oculus rift Archives - VR World

Analysis, Augmented Reality (AR), Gaming, News, Oculus, Rumors, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Oculus AR rumors abound, Rift gets Google Chrome support

Is Oculus AR just around the corner? The tech community thinks so. Thanks to a small change to its Terms of Service on April 19th, many tech journalists are convinced that Oculus has an Augmented Reality-related surprise just around the corner. There are multiple stacks of compelling evidence. The one that raised alarm was the added mention of AR to Oculus’ updated documents, but since Oculus is owned by Facebook, it doesn’t stop there. Initiatives like Facebook AR Studio show a clear interest in AR from the folks over at Facebook, and the close-knit nature of AR and VR technology makes Oculus a perfect fit.

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

SteamVR adds resolution scaling feature for HTC Vive and other headsets

A common staple of PC gaming is the ability to change resolution and other graphical settings in accordance with your own machine’s performance levels. Despite how common this is in PC gaming, it’s actually surprisingly scarce in VR gaming (PC and console alike) due to the way that most VR titles are made to target a specific hardware configuration. A new feature for SteamVR hopes to alleviate this by adding a resolution-scaling feature to SteamVR. Screenshot credit: TechRadar.com The implementation of this feature opens up possibilities in two different directions. In one direction are people on the lower-end of the VR spec (GPU especially), who

HTC, Oculus, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World, Wearables

Oculus Rift overtakes HTC Vive in Steam survey

The Oculus Rift surpassed the HTC Vive in popularity among Steam users for the first time, according to the results of the latest monthly Steam Hardware & Software Survey. The survey, which scans users’ PCs for different hardware components, found that the Oculus Rift accounts for 47.31 percent of VR headset use, compared to the HTC Vive’s 45.38 percent share of the market. Last January’s survey saw the gap between the two devices closing, with the Vive representing 46.96 percent of headset use while the Oculus Rift took 46.09 percent. Now the Rift sits in first place, just edging out HTC’s product. Windows Mixed Reality is

Buying Guides, Guides, Reviews, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

New to VR? A beginner’s guide

Virtual reality (VR) produces a computer-generated environment–complete with realistic sights, sounds and other sensations–which a person can explore by wearing a special kind of headset and, in some cases, using certain props. Basically every VR experience will allow the user to feel as though they are in this simulated world and look around it, while more advanced systems allow for movement and interaction. While the ability of VR to provide valuable, realistic experiences without introducing real-world risks has found many fans across various industries (from healthcare to real estate), the most popular types of virtual reality content remain video games, movies and television. For those

Analysis, News, Social Media, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Do virtual reality and church belong together? This pastor thinks so

The fun part of the 21st century is that you never really know what two things will be combined next. Doritos tacos? Human Uber? VR church? All of the things mentioned are as real as the device you are reading this story on. And while the first two are a bit too whacky to discuss here, let me introduce you to D.J. Soto, the pastor of the world’s first virtual reality church. D.J. Soto’s mission was to create a more inclusive church, which perfectly alines with the goal of classic Christianity — to reach out to the outsiders of society. Yet Soto felt that modern religious

Internet, Mixed Reality (MR), News, Software Programs, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Supermedium creates a browser for WebVR experiences

Supermedium advertises itself as “the virtual reality browser”, but what does that actually mean? Supermedium launched on January 31st, 2018, and at the time of writing many people aren’t totally aware of it and what it has to offer… yet. So let’s explain it. First, it’s important to clarify: Supermedium is not a web browser. It is not a VR version of Chrome or FireFox. While it is an application for browsing the web, it’s not a browser in the sense that most consumers are used to. Instead, Supermedium is a virtual reality browser that allows people to find VR experiences hosted all over the Internet. These

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

Augmented Reality (AR), Companies, Dell, Hardware, HTC, Microsoft, Mixed Reality (MR), News, Samsung, Sony, Virtual Reality (VR), Wearables, Wearables

VR Headset Price Cuts Lead to Quarterly Sales of More Than 1 Million Units

Virtual reality has taken the world by storm in the last couple of years – except it has not. Although the excitement about its potential to become nothing short of awesome has been discussed in great detail in the press, this hasn’t translated into sales. While people will gladly pay amounts close to $1,000 for smartphones that allow them to play real money online video casino games and others as fluidly as possible, they seem to be reluctant to invest a smaller amount into VR gear that has a similar – or often smaller – price. And while it would be a bit harsh to

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

Entertainment, HTC, News, Oculus, Virtual Reality (VR)

Paramount and Bigscreen to offer free VR screenings of Top Gun

Virtual reality cinema company Bigscreen has partnered with Paramount Home Media Distribution to virtually screen showings of Top Gun for 24 hours, commencing at 6pm EST on December 29th. The Bigscreen experience aims to bring the movie theatre experience to home audiences, allowing them to interact in a virtual lobby and watch videos on a virtual movie screen, complete with immersive sound and lighting. “Bigscreen’s virtual reality platform offers a new way for fans to experience films in their homes,” said Bob Buchi, President Worldwide Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures. “We’re excited to be a part of this experiment using cutting-edge technology to give fans

Amazon, Augmented Reality (AR), Cloud Computing, News, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Amazon launches Sumerian, a new VR/AR development platform

Amazon is one of the biggest names in tech, and this doesn’t stop with its status as a storefront. Another way Amazon has made its impact known is through its Amazon Web Services, which serve as a backend for applications worldwide. AWS offers server infrastructure and tools well beyond the scope of typical indie developers, and for this reason, it’s a favorite among enterprises and indies alike. So when Amazon makes an announcement in this space, everyone pays attention. Sumerian, software tools debuted by the retail giant, is an extension to the Amazon Web Services platform, and it focuses on the creation of virtual reality,

Companies, Entertainment, News, Virtual Reality (VR), Wearables

Cult bus simulator “Desert Bus” is now available in VR

What was once called “most boring”, “the worst” but also “cult” and “legendary” bus simulator Desert Bus, now got its VR version. Yes, that’s right, now you can have all the thrill of an eight-hour bus trip with no breaks in VR. It lets you experience what it’s like to be at the helm of the action, driving all the way from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, in real time. Based on the 1998 Sega CD game Desert Bus, created by the magic and comedy duo Penn and Teller, Desert Bus VR stays true to the original game’s premise, tasking the player with driving a bus between Tucson

Gaming, Holiday Shopping Guides, HTC, News, Oculus, Sony, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PSVR All Getting Black Friday Discounts

Holiday bells are jingling and everyone’s getting excited about celebrating the Winter holidays with their loved ones. A part of those festivities, at least in the United States, is to spend the day immediately after Thanksgiving engaging in free-for-all brawls in markets all over the country for Black Friday sales. Virtual reality and virtual reality gaming is not an exception from this craze. While Black Friday is still a few weeks out, many businesses are already announcing VR-centric bundles and Black Friday discounts for those who want to jump into VR gaming while saving a little bit of cash. This, in addition to the recent

Business, Companies, Education, News, Virtual Reality (VR), Wearables

First Oscar for VR Installantion Goes to Alejandro G. Inarritu

The Board Of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has voted a special honorary Oscar (statuette) to director Alejandro G. Inarritu’s extraordinary virtual reality installation Carne y Arena. It’s the first Academy Award presented to a work in the medium of virtual reality, one of less than two dozen special Oscars to ever be awarded, and the first to be given out since Toy Story, in 1995. Carne y Arena combines physical spaces — a sand-covered floor, a spare and cold waiting room, a multi-screen video installation — with the Oculus Rift. Imagery both representational and abstract guide the viewer through an experience designed after

Entertainment, Gaming, HTC, News, Oculus, VR World

Indie Darling Five Nights At Freddy’s Now Playable On HTC Vive and Oculus Rift

Love it or hate it, the Five Nights At Freddy’s franchise is a pop culture sensation. Thanks to frequent releases from its single developer, Scott Cawthon, a highly dedicated fanbase, an intricate lore, and gameplay perfect for Let’s Players, FNAF exploded onto the scene a few years ago. Its influence is still felt today by a renewed interest in indie horror titles, and under Cawthon’s own encouragement, fangames for the FNAF series have been popping up for quite a while. The most recent of these, and perhaps the most impressive of them, is a partial remake of the first game in Virtual Reality, called Vive

Exclusive, Gaming, HTC, Interviews, Oculus, VR World

Interview With Joseph Johnson, Owner of a Colorado Springs VR Arcade

After looking into local VR arcades in my area, I found one- Epic VR– based in the nearby Citadel Mall of Colorado Springs. After a brief email exchange with the owner of the place, I scheduled an interview with him in the middle of October. VR arcades offer quite a lot for people who can’t afford to buy full-fledged gaming setups and VR headsets, but still want to dip their toes into the next level of immersion in gaming. For this reason, I decided that an interview with the local owner of a VR arcade could prove educational, both for myself and for you, our

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

UK Gamers Will Have More Chances To Try Out PSVR

While Sony’s PSVR headset for their PS4 console has helped lower the pricing barrier of entry to the world of VR gaming, the fact remains that many people still have yet to experience VR. These people, in turn, have little incentive to pay a couple hundred dollars to get that experience. Fortunately, the industry is aware of this problem. VR arcades are popping up all over the place, offering a way to experience VR for the first time without spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on the required hardware. Gaming console and smartphone manufacturers took some inspiration from the growing popularity of the HTC

Augmented Reality (AR), Companies, Facebook, News, Oculus, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World, Wearables

Mark Zuckerberg: It feels like We are Really in Puerto Rico

A cartoon version of Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, visited hurricane-damaged Puerto Rico on Monday, in a tone-deaf livestream that was part disaster tourism, part product promotion. The Facebook CEO conducted a brief, live 360-video broadcast in which he and Facebook’s head of social VR Rachel Franklin promoted the company’s upcoming Oculus Rift developer conference while also talking about the company’s humanitarian efforts. Cartoon avatars make plenty of sense for the typical use of Facebook Spaces, which is mostly just meant as a digital hangout spot for early adopters of the Oculus Rift. But not everyone seem to approve that kind of way to discuss hurricane relief efforts. “It feels like we’re

Augmented Reality (AR), Business, Companies, Entertainment, Event, News, startups, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World, Wearables

Magic Leap and Madefire delivering VR Comic

Secretive augmented-reality start-up Magic Leap is partnering with online comic book publisher Madefire to deliver mixed reality comics to Magic Leap’s devices when they launch. According to Rolling Stone, the news sort of snuck out during a Friday night New York Comic-Con panel with a deliberately vague name: “The Future of Comics in New Realities.” Madefire already has VR apps for the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR, but Magic Leap advisor Andy Lanning has revealed a couple of key differences at the con. The Magic Leap version will apparently feature spatial sound and comics will appear much crisper and more readable on it. So far, Magic

Biotech, Breaking, Business, Education, Gaming, News, Oculus, Samsung, startups, Technology Security, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Can Sea Hero Quest VR Succeed in Fighting Mental Diseases?

Nowadays it’s perfectly normal to have a laptop on your desk, a tablet in your bag and a smart phone in your pocket. When you’re in the mood to play a game, you can – all you have to do is open the select app and start playing. Why wouldn’t we let this opportunities into our lives, not just for fun – but for solving health issues? Video games have been known to have a wide variety of effects on the mind of people. It hasn’t been long since Virtual Reality became a vital part of gaming industry as such. During the years of researching, studies had