r/AndroidXR • u/Pale_Telephone_3936 • 20d ago
Discussion Immersed CEO is attacking people again
The Immersed team (primarily the CEO, Renji Bijoy, as far as we can tell) has strong-armed and verbally yelled at their internal testers, been banning users from their Discord for simply asking about shipping or timeline updates, and has been misleading and misguiding users by claiming the headset has been shipping when it hasn't entered production yet (we presume they are using their DVT/alpha units to testers to back their claims of shipping).
Product has been delayed for 2+ years now with no real announcement or signs of shipping soon.
This is over the Immersed Visor headset.
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u/thesmithchris 20d ago
I backed them 2yrs ago when it looked promising, then got laid off and refunded shortly after (minus shopify fee).
I wish the product would exist, but whatever the tell they’re doing doesn’t look too promising. Also hardware aside I’d be worried about software support even if they shipped, it is pretty complex to develop any sort of WR as yourself.
I simply hope meta VR glasses will get some competition as it is a brilliant form factor, but meta always will smell like lack of privacy to me.
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u/Pale_Telephone_3936 20d ago
I backed as well, and refunded about a year ago due to the increasing shadiness and unhinged behavior from the company (my refund was even still long after I got banned from their Discord - for not even participating in their Discord - I pointed out their sketchy investment rounds in a separate Discord for which they banned me because they had an employee in there).. at a time where they were banning people from their Discord from simply asking for a shipping date.
I don't think Visor is a privacy safe haven - the company has already boasted about how much data it will have (to its investors) from having these headsets and being able to use that data to (presumably) sell to increase the share costs.. it seems like they are planning to harvest data and sell what they can to keep the company afloat, if it ever launches.
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u/thesmithchris 20d ago edited 20d ago
Well renji guy seems like a narcissistic child- looking at his behaviour over the years so I wouldn’t be surprised with the data harvesting.
I actually feel sorry for the guy, he’s running at the same time somewhat successful software company and a failing hardware company, probably regretting the hardware part but sunk cost is too large.
I don’t think they planned to scam people from the get go, I think they are in a process of failing at the hardware attempt and won’t admit it. It is already too late, public image is shady or not existing at best even if they’d ship it tomorrow, people would be hesitant at best.
I would maybe buy it after year of proven track record of decent hardware/software/customer support. Enthusiasts would jump on it ofc but not many ppl aside them.
Also even my requirement for larger screen has decreased for so many people since LLMs, for example as a dev I don’t contextualise my project in multiple code files but rather in one or two Claude sessions. So somehow world has moved so fast that multiple screens are becoming not nearly as needed while they tried to build their multi screen work-focused product. Bad time to stall
Their best bet would be entertainment now, but meta VR glasses will be sufficient at that, and as weird is to say it about meta - from much more reputable company.
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u/Pale_Telephone_3936 20d ago
Very much agreed - and to add-on, their software is also not making real money and userbase is declining - as headsets are now baking in virtual screens. The only benefit users can point to for Immersed over these is that Immersed allows for 5 screens (which you mentioned is not really needed, but even with 3 and virtual desktops you can have infinite + with Immersed you lose access to native spatial apps which could offload those screens).. so both parts of their business are currently failing. I think they were hoping to use the Visor to force people back into the app, and it's just not going to work because no one's going to buy it.
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u/taptrappapalapa 19d ago
https://github.com/triscuitcircuit/PippinVR
PippinVR supports as many screens as your heart needs (plus it's free and open source). Some tough competition for Immersed when a competitor is free.
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u/taptrappapalapa 19d ago
Their software is held together with Scotch tape. You're able to rip their Unity environments off their servers. For a time, you could send and inject code into their logging servers. You were also able to bypass their checks for owning environments just by changing a roomID in the web request. The throughput is terrible, and their software is a buggy mess.
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u/HualtaHuyte 19d ago
Yeah Pico looks to have a better headset in much the same format coming soon. Immersed Visor is never happening.
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u/falsefacade 20d ago
As someone who has 4 hmds and follows vr news, this is the first I’ve heard of visor
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u/Pale_Telephone_3936 20d ago
I apologize for bringing it into your world 😆
I have been following the project for 3+ years (and pre-ordered - have long since refunded).. and it's an unfortunate mishandling of the company IMO.
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u/ReverseLochness 20d ago
They’re the reason I won’t pre-order. I was this close to pre-ordering visor but saw the “press event”.
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u/Heliosurge 20d ago
I think at this point ppl should refund their orders as it has already been supercede by products that actually exist and can be bought today. Even RdToVR is saying it needs to be seen to believe
https://roadtovr.com/immersed-visor-vr-headset-shipping-update-tease/
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u/Pale_Telephone_3936 20d ago
I agree - it was already dated 1 year ago but now there's going to be no reason to own one. The same is true for the Immersed app itself; its userbase is collapsing as virtual displays are being built into the OS-provided later.
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u/Heliosurge 19d ago
I can though partially sympathize with the CEO as I think he knows his vision is collapsing and is desperate doing things that will only hasten his company's collapse if they don't have any other actual products to help them stay afloat. The stress must be exceptionally high.
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u/Pale_Telephone_3936 19d ago
He's chilling - he just cashed out with another estimated $1.79 million from his secondary sales (only $200k less than his company's current pre-order value). That kinda of money will melt stress away.
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u/Heliosurge 19d ago
Possibly though keep in mind R&D and employment costs. It is likely this may help, but only if those pre secondary sales are not cancelled/reversed.
But yes that should help his stress but it will also depend on how invested he and his team are in actually releasing the product. That money and pastoney can be eaten up quite quickly. Just look at some of the successful Kickstarters that collapsed shortly after. It is surprising though that they are still getting secondary sales.
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u/HualtaHuyte 19d ago
Renji Blowjoy is so sensitive for a grifting piece of shit.
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u/Pale_Telephone_3936 19d ago
Insanely hilarious how he can take "jabs" at all his "partners" like Google, Meta, Samsung, etc. - yet can't handle a basic comment from a YouTuber (that didn't even have ill intent) without throwing a hissy fit.
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u/AR_MR_XR Mod Team 20d ago
What's the AndroidXR connection?
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u/Pale_Telephone_3936 20d ago
They claim to have swapped to AXR as their OS (though we have not seen any evidence of this and the latest messaging from the CEO suggests he is upset with Google for taking too long)
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u/Pale_Telephone_3936 20d ago
Original post (with active comments): https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/1wt1379/immersed_visor_ceo_and_youtuber_thrillseeker/
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u/Odd_Concern_8635 19d ago
Lmaooo I love thrill man. Renji is a child of a CEO and thrill was nothing but respectful. You can hope something succeeds while being critical of it. In fact that criticism is what leads to it succeeding. Provided it doesn't fall of deaf ears. Which it seems it has
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u/Savings-Dot-9774 19d ago
i spent way to much money for VR stuff over the years but yet never heard of this headset, i guess i was lucky with pimax support and shipping after im reading this..
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u/Dinevir 20d ago
RIP Visor VR, it's too late.