm of VR.

Together, we explore the cultural and creative journey behind "Atuatanga," the role of Indigenous storytelling in XR, and the future of Māori participation in immersive technologies. From community engagement to language revitalization, this episode shines a light on the transformative power of VR when rooted in Indigenous identity and knowledge.