Facebook is Using Target Tracking to Unlock AR Experiences From Movie Posters and More
Facebook is expanding its augmented reality platform to make it possible for developers to create AR content tied to physical objects such as logos, signs and posters.
HTC Vive Pro Headset Review: Welcomed Improvements Overshadowed By a Steep Price
Set to launch this week, on the two year anniversary of the original Vive, HTC’s Vive Pro shows the progress the company has been able to make on their VR headset in the same span, though it isn’t being positioned as a ‘Vive 2’. Bringing a number of welcomed improvements, but also a steep increase in price, the headset is only likely to make sense to enterprise and commercial users, and a tiny fraction of the VR enthusiasts that have already bought into HTC’s VR ecosystem. Even then, with SteamVR Tracking 2.0 base stations and controllers still not available to take advantage of new sensors on the headset, the value proposition isn’t yet entirely apparent.
Dev Behind ‘Mario AR’ Brings ‘Street Fighter II’ to Life with ARKit
You might know developer Abhishek Singh from his HoloLens version of Super Mario Bros. (1985) that went viral back in June 2017, or maybe his more recent AR recreation of the iconic scene from The Ring (2002) where the horrifying ghost girl emerges from the TV screen. Now, Singh has delved back into classic gaming with his latest project, a full AR recreation of Street Fighter II (1995).
Arcade Football Game ‘2MD: VR Football’ to Hit PSVR This Spring
2MD VR Football (2017), a room-scale quarterback game that first landed on SteamVR-compatible headsets last September, is making its way to PSVR this spring.
Apple Shows VR Could Help Fight Motion Sickness & Boredom in Self-driving Cars
When you’re driving a car, you’re invested with a sense of purpose: stay alert, don’t crash, optimize your route for the fastest and most comfortable experience. But what about when self-driving cars become the norm, and we’re no longer involved in those tasks? You’ll probably want to catch up on work, or play a game to fight the inevitable boredom—two things Apple thinks will be done in VR in the near future.
HTC Launches $300 SteamVR 1.0 Tracking Bundle for Vive Pro Users
HTC today announced they’re launching a hardware accessory bundle for $300 that will include all necessary bits for new Vive Pro customers starting from scratch (besides the headset, that is).
Mozilla Announces Open Source AR/VR Web Browser ‘Firefox Reality’
Mozilla, the non-profit company behind Firefox web browser, today announced a new cross-platform, open sourced web browser called Firefox Reality, something Mozilla says was built from the ground-up for standalone VR and AR headsets.
‘Facebook Spaces’ Overhauls Avatars to Be More ‘fluid and natural’
Facebook Spaces, the company’s social VR application which launched in beta one year ago, is getting an entirely new avatar system and customization tool, something Facebook says in a recent blog post was designed to make avatars “more expressive and customizable than ever.”
Oculus Rift Increases Lead Over HTC Vive in Steam Majority Market Share
Valve’s monthly Steam hardware and software survey is out, and it appears Oculus Rift is still gaining momentum over HTC Vive on the Steam platform as the number one VR headset among Steam users.
A Candid Assessment of the Industry From a Leading Indie VR Developer
What is happening with the VR industry? Is adoption and growth still on target to support a vibrant and diverse ecosystem of independent VR developers? Leading headset manufacturers have not been transparent in sharing any specific information, and analyst datum that’s been released hasn’t been a reliable or comprehensive source of information. So it’s been difficult to get an honest and candid assessment about the overall health and vibrancy of the virtual reality ecosystem. But there are a few companies who have some deeper insights into the VR ecosystem, and these are the independent VR development companies who have released best-selling VR titles.
‘Skyrim VR’ for PC Review – a Dragon-sized Feast for the Eyes
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 VRDK to Offer Ultrasonic 6DOF Controller Tracking
Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 845 VRDK, a VR headset reference design for hardware and software developers, is now offering 6DOF controller input with ultrasonic tracking.
StarVR Corporation Prepares to Go Public on Taiwanese Stock Exchange
