virtualreality
Latest
BBC show uses VR for home renovation designs
The BBC is delving further into virtual reality with a property show in which homeowners explore 360-degree renderings of their new-look abodes before they renovate them, Deadline reports. In the BBC Two show, Watch This Space, couples strap on VR headsets and see designs from two architects, who have crafted virtual renderings of the remodeled homes. The couples will select a design, then get to work on making their dream home a reality. Production on Watch This Space is underway.
'Uncharted' creative director Amy Hennig is going indie
Amy Hennig, former writer and creative director of the Uncharted series for PlayStation's Naughty Dog studio, is striking out on her own. After EA shut down Visceral Games she left the company in January to start her "own little independent studio," according to GamesIndustry.biz. "I would love to have a little company of about six to eight people, 15 at the most, and then do smaller projects," she told journalists gathered at Barcelona's Gamelab.
Oculus will pay ZeniMax $250 million for copyright infringement
Bethesda Softworks parent company ZeniMax Media has always been a little sue-happy. But maybe a recent decision from its case against Oculus (and by extension, Facebook) will cool its jets a bit. A jury recently decided that Zuckerberg and Co. will only pay $250 million of the initial $500 million claim from ZeniMax that when John Carmack left Bethesda-owned id Software for Oculus, he stole his former employer's intellectual property, according to Bloomberg.
Google makes it easier to draw 3D masterpieces with Tilt Brush
Google has updated its VR art app, Tilt Brush, with tools that could help you create that 3D masterpiece you've been wanting to draw forever. The tech giant has launched 12 new brushes for the application, which produce different textures and volumes for the most lifelike artwork possible. Since the brushes can generate shadows and highlights on their own in a virtual reality space, you won't have to think too much about perspectives and angles. Google says you can even use some of them to create three-dimensional objects simply by moving your controller.
Oculus Go comes to Europe and Canada
Customers in Europe have been able to place Oculus Go pre-orders for a while now, and now the VR headset will be available in a lot more places. Oculus has officially opened online purchases and brought its device to over 300 physical stores across Europe, Canada and the UK. Additionally, those who pre-ordered the Oculus Go from third-party retailers should get their headsets very soon.
Microsoft abandons VR plans for Xbox One
Fans of virtual or mixed reality who have been clinging to the hope of a headset for Xbox One will need to keep holding out -- Microsoft has confirmed it isn't focusing on either technology for the console -- for the time being, anyway.
3D world-building tool SculptVR makes its way to PSVR
SculptVR already provides creative minds a way to conjure up Minecraft-like worlds with detailed 3D sculptures on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Google Daydream. Now, it's also giving PlayStation VR fans the tools they need to bring their imagination to life. The application will be available for Sony's virtual reality platform on June 19th, allowing you to create any 3D object you want using PSVR's controllers. Drawing with controllers may sound daunting, but SculptVR founder Nathan Rowe said it could actually be easier than drawing 2D images.
Google’s VR180 Creator simplifies VR video editing
Anyone can make a film using equipment most of us have in our pockets. Filmmakers are creating full-length movies using iPhones, for instance. Creating virtual reality experiences, however, requires some more specialized equipment. You'll certainly need cameras capable of capturing VR-ready photos and video, but you'd probably like to edit your creations too. So, enter Google, with its new VR180 Creator tool for Mac and Linux.
'Arca's Path' is the VR puzzle game I've been waiting for
Super Monkey Ball in virtual reality, but instead of using a gamepad to control the titular sphere, movement is dictated with head-tracking -- that isn't a reductive judgment of physics-based labyrinth Arca's Path, it's just the easiest way of describing the debut game from Dream Reality Interactive.
'Zone of the Enders' and PlayStation VR are a perfect match
It's the rule: When a game hits its second remaster, the title must get longer and more convoluted. So, for the PS4 (and now PC) 4K remaster, it's now Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - Mars. It's a substantially repolished version that fixes some of the major issues with the first remaster, but it's the virtual reality component on PlayStation VR which stands out. Giant mech robots work well in VR, and ZOE2 remains an enjoyable sci-fi mech fighter even more than a decade later.
Google's latest VR Spotlight story watches you
Google's latest interactive Spotlight Story has an unusual twist... namely, it's watching you. The Piggy VR experience uses six-degrees-of-freedom movement tracking to have a pig respond to your gaze as its namesake character is tempted by a cake. Stare at Piggy and the porcine protagonist will look back with annoyance, guilt or surprise while trying to distract you. Look away, however, and Piggy may give in to cravings. Yes, it's easy to make jokes about a Google story that tracks what you're doing, but it's a clever way of involving the audience without disrupting the narrative.
A French hospital is using VR as a drug-free pain solution
The use of virtual reality (and even video games) as an alternative form of pain management isn't exactly unheard of. Researchers are well aware of VR's potential to distract patients at the dentist and combat phantom pains, so it shouldn't be a surprise to see VR turning up in the emergency room. Graduate students at St Joseph's Hospital, France, have designed an immersive virtual program that is being used to help patients relax and increase pain tolerance without painkillers.
‘Elder Scrolls: Blades’ is an RPG you can play anywhere
Have you ever wanted to play an Elder Scrolls game on your phone, for free? Bethesda thinks you have and has you covered with Elder Scrolls: Blades, what the company's Todd Howard described as "a pure Elder Scrolls game." It'll run on every platform imaginable, Howard said, and all the versions will connect to one another, so, for instance, someone on an iPhone X can play against someone who's running through it on a PC-based VR system or standard console. It'll be out this fall. You use finger-swipes for melee attacks and casting spells against various beasts (and other players) in procedurally generated dungeons, and beautiful forests.
'Wolfenstein Cyberpilot' takes the fight to VR
Bethesda is all about that virtual reality, baby. Wolfenstein Cyberpilot is a new game heading to VR and it's due out in 2019, but it's playable at E3 this week. There are few details about actual gameplay, but it follows a resistance hacker in some way, according to a tweet from Bethesda.
Rhythm hit 'Beat Saber' is coming to PlayStation VR
Beat Saber has been one of the more attention-grabbing VR titles on PCs as of late, and it's not hard to see why: it amps up the familiar rhythm game formula with an immersive experience that turns every note into a dramatic sword swing. It makes sense, then, that the creators at Beat Games would want to expand their audience. They've announced that Beat Saber is coming to PlayStation VR at some point in the near future. There isn't even a hint of a release date, but knowing that it's on the roadmap might help if you were looking for reasons to justify a PSVR headset.
PSVR's 'Ghost Giant' turns the world into your sandbox
VR is great at providing new perspectives for seemingly familiar experiences, and PlayStation VR's latest game is a textbook example of that. Zoink Games (the creators of the beautiful and inventive Fe) has unveiled Ghost Giant, which uses VR to turn you into an all-powerful companion for the lonely boy Louis as he embarks on a grand journey. Effectively, the world becomes your sandbox: you can open buildings, uproot trees and move vehicles with your ethereal hands. From what we've seen in the trailer, it's a refreshing spin on third-person gaming where you're consciously aware of how you loom over the landscape.
'Spider-Man' developer teams up with Oculus for 'Stormland'
Whether you're a fan of Ratchet and Clank or more of a Resistance person, or you're just looking forward to this year's Spider-Man title, you've got to admit that Insomniac Games makes some pretty great stuff. Now Insomniac and Oculus Studios have released a trailer for a brand-new VR game, Stormland.
HTC brings multiplayer VR games to Dave & Busters this month
Playing games in virtual reality can feel kinda anti-social, even when your buddies are in the same room. You're probably locked into a world only you can see properly, and you'll likely be wearing headphones for true immersion. But, if you want to jump into a virtual experience with your buddies in the same place, you'll get to do so at Dave & Buster's arcades very soon.
Qualcomm built a chip to power AR and VR headsets
Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips have powered devices from smartphones and laptops to VR headsets, but the company is doing away with repurposing mobile processors for mixed reality devices. The company just released the Snapdragon XR1 -- its first "dedicated Extended Reality (XR) platform," and it's a chipset designed specifically for AR and VR headsets. XR1 is meant to offer better experiences on mainstream devices by enabling high-quality visual and audio playback, as well as 3-DoF and 6-DoF interactive controls. Qualcomm also announced that companies like Meta, Vive, Vuzix and Pico are already working on devices using the XR1 chip, and those products could potentially be ready as early as this year, depending on each partner.
Google and LG Display have made the highest resolution VR screen yet
Google and LG Display have joined forces to design the clearest OLED display to date. The 4.3-inch screen, which Google recently revealed at Display Week, is designed to push the boundaries of VR image quality with an incredible 1,443 ppi resolution. For comparison, Japan Display Inc unveiled its slightly smaller 1,001 ppi LCD screen earlier this month, which outclassed both the Oculus Go (538 ppi) and HTC's Vive Pro (615 ppi).
