According to the latest figures from Steam’s Hardware & Software Survey, the Oculus Rift has picked up an additional 3.1% of the market share of VR headsets on Steam. On the trail end of a major summer sale, the headset has set its new record high for the third month in a row. The HTC Vive maintains the majority with 50.2% share of headsets in use on Steam, but the Rift looms near.
AMC Theaters, the largest cinema chain worldwide, and largest in the United States, has announced a strategic investment in Dreamscape Immersive, a firm developing multi-user out-of-home VR attractions. AMC is leading a $20 million investment in the company—aimed at rolling out a number of VR attractions both inside and outside of AMC theaters—and is committing $10 million to a fund to generate bespoke VR content for the facilities.
Gunfire Games’ newest Oculus Rift title, From Other Suns, is currently in open beta until October 1st. Drawing major influence from the popular sci-fi rogue-like FTL: Faster Than Light (2012) and various first-person shooters, From Other Suns sets you and your crew (AI or multiplayer) on a multifaceted first-person quest to return to Earth.
Bigscreen is a social VR app which lets VR users bring their PC desktops into virtual reality, as if sitting at their computer next to friends or co-workers. Users inside of Bigscreen can see each other’s desktops which means they can watch movies, play games together, and plenty more. A new update launched today brings a range of much needed interaction improvements and better avatars.
Varjo Technologies, a Helsinki-based startup known for its ‘human eye-resolution’ display intended for VR headets, today announced it’s closed an $8.2M Series A funding round that aims to support the upcoming launch of Varjo-branded enterprise VR/AR/XR products.
With the hype surrounding Apple and Google’s (admittedly very cool) AR tracking tech now in the hands of tens of millions of developers and users, you might be tempted to think that immersive augmented reality experiences—delivering the promise of wild AR concept videos we’ve seen over the last decade—are just around the corner. While we are closer than ever, the truth is there’s years of R&D and design work still standing between us and immersive AR for the mainstream. Here’s an overview of some of the key challenges being worked on today.
The free open beta of From Other Suns, the multiplayer shooter from Gunfire Games, has arrived. You’ve got the entire weekend to test this interesting co-op space-faring action-adventure game.
As VR gamers on PC look forward to the release of The Gallery – Episode 2: Heart of the Emberstone, launching October 18th, PSVR should be excited too; developer Cloudhead Games is working on a PSVR version of Heart of the Embertsone, and is also considering porting the first episode in the series, Call of the Starseed (2016).
Rec Room (2016), the popular social VR app for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, is coming soon to PlayStation VR. Production studio Against Gravity announced Rec Room‘s PSVR release via the PSVR reddit page, saying that the game is slated to arrive by the end of this year.
Croteam’s The Talos Principle (2014) is making its way to headsets soon in a separate VR version, supporting HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The studio now has a Steam page, including an October 17th launch date. And if you already own the PC version of the game? Croteam has decided to sweeten the deal with the promise of a discount to owners of the flat screen version.
Elite Dangerous (2014), the interstellar space trading, fighting, and exploration sim, has received a major new update, 2.4, The Return, which brings frightening new enemies to the virtual galaxy, as well as a number of fixes to the game’s VR mode, and improvements to the avatar system.
Finally, a new indie VR game that isn’t a wave shooter! Created by indie developer Deeperbeige Games, Bending the Light is a puzzle game launching exclusively on Oculus Rift today.
The SteamVR Home Beta, the platform’s social VR hub system, recently received a significant upgrade, adding several improved customisation options, including ‘Trophies’ and the ability to decorate your space with screenshots or artwork. A new ‘Boxing Ring’ home environment is also available, with a number of interactive challenges.
