Tag: oculus

Oculus Announces Rift S VR Headset For US$ 399

Alongside the release of Stadia, Google’s new cloud based game streaming service, Oculus unveiled its new VR headset, named the Rift S at the GDC (Game Developer’s Conference) in San Francisco. As per the company, the Rift S provides gamers and tech enthusiasts with access to immersive content. The headset uses Oculus Insight Tracking technology for convenient user experience. The Oculus Rift S has an upgraded 2560×1440 px high-resolution display and a host of other new features.

Oculus Rift Features

The Rift S is compatible with all the titles that were present on its predecessor. The company also announced support for upcoming games like Asgard’s Wrath, Defector, and Stormland. As stated, the Oculus Rift S sports improved optics and display in order to deliver sharper images with high pixel density. The company believes that all these factors will greatly boost the quality of virtual reality gaming.

Interestingly, Oculus has teamed up with Lenovo in order to formulate the design of the Rift S. The American technology company states that its new VR headset features better weight distribution around the head and improved light blocking. Furthermore, the Rift S is connected via a single cable to reduce clutter while using the headset. Users can use the integrated audio system on the Rift S, or connect their preferred headphones via the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Additional features include Oculus Insight, which promises inside-out tracking for an improved experience. The company claims that the feature uses computer vision algorithms to help the headset capture, trace and navigate physical spaces in real time. All this is done with the help of five sensors. Moreover, Oculus has redesigned its Touch controllers for better gesture controls. Another interesting feature that Oculus has introduced is Passthrough+, which utilizes core runtime advancements to provide a comfortable session with the least amount of performance impact. This may help users when they see or step out of their playing space all of a sudden.

Price And Availability

Also Read: Motorola One Vision To Have A 3500mAh Battery With 18W Fast Charging

The company stated that the Oculus Rift S will be released in Spring 2019 (April-May), and will be priced at US$ 399, which roughly translates to INR 27,380. The company also assured its Rift customers that they will keep receiving software updates without any hiccups ahead of the release of the new headset.

March 22, 2019
Xiaomi And Oculus Team Up To Launch New VR Headsets

Xiaomi and Oculus have launched two new standalone VR headsets at CES 2018 taking place in Las Vegas, USA. A lot of brands take to stage during CES and unveil new and exciting products. Xiaomi, along with Oculus has decided to unveil the Oculus and Xiaomi Mi VR Standalone. The Oculus Go will be manufactured by Xiaomi and sold in the western market where Xiaomi is trying to set a foothold in. While the Xiaomi VR Standalone is a rebranded Oculus Go meant for the Chinese market. This makes sense since Xiaomi has much stronger brand value in China than Oculus does.

The Oculus GO was announced back in October 2017 at the Oculus Connect 4 developer conference. The Oculus GO is priced at US $199 and powered by the Snapdragon 821 chipset and sports an LCD display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. It also features integrated speakers and has a 3.5 mm headphone jack on board. As it’s a standalone headset, it will also work without a PC or a smartphone.

Immersive visual experience provided by standalone VR headsets seem to be the future of VR and AR. As more apps become VR and AR friendly, the VR content is expected to increase. Headsets like the Oculus Go provide a relatively inexpensive as at a price of US $199, a user doesn’t need a high-end smartphone to experience VR. To put things into perspective, the Samsung VR headset is priced at US $139 and is rendered useless without a high-end Samsung Galaxy device like Galaxy S8 or Note8.

There are no details about the VR headsets launching in the Asian markets like India as of yet. But, Xiomi is known to launch a few of its China-exclusive products in India and the Xiaomi Mi VR Standalone might be launched in India.

January 9, 2018
Facebook’s Oculus adds Social Games and Video Sharing To Gear VR

VR technology which has gained traction amongst users in the last couple of months looks set to be breaking barriers and becoming a truly social hub for activities in the coming days. Facebook-owned Oculus has decided to shift its focus towards making our VR experience in the coming days more social with the addition of a number of features such as the addition of social games and social elements to viewing videos while using the Gear VR.

The Gear VR, which was launched on 21st January here in India and is available for free with all S7 and S7 edge Pre-Orders, is Samsung’s VR offering that was developed in partnership with Oculus. Owners of the VR headset which is regarded as one of the best available offerings in the market, starting tomorrow, will be able to create accounts on the Oculus servers, and then get in touch with other users of the Gear VR, and also leave reviews for all apps in the Oculus Store.

Oculus wants its users to enjoy the immersive world of Virtual Reality with friends, and to help make this possible it has announced two new social heavy VR games that will allow users to go up against their friends.

First up is Social Trivia, a game that lets you and up to four friends compete in a battle of knowledge in an artificial VR environment. The second game is Herobound: Gladiators which is a multiplayer adventure game. The game lets you take the VR gaming experience to another level and sees the user Band together with up to four people to conquer goblins and demons in arena battlefields. The game also allows for integrated voice chat to talk and strategize in real time for an unmatched co-op experience.

For users who would rather stay away from games, Facebook’s Oculus has announced host of other features that sees it bring to the platform with the help of Oculus Video the functionality to personalize your 360-degree video feed based on the pages and people you follow on Facebook. It has revealed that in the coming weeks, users will be able to connect and react to their favorite Facebook 360 videos directly in virtual reality.

And, if that’s still not good enough to get you excited, Oculus is adding the functionality to create private VR chat rooms with friends which let you watch Vimeo and Twich streams with them in a Virtual Reality environment.

Oculus’ efforts to push for social VR does not end there as it has also communicated to developers that it wants to “drive deeper social connections” and hence later this month “will release new tools for developers that make it even easier to create more incredible social VR games and apps.

March 10, 2016
Sony Claims 36 Million PlayStation 4 Owners are Ready for VR

Sony, at its annual Vision Summit 2016, featured conferences targetted at industry professionals from the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) field. The keynote addresses kicked off the event, with the biggest names of the industry being part of it.

Sony’s very own, Dr. Richard Marks, Director of the PlayStation Magic Lab, Sony Computer Entertainment, held a conference on the importance of Sony’s move into the VR market and outlined why developers around the globe should be excited to be working on VR for the PlayStation platform..

In a bid to position the company as the easiest route forward for reaching a massive audience of end users primed for VR technology, Marks said that the PlayStation 4 ecosystem consisted of over 36 installed PS4 systems, and hence would serve as a better launch pad into the VR world as compared to other companies such as Google, Oculus.

Hinting at what is the biggest hurdle for VR tech on PC, he talked about how VR headsets from companies like Oculus and HTC would need additional expensive hardware in the form of a high-end end system, but for developers ready to take the plunge and develop VR tech for Playstation 4, they would have no such bottlenecks to worry about, as he proclaimed that ” every single one of the Playstation 4 consumers is ready for PlayStation VR”

A recent report by Valve’s Steam Hardware survey site states that there are around 5 million systems with VR-capable graphics cards today. Compare that to the already VR capable army of 36 million PlayStation 4s at hand, and you know that Dr. Richard Marks claims are anything but hollow.

February 11, 2016
This Game Proves That Virtual Reality is The Best Thing to Happen to Gaming

Epic Games, the developer behind Unreal and Gears of War has come out with a Matrix-like virtual reality shooter game called Bullet Train, designed for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. The game was demonstrated at the Oculus Connect 2 conference held in Hollywood.

Bullet Train succeeds in not making one feel queasy as is the case with fast paced virtual reality action games. The game is developed using Unreal Engine 4 and uses Oculus Rift’s Touch controller for the gameplay. The Touch controllers give you “Hands” with which you can grab any nearby weapons (and there are many to choose from) and start shooting away.

By Matrix-like we mean that players can slow down time to avoid getting hit by bullets or to catch bullets and missiles in mid-air and fling it back at the enemy. In other words, you pretty much get to play as Neo, which is what Nick Whiting, lead programmer at Epic Games was going for with Bullet Train. Indeed slow-motion is a big part of the game. The game is set at a train station and players get to frantically teleport around the station (in slo-mo), shooting wave after wave of enemies.

Teleportation is used to travel around rather than walking as it seemed like the best way to move without motion sickness. Whiting described the game as everything one could want from a simple shooter game. “You’re badass,” says Whiting of Bullet Train’s appeal. “You’re shooting people, you’re teleporting, you’re slowing down time. It’s a little bit insane. But it’s fun. And that’s what we wanted to make, because we’re a game company.”

One of the biggest selling point of this game is the ability to interact with the environment. The game provides a very life-like experience especially when you cock a gun and feel it click into place with the Touch’s haptic feedback. “We built this very physical world and then you can’t ask people not to play with it,” says Whiting’s partner Nick Donaldson.

It’s always better to see something to get an actual idea of what is being talked about. Here’s a little peek at what Bullet Train looks like.

September 26, 2015
Samsung Expected to Extend Gear VR Support to Galaxy S Edge and Galaxy S6

Samsung’s recent innovation Gear VR, apart from latest smartphones and TVs, is far from reaching of masses. The reason was the fact that its compatibility with only one device, Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The company is putting effort to make the virtual reality headset a regular feature with smartphones, and is pushing support to more devices. According to SamMobile, the South Korean producer is adding two more devices to the compatibility list of Gear VR – Galaxy S Edge and Galaxy S6.

This doesn’t sound something really bizarre as the latest devices are likely to support the new invention. But it isn’t as simple as it seems.

The Gear VR, powered by Oculus, is a wearable put on the head that encloses Samsung Note 4. The gadget has been designed to fit a display of Note size, more that 5.3-inch, so that a viewer can get 96-degree viewing angle. According to the rumours, the Galaxy S Edge and Galaxy S6 will sport a 5.1-inch Quad HD display that cannot fit in to the big screen of the virtual reality headset. If the sources of SamMobile are to be believed, then the upcoming flagships may feature a display larger than 5.3 inches.

However, the company hasn’t confirmed its adaptability with both the devices and users have to wait for an official announcement.

January 29, 2015
Facebook’s Oculus Forms a Dedicated In-House Studio for Virtual Reality Movies

The independent cinema fair of 2015, Sundance Film Festival, showcased some top-notch films. The one that left the world awestruck was the first virtual-reality film by Facebook-acquired Oculus. Facebook premiered its first short piece titled ‘Lost’. It is the first of five short animated flicks the company will be making this year.

Oculus has built in-house studio called Story Studio, where the company will be creating virtual reality films and research on the story telling.

By developing content for virtual reality, Oculus aims to attract more filmmakers to invest in the new technology. To start with, the company has tapped the highest talents from both the film industry and video gaming world. Veteran of Pixar Animation Studios and Lucasfilm Ltd., who were responsible for films like Toy Story and Monsters Inc., will be attached to the upcoming five-film project.

The premiered movie Lost is helmed by former Pixar artist Saschka Unseld, who is now the creative director of Story Studios. The film takes the viewers to the middle of the forest where a mechanical creature bounds into the scene. The Chief Executive of Oculus Brendan Iribe described the flick as ‘a real-time version of a Pixar experience that you’re inside of.’

Iribe further added to his statement –

This is really tuning into what a lot of people who are extending 360-degree film into VR cannot do yet. It’s getting into the heart and soul and magic of VR.

Virtual Reality films are the real-time cinema where you can not only see, but also feel your presence in the space. However, the concept of experiencing 360-degree panoramic view using a gadget that fixes at the head has not reached the masses as of yet. In spite, Samsung and Google have developed products like Galaxy Gear VR headset and Google’s Cardboard VR device, the journey of it to be available mainstream will take some time.

January 27, 2015
Oculus Reveals New VR Headset Prototype Codenamed ‘Crescent Bay’

Unlike Google’s Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR, which use a smartphone, Facebook and Oculus VR are aiming at a much more sophisticated, independent and ultra-high-res experience with their new VR prototype codenamed as Crescent Bay.

The company revealed the new prototype, which is an upgraded version DK2 Headset, at the recent Oculus connect conference. “It’s as big of a leap as we made from DK1 to DK2,” says Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe, referring to the first two versions of the Rift development kit. The new headset comes with 360-degree tracking, letting the Rift’s external camera track the back of the headset as well as the front, making it easier for people to move without feeling constrained by staying in the camera’s range.

The first Oculus Rift VR headsets were shipped in the spring of 2013, but a consumer version has not yet been announced. According to the company so far, over 100,000 Rift development kits have been shipped to 130 countries, and the company is still filling pre-orders for its second-generation model. The Crescent Bay prototype follows “Crystal Cove,” which was first shown off at CES 2014 in January — the DK2, which is based on it, came out a couple of months later.

Oculus and Samsung announced their Gear VR mobile headset earlier this month, and it is believed mobile and desktop VR will ultimately complement each other in coming time. Oculus created its first real in-headset user interface for the Gear VR, and it’s now said that it will be releasing a mobile app for VR games.

September 22, 2014
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear VR, It’s An Oculus For Note 4

Samsung had quite an eventful, launches filled day today. After facing immense amount of criticism for lack of innovation, Samsung flexed out its innovation muscle for its critics. The company released varied products that were impressive in their own strengths. One major release is the Gear VR which is a virtual reality headset that uses the Note 4 for displaying content.

Few weeks back we had heard of oculus using the Note 3 screen for its display. Guess there were bigger plans at work and Samsung working in coordination with Oculus brought out this piece of gadgetry.

Apart from the focus control and the trackpad, there aren’t any manual controls/
Image Credit: The Verge

The device looks like Oculus but is untethered and only works with the Note 4. The only control it has is a trackpad on the right and focus adjusting wheel on the top.

The Gear VR does remind you of the Google Cardboard project but much more complete. It also has a safety support for the head so the device stays stable on the head.

The device comes with some preloaded content, and you can use it to play games, watch immersive videos. The coolest aspect of the device would be the Tony Stark labs which let you peer at the world with Tony Starks perspective, We are Sold!

The release date of the device is not mentioned yet, but it hopefully will arrive by this fall. We’ll be vigilantly looking forward to this one.

September 3, 2014
Look Out Oculus! ANTVR Might Steal the Show

While the Oculus Rift was setting up the stage for the Virtual Reality(VR) revolution, one Chinese open source project might turtle its way to the finish line. A Chinese company called ANTVR is offering VR headsets which have everything that a proprietary system like Oculus lags. Get ready for a whole new iOS-Android like battle.

The shining glory of the ANTVR is it flexibility of integration on multiple platforms. It can be used with Xbox, Playstation, PC, Blu Ray and even the Android. Right now Oculus only plays the games made for its system and Sony’s project Morpheus will only run on the PS4(Lame!).

It is easy to make games for the ANTVR because of its an Asperical Lens system. The lens also allows proper recreation of the image and takes out any aberrations. This might actually help correct the complaints of vertigo in the likes of the Oculus Rift. Adjustable pupil distance also helps to reduce the strain on the eyes.

The headset gives a 360 degrees immersive vision. It has a dual 9 axis Inertial Measurement Unit(IMU), which bestows on it better capabilities for sensing the movements of the user. The IMU is integrated in the headset as well as the controller. The headset’s 100 degree straight vision gives a feeling of wearing an entire IMAX screen on your head.

ANTVR co-founder Qin Zheng quit his PhD to work on the system. He and his entire team look as if they are the members of the fellowship of Nerdliwood. Maybe it is because they themselves are Sci-Fi and gaming nerds that they can perfect a system that other fan boys and girls can enjoy.

Another key area where the ANTVR succeeds in is its transformable controller that offers multiple functionality. The controller can be used as a standard controller, a steering wheel, a gun or even a simulated hand grenades, can it BE more all-round convenient? There is also an option for standard cables as well as a wireless version of the controller.

The designs for the ANTVR systems are done by China based industrial designers LKK. They have come up with really ingenious and kickass designs. The transformable controller especially will be a boon to the gamers.The software’s and sensors are designed for a complete immersive experience. The detachable controller makes it extremely simple to use. Easy placement on the head even with spectacles is a welcome development.

ANTVR’s open source platform opens it up to enormous possiblilities. Qin Zheng has said that he will provide all documentation and libraries to the public. This approach will help increase the rate of upgradation of firmware and rapid feedback and growth for the ANTVR in comparison to its competitors.

The most respectable part of Zheng’s approach is that he has made it clear that he will not sell the company. The company has already scored $212,344 with its kickstarter campaign whose target was $200,000. The selling price of the individual equipment is around 300$ which will be a direct competition to the Oculus Rift’s consumer version.

We seriously hope for the ANTVR project to live long and prosper and set a milestone in the VR arena. This will also force big companies like Facebook (owners of Oculus) to try to one up the competition and come up with better products.

May 28, 2014
Facebook Acquires Oculus VR For $2 Billion

Mark Zuckerberg and his team are following up their Whatsapp acquisition with another big acquisition of the virtual reality company Oculus VR for $2 billion in stock and cash.

Confirming this through a Facebook post, Mark Zuckerberg said “I’m excited to announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Oculus VR, the leader in virtual reality technology.

Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. For the past few years, this has mostly meant building mobile apps that help you share with the people you care about. We have a lot more to do on mobile, but at this point we feel we’re in a position where we can start focusing on what platforms will come next to enable even more useful, entertaining and personal experiences.

This is where Oculus comes in. They build virtual reality technology, like the Oculus Rift headset. When you put it on, you enter a completely immersive computer-generated environment, like a game or a movie scene or a place far away. The incredible thing about the technology is that you feel like you’re actually present in another place with other people. People who try it say it’s different from anything they’ve ever experienced in their lives.

Oculus’s mission is to enable you to experience the impossible. Their technology opens up the possibility of completely new kinds of experiences.

Immersive gaming will be the first, and Oculus already has big plans here that won’t be changing and we hope to accelerate. The Rift is highly anticipated by the gaming community, and there’s a lot of interest from developers in building for this platform. We’re going to focus on helping Oculus build out their product and develop partnerships to support more games. Oculus will continue operating independently within Facebook to achieve this.

But this is just the start. After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home.

This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.

These are just some of the potential uses. By working with developers and partners across the industry, together we can build many more. One day, we believe this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become a part of daily life for billions of people.

Virtual reality was once the dream of science fiction. But the internet was also once a dream, and so were computers and smartphones. The future is coming and we have a chance to build it together. I can’t wait to start working with the whole team at Oculus to bring this future to the world, and to unlock new worlds for all of us.”

It is clear that Facebook will run Oculus as a seprate entity all together after the Acquisition. Zuckerberg called out virtual reality as one of the computing platforms of the future following desktops and mobile. Stay tuned for more information on this acquisition!

March 26, 2014