Magic Leap Teases Its Next-gen AR Headset for Enterprise
Magic Leap hasn’t come out with new hardware since it launched its seminal AR headset in 2018, Magic Leap 1. Now it seems we’re getting our first glimpse of what may very well be Magic Leap 2.
Unofficial Quest App Store ‘SideQuest’ Raises $3M Seed Investment
SideQuest, the popular sideloading platform for Oculus Quest, has raised a fresh $3 million seed round, something its creators say will be used to help developers publish their apps across multiple platforms via OpenXR integration. The news was first reported in an UploadVR exclusive.
Physics-based Combat Sim ‘Swordsman’ Coming to Oculus Quest Next Year
Swordsman (2020), the physics-based combat sim for PSVR and PC VR headsets, is bringing its bloody sandbox battles to Oculus Quest at some point next year.
Ultra Configurable Sci-fi Flight Sim ‘Tinker Pilot’ Now Available in Alpha
Tinker Pilot has been in the works for a few years now, aiming to deliver a PC VR simulator experience that lets players build their own sci-fi cockpit and outfit it with 1:1 digital counterparts of things like HOTAS flight sticks, pedals, joysticks and more. Now you can get a taste of the highly configurable flight sim in its new paid alpha.
Facebook Offers up $10 Million to Draw Creators to ‘Horizon’
Horizon, Facebook’s social VR space built around user-generated content, was announced more than two years ago, but the company still isn’t quite ready to send it out the door. Instead, Facebook this week announced it is rebranding the project as Horizon Worlds, while also announcing a $10 million fund to support creators building content within.
High-end Headset Maker Teases ‘most anticipated product reveal’ Just Days Before Facebook Connect
Facebook Connect is certainly the marquee VR event this month, but it looks like other companies are hoping to steal a bit of the spotlight. First HTC teased an upcoming product to be revealed next week, and now high-end headset marker Varjo says it plans to unveil its “most highly anticipated product release yet” on October 21st, just days before Facebook Connect on the 26th.
‘Lone Echo II’ Launch Trailer Debuts Ahead of Next Week’s Release
It’s been more than four years since the release of the lauded Lone Echo, but its sequel is finally just around the corner. Ahead of Lone Echo II’s release date on October 12th, Facebook’s VR studio Ready at Dawn has revealed a launch trailer teasing some of the action players can expect from the game.
‘Song in the Smoke’ Review – Thrilling Primeval Danger & Satisfying Crafting
Song in the Smoke is a prehistoric-flavored survival game that puts a clever, but not incredibly deep crafting system at its core. Far from damning, this introduces the sort of gameplay friction that will always leave you with just enough useable resources to move forward, but never enough to be comfortable as you explore the game’s one-way trip through an interesting and complex set of bespoke levels. Combat is a little lackluster and visuals feel muddy at times, but Song in the Smoke still manages to charm you even as you’re being hunted by a giant ethereal beast bigger than an SUV.
More Than Two Years After Launch, Valve Index is Now the Second Most Used Headset on Steam
Canon Introduces 180° Stereoscopic Lens to Support a “bright future for VR content creation”
Canon, one of the world’s leading camera makers, today introduced a new dual-optic lens which captures 180° stereoscopic views through a single sensor on the company’s high-end EOS R5 camera.
‘Jurassic World Aftermath’ Review (Part 1 & 2) – Cretaceous Cat & Mouse with Standout Style
Jurassic World Aftermath unabashedly hijacks the hide-and-seek gameplay of Alien Isolation (2014) while bringing it to VR with a Jurassic Park context and a unique and well executed visual style. With Part 2 now released as paid DLC, the game finally offers a complete narrative and gameplay arc.
HTC Likely Announcing a New Standalone Vive Headset Next Week
HTC recently said that it will host an online Vive event next week, but has only teased minimal hints about what it plans to announce. Regulatory filings spotted by Road to VR suggest a new standalone HTC Vive headset will be revealed.
‘Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond’ to Take up Around 45GB on Quest 2, Cross-buy Confirmed
Respawn Entertainment and Oculus are taking the PC VR game Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond (2020) and slimming it down to fit on Oculus Quest 2 for launch later this year. Make sure to clear out plenty of space though, as the game is slated to take up a around “40-45GB,” the developer says.
Pico Launches Neo 3 Pro & Neo 3 Pro Eye, Serving up Strong Competition to Oculus & HTC
Pico Interactive’s next generation headsets—the Pico Neo 3 Pro and 3 Pro Eye—are now shipping to businesses worldwide, and they’re looking to undercut both Oculus and HTC by offering a pretty appealing set of specs at one of the lowest prices we’ve seen targeted at enterprise.
‘Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic’ Gets Massive ‘Powers’ Update, Bringing New Magic, Weapons & More
Waltz of the Wizard is a spell-casting VR experience that got much deeper with the entrance of the ‘Natural Magic’ expansion on Quest and SteamVR headsets in July, which fundamentally changed the game by bringing a new magic-based combat system and a massive dungeon to fight through. Now Iceland-based studio Aldin Dynamics has pushed out the game’s first big update, called ‘Powers’, which includes a lot more than just a set of new magical powers.
