Entertainment, Gaming, HTC, Software Programs, Space and Science, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Brain-controlled video game to hit VR arcades this year

Boston-based startup Neurable will bring its brain-controlled VR video game Awakening, which the company claims is the first of its kind, to VR arcades around the world by the end of this year. This brain-computer interface (BCI) is made possible by the attachment of an HTC Vive VR headset to a brain-scanning headband equipped with electrodes that pick up neural activity by recording electroencephalography (EEG) signals. When the gamer focuses his gaze on an object in the game, Neurable’s machine learning software recognizes the resulting changes in the EEG signal and turns this into a game command, selecting that object for use. For this to

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Analysis, Augmented Reality (AR), Auto, Education, Gaming, Hardware, Virtual Reality (VR), Wearables

Improving the feel of virtual and augmented reality

Although VR headset technologies continue to improve, with a number of new technologies slated for release this year, and with a long-rumoured Apple AR device potentially in the works, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that there are several more senses beyond sight and sound. And, because virtual taste technology appears to be nowhere near commercialization, and the only commercialized virtual smell technology remains in pre-order phase, sniffing virtual roses or eating a virtual slice of cheesecake are likely a long way off. Those looking for a bit more sensory engagement in virtual and augmented reality can take heart, however, because a number

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Analysis, Gaming, Hardware, News, Sony, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Sony patents next-gen VR motion controllers

As reported by VRFocus, Sony has released two new patents that may indicate next-generation motion controllers. The first of these patents show off a controller with an analog stick (as opposed to a touchpad common on other VR controllers or the buttons on the PS Move wands), and a number of face-mounted buttons. The second offers finger placement tracking and refers to the controller being tracked by a head-mounted display, which could imply a new revision of the PlayStation VR headset for use with these controllers. For those who aren’t familiar with the current PSVR setup, here’s a little background information. None of the hardware

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Gaming, Mixed Reality (MR), News, Software Programs, Virtual Reality (VR), Windows

Bethesda adds Windows Mixed Reality support to Doom VFR

Gaming studio Bethesda this week released a patch for Doom VFR which adds official support for Windows Mixed Reality headsets. While it has been reported that many gamers were already successfully using MR headsets to play Doom VFR, official support should help solve any challenges in getting the game running and any glitches within its environment. The patch also added several new features, including smooth locomotion control and movement speed options, a weapon pitch option to adjust weapon angles, various features related to controllers, a fix to a discoloring issue seen on some platforms, and various other bug fixes. Deployment of the patch occurred on

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Buying Guides, Exclusive, Gaming, Guides, Hardware, Intel, Nvidia, VR World

VR WORLD’s 2018 VRPC Guide

While it isn’t difficult to get excited about virtual reality, many people have not jumped onboard yet by setting themselves up with VR-capable hardware. Whether it is pricing (top of the line PC can cost thousands), availability or a knowledge gap (or a combination of either) that stands in the way, we can certainly help alleviate part of the challenge by providing you with a PC spec sheet build for a killer VR experience, all on a budget of around $1,000. Here is everything you need to know about it. The Build Case: Thermaltake Core G21 Tempered Glass Edition The start of every PC build

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AMD, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Gaming, Hardware, iOS, Microsoft, Mixed Reality (MR), Mobile, Mobile Computing, Nvidia, Operating Systems, Reviews, Smart Home, Smartphones, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World, Windows

VRWorld: Our Most Popular Stories of 2017

While we have recently covered our choices for the Top 10 VR/AR Stories of 2017, and while some of those stories happened to also be among the most popular amongst our readers last year, there were also a number of additional stories that proved popular. In this piece, we take at the top ten stories — based on reader popularity — in 2017. #10: Bethesda’s VR World: DOOM VFR, Fallout 4 VR and Skyrim PSVR This summertime article addressed how AAA game developer Bethesda was poised to bring a dramatic improvement to VR gaming with the then-pending releases of Doom VFR, Fallout 4 VR and

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Business, Entertainment, Gaming, News, Opinion, , Virtual Reality (VR)

Is Virtual Reality Set to Revolutionize iGaming?

Gambling is one of the oldest and most established businesses in the world. And, like many industries in the latter part of the 20th century and over the subsequent past couple of decades, the gambling world has moved and transformed online. The biggest casinos in the world don’t have a strict door policy anymore, nor do they care what shoes you’re wearing. Indeed, nowadays, the biggest casinos don’t care if you’re sat in your underwear. And that’s because the internet has revolutionized people’s relationship with betting. Poker, roulette and blackjack now take place in online halls ranging from animated simulations, to live video feeds from studios

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Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality (AR), Cryptocurrency, Gaming, Hardware, News, Software Programs, Virtual Reality (VR)

MIT-hosted tech accelerator opens for second batch of applications

Play Labs, LLC and the MIT Game Lab announced this week that they are open to applications from a new round of startups who wish to participate in their “playful technology” accelerator program. Successful applicants will receive mentoring, facilities, and funding (in cash or Bitcoin) in return for common stock. The incubator hopes to receive applicants from startups developing technologies for use across a broad spectrum of industries, including finance, healthcare and manufacturing. Examples of technologies the incubator hopes to see amongst startups span the realm of digital currency/blockchain, eSports/video games, VR/AR and machine learning/AI. The program will be ran by Rizwan Virk, an MIT

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Exclusive, Gaming, VR World

Top 10 VR Games Of 2017

While 2016 was the year of indie VR games launching alongside the HTC Vive, 2017 saw a huge jump forward in budget as releases from major, AAA developers and publishers shook the VR scene. Now that we’ve entered 2018, it’s time to look back at the year’s top 10 VR games. Top 10 VR Games of 2017 10. Star Trek Bridge Crew (PSVR, Vive, Rift, Windows Mixed Reality) More Info: Steam, Ubisoft Star Trek: Bridge Crew isn’t jam-packed with content, but it does offer plenty for players to do. Like many multiplayer games, the real value in Bridge Crew comes through unique multiplayer experiences, not

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Analysis, Gaming, News, , VR World

VRChat, seizures and the long-term implications of VR in daily life

With the rising prominence of VR headsets, VRChat has become a very popular option for socializing among virtual reality users. It can also be used by non-VR users, which helps expand the audience of potential players (even if their experience is more limited). VRChat is a virtual reality application, akin to Second Life, where users can create their own avatars and interact with each other in VR Which makes the incident like those depicted above very interesting. If you don’t have time to sit through a 17-minute video, don’t worry: we’ll give you the short version. Basically, VRChat user DrunkenUnicyclist suddenly had a seizure. He

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Analysis, Gaming, Hardware, News, Toys, Wearables

Nintendo Labo, or how Google Cardboard changed everything

Nintendo Labo is the newest cool weird project from Nintendo. Labo is difficult to define, but perhaps the best way to describe it is an assortment of cardboard-based games and applications for the Nintendo Switch. Labo comes in kits, and there are two kits at the time of the announcement. The Variety Kit offers an RC Car, Fishing Rod, House, Motorbike and Piano. Each of these peripherals are built with a combination of Joy-cons, cardboard and the Switch itself. There’s also a Robot Kit, which creates a wearable robot suit reminiscent of the previously-canceled Project Giant Robot for Wii U. If the idea of cardboard-based

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2018, Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Entertainment, Gaming, Hardware, Mobile, News, Virtual Reality (VR), Wearables, Wearables

CES: LUCI shows off immersion-on-demand wearable and VR headset

Entertainment experience company LUCI has unveiled their immersion-on-demand wearable and VR headset products at this week’s CES 2018 in Las Vegas. Dubbed “LUCI immers” and “LUCI alyx,” respectively, the company appears to be looking to be a transformative player in the burgeoning wearable and VR sectors. “LUCI wants to fundamentally change how people consume content by giving users the most visually stunning experience possible through wearable technology,” said Josh Littlefield, vice president of global sales and marketing for LUCI. “We want users to be amazed by the nuances of every frame, every scene and every minute detail through an uncompromised viewing experience,” he continued. The

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Gaming, Mixed Reality (MR), News, VR World, Windows

Bigscreen coming to Windows Mixed Reality

For the uninitiated, Bigscreen is a virtual desktop application for VR headsets. It originally launched for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift as a desktop environment for those headsets, and as of the turn of the New Year, Bigscreen is now available on Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Bigscreen coming to Windows MR headsets is good news for the platform. While Windows Mixed Reality does have SteamVR support, the platform still has a way to go to become a true competitor to the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift. Bigscreen porting their application to Mixed Reality is a good sign, though, and with any luck, many other

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Entertainment, Gaming, News, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Meet The Rift, An AR/VR Adventure Park

The Rift is an AR/VR Adventure Park, based in Malaysia. It’s a large, indoors area offering all kinds of different augmented reality and virtual reality installations, from basic VR gaming installations to things a little more advanced. For instance, an AR rock-climbing game and Zero Latency, a free-roaming VR shooter. What’s on offer at The Rift may be reminiscent of a VR arcade (like the one I interviewed an owner in), and it even offers a few standard arcade titles. Where it sets itself apart is in its sheer size and number of attractions, many of which utilize different AR and VR technologies. There’s a

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Augmented Reality (AR), Gaming, iOS, Mobile, News, VR World

Augmented Reality FPS WAR of the AI releases on iOS

Trailblazing VR is a startup company focused on pushing forward women in the VR/AR development. Their first game is War of the AI, developed using Apple’s ARKit tools (like the LEGO game we covered a while back) and available for free on iOS. While War of the AI has a somewhat ‘dull’ name, what it does – is quite impressive. War of the AI is a first-person shooter that’s playable in augmented reality, which has been done before (with the help of peripherals, e.g. Father.io), but not quite like this. War of the AI doesn’t require any extra peripherals, and utilizing ARKit’s features, enables a full

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Entertainment, Gaming, News, Sony, Virtual Reality (VR)

Sony announces new VR music campaign featuring Khalid

Sony last week announced that it will be showcasing its technologies as part of a brand campaign centered on singer-songwriter, Khalid. Named “Lost in Music,” the campaign will debut with a live event at the LA Hangar in January. Spatial audio technology will play a role in creating immersive experiences “which can create space where sounds are virtually moving around.” They have named these two experiences “Odyssey” and “Dreamscape.” A follow-on event will occur in New York in February, and at SXSW in March. A new VR music video will also be unveiled at SXSW. Although the company is short on details of what it

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Entertainment, Gaming, Mobile, News, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Doctor Who Comes to Virtual Reality

Doctor Who is one of the most massively-popular franchises out there, with a legacy spanning decades of TV and other media. Earlier this year, BBC released a web application called “Doctor Who Time Vortex 360“, which served as an interactive game that fans could play in their browsers. Time Vortex 360’s concept was controlling the TARDIS as it hurtled through space and time, and Time Vortex VR seems to follow the same concept. In addition to serving as a port to VR with extra features, Time Vortex VR is available on most popular headsets. All Daydream and Cardboard headsets are compatible, as well as the

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Entertainment, Event, Game Reviews, Gaming, HTC, News, Oculus, Sony, VR World

December’s Top VR Gaming Announcements

Thanks to PSX (PlayStation Experience) and The Game Awards 2017, December has been chockfull of VR gaming announcements. We’ve gone through all of them and picked the most notable ones. New Game Announcements   Vacation Simulator Platforms: PC, PSVR Launch Window: 2018 Vacation Simulator is billed as a sequel, since “after you job, you vacation”. In contrast to the small office environment of Job Simulator, players will tackle a full island of activities in this game, accompanied by a few robots. Judging by the trailer and Owlchemy Labs’ former work in the industry, this game is gonna be a good one. Accounting+ Platforms: PSVR, PC (eventually)

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Augmented Reality (AR), Gaming, iOS, Mobile, News, Smartphones, VR World

LEGO AR-Studio Brings Lego To Augmented Reality

LEGO AR-Studio is pretty great. There’s a bunch of reasons for this, but in light of fiascos like Battlefront II, AR-Studio successfully provides a kid-friendly experience for free, without any predatory microtransactions. That alone should earn it applause, especially when compared to the countless Android/iOS titles that exist almost solely to separate you from your hard-earned money, one dollar at a time. LEGO AR-Studio, in addition to having a good businesLs model, also seems like a genuinely fun game. It offers six popular virtual LEGO sets for people to play within Augmented Reality, and goes the extra mile by offering a variety of scripts and animations

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Gaming, News, Software Programs, Virtual Reality (VR)

VR-enabled L.A. Noire to debut next week

Following up on the recent release of new, enhanced versions of L.A. Noire on several platforms, Rockstar Games has confirmed a release date for L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files for HTC Vive. Originally slated for release in November — alongside releases of L.A. Noire for Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, and Xbox One — the new VR variant will debut on December 15th. Gamers familiar with the original or revamped L.A. Noire will experience a game story still set in the criminal underworld of 1940s Los Angeles, but with seven cases from the original game revamped into a VR environment. Players will take a first-person

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