When it comes to VR headsets, one of today’s most noticeable bottlenecks is visual fidelity. When we talk about and compare the visual fidelity of VR headsets we often touch on three key elements: Screen Door Effect, Mura, and Aliasing. Often times we see people mixing these three up, so here’s a quick guide explaining each element and what they actually look like.
Asus was among a handful of Microsoft partners who planned to launch a VR headset as part of Microsoft’s “Mixed Reality” platform. While those other headsets became available late last year, Asus’ own Windows VR headset is finally launching today.
Despite some reports last year suggesting that Microsoft may have discontinued HoloLens, the company has affirmed its work on a new version of the AR headset.
From Flight School Studio, the creators of Manifest 99 (2017), comes a new survival game that maroons you on a small deserted island, leaving you with only your wits and crafting skills at your disposal. Called Island Time VR, the game is slated to release this spring on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive.
Apex Construct (2018), the single player bow-shooting action adventure from indie studio Fast Travel Games, is now available on PlayStation VR. The game, which takes you to a strikingly beautiful post-apocalyptic world, is slated to release on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows VR headsets March 20th.
2018 will see the introduction of a number of ‘smartglasses’. Initially, very few of these products will be capable of augmented reality, but many of them will be (or already are being) conflated with AR. So here’s a quick guide to understanding what augmented reality really is so that you don’t get mixed up by a hodgepodge of confusing marketing terms.
The Sun Ladies VR is an amazing story about a group of Yazidi women from the Northern Iraq community of Sinjar, who escaped as sex slaves and started an all-female unit to fight the terrorist organization ISIS. ISIS raided the Sinjar District in August 2014 and massacred over 2,000 Yazidis, selling many women into slavery. There is a group of women who escaped and decided to fight back in part because ISIS believes that they’ll go to hell if they’re killed by a woman. These women call themselves “The Sun Ladies,” and their story inspired activist and actor Maria Bello to form a team of war journalists and VR creators to travel to Iraq to capture their story of women’s empowerment.
Modbox (2016), the multiuser VR physics sandbox from indie studio Alientrap, is getting an update next month in hopes of making the app more of a “Unity-like experience – only simplified,” says developer Lee Vermeulen. The update is said to include a desktop-based editor and visual scripting system.
According to a recent update to Magic Leap’s massive list of job postings, the company revealed it definitely has plans to enter the retail space, which could include everything from special in-store installations to its own bespoke retail locations.
Ostensibly the first batch of Vive Pro, HTC’s upcoming prosumer VR headset, is now landing on the doorsteps of developers. Owlchemy Labs, the studio behind Job Simulator (2016) and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017), tweeted out that they’ve recently received what they call “the newest member of [their] VR HMD family.”
Sony is holding a PlayStation VR bundle sale from February 18th to March 3rd. The deal will see PlayStation VR bundles discounted by $100 across the board.
MasterWorks: Journey Through History (2018) is a new app for Oculus Rift and Gear VR that takes you on a guided tour through four cultural sites spanning three continents. Created using photogrammetry and presented with audio clips from experts, collectible artifacts and 3D 360 photos, the app does more than just let you explore the sites; it preserves these sites digitally while teaching you about the real-world threats they face amidst a rapidly changing climate.
Gravity Sketch, a concepting & design tool made for VR, has raised $1.7 million in venture capital.
Social VR sports viewing startup livelike has announced a Series B investment of $9.6 million.
