/vir/ - Virtual Reality

http://vrfocus.com/archives/15772/oculus-talks-digital-audio-workstations-and-vr-audio-in-new-blog-post/

Though it isn’t talked about nearly as much as the likes of visuals and input, audio is an essential part of the virtual reality (VR) experience. Creating realistic, convincing sound within virtual environments plays a key role in fully immersing users. Oculus VR understands this; earlier this year the company detailed the Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) technology that was to be included in the new Audio software development kit (SDK) for the Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD). Now Oculus VR has released a new blog further detailing its work with VR sound.

The company’s Dave Driggers has this week released a blog titled ‘Digital Audio Workstations and VR Audio‘ (https://www.oculus.com/blog/), which talks about the importance of audio in VR and some of the tools included in the new SDK. Namely, Driggers places a large emphasis on a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that works with the Oculus Spatializer Plugin (OPS) to help with sound design and authoring.

“The Oculus Spatializer Plugin for DAWs is a new addition to the Audio SDK that bridges this gap in sound design workflow,” Driggers notes. “It allows sound designers to preview 3D spatialized sounds during the design phase, before their content reaches the audio middleware or game engine level, thus tightening the iteration loop between design and production. This is analogous to a 3D game artist working in Maya using the same shaders that will be used in the final game.”

The blog then goes into great detail about using the OSP and even includes an example of its work with a project known as Ableton Live.

“OSP availability in the DAW workflow phase helps sound designers author content and make necessary adjustments for creating a great sounding mix in the final VR experience,” Driggers summarises. “For installation and usage instructions, to learn more about our other spatializer plugins, or to read about sound design for virtual reality in general, please see our Audio SDK Documentation.”

Anyone working in VR would certainly give the piece a read. VR fans, meanwhile, continue to wait for news on the consumer Oculus Rift, which will be launching in the first quarter of 2016. Oculus VR has scheduled a pre-E3 2015 conference on 11th June (http://vrfocus.com/archives/15327/oculus-vr-hosting-e3-press-conference/) in which it will talk about the device in further detail.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/15825/gamestop-vr-to-take-a-lot-of-space-and-time-at-e3/

The 2015 Game Developers Conference (GDC) was considered a historic week for virtual reality (VR) technology, but many are hoping to see much more at next month’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) from 16th – 18th June. Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) will be bringing its Project Morpheus head-mounted display (HMD) to the event and Oculus VR has already scheduled a pre-show press conference on 11th June. Its reasons such as these that have led to US videogame retailer GameStop to predict that VR will take up ‘a lot of time and space’ at this year’s show.

Chief Operating Officer Tony Bartel recently said as much in an earnings call. “I think the other thing that’s going to take a lot of space and time at E3 is virtual reality. I think that’s going to be something that a lot of people spend a lot of time on.” It’s rare to hear from retailers at this stage in VR’s life, but with the HTC Vive hitting in time for holiday 2015 and the Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus both launching in early 2016, they’re about to become a much bigger part of the picture.

E3 will likely hold not only new information on the HMDs themselves but also the software, which is obviously the aspect the likes of GameSpot are most interested in. SCE has pledged to start talking about actual videogames for Project Morpheus at the event, with its 15th June press conference serving as an ideal place to make some announcements. Oculus VR has its own publishing arm, working with third-party developers such as Playful Corp. and its own first-party efforts. All-in-all, it’s set to be a packed show for VR fans.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/15815/virtual-reality-a-top-trend-in-display-technology-states-society-for-information-display/

Virtual reality (VR) is undoubtedly the hot technology right now. Following the reigniting of the medium by Palmer Luckey’s Oculus Rift back in 2012, we have now reached a point where major technology companies the world over are racing to become a part of the rapidly growing industry. A key part in the success story of VR is obviously the display technology incorporated into head-mounted displays (HMDs), and according to the Society for Information Display this trend is not looking to alleviate any time soon.

Sri Peruvemba, CEO of Marketer International and Head of Marketing for the Society for Information Display, recently issued a statement entitled ‘The Top 10 Trends in Display’, highlighting both VR and augmented reality (AR) as two principle assets. Suggesting that ‘wearables’ are the ‘most high-profile’ entry of late, Peruvemba assures that the technology stretches beyond the commonly associated watches and fitness bands.

“Wearable displays for virtual and augmented reality (VR, AR) experiences are on the cusp of being truly ready for broad market availability,” states Peruvemba. “All of these applications have to convey large amounts of information on small displays, which must deliver high brightness and resolution with very low power consumption. Thus, organic LED (OLED) and ePaper displays are gaining market share because they’re thinner and lighter, with better color performance; for this category, in particular, flexible OLEDs have a bright future (more on flexible displays below). [sic]”

Further to this, Peruvemba singles-out VR as an important step in the evolution of computing. Singling out two leading technology vendors, Peruvemba explains that VR is more than just an entertainment property.

“Why can’t computing feel completely natural? Magic Leap, a company in the VR field, has posed this question, and rather than taking away from the human experience, immersive VR is meant to be a blend between the digital and real world. Magic Leap’s approach, is a biometric platform for experiencing the digital world that respects how humans naturally function,” argues Peruvemba. “Oculus (now part of Facebook) is another company that has been working on immersive VR, most famously for its Oculus Rift product that creates a stereoscopic 3D view and has ultra-low-latency 360-degree head tracking – factoring real-life head and eye movement into how users interact with the technology.”

The Society for Information Display is set to host the 52nd annual Display Week Conference, San Jose, which runs 31st May – 5th June 2015. Many VR and AR technologies are expected to be present at the event.

http://www.roadtovr.com/google-announces-jump-an-open-vr-camera-design-with-stitching-solution-and-youtube-playback/

Amidst other VR related announcements from Google at today’s I/O 2015 conference comes ‘Jump’, a VR camera that will follow Cardboard’s path by offering up an open design. Google is also revealing the ‘Assembler’ which the company says can combine multiple video feeds into a “seamless” 3D scene. YouTube will support VR video playback for Jump videos starting this summer.

‘Jump’ is what Google is calling its foray into the world of VR video. The company has created a VR video camera design that consists of 16 viewpoints; they will be releasing the design to the public and encouraging third-parties to create ‘Jump’ cameras which will capture 3D 360 degree footage for virtual reality playback. This approach is similar to Google’s Cardboard VR viewer that the company opted not to sell, but rather chose to release the plans, allowing third parties to manufacture and sell the device.

Google, as others, say that they’ve experimented extensively to determine the ideal placement of the cameras for recording VR video. The 16 camera rig creates a fairly large ring of cameras, with none appearing to cover directly above or below. It may be that any top or bottom gaps are filled in computationally, as directly above the camera will often be nothing but sky or ceiling, while directly below will often be the ground or floor. We’ve seen this approach used elsewhere, especially to eliminate a tripod that might be holding the rig from the bottom.

One problem with existing VR cameras are ‘stitching’ errors which create visible seams where the various video streams are merged together into a single 360 view. Google says they have a solution for this.

The ‘Assembler’ is their stitching service which they say uses computer vision and “3D alignment” to create a scene that has no stitching seams (a claim we’ll have to see to believe). Google says this is achieved by analyzing the scene in 3D and adapting the stitching to match. The system outputs a scene that’s “depth corrected stereo in all directions.” The company says that the high resolution output is “the equivalent of five 4k TVs playing at once.”

The Assembler service will be made available to “creators” this summer, though it isn’t clear if the company plans to charge for it; a possibility given the computing power involved with the process. It also isn’t clear if the Assembler will stitch only content recorded from cameras adhering to the Jump design, or if it’s a universal stitching method for any multi-viewpoint VR camera. The former may be the case, as the company notes that “The size of the [Jump] rig and the arrangement of the cameras are optimized to work with the Jump assembler.”

In addition to the Assembler, Google is bringing Jump VR video to YouTube. The company recently added 360 degree video support to the streaming video platform, and this summer they say that YouTube will allow users to “experience immersive video from your smartphone,” presumably through Google’s Cardboard VR viewer. Where that leaves access by other platforms like the Oculus Rift, Gear VR, and HTC Vive is still unclear.

Similarly, Samsung is also working on a 3D VR camera that they call Project Beyond. It uses a different lens layout (including a camera that covers the top of the scene), and we’re sure both companies will battle over whose layout is best.

Creators interested in working with Google’s Jump VR camera can hop in line using this form.

http://www.roadtovr.com/200-companies-now-hiring-a-look-at-the-growing-virtual-reality-jobs-market/

We all know that the VR market is heating up, but what is staffing like at the companies that are creating these devices and applications? Whether or not companies are able to find the talent they need may have an impact on their ability to penetrate the market and gain customer adoption. Considering this, we took a deeper look into the demand and supply for virtual reality skills.

Employers with the Most Virtual Reality Job Ads

While its full impact may be years away, there are a growing number of companies catching on and hiring in the virtual reality market. According to our WANTED Analytics hiring demand and talent supply data, there were about 200 employers advertising for candidates with virtual reality knowledge in March. Demand for this skill set was up about 37% year-over-year.

During March, information, professional scientific and technical services, educational services, retail, and manufacturing were among the sectors with the greatest need for virtual reality talent. The employers to the right had the highest number of job ads posted online that referred to virtual reality skills and devices. Not surprisingly, Facebook and Oculus had the most demand. These companies, as well as BarcoView, John Deere, and General Dynamics experienced increases in demand compared to the same time in 2014.

Hiring Scale Score for Virtual Reality Skills

It may be somewhat difficult for these companies to find candidates with virtual reality experience since there haven’t been many opportunities that exposed professionals to this technology. When we try to figure out the difficulty of finding candidates we use a Hiring Scale ranging from 1 to 99 to determine how hard-to-fill a job is likely to be (1 being the least difficult and 99 representing the toughest conditions.)

According to the scale, virtual reality skills score a 65. This means that companies filling openings requiring this skill set are likely to face some difficulty. This also shows that there is less competition among job seekers than there is among employers, which is good news for job seekers with these skills.

Candidates with VR experience in Silicon Valley

Across the US, about 12,000 candidates have VR experience. A quick scan in the Silicon Valley area shows that 3% of VR professionals are in the region. Compared to other metro areas, Washington DC had the most people with an understanding of VR concepts and technologies, 11% of the existing talent pool. Both of these locations were among those with the most demand and the most challenging recruiting conditions.

For employers filing VR jobs in hard-to-fill cities, they should look to locations where the hiring environment is likely to be more favorable. Consider offering relocation packages to candidates in these areas. For example, Virginia Beach is within the DC region and likely to have less difficult recruiting conditions. Candidates may be more willing to make a move since it’s within a closer range than other cities throughout the US. For those who aren’t willing to relocate, employers may want to think about offering telecommuting opportunities for the right candidate.

The number of candidates with VR skills will likely increase, but possibly not at the speed of growing demand. If you’re a professional with VR experience, your knowledge is in demand. Most employers are recruiting virtual reality talent for Software Developer (Applications), Computer Systems Analyst, Computer User Support Specialist, and Network and Computer Systems Administrator jobs.

If you’re in one of these professions, highlight your virtual reality knowledge on your resume and in your social media profiles. Look at the careers pages of the companies listed above for opportunities, they have the most demand for virtual reality experience. By contacting them and applying for their open VR jobs, you will make their job slightly easier. You’ll also be added to their database for consideration of future VR openings. To improve your odds of being seen, look for Technical Recruiters at these companies on LinkedIn and send them a message referring to the opening.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/15840/google-outline-best-practice-guidelines-for-vr/

The hype surrounding virtual reality (VR) technology has never been greater, with consumers ready for high-end devices and developers being actively encouraged to pursue the new medium at any opportunity. However, working in VR does come with a number of pitfalls; issues that may not occur on a traditional 2D monitor but can ruin a VR experience. With that in mind, Google has revealed a small selection of ‘best practice guidelines’ for developers looking to adapt their projects to VR.

Speaking in the session ‘Designing for Virtual Reality’ at Google I/O, San Francisco, today, Erica Morse, UX Designer at Google, begun by showcasing a number of possibilities for VR. She soon threw out the caveat that developers should, “Start small and focus on introducing VR content that for your app is a game changer.”

Morse continues to use an example of a real estate application. Though the menus and Google Maps integration are of a high quality, they’re not specifically suited to VR. Photos of home interiors however, most certainly are. With this in mind, Morse continues to outline some ideas of how to promote the introduction of VR to users.

Discussing using an icon to initiate Google Cardboard mode, More suggests that using a silhouetted white icon would be preferable to a digital recreation of the head-mounted display (HMD) itself. If developers opt for a text-based button, Morse suggests that using the term ‘cardboard’ over ‘virtual reality’ is likely to have a greater reception amongst those less committed to the technology.

In fact, if you audience is unlikely to own Google Cardboard, Morse suggests hiding the feature entirely and simply offering a button that invites users to register an application to receive their own HMD. Morse wraps up her part of the session accompanied by a slide stating: “The most important thing is to try your ideas out.”

Google Cardboard has been the star of the show at Google I/O this year, with new applications, demos and even iOS support announced.

Yeah sure Google, I'm sure someone will follow your VR Guidelines that were made for a shitty cardboard HMD instead of the ones from Oculus which an actual scientist helped make for a real VR HMD.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/15873/doctor-uses-oculus-rift-to-help-visually-impaired/

A large part of the virtual reality (VR) experience depends on visuals. Developers need to create immersive environments that cause users to feel as if they have stepped into another world. However, UC San Diego’s Dr. Felipe Medeiros is using the Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) not to create the perfect visual experience but to actually help in his study of those suffering from glaucoma, a disease that attacks optic nerves and leaves victims visually impaired and upsets their natural balance.

As reported by KPBS (http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/may/29/virtual-reality-scientists-see-aid-visually-impair/), Medeiros has been using the Oculus Rift to conduct new tests on glaucoma sufferers. In some cases the disease can greatly diminish a victim’s peripheral vision, making everyday life much more challenging and dangerous. In order to study the disease further, Mederios placed patients on a special platform that detected any movements they made. Strapping on the Oculus Rift, users found themselves in a virtual tunnel. The edges of this tunnel would then begin to move, giving the viewer the sensation of being pulled back and forth.

During this stage, Medeiros recorded movements the patient made. The results found a high correlation between glaucoma sufferers and those that wobbled far more than usual during this stage. The doctor hopes to refine the procedure to help others spot balance problems early on and start treatment before the real damage sets in. This is made viable thanks to the relative affordability of the Oculus Rift compared to previous VR solutions. Medeiros even noted that the test “performed better than the conventional test that we use in clinical practice.”

With the Oculus Rift set to go on sale in Q1 2016, hopefully VR technology is about to start making a much bigger impact on the medical industry.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/15932/idisrupted-author-suggests-vr-porn-will-drive-adoption/

The topic of pornography has been coming up fairly regularly in the virtual reality (VS) industry of late. Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) creator made the news at the 2015 Silicon Valley VR (SVVR) Conference & Expo last month when founder Palmer Luckey stated that Oculus VR would not block content such as VR porn that is developed for the device. This came as little surprise to VR fans that have been enjoying this status quo ever since the release of the first development kit (DK1). But now the author iDisrupted, a book on disruptive tech, has stated that VR porn will actually drive consumer adoption.

John Straw, who co-authored iDisrupted along with Michael Baxtor, recently said as much in a statement. “What will drive standard adoption again is porn,” Straw explained. “The prospect of making porn that immersive and interactive for the porn industry is simply huge.” The popular example of VHS vs. Betamax was referenced once more, with the latter beating the former in a format war that was largely credited to the porn industry adopting VHS. Luckey himself touched upon this at SVVR, though noted that it wasn’t the only reason one might win a format war.

There are various companies working with VR pornography right now, although these efforts likely won’t be launched until the Oculus Rift and other HMDs have been released to consumers. The latter is looking to release in Q1 2016 at this point in time while Valve and HTC’s Vive PC-based HMD is preparing to ship before holiday 2015. Could the arrival of these devices really signal a revolution for the porn industry?

iDisrputed is available for purchase now both in hardback and on Kindle.

http://www.roadtovr.com/googles-project-soli-radar-hand-tracking-and-how-vr-and-ar-input-might-use-it/

Google’s I/O 2015 conference last week (http://www.roadtovr.com/category/google-io-2015/) was packed with technology with potential uses with VR or AR. The most unusual among them, Project Soli, uses radar technology to detect minute movements and gestures and translate them for input.

Google ATAP (Advanced Technology and Products) (https://www.google.com/atap/project-tango/), a division of the search and mobile OS giant you may very well not have heard of before, was prominent in the least at 2015’s Google I/O developer conference. From touch sensitive clothing to SD cards capable of seamless encryption for cross-platform mobile devices, the R&D lab at times gave off a definite mad scientist air during their presentations.

One project in particular however might hold specific interest to the virtual reality industry, although its application for VR or AR may not be immediately obvious. Project Soli uses radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) to detect micro-movements in your hands and fingers. It transmits radio waves and picks up up reflected responses from any target it hits. So far so World War 2, but it’s the gesture recognition pipeline Google have built that means this becomes interesting for input. The pipeline translates reflected signals from you, say, rubbing your index finger and thumb together and recognises that as a gesture or action and redirect that gesture as input to an application.

The technology has thus far been developed to enable the hardware transmitting and receiving these radio waves to fit onto a single chip, embeddable into mobile devices or any other type of hardware. And whilst it looks as if Project Soli may not offer the range required for broad VR input, it does hold some interesting, if not immediately apparent uses for the refinement of control within virtual worlds.

Imagine embedding Soli into a room space tracking system for example. Mounting a radar capable sensor on the side of, for example, Valve’s Lighthouse controllers would allow minute levels of control for situations when broader hand and arm gestures don’t quite cut it. For example, you may be operating a VR CAD package where precise control is required to adjust the thickness or positioning of a line on your drawing. You’re most of the way there using the lighthouse controllers, but need to finish with precision. Raising a thumb over the Soli sensor, using your fine motor control to get the result you want before returning to Lighthouse control.

And perhaps there are applications for broader, full body control – at present though it’s difficult to see how a wider target (say your upper body) could be accurately and reliably translated to usable gestures within an application – there simply may be too much noise. For the moment it seems that using Soli to augment an existing control system might the more interesting way to go.

We don’t yet know or where or how Google plan to roll out Project Soli tech. It’s certainly true that there are more immediate and obvious applications for the system in the firm’s more traditional market of mobile phone interfaces. However, as each Google developer conference comes and goes, the company is clearly putting more emphasis on looking to the next generation of consumer hardware beyond the world of plateauing and diminishing phone hardware advances.

Two areas are virtual and augmented reality, so it’s not a complete flight of fancy to think that Google’s kerrazy ATAP boffins may well find ways to combine their burgeoning suite of adaptable technologies, Project Tango and Cardboard for example, into the next generation of VR and AR enabled mobile devices. It’s intriguing to think what we’ll be seeing from ATAP and Google at next years conference.

http://www.roadtovr.com/google-wants-to-use-tango-tech-for-vr-but-admits-current-dev-kits-arent-optimized/

Project Tango, Google’s computer vision project able to track and map 3D spaces in realtime, may well find its way into future VR projects from the company, but they admit that current developer hardware may not be up to the job.

It’s Day 2 of Google’s annual developer’s conference ‘I/O’ and the company’s focus on virtual reality has intensified versus last year’s event. Mentions of VR have found their way into multiple presentations, most interestingly today during the ‘Project Tango – Mobile 3D tracking and perception’ talk, presented by project lead Johnny Lee.

Although it would be disingenuous to suggest that the hour long talk focused on virtual reality, it’s clear Google have their eye on the possibility of combining Tango and Cardboard VR for a project in the future. Lee outlined his hopes, saying “Computer Vision and 3D Tracking was going to be an essential part of new mobile experiences, from indoor navigation, to VR, AR and potentially robotics.”

Amongst the tablet-driven augmented reality demos given in the presentation, a brief glimpse of a VR chat application using Project Tango positioning and tracking system was shown. The VR application, powered by Tango technology is aware of its own position in a pre-mapped physical environment and so are any other Tango enabled devices. Put three of these devices in the same room and you can have conversations with people in VR whose virtual position match their real life position in the space.

Tango’s inside-out tracking and mapping capabilities, which uses RGB and depth cameras to sense the surrounding environment’s features, has the potential to provide a pretty compelling indoor motion tracking system for VR headsets. In fact, delegates were given the opportunity to try Project Tango’s VR capabilities at the event. The demo on display was a crude village scene around which users could look using Tango’s spatial tracking (in what looks to be a Dive branded mount).

Google are not quite yet there though, and Lee was candid about the current development hardware’s limitations. “So the primary sensor that drives frame updates in VR is actually the Gyro .. there’s no reason why in properly optimised hardware that the gyro performance would be any different to another VR headset”. When pushed on performance said the tablets here are running stock Android and there’s not really any latency optimisations on these devices .. around 80ms or so.”

So there’s potential in Tango to provide real added value to the Google or Android VR experience, or perhaps even drive it completely. It’s clear though at this stage that VR isn’t the company’s focus with Project Tango. With properly optimised hardware however, it could provide the missing piece to the mobile VR puzzle – positional tracking on the go.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/15998/e3-floor-plan-reveals-large-booth-for-oculus-sony/

It’s not long now until the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is finally upon us. This year’s show runs from 16th – 18th June and is set to be hugely important for virtual reality (VR). Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) is set to showcase its Project Morpheus head-mounted display (HMD) for the PlayStation 4 at the event while Oculus VR will also be there, hopefully with the consumer version of its Oculus Rift HMD for PC. Now the floor plan for this year’s event has been revealed, showing a large space dedicated to Oculus VR and an even larger one for SCE.

As revealed by NeoGAF user Rösti, both SCE and Oculus VR will be located in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Centre this year. Oculus VR’s space can be seen in the image below, encouragingly dwarfing many of the surrounding areas. Of course, the company’s stand still looks small in comparison to SCE’s, which will be likely be showing far more than just Project Morpheus at its three booths. As expected, the only companies to match SCE’s presence are Microsoft and Nintendo, both with their own platforms to promote.

Both Oculus VR and SCE will have likely made their biggest announcements before anyone is allowed on the show floor itself. The latter has a pre-E3 show set for next week on 11th June, while SCE will be hosting its annual press conference on 15th June. Hopefully both will have plenty of new hardware and software to show that will then be available for everyone attending to get their hands on. The Oculus Rift releases in Q1 2016 and Project Morpheus will also arrive in the first half of next year, making this likely the last E3 before either’s launch.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16041/htc-ceo-vive-has-been-well-received-company-to-focus-on-vr/

With the excitement surrounding Steam creator Valve getting involved with virtual reality (VR) technology, it can be easy to forget that Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC made it all possible. The company has partnered with Valve to create the HTC Vive, the first of what many hope will be a series of head-mounted displays (HMDs) using the latter’s SteamVR system. HTC itself appears to be feeling very positive about the reception to its HMD thus far, and will be continuing to focus on work in VR development in the future.

HTC CEO Cher Wang said as much this week at the company’s general annual meeting, as reported by Taipei Times. Wang first apologised for the news that HTC’s stock price had dropped to a 12-year low of NT$98. He then turned his talk towards a positive future, however, using the HTC Vive. Wang stated that the device has been seen a good response from the market since its reveal at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March 2015, and that the company would continue to focus on VR development going forward.

“I am upbeat about HTC’s outlook. We aim to focus on developing the right products,” Wang said.

The HTC Vive uses Room-Scale tracking, provided by Steam VR. This consists of a new position tracking system known as Lighthouse that allows users to walk around an area of up to 15 feet by 15 feet and have those movements replicated within the given experience. Users are also fitted with two motion-tracked controllers. Valve is expected to start shipping out the first developer kits to successful applicants in the very near future. These kits will then continue to ship throughout this summer ahead of a full consumer release in time for holiday 2015.

A specific release date or price for the HTC Vive is not yet known, though it is sure to launch ahead of both the Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16121/oculus-e3-show-timing-announced-will-be-livestreamed/

This year’s E3 from 16th – 18th June is going to be yet another big event for the videogame industry but, for virtual reality (VR) fans, all eyes are currently on the week before the show. Oculus VR has announced that it will be hosting a pre-E3 press conference on 11th June in which it will provide more details about the consumer version of the Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD), which it has revealed will be shipping in Q1 2016. Now a few more details on that event have arrived, revealing timing for the show.

Doors for the Oculus VR Pre-E3 show, which takes place at Dogpatch Studios in San Francisco, Calirfornia, will open at 09:00 PT. The show itself will be kicking off at 10:00. It’s not clear how long the event will last, although it has been confirmed that the event will be livestreamed as expected. This effectively makes Oculus VR’s press conference the first of many shows to be held at E3, with Bethesda, Ubisoft, EA, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), Microsoft and Nintendo all holding events in the following week.

Earlier in the week VRFocus speculated on what Oculus VR could reveal at its show, given that the company will also be at E3. It seems to be confirmed that the VR specialist will detail its input solution that it has teased to be included with the upcoming device. Fans will no doubt hope to hear about what new videogames they’ll be playing with this solution as well. Details such as pricing are also a possibility though, with events such as Oculus Connect 2 on the way, don’t expect everything to be revealed just yet.

http://www.roadtovr.com/2-vr-gloves-promising-haptic-feedback-2-different-approaches/

There’s a coming tide of VR peripherals on the horizon, and haptic gloves represent a compact, and (relatively) cost-efficient solution among the multi-pronged challenge that is VR input.

While infrared depth cameras like Leap Motion and Microsoft Kinect can facilitate some pretty convincing skeletal tracking nowadays, allowing the user to enter virtual spaces as never before, we find ourselves asking this: what about feeling inside those spaces? We take a look at two different haptic gloves approaches to determine just that.

Gloveone

Still at the crowdfunding stage but quickly gaining traction among would-be backers, Gloveone was created to enable users to feel and touch virtual objects using tiny actuators, 10 in total for each glove.

Data from these ‘haptic points’ are transferred either by a low-latency USB connection, or via the glove’s Bluetooth module that sips from an 800mAh onboard battery, giving the glove an alleged 4 hours of battery life.

The Spain based NeuroDigital Technologies says the actuators on Gloveone “vibrate independently at different frequencies and intensities, reproducing accurate touch sensations.” The key words here are ‘touch sensations’, because Gloveone doesn’t really reproduce touch itself, but an approximative force that acts as a placeholder for touch-based interactions.

The Gloveone doesn’t entirely rely on its 9-axis IMU hidden behind the logo though, but rather uses it in concert with commercial sensors including Leap Motion and Intel RealSense. Because hand tracking isn’t perfect yet, this gives the user a more stable interaction to count on when ‘touching’ virtual objects.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gloveone/gloveone-feel-virtual-reality

At $199 for single glove, and $395 for two, getting to be apart of the early stages of VR touch interaction doesn’t sound nearly as expensive as we thought, especially if you already have a Leap Motion on hand (no pun intended).

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16202/valve-begin-shipping-htc-vive-development-kits/

Last month Valve revealed that the development kits for the forthcoming HTC Vive head-mounted display (HMD) would begin shipping to studios worldwide ‘very, very soon’. It appears that meant today, as the company has officially confirmed that the development kits are now on their way to select developers.

The HTC Vive was revealed at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, back in March 2015. This was swiftly followed by a hands-on reveal at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), San Francisco. At that time only a small number of developers had received early prototype kits. Beginning today, however, that number will drastically increase.

In an official statement on Valve’s Steam VR website, Chet Faliszek, Writer at Valve and known VR aficionado, states: “This first wave includes a wide range of developers from major movie studios, triple A developers, to small indie teams working on their first title. We will continue to ship to additional developers through the spring and summer.”

He continues to outline exactly what the development kit consists of: “In the box is a headset, 2 Lighthouse base stations, 2 wireless Steam VR controllers, various cables, instructions, and everything else needed to get started. This will allow developers to target the same system consumers will have in their homes later this year.”

The HTC Vive is currently scheduled to launch in November 2015.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16159/patent-revealed-for-nvidia-vr-hmd/

Earlier in the year VRFocus reported that graphics computing company NVIDIA was working on its very own virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) that uses the team’s Tegra X1 Super Chip. The device missed its expected reveal at the 2015 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, where the company instead revealed a new videogame streaming service and its powerful Titan X GPU, which itself is designed to support PC VR experiences. However, a recent patent has provided a fresh look at the company’s own VR offering.

The patent, uncovered on Declassified, reveals a device that looks somewhat smaller in size compared to the likes of the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Project Morpheus. Intriguingly, it seems to employ three sets of cameras, with a pair located at the bottom of front of the device and then one either side of it. This is said to help map the real world area surrounding the player when using the device. According to the filing, the pair at the front of the device are also said to track gestures with ‘sub-millimetre movement resolution’, which suggest hand-tracking as a potential form of input for the kit.

As seen in the image below, the kit also has an on-board CPU which is likely to be that Tegra X1 Super Chip. Both audio output and input modules also feature and, perhaps more importantly, a wireless adapter that Declassified claims could be used to stream videogames from a user’s computer using the company’s own cloud-based GRID service. This could also be used to project whatever the user is seeing in-HMD onto the computer itself, which is something that is essential for when demoing software at events and more.

With GDC now three months ago, it’s not clear just when NVIDIA might lift the lid on its work with its HMD. E3 2015 is of course less than two weeks away; could the company be planning a new reveal for this time? Its new VR SDK, GameWorks VR, was recently revealed, suggesting that it’s certainly serious about the technology.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16250/htc-vive-development-kit-instruction-manual-revealed/

Following yesterday’s reveal of the HTC Vive development kit currently being distributed by Valve, courtesy of Cloudhead Games, VRFocus has obtained full scans of the instruction manual included within. Delivered with typical Valve style, the manual is littered winks and nudges to existing videogame properties and irreverent humour.

Now shipping to development studios worldwide, the HTC Vive development kit is an upgraded version of that which was playable at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), San Francisco, back in March. Now including wireless controllers, the second iteration of the hardware showcases an enviable path to be followed by head-mounted display (HMD) competitors.

Of note in this publication are the two cartoon strip boxes noted as ‘development kit only’. The suggestion would be that reflective surfaces won’t affect the roomscale tracking in the consumer version and that Valve are aiming to ensure that the PC set-up of the HTC Vive is much simpler than at present.

>>851

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16394/oculus-vr-launches-countdown-to-pre-e3-show/

It’s just a matter of days now until Oculus VR finally reveals fresh details about the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD). The company is set to host its first ever pre-E3 press conference at 10:00 PDT on 11th June 2015 in San Francisco, just ahead of the huge industry event itself from 16th – 18th in Los Angeles. No doubt many fans have already created their own countdowns in great anticipation of the event, but Oculus VR itself has recently set up a more official solution.

The home page for the official Oculus VR website (https://www.oculus.com/en-us/) and been drowned in black with an image of the consumer Oculus Rift to one side and a countdown to the main event on the other. An option to be notified of when the event’s livestream begins can be found at the bottom of the page. At the time of writing there’s a little under 50 hours to go until the proceedings kick off. Though unconfirmed, this will likely be the page from which the livestream itself is hosted, though no doubt there will be plenty of chances to catch it around the web.

There are plenty of unknowns surrounding the consumer Oculus Rift right now, many of which fans to hope have answered at this show. While the Q1 2016 release window and recommended PC specifications are well known, enthusiasts are hoping to hear more about the specs of the device itself and a potential solution to the issue of VR input. There are also factors such as the price and new VR compatible videogames that could be announced. Whatever Oculus VR has up its sleeve, it’s sure to steal headlines in the days leading up to E3.

I'll be posting news from yesterday, was too busy to do it yesterday.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16398/huge-oculus-rift-leak/

Update: Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey has confirmed that the images are real, though some are indeed outdated.

Oculus VR is currently preparing to host a pre-E3 press conference at 10:00 PDT on 11th June 2015 in which it’s set to further discuss the consumer version of the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD). The company recently set up a new website that is counting down to the big event, but the new design appears to have backfired somewhat. Images, reportedly buried in the new website, are now popping up online and showcasing the consumer Oculus Rift itself along with some extra peripherals. Even a new webpage design is below.

A number images can be seen below that showcase the new device with an overhead strap, and the headphones that were introduced with the Crescent Bay unit back in September 2014. The Oculus VR branding appears on the front along with what appears to be a built-in camera facing the direction in which the user is looking. Many had suspected that the device might include such a camera, but this seems to be the first time that it’s actually been confirmed. However, while the pictures provide a look at the final HMD, what’s accompanying them is far more intriguing.

In the top of the first image is what appears to be a remote-like controller, notably with a circular surface at the top that seems strikingly similar to what can be seen on the Steam Controller and Valve’s own motion-tracked devices for the HTC Vive. A better look at the device is also below with Plus, Minus and Return buttons. There’s also another wired object to one side of the original image. It’s not at all clear what service this device could perform though it’s important to note that the Oculus Rift itself isn’t seen with a wire. Could this mean something surprising is in store for Thursday’s show?

Even with this leak, there’s still plenty more we hope to learn about the Oculus Rift at the event.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16419/n1-technologies-inc-files-patent-for-osiris-optium-camera-system/

Florida based N1 Technologies Inc announced that the company has filed for a Patent on its Osiris Optium Camera System. NanoSave Technologies the company’s R&D arm designed the advanced observation platform for commercial and military use.

N1 Technologies Inc and its R&D arm NanoSave Technologies are specialists in nano technology and more well known within the automotive industries for oils and lubricants rather than anything to do with virtual realty (VR). The Osiris Optium Camera System is a camera array featuring 102 sixteen mega pixel cameras, each fitted with a 10 step optical zoom which feed a 1632 mega pixel data stream. The ultra light weight array can fit into almost all existing camera mounts and housings with little modification. Once captured the image is divided into 2 images that are processed by a mosaic program and outputted in 3D. The video image is captured as 4K Ultra High Definition Video.

The raw video data is processed via sophisticated virtual reality (VR) software and outputted to VR headsets and 4K UHD video walls.

CEO Steve Lovern is quoted as saying “We feel the uses for the new Osiris Optium Camera System are endless. This system provides users with a big tool box”

With N1 Technologies Inc only just filing the patent for the Osiris Optium Camera System the future for VR in 4K is unknown.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16444/standford-student-tries-consumer-oculus-calls-it-an-instant-buy/

It’s not too much longer now until the consumer version of the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) hits the market. The kit is due to launch in the first quarter of 2016, with plenty of unrevealed information to be announced between now and that time. The company will be showcasing the consumer version of the device at an event in San Francisco tomorrow, 11th June, but a student at Stanford University in California has reportedly already sampled the kit and bestowed it with high praise.

CS PhD student Andrej Karpathy recently took to Twitter to tease his time with the device: “Holy crap just tried out oculus consumer release candidate hardware (due on early 2016),” he said. “Supermazing. Instant buy when it comes out.” It’s not clear exactly how Karpathy got his hands on the device, but it’s important to note that Stanford University itself sits next to Menlo Park, the area in which Oculus VR moved its headquarters to earlier this year and also houses the offices of its parent company, Facebook. It’s certainly encouraging to hear such positive impressions about the device this early on.

Yesterday saw a number of image leaks spin out of a new Oculus VR website. Founder Palmer Luckey has already branded some of these shots as ‘ancient’, but they do showcase some intriguing features such as a remote-like controller with a circular surface and three buttons as well as a front-mounted camera on the kit itself. Just which of these pictures are still relevant will be revealed at tomorrow’s event, which kicks off at 10:00 PT. Oculus VR is expected to talk about the kit in great detail before heading to E3 in Los Angeles next week.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16369/project-morpheus-e3/

Next week sees the biggest event in the videogame calendar, E3, take place in Los Angeles, California. Videogame fans can expect the latest updates from every major publisher and a wide range of developers both big and small. All eyes are on Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) in particular, as the company is set to provide more details on its Project Morpheus virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD) for the PlayStation 4 at the show. In fact, VRFocus has recently learned just about much of a focus the company will be devoting to its device at this year’s event.

VRFocus has been told by sources close to SCE that Project Morpheus will be seeing a ‘big push’ at the company’s annual press conference on 15th June 2015. Following that, ‘around half’ of its booth space, which is already known to be sizeable, will be devoted to showing the device. Videogames on display are said to be ‘first-party and exclusive Morpheus titles’ only, meaning anything also appearing on the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive won’t be featured. Many of these titles will have likely already been revealed in that press conference.

Full first-party videogames are something that Project Morpheus hasn’t seen yet. While a handful of third-party projects have been revealed, the closest thing to first-party content seen on the device are the range of tech demos from SCE London Studio that have accompanied the kit to many of its showcases over the past year.

SCE has already confirmed that Project Morpheus will be releasing in the first half of 2016. Back at the 2015 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March the company introduced a new prototype for the kit, which boasted a 1080p OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that allows for some videogames to be ‘reprojected’ at this framerate.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16470/27-companies-showing-arvr-at-e3-including-microsoft-ubisoft/

It’s no secret that E3 2015, which gets underway with a day of press conferences next week on 15th June, will be a big one for virtual reality (VR) technology. Oculus VR is firing early this week with its own pre-show conference on 11th June detailing the consumer Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) and Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) will be making a significant push for its Project Morpheus at its own show. In fact, it’s now been revealed that there will be some 27 companies showcasing work in either VR or augmented reality (AR) at this year’s show in Los Angeles, California.

That figure was revealed by Polygon, which discovered with the help of the show’s organiser, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), that about ten percent of the 274 companies at this year’s event will be showcasing work in VR or AR. The ESA has even provided an insight into which companies are on that list, revealing that Microsoft will indeed be bringing its HoloLens mixed reality (MR) device to the show while French publishing giant Ubisoft will be revealing its own work within VR. The latter pledged support to VR earlier in the year while the former is yet to talk about how HoloLens might fit in with its Xbox One console.

Other companies on the list include Crytek, the developer behind Crysis that has previously revealed its Back to Dinosaur Island VR demo on the Oculus Rift and gaming peripheral maker Razer, which heads up the Open-Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) ecosystem. Combine that with some of the indie developers that have confirmed that they’re heading to the show and there’s a lot of VR to cover at the event.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16493/futuremark-announce-virtual-reality-benchmark-program/

Futuremark has today annuounced a new benchmark tool developed specifically for virtual reality (VR) software. Simply titled ‘VRMark’, the program uses a combination of software and hardware to measure performance, latency, and accuracy. Designed primarily for manufacturers, analysts and press, the VRMark benchmark will test a system’s ability to deliver high quality VR experiences.

VRMark will test a VR system’s ability to deliver a consistently high frame-rate across a range of quality settings and content types. VR is highly sensitive to variations in frame-rate, and as such a smooth and stable output is crucial to providing a comfortable VR experience. In addition, VRMark will measure frame latency and the responsiveness and accuracy of the sensors present in the headset. Low latency is a key factor in achieving the feeling of presence in a VR world and avoiding motion sickness.

With development under way, Futuremark is inviting VR system manufacturers to join its Benchmark Development Program (BDP). Members will have exclusive access to VRMark throughout its development and provide input to Futuremark at every stage from specification to public release.

“There are already more than a dozen different head-mounted displays for VR at various stages of completion. Analysts forecast that VR will reach 10.8 million users by the end of 2016. But delivering a great VR experience relies on overcoming significant performance challenges,” said Jukka Mäkinen, Managing Director at Futuremark. “With VRMark, we’re aiming to help everyone, from industry engineers and press reviewers to the end user at home, discover the best performing VR technology.

Futuremark’s BDP is an initiative for building partnerships with leading hardware and technology manufacturers. The VRMark Benchmark Development Program will complement Futuremark’s existing 3DMark and PCMark Programs, which count AMD, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Samsung and other leading technology companies as members.

Companies creating VR hardware and software, and others with an interest in VR system performance, are invited to apply for BDP membership today at http://www.futuremark.com/bdp.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16529/htc-vive-is-amazing-compared-to-rivals-re-vive-confusion-to-be-addressed/

Much of the talk surrounding Valve and HTC’s Vive virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display thus far has been aimed towards developers. Since its reveal back in March 2015 studios have been seeking news on the developer edition of the kit, which has finally started to arrive at some team’s offices this month. With these free kits now being distributed and continuing to take arrive throughout this summer, the companies can start to look towards the actual consumer release of the device for holiday 2015. With that in mind, it appears that an advertising campaign for the kit is now underway that will clear up some confusion surrounding the device.

An advert for the HTC Vive can be seen on the back of a recent issue of business innovation magazine, MISC, as seen below. As revealed by HTC’s Shen Ye, it features the striking imagery that was first seen in the promotional materials used for the kit’s reveal at HTC’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) press conference on 1st May 2015. The image appears to be of a user walking through a virtual landscape. It also features the slogan ‘Rethink Reality’. Will we start to see more of these adverts arriving in the weeks and months to come in the build up to launch?

Interestingly, it also clearly holds the ‘HTC RE Vive’ label that was first seen at the kit’s announcement. This caused confusion at the time, with many wondering if the device was simply named HTC Vive or should indeed include the ‘RE’ section. This confusion popped up again with the release of these images, though Ye stepped in to reassure: “I know it’s confusing (and it’s in the works).”

Finally, he also branded the device as ‘amazing’ when stacked up against its rivals, saying “after you get a chance to try Vive, you will understand how amazing it is compared to the competition.”

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16550/oculus-reveals-development-kit-shipping-statistics/

The eyes of the virtual reality (VR) community are currently on Oculus VR as it reveals more about the consumer version of its Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) today at its pre-E3 press conference in Los Angeles, California. The show is set to start at 10:00 PDT, thus press are now taking their seats in preparation. The venue for the event is littered with promotional material for Oculus VR. One particularly interesting stand reveals some specifics about the shipments of the kit’s first two development kits for the device, which have been in developer’s hands since late 2012.

The images, first post online by VR developer tipatat, can be seen below. The first development kit (DK1) shipped 56,334 units in its lifespan, which ranged from late 2012 to early 2014 when its successor, development kit 2 (DK2) was announced. In its roughly year and a half of time on the scene, the kit was shipped to 114 countries including those in North America, which easily had the most kits at 27,746 Europe, Asia, Oceania, South America, Africa, the Caribbean Island and Central America, which had just 6 kits shipped to it. DK1 is now considered to be something of a relic by the VR community.

DK2, which added pivotal new features such as a 1080p OLED display and positional tracking, has had slightly less shipment time than DK1, and yet still easily doubles it with 118,930. This device has reached 137 countries including a staggering 56,590 units shipped to North America alone. Again, Central America had the least shipments, this time acquiring 31 units. The kit can still be purchased today for $350 USD, though it’s unclear if this will remain the case for long with the consumer version of the device now rapidly approaching.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16578/oculus-home-revealed/

The Oculus Rift needs a dedicated store for players to find virtual reality (VR) content. Oculus VR itself is planning to provide its own solution to this, and that solution is Oculus Home. Oculus VR’s Nate Mitchell announced the service today at the company’s pre-E3 show in Los Angeles, California.

Oculus Home has been built for VR first and foremost and is the go-to point for ‘everything Oculus’. Players will drop straight into Oculus Home when they put on their device. From here they’ll be able to look at their own library or shop for other VR titles. It even includes a VR scene mode that allows players to get a sense of presence without having to buy the full title. A 2D interface for the device is also coming. Mitchell confirmed that the interface will be seen once more at the Oculus Connect 2 developers conference.

I'm not thrilled about this. I would like just my desktop in VR form please.

http://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-reveals-oculus-touch-half-moon-prototype-vr-input-controller-breaking/

Today at the company’s ‘Step into the Rift’ pre-E3 event in San Francisco, Oculus revealed what they’re calling ‘Oculus Touch’, the company’s VR-specific input controller.

The prototype revealed at the event was dubbed ‘Half Moon’ by Oculus and uses the same “constellation” IR LED tracking technology as used by the Rift headset. The unit also includes an inward facing “sensor matrix” which can detect common hand gestures like waving or giving the thumbs up.

Oculus founder Palmer Luckey took to the stage at today’s event to reveal the prototype controllers which Oculus developers have been eagerly waiting for. Not relying on motion tracking or gesture input alone, the Oculus Touch Half Moon prototype controller has an analogue stick, two buttons, an index trigger finger, and what Luckey called a ‘hand trigger’ that rests near the middle finger.

Luckey suggested that this hand-trigger would become the common method for grabbing virtual items, leaving the trigger finger free for other actions like shooting or activating whatever was held.

The Oculus Touch controllers are mirrors of each other, Luckey said, as well as wireless. 6DOF motion tracking is achieved with both IR LED’s seen on the ‘crossguard’ style ring that envelops the user’s hand as well as an IMU. The Oculus Touch controllers will presumably be tracked using the same positional tracking camera that senses the headset.

Oculus didn’t mention whether or not the controllers would be included with the Oculus Rift consumer device, despite confirming that and Xbox One controller would accompany each headset.

The company didn’t demonstrate the new controller or show it in use. Neither price nor Oculus Touch release date has been confirmed, but Luckey said that the new controllers will be shown off at next week’s E3 conference.

http://vrfocus.com/archives/16591/luckey-reveals-oculus-touch-shipping-window/

Oculus VR’s biggest surprise at its pre-E3 press conference today was easily Oculus Touch, its brand new input solution for its Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD). The immediate feedback from the VR community seems to be a hugely positiv, with many taking to the tracked pair of controllers well. However, while the Oculus Rift itself will be shipping in Q1 2016, fans will have to wait just a little bit longer to get their hands on touch.

Oculus VR founder and Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey has revealed that the Oculus Touch will be shipping in the first half of 2016. Pre-orders for the device will open later in the year alongside the Oculus Rift itself. The kit features two buttons and an analogue stick on each device and sensors to recognise gestures. Potential pricing for the kit is yet to be announced.

As for the Oculus Rift itself, the device will be shipping with an Xbox One controller. Windows 10 streaming will even allow players to stream their Xbox One videogames into the device in a virtual cinema. VRFocus will continue to follow the Oculus Rift, Oculus Touch and Oculus VR closely, reporting back with the latest updates.

http://www.roadtovr.com/a-look-under-the-hood-of-the-oculus-rift-revealed-in-new-photos/

Along with the latest batch of photos for the Oculus Rift consumer headset, we get a high resolution look under the shell of the hotly anticipated device.

Oculus has never been shy about showing what’s under the hood. When they revealed the Rift DK2 development kit back in March, 2014, they showed bare photos of the unit’s circuit board, proudly stamped with the company logo.

Last year at their inaugural developer conference, Oculus Connect, the company open-sourced the Oculus Rift DK1 development kit by putting the entirety of its design, from the shell to the circuity to the firmware, online for anyone to use.

Also back in 2014, when iFixit got their hands on the DK2, they pried it open and uncovered that hidden inside the headset was the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, apparently plucked right from the production line as the device’s touchscreen was still attached. This interesting foreshadowing heralded the work between Oculus and Samsung on the Gear VR headset that was revealed later that year.

The consumer Oculus Rift is confirmed to be using dual 1080×1200 OLED displays. It hasn’t been confirmed, but we’d guess that Samsung remains the manufacturer.

http://www.roadtovr.com/infiniteye-210-degree-vr-headset-becomes-star-vr-this-is-what-it-look-like-breaking/

InfinitEye is back! Today, Starbreeze announces that their VR Headset sporting a mammoth 210 degree horizontal field of view will become ‘StarVR‘.

Well this was a pleasant surprise. Just hours after landing in LA for next week’s E3 Expo, Stephane Portes co-founder of of the ‘long-in-stealth-mode’ InfinitEye project contacts me with some exciting news.

18 months after our exclusive first hands on with the team’s early prototype sporting an impressive super-wide field of view, the team have announced that they’ve been acquired by Starbreeze to form a new project comprising InfinitEye’s technology

The unit claims not only that stellar 210 degree horizontal FOV, but an impressive 130 degrees vertical FOV to match. The unit is comprised of Dual 5.5 inch LCD panels creating a total 5120×1440 resolution (2 x QHD panels). The headset now also features positional head tracking, using what looks to be fiducial markers and an outside-in camera system. The positional tracking extends to 360 degrees.

As before, the headset leverages Fresnel lenses, aligned with the displays in a canted formation to immerse the user’s field of view. Other points of note is the overhauled head harness, which looked altogether more secure and the system now offers a sealed viewing area. During my original play tests the headset was effectively open at the edges leading to light leakage.

Starbreeze Studios is an independent creator, publisher and distributor of high quality entertainment products, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The company’s CEO said of the move “InfinitEye’s team is extremely dedicated and competent. The ultra-wide field-of-view in their HMD corresponds to man’s own, which lays the foundation for an authentic experience. By bringing InfinitEye into Starbreeze and together with our newly acquired Valhalla engine, we will be able to create great entertainment of a kind that has not been experienced before,”

What’s more, the new StarVR system will be available to try at E3 with an impressive sounding exclusive experience based around The Walking Dead. The new game is developed exclusively for the new VR headset by Starbreeze and will leverage that panoramic VR I spoke of 18 months ago to terrify the player.

Speaking to Road to VR, Co-founder Stephane Portes said on behalf of the InfinitEye team “Finally after working in stealth mode for so long we are proud to join Starbreeze to bring you the most immersive experience with kickass content. Visit us at E3 2015 to try out The Walking Dead in VR with a 210° field of view!”

We’ll be going hands-on with the new StarVR headset and the Walking Dead experience very soon – we’ll of course report back our experiences.

This only makes me wonder what are the downsides.