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StarVR's latest enterprise headset features built-in eye tracking
StarVR has a new virtual reality headset, dubbed the "One." We haven't heard from the company -- a collaboration between Swedish game developer Starbreeze and Acer -- since it was demoing its own The Walking Dead game back in 2015. Back then, what made its headset stand out from the crowd was its 210-degree field of view. If you're keeping track at home, that's over double what the Oculus Rift offers. The new headset promises the same impressive FOV, but with Tobii's eye-tracking technology baked in.
Microsoft's AltSpaceVR lets you build a virtual hangout
Microsoft's AltspaceVR differs drastically from other social networks by letting you share the same (virtual) space with your friends. Now, it's giving you more places to hang out with custom building kits. You start with a virtual hangout based on the popular "Campfire" and "Alien Planet" spaces, then customize it by grabbing assets from a curated library of flora, structures and shapes. You can then host muliplayer social games within your space and even add custom 3D design and sound.
'We Happy Few' has a trippy PSVR teaser
We Happy Few is just around the corner after years of waiting, but you don't have to wait until August 10th to get a feel for its drug-filled dystopia if you have a PlayStation VR headset. Compulsion games has released a free PSVR-only side story, Uncle Jack Live VR, that turns you into a guest producer for its namesake broadcaster and propagandist. You're supposed to pick the 'right' news stories for Jack as he encourages people to keep taking the mind-altering Joy drug, all the while fighting an outbreak of Downers (i.e. normal people) at the broadcast center.
Magic Leap's $2,295 mixed reality headset is available now
It didn't take long for Magic Leap to confirm the rumors of an imminent launch for its mixed reality headset. The startup has announced that its Magic Leap One Creator Edition headset is available as of today. If you're an American developer (or very, very early adopter), you can shell out $2,295 for all the necessary hardware. You currently to live in a major burg to get one, though -- Magic Leap only has "limited quantities" available, and it's offering free in-person delivery and setup in six urban areas (Chicago, LA, Miami, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle). If you're not in a qualifying area, you'll have to make a reservation.
Magic Leap's mixed reality headset might launch today
Magic Leap might finally launch its headset -- or announce when it will launch the device -- today. The secretive company's founder, Rony Abovitz, has tweeted hints that seem to point at an event for August 8th. Two of his tweets are illustrations of a flying Magic Leaper (which went out at 8:08PM) and a rocket ready for takeoff, while the third is a link to a Wikipedia article that leads to Roland TR-808. His Twitter banner is also trippy illustration of a Magic Leaper surrounded by flying whales with the numbers 8, 8 and 18 hidden in the background. If you go to the company's website, you'll see a rocket starting to take off, as well.
Hydrus VR camera brings immersive 8K video to the deep sea
Don't be surprised if you soon see VR video from some of the darker corners of the ocean. Marine Imaging Technologies has launched a new camera, the Hydrus VR, that promises 360-degree 8K video (higher-resolution than many current headsets) at depths of up to 984 feet, even in lighting conditions as dim as 0.004 lux. The 10-camera array takes advantage of new ultra-sensitive Sony sensors to capture video at up to ISO 409,600 -- the result will be noisy, but might be the key to spotting an elusive fish hiding in a cave.
Ziplining and VR headsets make a weird couple
Hailed as the next big thing a few years ago, virtual reality has yet to truly make its mark. Perhaps there'll never be one killer use for VR, and it'll remain a minor player in many niches: gaming, entertainment, education, therapy, enterprise, art and others. Some of the more unusual experimentations mix the virtual world with the real. VR roller coasters, for instance, blend physical movement with elaborate virtual settings to create a unique experience. Zip Now in London is trying something similar: ziplining with a VR twist.
China uses VR eye tracking to gauge success of drug rehab
China's rehab centers are no strangers to using technology to treat addiction. The latest approach, however, is rather unusual. Shanghai drug rehab facilities (not pictured here) are trialing a combination of VR, eye tracking and skin sensors to both aid in recovery and gauge its effectiveness. Recovering addicts have to look at images and video illustrating the effects of drugs, and the eye monitoring can help determine their reactions, including whether or not they're paying attention in the first place. Think of it like a (relatively) gentler version of A Clockwork Orange's Ludovico treatment -- patients can't look away from the unpleasant imagery without their overseers knowing.
Google signs up PlayStation VR engineer Richard Marks
The head of Sony's virtual reality efforts has left the company after 19 years and moved to another California-based tech giant: Google. Richard Marks headed Sony's Magic Lab, the group behind the PlayStation VR headset, and served as the company's voice when it came to its work in virtual reality. Google told VentureBeat that Marks is now part of its Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP), which develops experimental projects like X does, but within a shorter span of time. Some of its more popular undertakings are Google's depth-sending tech Project Tango and its modular phone initiative Project Ara.
Google brings Chrome to Daydream VR headsets
It's been a long time in coming, but Chrome browsing in VR is finally here. Google has released a version of Chrome that supports both Daydream View and stand-alone Daydream headsets like the Lenovo Mirage Solo. It can visit any website and includes Chrome staples like incognito mode, syncing and voice search, just in a wearable-friendly format. Google is also promising Daydream-specific features like a "cinema mode" when you watch online video.
Magic Leap offers a sneak peek at its mixed reality OS
Magic Leap has been peeling away one layer of secrecy after another now that it's close to shipping its mixed reality headset. Just recently, it released an AR demo and revealed that it's working with comics industry veteran Grant Morrison. Now, the company has given us a glimpse of what its operating system an interface will look like through new documents added to its revamped developer guide. TechCrunch has collected a few images and videos circulating on Twitter and Reddit, including a photo of the device's homescreen and the stock apps that'll ship with it. Yes, they're mock-ups, but they can at least give us an idea of what to expect.
'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.
Magic Leap signs content deal with comics giant Grant Morrison
Magic Leap has teamed up with Scotland-based Square Slice Studios, which was co-founded by comic book industry veteran Grant Morrison, to create content for its mixed reality headset. You might know the prolific writer for his work with Batman and All-Star Superman, as well as for creating the boundary-pushing sci-fi comics The Invisibles, among many other things. The studio will conjure up interactive experiences for the headset, though it has yet to reveal their exact nature. While we can probably expect some interactive comics, it's worth noting that Morrison co-founded the company with a number of other creatives, including Grand Theft Auto artist Stewart Waterson.
The Macallan distillery opens up for 4D virtual reality tours
Not everyone has the means to travel to Scotland and visit their favorite distillery a la Ron Swanson. To help connoisseurs live out their dreams of traipsing through its facilities, The Macallan has created the Macallan Distillery Experience. VRFocus describes it as a "4D multi-sensory" group tour that guides folks through the company's process for making its Single Malt spirit. Along the way you'll explore the Scottish distillery an the estate it resides on, learning about the outfit's history along the way. Visitors will step into a "15x15x15 cube-like projection structure" with 360-degree videos beamed to the installation's walls.
VR standard promises an end to headset connector headaches
If you've used a wired VR headset, you probably know the connector situation is inconsistent and messy: you frequently have to plug multiple cables into your PC, which is space consuming at best and potentially impractical if you have a laptop. That might not be quite such a thorn in your side if a handful of tech industry leaders have their way. AMD, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oculus and Valve have unveiled VirtualLink, an open standard that would whittle VR headset connections down to a single USB-C cable. It would take advantage of the newer port format to deliver four lanes of DisplayPort video, USB data (for cameras and sensors) and 27W of power. It's optimized for VR, too, promising low lag and a highly optimized path that would enable the "next generation" of headsets.
'David Bowie Is' coming to your home through AR and VR
Did you miss your chance to see the David Bowie is museum exhibition and pay tribute to the late, great musician? You won't have to wallow in regret for very long. The David Bowie Archive, Sony Music, Planeta and the Victoria and Albert Museum have announced plans for both augmented and virtual reality 'recreations' of the exhibit. These digital productions will use a series of "audio-visual spaces" to showcase 3D scans of Bowie's artifacts and let you get much closer than you might in real life. You might not only see a legendary costume, but try it on for yourself.
HTC hints at multi-room VR using Steam
You may know that VR in large rooms is becoming a reality, but what about venturing between rooms? It might happen sooner than you think, albeit with a few caveats. HTC has shown off an experience that used a SteamVR beta, a Vive Pro and 16 base stations to allow VR between multiple rooms. A tester successfully wandered between rooms finding tracked objects as he wandered through a complex but connected space. Don't expect to play VR games that span your entire home, though, as there are some limitations.
The latest Tilt Brush tool is a game-changer for VR artists
Google's Tilt Brush is one of the best VR painting apps for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Since its release in 2016, artists have drawn magnificent ships, jaw-dropping mountain ranges and imaginative fight scenes in immersive 3D. Most of the app's brushes, however, mimic the real world with flat, ribbon-like strokes. For years, you've had to move around and paint, or 'color in' every surface of a 3D object like a cube or cone. It was pretty time consuming. Thankfully, the team behind Tilt Brush noticed and introduced a solution, called the hull brush, toward the end of June. The new tool allows you to paint volumetrically. Normally, the app follows your movements in mid-air and creates a series of control points. These are supplemented with secondary points and then converted into colorful brush strokes. The hull brush, however, uses the control points to create a 3D mesh. The outermost points dictate the final size and shape, which for now has to be convex (curving outward, rather than inward). "The simplest way to think of a convex hull is as if you were 'gift wrapping' the points with geometry," Jeremy Cowles, the technology lead for Tilt Brush explained.
HTC's June sales highlight the need for its recent layoffs
HTC can't catch a break. The company has announced that in June its sales fell "nearly 68 percent," according to Reuters. Earlier this week, the company revealed it would cull some 1,500 employees from its Taiwan manufacturing division in its chase for profitability. The last several years haven't been kind to the company, rife with reorganizations (including one earlier this year), key staff members resigning and desperate efforts to put money in the bank by seemingly any means possible -- including selling its Pixel team to Google for $1.1 billion. Recently, the company combined its virtual reality and mobile divisions in an effort to refocus. Given this week's news, and the Pixel sale as evidence, it wouldn't be surprising if, in a last-ditch effort to return to profitability, HTC sold its Vive team to Valve. The two worked closely on the device, and it's not like Valve's coffers will run dry anytime soon. Where would that leave HTC though, like BlackBerry? Vive is the company's last stand, from the looks of it, and selling it off sounds like a Hail Mary. More than that, pulling a BlackBerry only works if the handsets HTC produces capture the market, something that hasn't happened in years. And unlike BlackBerry's keyboards, HTC doesn't have one defining feature, let alone two (a reputation for enterprise-grade security). The new reduction in headcount probably won't have the same financial benefits of the Pixel sale, but we'll have to wait for HTC's next earnings report to know for sure.
PSVR’s World Cup ‘executive suite’ is more ludicrous than luxurious
In case you wanted another way to watch this year's World Cup from Russia, PlayStation has you covered. Sony's gaming division has partnered with BBC Sports VR to put you in a virtual executive box replete with a gigantic window overlooking the pitch. More than that, you'll have a choice between three different "seats" on the fly, too: behind each goal and from the midfield line. You just need a PlayStation 4, PSVR helmet and the BBC's free World Cup PSVR app.
