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Firefox brings the thrills of web browsing to VR
Mozilla's headset-focused web browser is finally ready for your cranium: Firefox Reality is available for HTC Vive, Oculus and Daydream devices through their respective stores. The software is designed from the start for AR and VR hardware, with an interface that revolves around pointer control and voice search. There's a virtual keyboard if you need it, but let's face it -- you'd probably go back to a regular screen if you wanted to type more than once in a blue Moon. And yes, Mozilla knows the flat web isn't so exciting in a headset. The home screen provides fast access to 3D content like Sketchfab models, so you won't be hurting for something to take advantage of AR and VR technology.
Oculus will livestream its next Connect conference in VR
The VR community's biggest annual event, Oculus Connect, is just over a week away, and as you'd expect from the tech in question, you won't have to actually be there in order to enjoy proceedings. The company will livestream key OC5 moments in Oculus Venues, so you can experience keynotes, esports action and gameplay alongside other fans in the crowd, using Oculus Go or Gear VR.
Oculus offers another classroom VR option with new pilot program
Immersive virtual reality experiences can make learning a lot more fun for students and for anyone visiting places like museums. It'll take work to get to a point where they're widely used as a teaching tool, though, and Oculus is taking a leaf out of Google's book and planting the seeds for that future by launching educational pilot programs in Taiwan, Japan and Seattle. The company is working with local organizations, schools and educators to distribute Rift and Go headsets to libraries, museums and schools.
NASA apps take you to space with VR and selfies
NASA's apps tend to be all-business, but it's livening things up this time around -- the administration has released two apps that go beyond dry scientific explanations. The most intriguing is likely Exoplanet Excursions, a VR app for Oculus and HTC Vive headsets. The 3D experience lets you fly through the TRAPPIST-1 system and see artists' renditions of its numerous Earth-sized planets, complete with comparisons to planets around our home star.
Oculus Rift support is coming to HTC's Viveport VR store
The Oculus Rift is finally welcome in Viveport, HTC's VR store. When it launched in 2016, Viveport seemed a bit redundant, since it wasn't hard for Vive owners to find VR experiences on Steam. But it turned into a truly great deal last year with the addition of a subscription plan, allowing you to snag five VR titles monthly for a low fee (it was originally $6.99, now it's $8.99). For most gamers, that's a smarter option than blind buying games. Starting on September 4th, Oculus Rift owners will also be able to take part in everything Viveport has to offer -- even the subscription.
The VR headsets (and games) that we recommend to students
After long days of lectures, quizzes and research papers, you deserve to take your mind off school for a bit. What better way to decompress than by jacking into virtual reality for a few minutes of tranquility? It doesn't have to break the bank, either. The 32GB Oculus Go will only set you back $200 and it offers the most convenient mobile VR experience you can get. Unlike the Gear VR or Google Cardboard, you don't need a phone to power the Go -- just pop the headset on and that's it. If you have some extra cash to spare (gotta love financial aid overages), you could pick up the headset responsible for starting the modern VR renaissance, the Oculus Rift. The flagship device is available as a bundle with a pair of Touch motion-control-wands and two motion sensors for $400. Sure, it costs twice as much as a Go, but if you want full-on AAA game experiences in VR it's the best option, assuming you have a capable PC. Choosing this over an HTC Vive will also save you $100, which leaves plenty of money to grab a few games. Speaking of, Downward Spiral: Horus Station should definitely be on your list. A space-thriller at heart -- you're exploring a derelict orbital station -- it should fill the gap between late-night viewings of Event Horizon and Alien quite nicely. Maybe best of all, it makes use of the Rift's built-in 360-degree soundfield incredibly well. If you were bummed that Nintendo didn't include Duck Hunt with the NES Classic Edition, there's a VR game called Duck Season with your name written all over it. Ostensibly, it's a tribute to the light-gun game of yore. There's an anthropomorphic dog, and he eagerly runs into the weeds when you've shot a duck out of the sky. Then the game takes a turn for the macabre. He returns, mouth frozen in a ghastly smile, holding the fowl by its limp neck. As the narrative progresses, it only gets creepier. Bet you didn't expect this would be a horror game, did you? It's the type of thing you should definitely bring out next time your friends are over. The downside of Duck Season's chills is your hands and face are likely to be clammy when you pass the headset. To help prevent the spread of communicable disease on campus, pick up a VR Cover starter pack. The kit comes with a detachable padded ring for the eye-side of your headset, and a generous amount of disposable liners. Humans are gross, but sharing a VR headset with people from your floor doesn't have to be. Find all of our picks for virtual reality in our 2018 back-to-school guide and while you're there, find 100-some odd picks in 13 other categories.
'Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice' is getting the VR treatment
British developer Ninja Theory is bringing its critically acclaimed Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive later this month. The new version will be available as a free update for anyone that has already bought the game on Steam, starting July 31st. According to Ninja Theory, the VR version is almost identical to the original game -- this isn't a side story, or some kind of technical demo that you can blast through in 30 minutes. It will retain the original's third-person perspective, keeping the player locked behind Senua. You will, however, be able to turn the headset to look around and gently guide the Pict warrior in a different direction.
Philip K. Dick’s ‘The Great C’ is coming to VR
A VR adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story "The Great C" is headed to the Venice Film Festival, Variety reports. First published in 1953, the story centers on a human tribe living in a post-apocalyptic world set in the future. Each year, the tribe must send a human sacrifice to a computer called the Great C that rules the world. In the VR adaptation, created by Secret Location, a woman named Clare grapples with whether to accept the tradition and let her fiancé be sacrificed or take a stand against the cruelty.
Oculus Rift requires Windows 10 for new features
When Oculus upgraded its system software to Rift Core 2.0, currently in beta, it added a redesigned Home experience, multitasking for apps and windows in Dash and mirrored Oculus Desktop monitors. These are heavy-resource features, according to Oculus, and need Windows 10 to support them. That's why the company is recommending Windows 10 across the Oculus platform (Rift, Touch and core software). You can still use Windows 7 and 8.1, but you won't get the new features as they appear.
VR puzzler 'Moss' and its adorable mouse are coming to PC
Enchanting adventure Moss might have launched as a PlayStation VR exclusive, but developer Polyarc has confirmed it won't be tethered to Sony's console any longer. It's finally available on both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive for $30.
'Marvel Powers United VR' is still headed to Oculus this year
Last year Disney revealed that a Marvel VR game is on the way for Oculus headsets, and things have been fairly quiet since. Marvel Powers United VR will allow for four-player co-op as gamers take on the roles of various heroes in the Marvel universe like The Hulk, Captain Marvel, Deadpool or Loki. With Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2 both currently in theaters it would seem like the perfect time for the title to release widely, but apparently not yet. UploadVR spoke to Oculus Studios EP Mike Doran who confirmed that the Sanzaru Games-developed project is still on deck for release later this year. Last year before the Thor movie came out developers revealed his character would be playable, but so far there's no word concerning whether Black Panther or Thanos are joining the action. There are in-store demos of the game available if you can't wait for the full experience, or just check out the reaction video below from fans who tried it at Comic-Con.
A VR quest to make you care about endangered species
Most of us don't think about rhinos on a daily basis. We're too consumed with maintaining inbox-zero or making sure our cat is healthy. When the last male white northern rhino died in March, the impact on most of us was minimal because the now-extinct 2-ton mammal wasn't lumbering around our living rooms. We're gravely concerned the moment Mr. Whiskers starts acting funky, though. That's because he's a part of our everyday environment and, as such, we're emotionally attached to him. This theory is called environmental amnesia. Basically, it's the belief that we don't consider what's going on outside of our immediate surroundings. We think that whatever is happening around us is normal. It's something that Fountain Digital CEO Svetlana Dragayeva thinks virtual reality can help address by showing people how wondrous our planet's creatures can be in an intimate setting -- their homes. "This is where technology can really help us shape new types of [emotional] relationships so that we actually become curious about what's going on in the offline world, and become more involved in saving [it]," she said.
'Jurassic World: Blue' tells a dinosaur's story on Oculus VR headsets
Now that Oculus Go is here, you can expect a deluge of experiences built to take advantage of affordable VR -- and one of the first will be enticing if you're a Jurassic Park fan. Felix and Paul Studios (the team behind Jurassic World: Apatosaurus) has returned with Jurassic World: Blue, another VR experience based on the dinosaurs-run-amok franchise. The two-part companion to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is designed for both the Oculus Go and Rift, and follows its namesake intelligent velociraptor around Isla Nublar as she struggles against other dinosaurs as well as the island itself. Yes, it's a movie tie-in, but part of the attraction is an improved take on the behind-the-scenes technology.
Alienware may have created the ultimate gamer hotel suite
In the past, we've seen hotel rooms and even entire hotels specifically designed for those who prefer the orange glow of de_dust2 to a sandy beach. But Alienware's new gaming suite in Hilton's Panama City location might well be the easiest place yet to let a week of your life completely pass you by. Room 2425 offers guests the chance to avoid the rich culture of the Central American capital and enjoy the company of a monstrous Alienware gaming PC, Oculus Rift VR headset and Xbox One Elite. Move between the racing seat centerpiece and beanbags, foregoing the stunning view of the South Pacific Ocean to instead bask in the warm glow of the room's 65-inch 4K TV.
Google Chrome may now support Oculus Rift
An eagle-eyed Redditor may have just discovered that Oculus Rift is now supported in the latest stable version of Google Chrome. You'll have to do a little menu legwork to set it up by tracking down a setting in Chrome's flags, but the browser can supposedly now output WebVr to that headset and the Oculus Touch controllers natively. It's been a few years since that integration was first promised back in 2014, and sadly, it's only available for Chrome users on Windows for now.
'Alex's Sci-Fi World' is a beautiful piece of VR animation
Hand-painted VR animation isn't new. Oculus developed Quill, a 3D painting package for the Rift, back in 2015 for its now defunct Story Studio. It was released to the public in December 2016 and updated with a slew of filmmaking features three months ago. Since then, a small community has blossomed with VR artist Goro Fujita -- the man behind the incredible A Moment in Time -- at the helm. There are many impressive shorts online, but my favorite is Alex's Sci-Fi World by Matt Schaefer. It's a neon-soaked delight that you should absolutely watch on YouTube or using a Rift and the original Quill file.
Facebook's redesigned VR avatars look more like you
The avatars in Facebook's social VR environment, Spaces, could use some work: they have a flat, cartoonish look, and you'll be hard-pressed to find one that really reflects your look. Accordingly, Facebook is giving these avatars a makeover. The new designs are much more three-dimensional (they're somewhat reminiscent of The Sims) with more realistic lighting and materials, and they now offer "hundreds" of additional customizations. You can finally adjust your body type, for starters. You'll also find new head shapes, hair styles and facial features, and you can fine-tune these features in an editor.
Oculus Rift headsets should work as normal again
If you own an Oculus Rift headset, good news: It should work as normal again. The Facebook-owned division was caught off guard yesterday when a number of units suddenly stopped working. The problem -- much to Oculus' embarrassment -- was an expired security certificate that checks whether the software you own has come directly from the Oculus Store. The company worked through the night on a fix and finally it's ready as a patch from the Oculus website. It sounds simple enough to install; just download the file, select Repair and then relaunch the Oculus app. That's the promise, anyway — let's hope the problem is finally sorted now.
Oculus Rift headsets are offline following a software error
This morning, people around the world couldn't use their Oculus Rift VR headsets. System software couldn't "reach Oculus Runtime Service" according to error messages posted to the Oculus forums, spotted by Polygon. One possible explanation is that an Oculus security certificate expired today. The company took to the bulletin board to offer a bit of an update.
VR runner 'Sprint Vector' launches on February 8th (updated)
Ever wanted to run in virtual reality without smacking into a real wall? You'll have a chance shortly. Survios has revealed that its VR foot racing game Sprint Vector launches February 8th for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and the 13th for PlayStation VR. The sci-fi runner stands out with a unique control scheme where you pump your arms to run, and your head to turn. In theory, you can get a feel for what it's like to race at breakneck speed without having to actually, well, sprint.
