Oculus Quest Will Support Oculus Go Apps Later This Year
Later this year Oculus Quest is going to get access to a heap of new VR content thanks to support for Oculus Go apps via official emulation.
Quest Gets ‘Oculus Venues’, Finally Connecting Quest Users with Oculus Go & Gear VR
While Oculus Quest was devoid of any of Facebook’s social VR applications at launch, Oculus Venues is finally available for the headset. That means that, for the first time, Quest users will have a first-party social experience in which they can also connect to Oculus Go and Gear VR users (but not Rift).
Quest & Rift S Update Brings Controller Tracking Improvements
Oculus Quest and Rift S use similar inside-out tracking which relies on cameras on the headsets to not only track the user’s head but also their hands. While this works well in many cases, at launch there was something of a deadzone when bringing the hands very close to the headset which could lead to spotty tracking. With an update now rolling out publicly to Quest and Rift S, Oculus says that tracking in this specific area has been improved.
EDM Artist REZZ Debuting New Album Today in Social VR Rave Platform ‘Wave’
EDM artist REZZ is hosting a world premiere listening party of her new album ‘Beyond the Senses’ in Wave, a social VR rave platform. The event kicks off at 3PM PT [your timezone here].
‘Angry Birds Movie 2’ Couch Co-op Game to Launch on PSVR August 6th
XR Games today announced that the franchise’s next Angry Birds VR game is set to launch on PSVR on August 6th; the game was created in partnership with XR Games, Sony’s VR team and Rovio Entertainment.
‘Tetris Effect’ Now Available on PC with VR Support, Exclusively from Epic Store
Tetris Effect (2018), the latest entry in the iconic tile-stacker series, is officially available starting today on PC, which also includes support for VR headsets.
NextVR to Broadcast Liverpool FC Friendly Match to US-based Oculus Go & Gear VR Users
NextVR, the company known for its live VR broadcasts in sports and entertainment, is getting ready to bring the Liverpool FC vs. Sporting Club of Portugal friendly match to US-based Oculus Go & Gear VR users this week.
‘Lion King’ Director’s VR Film ‘Gnomes & Goblins’ is Back From the Dead, Now “Coming Soon”
Back in 2016, director Jon Favreau, in association with immersive studio Wevr, released the Gnomes & Goblins preview, a demo of an (at the time) ambitious VR film project. While it was well received, it lay nearly forgotten as the years passed with no sign of a full release. Hope has been reignited thanks to a recently revamped website teasing that project is “coming soon.”
‘Star Wars: Vader Immortal – Episode 2’ Will Focus on Force Powers
Star Wars: Vader Immortal is a three part VR “narrative adventure” and Oculus exclusive. Episode I launched on Quest and Rift earlier this year. Little is known about Episode II, including its release date, but this week the creators shared a glimpse of what’s to come.
American Museum of Natural History’s T. Rex VR Experience Comes to Viveport
HTC and the American Museum of Natural History announced early this year that the Manhattan-based institution’s ‘T. rex: The Ultimate Predator’ exhibit was getting a VR experience that would let museum-goers collaborate to build a Tyrannosaurus rex bone-by-bone in virtual reality. Starting today, you can now jump into the app with your VR headset at home.
Surgery Training Platform ‘Osso VR’ Now Used by 1,000 Surgeons Monthly
Knight Foundation Offers $750K in Grants for Immersive Tech in the Arts
The Knight Foundation, focused on journalism and the arts, is opening a call-for-ideas from creatives and organizations using immersive technology to bring art to their audiences. Selected projects will be awarded a share of a $750,000 grant pool, as well as mentorship and “technology support” from Microsoft.
‘ASTRO BOT’ Behind-the-scenes – Insights & Artwork from Sony’s JAPAN Studio
From the very first time we previewed an early build of ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission, it was clear that there was much care and craft behind the work. At its October 2018 launch, the finished game not only didn’t disappoint, it saw critical praise, quickly becoming PSVR’s top rated title and even one of PS4’s top titles overall for 2018. The reception was a testament to the undeniable art and skill of the creators at Sony Interactive Entertainment’s JAPAN Studio. But how did they succeed where so many others struggled? For the latest in our Insights & Artwork series, we spoke with Astro Bot’s Creative Director and Producer, Nicolas Doucet, who gave us a glimpse into the game’s design process and a look at some of the artwork which guided the way.
Tyler Hurd’s ‘Beach Body Bros’ Experience Looks Patently Absurd as Ever
Tyler Hurd, the creator behind patently ridiculous VR experiences Butts (2016) and Old Friend (2017), has just joined the Oculus Medium team. Now, Hurd says, he’s developing a new VR project called Beach Body Bros using Medium.
Elon Musk Details ‘Neuralink’ Brain Interface Tech, Oculus CTO Calls It “very bold work”
Elon Musk unveiled Neuralink earlier this week, a startup that aims to not only revolutionize the growing field of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs), but eventually wants to make neural implants as common as LASIK outpatient procedures are today—that’s the long-term goal at least. And while virtual reality and BMIs are still relatively segregated fields at this point, Oculus CTO and legendary programmer John Carmack got a chance to visit Neuralink’s offices, calling it “very bold work.”
