VIVE X Startup Mindesk Secures $900K to Create VR Multiuser Design Software
Report: Apple AR Headset Could Rely on iPhone for Rendering & Connectivity
Several reports over the past two years have suggested Apple is getting ready to manufacture an AR headset, and possibly ship it sometime in 2020—something that’s so far unsubstantiated by the company itself. Now highly respected industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, someone Business Insider called “the most accurate Apple analyst in the world,” is offering up his predictions for the fabled device, and they seem to support the view that an Apple AR headset is just over the horizon.
Valve Psychologist to Explore Brain-Computer Interface Research at GDC
At GDC 2019 later this month, Valve’s Principal Experimental Psychologist, Mike Ambinder will present the latest research pertaining to brain-computer interfaces—using signals from the brain as computer input. Ambinder says that BCI is still “speculative technology,” but could play an important role in the way players interact with the games of the future.
Tactical Haptics to Bring ‘Production-Ready’ Haptic VR Controllers to GDC 2019
Tactical Haptics has been working on a unique haptic controller design since its founding in 2013. While we’ve seen a number of prototypes over the years, the company is getting ready to show what it calls a “production-ready” version of its Reactive Grip VR controller, set to debut later this month at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, California.
‘Borderlands 2 VR’ Gets PS Aim Support & Improved Shooting for All Controllers
Borderlands 2 VR (2018) launched on PSVR late last year with support for DualShock 4 and PS Move, and while it also seemed to be a perfect fit for the platform’s dedicated gun controller, PS Aim, users just had to make do. Now developers Gearbox Software and 2K Games have announced they’ve officially added PS Aim support including a few other shooting specific improvements that should keep you happily blasting bandits and looting vaults with greater ease regardless of your chosen controller.
Valve Laid Off Contractors and 13 Employees, Some Working on VR
Valve today confirmed that the company laid off 13 full-time employees and an unspecified number of contractors. The layoffs are believed to have largely impacted the company’s VR hardware group.
Vive Studios & Vertigo Games Announce VR Card Battle Game ‘Skyworld: Kingdom Brawl’
Vertigo Games, the studio behind Arizona Sunshine (2016) and Skyworld (2017), have teamed up with Vive Studios to create a new VR card-battler dubbed Skyworld: Kingdom Brawl.
Oculus Rift is Out of Stock All Over the Web, Suggesting ‘Rift S’ is Near
It seems one of two things is happening at the moment: either Oculus Rift has been selling like hotcakes and going out of stock simultaneously all over the Internet, or the company is tuning down production for some unknown reason. Considering there’s been no big price drops lately to bring on unseasonable demand, it could be that Facebook is flushing out stock to make way for what’s next.
PSVR MOBA ‘Megalith’ Free Demo Lets You Migrate Progress to Full Version
Megalith (2018), the first-person PSVR battle arena from Disruptive Games, now boasts a free demo that gives you a good chance to try out all of the game’s Titans before plonking down the cash for the full game.
Nintendo Jumps into VR (Again) With Switch VR ‘Labo’ Kit Coming in April
Nintendo is bringing VR to Switch in the form of its latest ‘Labo’ kit which aims to “combine the innovative physical and digital gameplay of Nintendo Labo with basic VR technology to create a simple and shareable virtual reality experience for kids and families.”
Oculus CTO: Quest Will Feature Same Sideloading Process as Oculus Go
Developers creating VR apps for Oculus Quest will probably have a harder time getting through the review process than they did previously with Rift or Go. Small consolation for devs who don’t make the all important Oculus Store cut: end users will still be able to sideload unsupported apps from outside of the Oculus Store.
Second Google Glass for Enterprise Appears in Leaked Images with USB-C & Modest Spec Bump
It’s been nearly two years since Google launched its first Glass Enterprise Edition, something the company called “a new chapter” for the device. Originally introduced in its Explorer Edition in 2013 targeting early adopters and developers, it now appears the second gen Enterprise Edition Glass could be well on its way to the final stages of production.
‘Vacation Simulator’ to Launch on Vive & Rift Next Month, PSVR This Summer
Owlchemy Labs today announced their next VR parody game Vacation Simulator is set to release for PC VR headsets next month. The PSVR version is slated to launch a little later at some point this summer.
First ‘Beat Saber’ Music Pack DLC to Launch Next Week
Beat Games, the indie studio behind block-slashing rhythm game Beat Saber (2018), announced that the long-awaited first music pack is headed to both PC and PSVR platforms on March 14th.
Facebook is Developing Enterprise Versions of Oculus Quest & Go
Facebook has been pretty hands-off when it comes to providing VR solutions for enterprise, although that may be changing with the entrance of bonafide enterprise versions for both Oculus Quest and Oculus Go.
