Road to VR

With 10M Views in 24 Hours, ‘Half-Life: Alyx’ Has Thrust VR Into the Mainstream Gaming Spotlight

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Nov 25, 2019

half-life-alyx-painting — Image courtesy Valve

The modern era of VR has been around in earnest for about three and a half years now. Though it has clearly demonstrated its potential and is slowly growing, adoption has remained niche compared to the broader mainstream gaming industry. While VR bubbles up here and there, the Half-Life: Alyx announcement and trailer has thrust VR into the spotlight of mainstream gaming; it’s release next year will be the medium’s next opportunity to prove itself.

New ‘Boneworks’ Video Reveals More Physics-based Madness, Story & More

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Nov 25, 2019

Boneworks, Stress Level Zero’s upcoming physics-based shooter, is slated to launch on December 10th on SteamVR headsets. While we got to see a good slice of the action in the first gameplay reveal trailer earlier this month, the studio recently released a more in-depth look at a near-final build of the game.

‘Espire 1: VR Operative’ Review – Solid Snake, But Rough Around the Edges

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EspireScreenshot_HoldUp — Image courtesy Digital Lode

For better or worse, so far Konami has shown zero interest in bringing its long and storied Metal Gear series to VR. But if you’re looking to scratch that stealth combat itch with more than a flair for superhuman acrobatics, you may find Espire 1: VR Operative a serviceable Generic Snake, albeit a bit rougher around the edges than you may like.

Valve Index Now Available in 31 Countries Including Canada & Japan

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Nov 22, 2019

valve index packaging (2) — Image courtesy Valve

This week Valve announced that the Index headset and other hardware can now be bought and shipped to Canada and Japan, in addition to 28 other regions.

‘Half-Life: Alyx’ Trailer Revealed, Release Date Set for March 2020

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Nov 21, 2019

Valve today announced Half-Life: Alyx a “full-length VR entry in the award winning series.” A new trailer gives the first glimpse of the game, and Valve has also revealed the Half-Life: Alyx release date, price, and headset compatibility.

Valve’s Gabe Newell: ‘We’re excited to return to Half-Life, VR has energized the studio’

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Nov 21, 2019

half life alyx (4) — Image courtesy Valve

Half-Life: Alyx has finally been revealed with Valve promising a “full-length” Half-Life game “designed from the ground up for virtual reality.” On the reveal, Valve founder Gabe Newell says that VR has energized the studio.

First Look: ‘Half-Life: Alyx’ Screenshots Are Classic Valve, with a Decade More Detail

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Nov 21, 2019

half life alyx (2) — Image courtesy Valve

Today the world gets its first look at Half-Life: Alyx. In addition to the trailer, the company has released the first Half-Life: Alyx screenshots. If you’re familiar with Valve and the Half-Life series, you know what kinds of art style, environments, and enemies to expect, but you’ve never seen a Half-Life game this detailed.

‘Half-Life: Alyx’ Will Run on All SteamVR Headsets, Free for Index Owners

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Nov 21, 2019

In a Valve-esque ‘put your money where you mouth is’ move, the company has affirmed that Half-Life: Alyx will support any SteamVR capable headset, which includes Valve’s own Index as well as headsets from Oculus, HTC, WMR, and Pimax. The move underscores the company’s yearslong commitment to making Steam an open platform for VR content and hardware. Owners of Index (or even just the Index controllers) do get a nice perk for their expensive purchase though: a free copy of Half-Life: Alyx.

Source 2 Tools Will Ship with ‘Half-Life: Alyx’ for VR Content from the Modding Community

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Nov 21, 2019

half-life-alyx-guns — Image courtesy Valve

Half-Life: Alyx is due to launch in March 2020; alongside it, Valve plans to release tools for its Source 2 engine which will let community creators build more VR content for the game and beyond.

Nreal Light Developer Kits Now Available for Pre-order, Starting at $1,200

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Nov 21, 2019

nreal-light — Image courtesy Nreal

Nreal made quite the splash at CES earlier this year, showing off its Nreal Light AR headset which made some clear strides to look less like a futuristic helmet and more like a regular pair of sunglasses you might actually wear in public. Starting today, both the $1,200 Developer Kit and the $2,000 Enterprise Edition are officially available for pre-order.

Lenovo Partners with Varjo to Validate Enterprise PCs as ‘Certified for Varjo’

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Nov 20, 2019

varjo-lenovo — Image courtesy Varjo

Varjo, maker of ‘bionic eye’ headsets, is gaining increasing notoriety as the high-end option in the enterprise VR space. This week Varjo announced a partnership with Lenovo which will see the PC maker specially certifying some of its enterprise workstation computers to designate compatibility with the headset.

Steam’s Remote Play Together Feature Makes ‘Panoptic’ Perfect for Sharing VR Fun with Non-VR Friends

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Nov 20, 2019

panoptic 1 (2) — Image courtesy Team Panoptes

Steam recently released a ‘Remote Play Together’ feature which is designed to allow users to local-only multiplayer games over the internet. The feature can also work with asymmetric VR games, allowing you to play in your headset while a friend remote-controls your computer as a second player. We tested the feature with the excellent asymmetric VR game Panoptic and found it to be a revelatory addition to the game which makes it easy to share the fun of VR even with friends who don’t have a headset.

LIV Secures $2.6M in Funding to Further Expand Mixed Reality Streaming Platform

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Nov 20, 2019

liv-beat-saber — Image courtesy LIV

LIV, the Prague-based team behind the eponymous mixed reality game-streaming platform, has secured $2.6 million in a Series A financing round, something the company says will be used to expand its development team, accelerate its streaming technology, and to integrate more third-party games studios.

This ‘Snackable’ Headset Aims to Make VR More Approachable to the Public

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Nov 20, 2019

eden-snacker-headset — Image courtesy Eden Labs

When it comes to public spaces like shops and museums, self-service virtual reality isn’t really a thing yet; first-timers generally need to be told how to put on the headset, how to hold the controllers, and where to stand. And let’s face it, most everyone on the planet is a VR newcomer at this point, meaning you’ll need an attendant to handhold users the entire way through. That’s where South Africa-based EDEN Labs wants to change things up with its enterprise-focused VR headset platform, the Eden Snacker.

‘Stardust Odyssey’ is a Co-op Space Shooter Coming to PSVR in December

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Nov 20, 2019

StardustOdyssey_Screenshot_ — Image courtesy Agharta Studio

Stardust Odyssey, a co-op spaceship shooter from Agharta Studio, was announced during PlayStation’s ‘State of Play’ broadcast back in September. Although we’re no closer to really grasping what the mysterious title as to offer in terms of gameplay, we should know pretty soon, as Stardust Odyssey is coming to PSVR next month.

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