oculus Archives - VR World

Hardware, News, Promoted, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World, Wearables

What Does Vive Focus 3 Bring to the Table?

Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2 price and performance created a challenging situation for competitors. However, the financial strength of Facebook allowed them to sell Quest 2 at a relatively low cost, which is unrealistic for for-profit searching hardware manufacturers. With that said, HTC introduced its standalone VR headset Vive Focus 3, which is a clear upgrade over Oculus in many things. Unfortunately, the new HTC VR product is not for the consumer market. Instead, this Taiwanese company pushed the Vive Focus for business users. Self-sufficient VR The third generation of HTC standalone VR headset comes with a modern, high-quality design with matte black color. Though the

News, Promoted, Virtual Reality (VR)

What Does the New 128GB Oculus Quest 2 Bring to the Table?

On August the 9th, Facebook announced that the Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset storage would double from 64GB to 128GB. Don’t get confused – it’s not a free upgrade for all the existing users. It simply means that for the same price (300 US dollars), users will get 128GB of storage rather than 64GB. And the only way for users who already bought their headsets to increase their storage is to buy the new ones since Oculus storage doesn’t support memory expansion. Storage size counts a lot when it comes to VR. One thing that is interesting to watch is how VR will interact with

Facebook, Hardware, News, Oculus, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Oculus debuts varifocal VR headset, the Half Dome, at F8

During the second day of the Facebook F8 Conference, Oculus debuted an in-development varifocal VR headset, called the Half Dome. While this headset hasn’t yet been announced as a consumer product, one would be safe in assuming that the features on display may emerge in the successor to the Oculus Rift. The Half Dome is a prototype boasting a 140 degree FOV (wider than industry-standard 100 degree FOV), eye-tracking capabilities and varifocal displays. In most VR headsets with the feature, eye-tracking is used for a technique called foveated rendering. Foveated rendering renders what the eye is looking at native resolution, while other regions of the

Breaking, Event, Facebook, News, Oculus, Virtual Reality (VR)

Facebook F8 Day 1: Oculus Venues makes VR theater a reality

After launching their Oculus Go headset, it was the perfect timing for Oculus to show off their VR theater concept and TV service. There have been whispers abound for a while now about Oculus revolutionizing the VR format by creating a VR theater, and now we know how they’re going to do it. Meet Oculus Venues, which allows users in to view live-streamed events with a large number of other users – all done in VR, and powered by NextVR, a company known for providing sporting events in virtual reality. Venues are also partnered with various musicians, artists, and even Lionsgate, which makes a true VR

Buying Guides, Google, Guides, Hardware, Mobile, Mobile Computing, Oculus, Samsung, Smartphones, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

The best smartphones for a great VR experience

Looking for a mobile VR experience but aren’t sure which phones support it and which do a better job? Below is VRWorld’s list of the best smartphones for the greatest VR experience. What limits the selections? But before we dive too deep into it, it’s important to know what limits the selections here. There are 3 main VR platforms for mobile users and they are: Google Cardboard – Supports most modern Android devices, but has limited capabilities (no motion controls), compared to competitors. Largest overall app ecosystem. Google Daydream – Supports many high-end flagship Android devices and offers motion controls. Good app ecosystem, but smaller than

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, News, Oculus, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Oculus patents haptic gloves for VR

Featured Image Credit: UploadVR Everyone is trying to take input in VR to the next level. When the HTC Vive was introduced, its primary advantage over the Oculus Rift was its included motion controllers, providing a then-unprecedented VR gaming experience. While Oculus would later ship Oculus Touch controllers in response, they were still late to the punch in VR motion controls. Judging by the look of these patents, though, it looks like Oculus doesn’t want to be late to the punch again. Oculus has patented new designs for haptic gloves to be used in VR, which will enable a realistic sensation of touch for its

Google, Intel, News, Oculus, Sport, Virtual Reality (VR)

NBA partnership brings immersive basketball experience to fruition

A previously-reported partnership between Intel, the NBA and television network TNT has been brought to fruition, with the release of a VR app for watching basketball games, highlights and recaps in VR. Released in time for this weekend’s NBA All Star game, the TNT VR app integrates Intel’s True VR technology to provide an immersive experience that simulates being at the arena as a spectator. Although the app is free, those hoping to watch full games will need to sign in using their cable provider credentials. The software is compatible with a range of VR platforms, and is available from the Oculus and Google Play

Companies, Hardware, News, Virtual Reality (VR)

Walmart expanding immersive retail efforts with VR studio acquisition

Walmart is making a deeper foray into virtual reality, having announced this week the acquisition and re-launch of VR studio Spatialand through it’s tech incubator, Store No 8. The news comes via a blog post by Katie Finnegan, who serves as both Walmart Global eCommerce’s VP of Incubation and Principal/Founder of Store No 8. According to Finnegan, the company had worked with Spatialand last year, to develop a proof-of-concept VR experience in conjunction with Jeremy Welt. Prior to the acquisition, Welt worked as a VR consultant for companies including Splash and Mindshow, having previously served in business development roles at YouTube and Disney. He is

Entertainment, Event, News, Sport, VR World

Winter Olympics and WWE available in VR and MR

Virtual reality has changed the world of entertainment, and that isn’t limited to video games. Thanks to things like 360-degree cameras, virtual reality has found a home at live sporting events, and this year at the Winter Olympics, people will be able to watch the world’s leading athletes compete in VR. Eurosport will be capturing the entire event in VR, with apps available for Android, iOS, Gear VR, Daydream and Windows Mixed Reality. Interestingly, that isn’t the only sports-related VR announcement to come out recently. NextVR, an Oculus/Samsung-partnered service for spectating sports, has teamed up with WWE to bring your favourite wrestling matches into virtual

Facebook, Hardware, Mobile, News, Oculus, Virtual Reality (VR), Wearables, Wearables

First look at Oculus Go via Twitter and Reddit

Photos of what is perhaps the most hotly-anticipated VR headset of 2018 appeared today on Twitter, only to quickly be removed — but not before at least one image ended up on Reddit. According to multiple sources, at least two developers tweeted snapshots of Oculus Go devkits that they received today, with one of those photos making it to Reddit. The Oculus Go is intended to be an ultra-affordable, all-in-one VR solution, with units pricing in at a $199 US MSRP. Distribution of devkits also suggests that Oculus is on track to deliver the headset according to their “Early 2018” timeline. Moreover, if product photos

Analysis, Facebook, Google, Hardware, Oculus, Qualcomm, Virtual Reality (VR)

The most anticipated VR headsets of 2018

Although we are likely to see incremental improvements to many popular VR headsets over the next twelve months, it appears some of the biggest VR news in 2018 may be focused on entirely new headsets from popular and less prominent manufacturers alike. Following is a summary of four pending devices that we feel are the most anticipated new headsets that will be released this year. Pimax 8K Having set a new funding record on Kickstarter for a VR project, the Pimax 8K appears ever-closer to winding up on the heads of its backers. The headset — the first to provide 8K resolution — is scheduled

Google, HTC, News, Oculus, Rumors, Virtual Reality (VR)

HTC Vive Focus ships in China, may have US debut after all

Consumer electronics company HTC officially started shipping pre-ordered Vive Focus VR headsets at an event earlier this week, in what was heralded as the “world’s first on-stage in-VR customer product delivery.” The company also announced that forty pieces of VR content, including several games, are already available for the Focus. The news comes via HTC’s China Regional President of VR, Alvin Wang Graylin. The Focus is HTC’s first stand-alone headset, and is based on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor which will power Lenovo’s Mirage Solo headset announced at CES 2018. Akin to the pending Lenovo offering, HTC’s Vive Focus also offers a 6DoF technology

Analysis, Augmented Reality (AR), Facebook, Hardware, HTC, Microsoft, Mixed Reality (MR), News, Oculus, Opinion, Sony, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Top 10 AR/VR Stories of 2017

Although 2017 has come and gone, its impact on the augmented/virtual reality industry will undoubtedly be felt for decades to come. While it remains to be seen if 2017 will be recognized as the year AR/VR finally made its first real push into the mainstream, there were a veritable plethora of events that occurred last year that will continue to influence the industry. After substantial contemplation, we have picked what we at VRWorld believe to be the Top Ten VR/AR Stories of 2017. Here they are, counting down from #10: #10 – Pimax 8k First discussed by VRWorld last January, the Pimax 8k would go

Augmented Reality (AR), News, Oculus, Sport, Virtual Reality (VR)

Father-son duo bring VR to lacrosse training

While VR training tools are already relatively commonplace for players and coaches in many professional sports, such technologies are not often seen at the high-school, college and amateur level. When it comes to lacrosse — and as VRWorld has learned, possibly other sports in the near future — that may be changing, thanks to the father and son team at Nelson Design Group. Doug, a high school lacrosse coach with nearly two decades of experience, and his son, who is well-versed in software development, have combined their efforts to create a comprehensive lacrosse goalie practice system. Leveraging an Oculus headset, their software allows lacrosse goalies

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

HTC ends year on sour fiscal note

Smartphone and VR headset manufacturer HTC ended the year with a steep decline in revenue, according to a news release issued by the company last week. The company announced unaudited consolidated revenue for December 2017 of $4.02 billion TWD (approximately $136 million USD), and total unaudited consolidated revenue from January to December 2017 of $62.12 billion TWD (approximately $2.1 billion USD). Those revenue numbers represent a 29% month-to-month decline and 36% year-over-year decline. Reports indicate that HTC’s yearly revenue marks its worst performance in over a decade. Some of the revenue decline may be due to aggressive price cuts during 2017, which saw both HTC

Augmented Reality (AR), Facebook, HTC, News, Oculus, Virtual Reality (VR)

Facebook Spaces now available on Vive, other platforms pending

Facebook has brought its beta social VR app, Spaces, to users of the HTC Vive. First announced in April, Spaces had previously only been available to users of the Oculus Rift. Spaces is among a handful of apps that combine social media with an immersive VR experience. Using the app, users can meet in VR; go Live; play games; make video calls; and create and share 3D objects, videos, and photos. These features are identical to those available to Rift users. Interestingly, however, the Spaces app is not available via the Steam store, and is instead being offered for direct download via Facebook’s website. “VR

Facebook, News, Oculus, Rumors, Virtual Reality (VR), VR World

Oculus files patent application for curved display in VR headsets

According to multiple sources, Oculus has filed a patent application for a VR headset that uses curved displays. The application was filed in August, but was published by the WIPO at the end of November. Although it is unclear whether the patent will be granted, and additionally unclear as to when a curved-display Oculus headset may be manufactured, the technology would help resolve a number of issues with VR headsets using conventional flat displays. First, using a curved display can simplify the construction of VR headsets; while standard flat-panel displays require sometimes quite sophisticated lens systems to account for optical distortion, a curved display can

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

Facebook’s Oculus Home gives you your own VR mancave

Facebook’s VR subsidiary started offering a pre-release version of Oculus Home, a virtual room that you can outfit pretty much however you want. Think of it as a computer-generated IKEA catalog which now turns to a fully customizable environment that you can decorate with furniture and various interactive objects. You’ll have a catalogue of several hundred items to pick from, but some will need to be unlocked by completing in-game achievements or other challenges. You will also be able to visit friends’ space, and Oculus says it’s working on a real-time hangouts feature for multiple users to build together. Oculus announced that Rift Core 2.0

Augmented Reality (AR), Dell, HP, HTC, News, Oculus, Sony, Virtual Reality (VR)

Global quarterly VR headset shipments achieve new record

Uptake of virtual reality hardware continues its upward trend, according to the latest numbers from independent market analysis firm, Canalys. In a report issued Monday, the company indicated that total global shipments of VR headsets set a new milestone, exceeding one million units during the just completed 3rd quarter. Meanwhile, Sony, Oculus, and HTC continue to dominate the VR hardware marketplace, with an 86% combined market share. One driver of headset acquisitions was a temporary-turned-permanent price cut by Oculus in Q3, who matched Playstation’s VR headset price point at $399. This precedes the upcoming release of Oculus’ $199 Go standalone headset, expected next year. “VR