Link Tank: Xbox Dives Into VR With Meta Quest 3S, Elio’s Box Office Bust, and Blade’s Future

Xbox Breaks Into VR Gaming with Meta Quest 3S

An Xbox Wire post revealed that the gaming console is partnering with Meta for a limited edition Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition, furthering the expansion of Xbox Cloud Gaming on Meta Quest headsets. 

In what will be the first-ever limited edition release for Quest, the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition bundle includes: a custom 128GB Meta Quest 3S in Xbox Carbon Black and Velocity Green; matching Touch Plus controllers and a limited-edition Xbox Wireless Controller; plus, three months free access to Meta Horizon+ and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate– all for $399.99. 

Microsoft is going hard on breaking Xbox into different gaming avenues; earlier this month, it announced a new handheld device for the console. And while some critics have commented on the new VR’s screen quality– as it only has a 96-degree horizontal field of view compared to the Quest 3, which has a wider, 110-degree FOV at $500– the new console still appears to be a great bang for your buck.

“‘Over the past several years, Xbox has expanded the Xbox cloud gaming experience to more places and more players. Since the announcement of the Xbox app on Quest, our goal has been to empower more people to play their favorite games whenever and wherever they want. Today, with the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition, we are bringing this vision to life with a new design that celebrates Xbox’s iconic aesthetic.’”

Read more at Variety. 

Elio’s Box Office Flop – Why Are Original Children’s Films Tanking? 

Though Pixar is pushing for more cinematic releases rather than moving new projects straight to streaming, Elio’s latest box office flop might make them reconsider. Becoming the worst performing cinematic opening for Pixar, Elio made just $21 million at the U.S. box office following its first weekend in theaters. 

Compare that to Inside Out 2 last summer at $154 million at the box office during its opening weekend, making it 2024’s biggest worldwide film – raking in nearly $1.7 billion globally. People are beginning to notice a predictable trend playing out in the family film industry surrounding sequels and remakes post-pandemic. 

“This year, the biggest family films include A Minecraft Movie and live-action CGI remakes of Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon. But the crashing and burning of Elio suggests that it’s much more challenging for films to succeed if they aren’t sequels, prequels, remakes, adaptations of video games, or some unholy combination of the above. When it comes to younger viewers, it seems, it’s lack of familiarity that breeds contempt.”

Read more at BBC.

Mahershala Ali Is Also Confused About What Happened With Blade 

It’s been six years since Mahershala Ali announced at San Diego Comic-Con that he would star as the titular role in Marvel’s slated Blade movie, reviving the film trilogy by David S. Goyer. Since, there have been so many unexpected setbacks to production that even Ali doesn’t know when or if the project is happening. Regardless, Ali says he’s “ready” to start production whenever the MCU gets it together. 

“‘I had my agent call Marvel and say, ‘Do you guys need any help?’ And they said, ‘We love you, but we think we’ve cracked it now, and we’re in a good place.’ And then the latest thing happened. And so no, they haven’t contacted me.”’

Read more at Forbes. 

Shane Gillis Set to Host the 2025 ESPY Awards 

Comedian Shane Gillis’ football career as an offensive tackle for Elon University might’ve been short-lived, but the success he’s found in his second season of Tires, a Netflix comedy, has landed him the role of emcee at the 2025 ESPY Awards. 

The ESPY Awards is ESPN’s annual award show, recognizing outstanding achievements in sports. In past iterations, ESPY hosts have included: Serena Williams, Steph Curry, and Peyton Manning, making Gillis a unique choice to say the least; according to ESPN’s Vice President Craig Lazarus, Gilis was actually an “easy choice to host” because he’s one of the top comedians today, and he’s a huge sports fan. Catch the 2025 ESPY Awards on July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC; the award show will be available for streaming the following day on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. 

“‘We are thrilled to work with [Shane Gillis] to create an entertaining show celebrating this year’s best moments in sports and are excited to see what he’ll do on stage.’”

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter. 

The post Link Tank: Xbox Dives Into VR With Meta Quest 3S, Elio’s Box Office Bust, and Blade’s Future appeared first on Den of Geek.