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Showing posts with label virtual reality. Show all posts

Friday, October 23, 2015

Eight VR headsets your eyes need to see

Virtual reality is almost upon us. And no, this isn't the heavy, constrictive, poorly animated VR you might remember from the early '90s. These modern entries into the VR space are lighter and faster, and pump out the sort of fantastical 3D worlds our younger selves always dreamed of experiencing.

While some of these devices are expected to show up by the end of the year, most won't be arriving until the start of 2016. But we've had a chance to try them all. Here's the current state of the headsets (and more) that are competing for a chance to change the way we see the world.

HTC Vive

Release date: Later this year

The Vive is a blend of HTC hardware and Valve technology, an unlikely partnership that has produced one of the most exciting virtual-reality demonstrations yet. Arriving later this year in "limited quantities," the to track your position in a room. It won't be the only Valve-powered VR headset, but models from different partners have yet to rear their heads. Expect to see plenty more of the HTC Vive in 2016, when the device will be available to more folks.

Oculus Rift

Release date: First quarter, 2016

Oculus' vision of virtual reality has been in the works for years and is arguably the best-known example of what VR technology can do. While we've gotten a glimpse of the final version of the headset and have been told a tentative release date -- the first quarter of 2016 -- there's still no word on a price.

Oculus will also work with Microsoft's Xbox One console. The Rift will ship with an Xbox One controller and a camera that'll track your body's movements. You'll be able to stream Xbox One games to the Rift as long as it's connected to a PC running Windows 10. Oculus has also developed a pair of touch controllers, dubbed Oculus Touch, that offer a more tactile approach to gaming in virtual worlds.

Sony PlayStation VR

Release date: 2016

Sony's foray into virtual reality comes in the form of a slick headset with a 5.7-inch OLED display and a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution. Originally known as Project Morpheus, PlayStation VR will connect to Sony's PlayStation 4. PlayStation Move controllers and the PlayStation Camera control the action, though you can also use the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller. We've had a few opportunities to take PlayStation VR for a test drive, but the most crucial details are still a mystery: there's no word on price or availability. One thing we can tell you is that we should see this headset come to fruition sometime in 2016.

Samsung Gear VR

Release date: November 2015

If you want to experience virtual reality sooner rather than later, you'll be interested in the Samsung Gear VR. The only catch? This $99 headset is limited to folks who own a newer Samsung phone. It'll work with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, and also the larger Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+.

A clever sliding mechanism keeps the phone snug in the headset, no matter its size. And the content comes from your phone, so there's nothing to plug into a PC or game console. Turn your head and a bevy of sensors will let you control the action. You can also pair your phone with a Bluetooth gamepad for something that comes close to a traditional gaming experience.

Razer OSVR Hacker Dev Kit

Release date: Available for preorder October 23

Razer is hoping to make virtual reality a tad more democratic with the OSVR Hacker Dev Kit. This headset is designed to be futzed with. You can pair it with a phone or PC, add controllers and even 3D-print your own parts. For the latest version of the device, Razer has added an OLED display and made plans for modular faceplates available, so you can build your own upgrades. But be warned that this one's primarily aimed at tinkerers, so don't expect as polished an experience as you'll find with the competition. If your interest is piqued, it'll be available for pre-order on October 23.

Google Cardboard

Release date: Available now

Samsung's Gear VR brings virtual reality to mobile. Google Cardboard brings mobile virtual reality to the masses. It's not the most impressive piece of hardware, as it's made entirely out of cardboard. Sure, it looks a little goofy. But cobble it together from a smartphone and a pizza box ( no, seriously) and you've got a tantalizing taste of what the technology has to offer.

Microsoft HoloLens

Release date: First quarter, 2016

Microsoft's HoloLens is something different entirely. It's an augmented-reality device, and it essentially superimposes text, images and objects onto your field of vision. This could mean having a Skype conversation that hovers a few feet over your head, strolling the surface of Mars in your living room or blowing up said living room to ward off a lilliputian zombie horde. At the moment it's strictly for developers. Kits are available on an invite-only basis in the US and Canada, but you'll have to pony up $3,000 for the chance to develop for HoloLens. The developer kit will arrive in the first quarter of 2016.

Magic Leap

Release date: Unknown

And then there's Magic Leap. This secretive, Florida-based company has promised an augmented-reality experience that'll rival Microsoft's HoloLens, and has financial backing to the tune of $542 million from companies such as Google, Qualcomm, and Legendary Entertainment. But the video above is purportedly a look at the hardware in action, and it doesn't fail to impress.

Learn how to have 3D Movies Entertainment on Gear VR, Rift DK2, Google Cardboard, etc. here.

More Topics:

Source: http://www.cnet.com/news/vr-gear-devices-release-dates/

Thursday, October 15, 2015

You'll be able to watch Hulu in virtual reality by next month

Hulu intends to make its virtual reality app available next month. The plan is for the app's launch to coincide with the launch of Samsung's Gear VR headset, which will go on sale in November, Tim Connolly, the company's head of distribution, told CNET.

While we still don't know the exact launch date for the $99 Gear VR, Samsung previously said the device would be on shelves in North America "in time for Black Friday."

Like virtual reality apps from other video services such as YouTube and Netflix, Hulu's app will allow users to watch video in a more immersive 3D environment. The company is also working on original content that will give viewers a richer virtual experience that promises to "transport viewers into new worlds and change the way they experience and interact with Hulu," the company said in a statement earlier this year. The first of these efforts will be a short film called The Big One.

The company may also create more original content exclusively for virtual reality, Connolly said in an interview with CNET. "We think this is a smart bet that helps position us as an innovator and helps us learn earlier on what could be a substantive storytelling environment."

Wanna play downloaded Hulu videos directly on Gear VR with your phone? You just need a right program and convert hulu 3D videos to 3D MP4 for smoothly playing. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

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Source: http://mashable.com/2015/10/10/hulu-virtual-reality-app/

Friday, September 25, 2015

Top 5 virtual reality games using Oculus Touch

Los Angeles: Oculus is getting touchy.

The virtual reality creator invited attendees at its second annual Oculus Connect conference to go hands on with games for the consumer rendition of its Oculus Rift headset using Oculus Touch hand-held controllers.

"The biggest challenge for us to solve was adding support for dual controllers," said Nick Donaldson, senior designer at Epic Games. "We never had the concept that the player would have more than one controller in their hands. Now, we can't really imagine it any other way."

Several of the demos on display at the three-day event this week are intended to launch early next year alongside the VR system, although Facebook-owned Oculus has yet to announce the system's price or release date.

A look at five games utilising Touch:

1. Bullet Train

The most polished of the demos on hand at Oculus Connect came from developer Epic Games, best known for the "Gears of War" series.

"Bullet Train" is essentially an interactive version of "The Matrix," where users can teleport across a train station, shoot baddies, bend time and catch bullets.

The demo flawlessly showcased the Touch controllers' ability to mirror hand movement, whether that meant gripping a shotgun or punching a soldier.

2. Surgeon Simulator

Bossa Studios' surgery simulator series ventured into outer space at Oculus Connect with an "Alien Autopsy"-inspired level.

In the wacky demo, players are space surgeons who must use various medical implements to remove an explosive organ from a big-eyed extraterrestrial.

The combination of an instinctual control scheme and some gravity-defying physics provided an extremely silly sense of presence for wannabe quacks.

3. Dead and Buried

This wild Western-themed shooting gallery put players above a canyon where everything is a target — from mine carts to lanterns.

The player is virtually armed with a pair of surprisingly intuitive six-shooters, which must be reloaded by actually flicking the Touch controllers.

"Dead and Buried" is ultimately gimmicky, but the demo's shooting controls offered a glimpse at how precise a first-person shooter could feel inside Oculus.

4. Pulsar Arena

"Tron" meets "PaRappa the Rapper" in this overwhelming rhythm game where the goal is to blast floating balls along to a pulsating beat.

It's basically a hyper take on tug-of-war set inside an hourglass-shaped stadium where players compete against a computer-controlled opponent.

With its flashy futuristic aesthetic, "Pulsar Arena" proved to be an immersive experience. However, the minimalistic gameplay won't leave any lasting VR legacy.

5. I Expect You to Die

Schell Games' quirky spy simulator strands players in a deathtrap-filled car parked inside a gas-filled cargo plane. The mission? Escape!

The controllers are mimicked in the virtual driver's seat as hands which can push buttons, grab bombs, turn keys and open the glove compartment.

"I Expect You to Die" is a maddeningly fun, tactile interactive experience, and it's proof that problem solving in VR will shake and stir Oculus users.

Also read A New Samsung Gear VR Might Be In The Works For 2016

Tips:

Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset not only for playing games, but also a headset on which you can play your own movies using the Oculus Cinema with brilliant immersive viewing experience. Then how can we watch 3D movies on this cutting-edge development kit?

Here are related tips:

Source: http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tech/top-5-virtual-reality-games-using-oculus-touch-1116154.html

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

A New Samsung Gear VR Might Be In The Works For 2016

Last month when Samsung took the wraps off its highly anticipated new phones the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ many expected a new Gear VR to debut as well. We would soon find out that was not the case. In fact, it was nearly a month later when Samsung’s mobile chief JK Shin told the tech world a new model was coming “Soon” in an interview, he gave to CNET in August this year.

Now we are finding out new information from Samsung out of its home country of Korea. Per the new information, it’s looking like we will see a new 3rd edition Gear VR probably in 2016.

Unlike the Gear VR, which operates with an attached phone, the new headset would be more like an Oculus Rift. By removing the connection to a smartphone, the Samsung headset would be more powerful, but it would also require a desktop connection. Samsung has already patented a VR headset design that includes a built-in display and projector.

It was also said that the new Gear VR would be a dedicated VR device and that the reason for the delay was because of Samsung’s efforts to get content exclusively for this new VR device. So with other tech companies starting to join the VR party, Samsung has a few more months to work on its latest VR headset. All while hoping it will stay the industry leader in this emerging new market.

Samsung has been known for making a lot of products and software. Their phones up until recently with the Galaxy S6 line and the Galaxy Note 5 line have been stocked full of features and software. They have also made a lot of phones for all those features. They have everything from high-end devices like their new Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ to low-end flip phones such as the Samsung Rugby 4. That being said not many in the tech community saw the Samsung Gear VR coming last September. Made to work with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the Samsung Gear VR partnered with Oculus VR a virtual reality company based out of Irvine, California. The Samsung Gear VR used the Note 4 screen to give the viewer a 3D interactive world at their fingertips. JK Shin, President and CEO of IT ; Mobile Communications Samsung had this to say when the Samsung Gear VR was announced last year. “The Samsung Gear VR goes far beyond expectations of how mobile technology can be used to consume content, and is a powerful representation of the progressive innovation of the Gear series,” We are pleased to have partnered with Oculus VR to bring this incredibly immersive mobile content experience to consumers.

The first Gear VR was called the First Innovator Edition, and it was released to work with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in December 2014. After the Samsung Galaxy S6 had been unveiled this spring, Samsung released a second edition Gear VR called the Second Innovator Edition. This model pretty much was identical to the old model with a few tweaks here and there. It was designed to use the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge as a screen just like the original model had with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Related Gear VR Solutions:

Source: http://news.list-online.com/a-new-samsung-gear-vr-might-be-in-the-works-for-2016-android-headlines-android-news/

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