Bigscreen Boasts 5,000+ RSVPs for SpaceX Launch Viewing Today
Magic Leap Update Brings Hand Occlusion, Expanded Multiplayer Support & More
Despite securing $280 million from Japan’s largest telecom earlier this summer, we’ve heard surprisingly little from the multi-billion dollar AR startup of late regarding its flagship headset, Magic Leap One. Now, the company has announced a number of new features coming to ML1 in its latest Lumin OS 0.97 and SDK 0.22 updates, which includes hand tracking with proper occlusion masking, “out of the box” multiplayer support, and a few other goodies that ideally position the platform to appeal to future consumers.
PSVR Shooter ‘StarBlood Arena’ Goes Dark Forever Starting July 25th
WhiteMoon Dreams, the developers behind PSVR arena shooter StarBlood Arena (2017), released a statement recently bidding farewell to its community. Earlier this year, the studio announced that their online-only game would be going dark; the official date for server shutdown is Thursday, July 25th.
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.
