In comparison to the various PC VR platforms and even mobile VR headsets like Samsung Gear VR, PlayStation VR has been at a bit of disadvantage when it comes to the depth and breadth of social VR spaces available. That’s changing soon though with Against Gravity’s Rec Room on PSVR, a landmark social VR experience that moves into open beta today.
Pixvana, a Seattle-based startup creating a cloud-based processing and delivery platform for VR video, today announced a $14 million Series A funding round led by Vulcan Capital with participation from Raine Ventures, Microsoft Ventures, Cisco Investments and Hearst Ventures, and existing investor Madrona Venture Group.
The company formerly known as AxonVR, which has raised more than $5 million in venture capital, is rebranding to HaptX, and revealing a feature prototype of a VR glove which uses micro-pneumatics for detailed haptics and force feedback to the fingers. After trying the prototype for myself, I came away impressed with the tech. The company’s next challenge is to turn the prototype into something sleeker, smaller, and far more practical.
Czech developer iNFINITE Production has released UVRF – a free, cross-platform template for hand presence in VR. The open-source demo offers a framework for use in any Unreal Engine project, as well as a ‘Playground’ scene containing an underground bunker and shooting range to showcase hand interactivity.
Black Friday is nearly here, and while the stores are soon to be jam-packed with people hoping to get a great deal on this year’s must-buys, online sales have already begun for the newest entries into the world of VR hardware. Microsoft’s Windows “Mixed Reality” headsets are now on sale for up to $100, bringing the cheapest among them to just $300.
Foundry10, a Seattle based philanthropic educational research organization, wanted to explore what happens when you bring VR into the classroom. Following a pilot project started in 2015, Foundry10 has now put VR in the hands of 40 schools and community centers around the world, and measured students attitudes toward the technology.
Benchmark specialists Futuremark are launching a new ‘room’ on November 22nd as a free update for VRMark Advanced & Professional Editions. Adding to the existing ‘Orange Room’ and ‘Blue Room’ benchmarks, ‘Cyan Room’ uses a pure DirectX 12 engine optimised for VR.
Palo Alto-based VR/AR startup GridRaster recently announced a nearly $2 million seed funding round to strengthen and develop their mobile VR/AR rendering infrastructure. GridRaster claims to deliver high-fidelity graphics at 10 times the performance compared to standalone mobile platforms, a feat accomplished by a method of cloud computing optimisation called ‘edge computing’.
Skyrim VR is the first to launch in a series of VR titles from legendary game-maker Bethesda (with Doom VR and Fallout 4 VR soon to follow). The title is effectively a port of the now six year-old open-world RPG Skyrim. The usual wisdom is that VR is so new and so different that it can’t be shoehorned into traditional titles. And while not without its flaws, Skyrim VR challenges that wisdom by bringing a heaping helping of a different sort of immersion.
The 2017 Golden Joystick Awards winners are in, revealed last night at the 35th annual ceremony that celebrated the best in gaming this year. Taking the Golden Joystick for ‘Best VR Game’ was Capcom’s horror-adventure Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017), a game that equally supports PSVR and traditional monitors.
HTC’s internal development and publishing arm Vive Studios has announced two new games coming to Vive in early December. Physics puzzler Super Puzzle Galaxy from 2 Bears Studio and multiplayer WWII shooter Front Defense: Heroes from Fantahorn Studio will both launch with promotional pricing.
HTC recently announced they’ll be sweetening the pot this Black Friday for potential Vive-owners located in North America by throwing a free Deluxe Audio Strap your way when you purchase an HTC Vive. The deal also includes the previous offer of a free Fallout 4 VR pre-order, bringing the overall savings to $160.
Just in time for Christmas, the much awaited DOOM VFR is getting a PlayStation VR bundle too, giving you everything you need to battle demons from the pits of Hell.
Payday 2 (2013), the popular FPS with four-player co-op, has now updated to include access to the VR beta for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The beta is free, and will see updates in discrete phases, the first of which is now available for owners of the game.
Despite the news that CCP Games is shelving VR for the time being, the company promises that their last title Sparc will not only go on, but CCP is carrying through with plans to launch the game on both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
