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Oculus Link for Quest headsets is moving out of beta this fall
If you have a Quest headset and a gaming PC, you can play Rift titles.
'Doctor Who: The Edge of Time' VR game arrives November 12th
While it might be an iconic TV franchise, Doctor Who hasn't exactly set the video game world alight over the years. BBC Studios, publisher PlayStack and developer Maze Theory are trying to remedy that with the promising Doctor Who: The Edge of Time, a VR game they'll release November 12th. It was previously scheduled for a September debut.
Google used photogrammetry to create a detailed VR tour of Versailles
Versailles palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, but fighting those crowds in person can be frustrating. Now, Google and the Château de Versailles have teamed up to take VR users on a private tour of Louis XIV's royal residence. It's the largest photogrammetry project ever done at the castle, with 21 rooms and 387,500 square feet of internal surfaces captured. HTC Vive and Oculus Rift users can handle and inspect over 100 sculptures, paintings and other works of art and see them with incredible close-up detail.
'Star Wars' VR game 'Vader Immortal' teases story details in trailer
One of the launch titles you'll get to check out on Oculus Quest when it arrives this spring is Vader Immortal, a virtual reality series set in the Star Wars universe. Rift and Rift S owners won't miss out, though -- the game is coming to those headsets too, as revealed at Star Wars Celebration alongside a trailer for the first episode.
HTC's unlimited VR service launches April 2nd for $99 per year
HTC is nearly ready to launch its unlimited Viveport Infinity service after months of teasing. The VR subscription tier is launching on April 2nd for $13 per month or $99 per year, and will offer more than 600 apps and games for both Vive headsets and Oculus Rift. Your access will also carry over to stand-alone headsets based on Vive's Wave platform. You'll also get perks such as a revised Viveport Video app, monthly 10 percent discount coupons and the occasional freebie.
Harmonix's answer to 'Beat Saber' is a VR rhythm shooter
Beat Saber has become something of a hit in the rhythm game scene thanks to its clever VR mechanics, and the veterans at Harmonix clearly want to offer their own response. They've unveiled Audica, a VR-only title where you blast the notes instead of slicing or tapping them. You're testing both your aim and your knack for keeping time, really. The soundtrack includes tunes from "some of the world's most popular electronic artists" (no Rock Band-style jams here), and you'll naturally compete against others on global leaderboards.
The first Angry Birds VR game puts the slingshot in your hand
In the ten years since the game's original release in 2009, Angry Birds has become both a pop icon and marketing juggernaut, spawning countless sequels, spinoffs, merchandising tie-ins and even feature-length movies. Now, the feathered flock of pig-popping fliers is coming to the Vive and Oculus Rift in Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs.
'Rift S' hints revealed in Oculus PC software
After Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe left the company late last year, TechCrunch reported a shift in strategy from developing a "Rift 2" to a more lightly-refreshed "Rift S" VR headset. Now UploadVR cites code found in the Oculus PC software referencing the new device and giving some hints of its capabilities. A "lighting frequency for Rift S cameras to adjust to room lighting" toggle suggests built-in tracking cameras, while a software setting to adjust "IPD (Interpupillary Distance)" shows it will drop the original Rift's hardware IPD adjustment. Not surprisingly, it seems to have some things in common with the standalone Oculus Quest. Even if it doesn't follow the original Rift's path in pushing the envelope and showing people the cutting edge of what VR experiences can be, a simpler setup that's slightly more accessible is closer to what the company's owners at Facebook have in mind.
The sequel to the Bill Murray movie 'Groundhog Day' is a VR game
After 26 years, the hit Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day has a sequel... but it's not a movie at all. Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, MWM Immersive and Rime developer Tequila Works have unveiled Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son, a VR game for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and Vive. You play Phil Connors' son (appropriately, Phil Connors Jr.) as he encounters a time loop just like his dad, and will remain stuck repeating the day until he "learns the true value of friends and family." As you might imagine, though, the interactive aspect throws a new wrinkle into the story.
‘Wired’ is a multi-scene movie painted and animated in VR
Movies that have been painted and animated with a VR headset are nothing new. Most, however, are single scenes that loop like an animated GIF. The camera might move around, highlighting small details, but there isn't much of a story. Wired, meanwhile, is different. It's one of the first pieces of VR animation (that is, created inside VR) with multiple scenes and a discernible narrative. The gorgeous short follows a boy exploring a world that doesn't have wireless technology. He falls from a cable above some enormous skyscrapers, provoking nearby residents to look up and appreciate the sky. The film was created by a single person: Zeyu Ren, a design student and motion graphics artist in New York. He started the project after watching Alex's Sci-Fi World, a jaw-dropping loop created by Matt Schaefer with Oculus Quill, a Facebook-owned 3D painting and animation package. Intrigued, he started experimenting with the Rift headset owned by his college, the Rhode Island School of Design.
Oculus Rift can stream live VR to Facebook
It's now much easier to share what you're doing on your Oculus Rift, even if people are nowhere near your living room. Oculus is starting to roll out an update that introduces broadcasting on Facebook Live. Switch it on and you can livestream the view from your headset to friends or the public. It's up to developers to decide whether or not they include the feature, but "hundreds" of apps (including Echo VR and Dead & Buried) are ready for the feature right now.
The best VR gifts
Virtual reality offers all manner of immersive experiences, including short films, but gaming is where VR really shines right now. So, if you have a gamer in your life who seems to already have everything, consider giving them some of the VR gear from our holiday gift guide. They'll need some hardware to get started with, so among our six choices are three headsets -- two Oculus devices and PlayStation VR. If you opt for the latter, the PSVR Aim Controller will come in handy for certain games. Speaking of which, we've also picked a couple of quality games to help that special someone get their VR library up and running.
Oculus stops offering movies on Rift headsets due to low demand
It's a lousy time to be a fan of PC-based VR, apparently. Oculus told both customers and Variety that it's shutting down its movie store for Rift headset owners, leaving you to use third-party services (or watch on a regular screen) if you want to buy or rent flicks. The store is closing as of October 22nd, and you'll have until November 20th to watch your catalog before that too goes away. Oculus will offer refunds to anyone who bought movies before the closure.
Facebook's 3D photos are here
In May during its F8 conference, Facebook announced that it was working on a feature that would take a typical 2D picture and make it appear three-dimensional when posted in the News Feed. Now, it's beginning to roll out 3D photos to everyone, allowing users to "bring scenes to life with depth and movement." All you have to do is take a photo in portrait mode and then start creating a new post on Facebook. Tap the menu icon in the top right of the post screen and select "3D Photo," and that will bring you to the portrait photo folder in your phone. Once you select the photo you want, just post it as you usually would, adding a caption and sharing it to your feed.
Oculus' giant Core 2.0 update is available to everyone
After spending ages in development, Oculus' Rift Core 2.0 interface is rolling out to everyone. The new front end turns into more of a social space, including more 3D objects (such as custom models and unlockable rewards) and eight-person get-togethers for watching shows or simply hanging out. You'll also see a new virtual desktop (above) that helps you quickly access your PC's conventional apps.
'Twin Peaks VR' will take you inside the mind-bending Red Room
Not everyone who watched the original Twin Peaks series can remember much more than a woman with a log and something about owls, but the title inarguably made a dent in the popular culture. Now, after a handful of movies, novels released and a follow-up TV series in 2017, the iconic horror drama is returning as a VR game. Twin Peaks VR will take you to the Red Room, a surreal place from the original series where people talk backwards and a doppelganger can hunt you down. The title is produced by Collider Games and Showtime — which aired Twin Peaks: The Return in 2017 — together with original series creator David Lynch.
Philip K. Dick's 'The Great C' for Oculus Rift arrives this October
The virtual reality adaptation of Philip K. Dick's The Great C is now making its way to VR headsets after debuting at the Venice Film Festival. It will be available for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive as soon as October 9th, but PlayStation VR owners will unfortunately have to wait until 2019. Fans can expect to be thrust into a 37-minute immersive sci-fi adventure when they put on their headsets and fire up the experience.
'Star Wars' VR experience 'Vader Immortal' will debut on Oculus Quest
Oculus Quest owners will have an exclusive Star Wars VR series to look forward to this spring: Vader Immortal. We only got a brief glimpse of it during the Oculus Connect 5 keynote today, but it looks like it'll place you on Mustafar, the volcanic planet that houses Vader's lair. The three episode series will be written by David S. Goyer, the prolific genre writer who's also working on the Secrets of the Empire, another Star Wars VR experience developed by the ILMxLAB and The Void. Vader Immortal will also tie into that series, and it's going to take place between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One in the Star Wars universe.
Oculus' mobile app now supports the Rift headset
The Oculus mobile app is no longer just a companion to the Oculus Go -- an update to the app for Android and iOS has introduced Rift support that lets you manage your VR experience away from your PC. You can link up with friends, find events and shop the Oculus Store. This includes installing apps, too. If you want, you can start downloading a VR game while you're out at work so that it's ready to play by the time you're home.
Oculus' major Core 2.0 update officially arrives in October
Amid a string of announcements at Oculus Connect 5, including the standalone Oculus Quest headset, Facebook revealed some updates to the Rift Core 2.0 platform, which is moving out of beta and will be available for everyone in early October. If you don't want to wait, you can access it through the Public Test Channel starting Wednesday.
