DK2 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:29:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png DK2 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Crytek’s VR demo Dinosaur Island 2 now available free on Steam https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/cryteks-vr-demo-dinosaur-island-2-now-available-free-on-steam/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/cryteks-vr-demo-dinosaur-island-2-now-available-free-on-steam/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2016 08:46:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=286623 One of the earliest demos that got people excited for virtual reality, was Crytek's original Back to Dinosaur Island. It was short, but used some of the high-quality visuals Crytek is known for to woo VR and 2D viewers alike. It wasn't the only one Crytek made though and now, just a few weeks out from …

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One of the earliest demos that got people excited for virtual reality, was Crytek's original Back to Dinosaur Island. It was short, but used some of the high-quality visuals Crytek is known for to woo VR and 2D viewers alike. It wasn't the only one Crytek made though and now, just a few weeks out from commercial hardware arriving, it's released part two.

backtodino2

Originally shown off at E3 2015, Back to Dinosaur Island: Part 2 has players climbing up a tall cliff face using an automated rope system, giving you plenty of time to look over your shoulder at the sheer drop below. There's also a few flying friends on the way up which can pose a real risk if you aren't careful.

Apart from dodging a bit of debris and pressing the buttons to climb (and more importantly, not letting go – you will fall to your death) this is an entirely passive experience. There's no nodding dinosaur as with the last part, but it once again shows that even experiences where you yourself do little, can be impressively engaging and immersive.

NB. There aren't many videos around of this year, so this one will have to do:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Tsq9Vyw8E']

You will need an Oculus Rift DK2 to view the experience right now, though it's not confirmed if HTC/Valve's pre-release Vive Pre hardware will also work. We'll confirm as and when we can.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: This is quite a neat little demo. There's a very real sense of danger when you drop off of the climbing tool too. It's still impressive how much your body feels like it's in real trouble when you fall in VR.

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Virtual reality: the how, the what, the when (Part2) https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/jon-martindale/virtual-reality-the-how-the-what-the-when-part2/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/jon-martindale/virtual-reality-the-how-the-what-the-when-part2/#respond Thu, 10 Mar 2016 12:21:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=286566 You didn't think we were done talking about VR just yet did you? We're just getting started. In this, the second part of our discussion on the state of VR, we talk about some of the content that's coming up for virtual reality and how to effectively wear a VR headset. See Virtual reality: the …

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You didn't think we were done talking about VR just yet did you? We're just getting started. In this, the second part of our discussion on the state of VR, we talk about some of the content that's coming up for virtual reality and how to effectively wear a VR headset.

See Virtual reality: the how, the what, the when (Part1) HERE, published 9th March 2016.

We also discuss some upcoming performance tests we have planned, which will detail just how effective the latest crop of AMD graphics cards are at powering the latest generations of virtual reality head mounted displays (HMD).

All of this is just a pre-amble for what we have in store for you over the next couple of months. With release versions of both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive set to show up on our doorstep in just a few weeks time, we have plenty planned to show you with many comparisons to be made and tests to be run.

KitGuru Says: With that in mind, is there anything you would like to see? We currently have access to the DK2, but a lot of hardware will be showing up in the near future. Are there any games you want to see? Tests you'd like us to run? Let us know and we'll see what we can do. email me at jon@kitguru.net

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Virtual reality: the how, the what, the when (Part1) https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/jon-martindale/virtual-reality-the-how-the-what-the-when-part1/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/jon-martindale/virtual-reality-the-how-the-what-the-when-part1/#respond Wed, 09 Mar 2016 16:01:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=286516 You might have heard myself or one of the other writers here at KitGuru discussing virtual reality games, controllers and headsets at some point over the past couple of years. You could say we're a little excited, but nothing in the past can compare to the final few weeks of build up to the official …

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You might have heard myself or one of the other writers here at KitGuru discussing virtual reality games, controllers and headsets at some point over the past couple of years. You could say we're a little excited, but nothing in the past can compare to the final few weeks of build up to the official release of both the Oculus Rift CV1 and HTC Vive.

See Virtual reality: the how, the what, the when (Part2) HERE, published 10th March 2016.

Together they represent the first time that high-grade, virtual reality hardware has been made available to the public at a (somewhat) affordable price tag. In this first of several videos discussing the topic of VR, myself and Leo Waldock break down some of the history of the medium, where it is now and where we think it will be headed over the years to come.

While we are waiting like everyone else to get our hands on the final release versions of the Rift and Vive headsets, I brought along my old partner in crime, the Oculus Rift DK2 headset. While a little long in the tooth at this point, it has represented the pinacle of consumer available HMDs for a long time and still offers some exciting experiences for those who own them.

But it's time at the top has now come to an end and instead we look forward to the potential of both of the new headsets, their various tracking measures and what sort of games and experiences we can look forward to in the near future.

Part 2 of this series is coming tomorrow, be sure not to miss it. Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

KitGuru Says: Did you pre-order one of the VR headsets? I couldn't decide in the end and went with both – it helps justifying it to yourself when you can write about them – but there are big benefits to both sets of hardware. I must admit I'm excited to play around for more than a few minutes in Tiltbrush though.

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HTC Vive Pre VR HMD washable cover now available https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/htc-vive-pre-vr-hmd-washable-cover-now-available/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/htc-vive-pre-vr-hmd-washable-cover-now-available/#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:10:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=286180 Although no one is quite sure what accessories the launch of commercial VR headsets will lead to, one additional extra has proved popular throughout the lifecycle of development headsets: washable covers. The VRCover became the most popular of the commercial options and now, with the Vive headset set to launch in the next few weeks, …

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Although no one is quite sure what accessories the launch of commercial VR headsets will lead to, one additional extra has proved popular throughout the lifecycle of development headsets: washable covers. The VRCover became the most popular of the commercial options and now, with the Vive headset set to launch in the next few weeks, it's launched a cover for that too.

Technically this cover is for the Vive Pre, the second generation developer headset that Vive launched at the close of 2015 and shipped out early this year, but with so few changes between it and the commercial version, it should fit well enough. Priced at $19 (£13), buyers get themselves two covers, to fit both wide and small foam face-padding and a carry pouch.

vrcover02

Made from 100 per cent cotton, the covers are removable and washable, which makes it very useful for developers who are using their headsets all day, but also for those who plan to demonstrate experiences to friends, family and customers. Greasing up your new headset's padding is a way to quickly diminish the fun of entering a virtual world.

Having offered replaceable padding covers for the HTC Vive developer edition, Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2, the cotton cover is the most popular. However VRCover has offered an alternative water proof version, which can be useful for more public demos – or even testing in a pool, as developers played around with.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnFFgJrUM6E']

Presumably it won't be long until we see versions of all of its covers for the HTC Vive consumer headset and the Rift CV1, when they are available.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I may have to order one of these as I will be not only playing around a lot in VR when my headsets arrive, but with a new headset comes a new VR party.

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Oculus Rift to come with DK1-style carry case https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-to-come-with-dk1-style-carry-case/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-to-come-with-dk1-style-carry-case/#respond Tue, 05 Jan 2016 12:09:45 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=279717 The commercial release of virtual reality hardware is closer than ever before and with the announcement of Oculus Rift CV1 pre-orders opening up on 6th January, the hype train is hitting maximum speed. To help fan the flames of its boiler, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey announced that much like the original DK1 developer model, the …

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The commercial release of virtual reality hardware is closer than ever before and with the announcement of Oculus Rift CV1 pre-orders opening up on 6th January, the hype train is hitting maximum speed. To help fan the flames of its boiler, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey announced that much like the original DK1 developer model, the commercial Rift would come with a hard-plastic carry case.oculuskits

DK1 and DK2 case comparison. Source: In2GPU

The original DK1 was released off-of the back of a very successful Kickstarter campaign and when sent out, came with a solid plastic case to carry it around in. In comparison, the DK2 shipped in a still sturdy, but likely far-cheaper cardboard carry-case. With the CV1 though, we're going back to the original design-ish.

Although no image of the case has yet materialised, it will likely look something like the original. However without the full accessories list, we don't know what the interior or overall size will be like. Additional lenses, cabling, power supplies and potentially a compartment for Oculus Touch controls (for when they are released in the second half of 2016) will all take up extra space, so it will be interesting to see what design is settled on.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: We will be one of the earliest pre-orderers of the Rift and Vive if given the chance, so keep your eyes on KitGuru for plenty of VR coverage as and when the hardware becomes available.

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Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Walkthrough: Neuro https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-vr-walkthrough-neuro/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/oculus-rift-vr-walkthrough-neuro/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2015 12:36:03 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=270884 Virtual reality is easily one of the most exciting frontiers in gaming and technology right now. We stand on the cusp of entering a whole new universe which we can explore not with a mouse and keyboard, but with our eyes, ears and – when the hardware is released – hands. But while long time …

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Virtual reality is easily one of the most exciting frontiers in gaming and technology right now. We stand on the cusp of entering a whole new universe which we can explore not with a mouse and keyboard, but with our eyes, ears and – when the hardware is released – hands. But while long time fans of companies like Oculus are on tenterhooks awaiting the pre-order date for the first consumer headset, there are still plenty of exciting VR developments happening day to day.

Thanks to the release of developmental kits over the past couple of years from Oculus and more recently HTC/Valve, game and experience developers across the globe have been crafting small VR worlds for some time now. Some of them are baby steps into the virtual void, with people learning how to craft these sorts of experiences, but others are far more fully featured.

It's those diamonds in the rough that I want to take some time showcase for you guys. I've spent a lot of time over the past year trying all manner of demonstrations and games that work – to varying degrees – within my Oculus Rift DK2 headset to see what's out there, and there are some that are really worth showing off.

So for this first step into KitGuru's look at the state of virtual reality, I want to take you inside the brain of a musician, to show not only one of the most beautiful Rift demos available today, but also the potential for education that VR holds.

Of course what you see within the Rift is a little different than what's on a 2D display. The textures aren't as crisp there (though the frame rate is higher due to video compression) and you have to deal with a screen door effect (SDE), whereby the lines between pixels are visible due to the user's proximity to the panel. But the feeling of presence is stupendous and Kite and Lightning really knows what it's doing when it comes to making something look pretty in VR. Keeping the neuron firing segment in darkness was a move that eliminated the SDE almost completely and really aided in making for an awe inspiring moment in VR.

But it's the fact that you can lean through the MRI scan to look at different parts of the brain that is really exciting. Eye candy is one thing, teaching people how the brain operates with a ‘working' brain in VR is another thing entirely.

For those that want to try the demo out on their own headsets, it's available on Oculus Share here.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

KitGuru Says: Imagine a serious version of Surgeon Simulator. Something like that has the potential to teach anyone basic surgery. Since every other game assumes we're going to be surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, that's probably a good skill to learn.

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Now there’s a VR experience for garlic cheese spread https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/now-theres-a-vr-experience-for-garlic-cheese-spread/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/now-theres-a-vr-experience-for-garlic-cheese-spread/#respond Wed, 12 Aug 2015 09:50:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=263183 As much as there is plenty going for virtual reality at the moment, there are many key experiences that the communities of fans have been clamouring for since the Oculus Rift DK1 was first unveiled: a fly through of a fridge, focused on garlic cheese spread isn't one of them. Still, that hasn't stopped multi-national …

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As much as there is plenty going for virtual reality at the moment, there are many key experiences that the communities of fans have been clamouring for since the Oculus Rift DK1 was first unveiled: a fly through of a fridge, focused on garlic cheese spread isn't one of them. Still, that hasn't stopped multi-national French cheese marketer, Bel Group from releasing a rollercoaster-like fridge experience, focused on some of its cheeses and their ingredients.

“Enjoy the Boursin Sensorium virtual reality experience as you journey through a decadent fridge packed full of delicious foods and Boursin ingredients,” reads the experience's Oculus Share page. “Sweep through the herb forest, duck beneath the towering vegetables, wind around giant bottles of bubbly, and dive into the cheese – we promise this is a journey like no other!”

boursin

Although published by the Boursin brand, this experience was actually developed by Hammerhead VR, which was previously known for its early Undercurrent VR demo, which showed the potential for exciting exploration and mild horror in an underwater environment.

NB. This video is 360 degrees, so feel free to look around with your phone or the mouse.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti9JbdPKRDM']

From personal experience on my Oculus Rift DK2, I can say that the demo is surprisingly pretty. A lot of effort has gone into its creation, but beauty seems to be par for the course for most demos made with the use of the Unreal Engine 4. It's also not nausea inducing at all, so kudos to the developers.

The high texture quality does make this quite a hefty demo though, weighing in at just over 800MBs, despite being quite a short flyby.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As much as there are some great experiences I want to have within virtual reality, I'm also looking forward to some of the weird and wonderful ones that others will think up. Are there any off the wall games or experiences you'd like to have in VR?

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Get ready, GTA V VR backlash is coming https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/get-ready-gta-v-vr-backlash-is-coming/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/get-ready-gta-v-vr-backlash-is-coming/#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2015 09:16:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=245526 One of the most exciting additions to this generation of Grand Theft Auto has been first person mode, which has opened up a whole new way of playing the anarchy simulator. However some didn't stop there, with the likes of Virtuix Omni showcasing the new GTA in virtual reality using a DK2 and its Omni …

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One of the most exciting additions to this generation of Grand Theft Auto has been first person mode, which has opened up a whole new way of playing the anarchy simulator. However some didn't stop there, with the likes of Virtuix Omni showcasing the new GTA in virtual reality using a DK2 and its Omni treadmill and it looks wonderfully real. Unfortunately though we see him gunning down unarmed civilians and it seems only inevitable that videos like this will reignite scare-mongering about video games and VR in particular.

gtav23
As cool as it is, this did make me feel a little uncomfortable

The video in question shows a player running around – somewhat awkwardly – San Andreas, using his real world feet for in-game propulsion and cradling a plastic gun that translates into a much more lifelike one in-game. When pressed by a store owner, he guns him down in a somewhat disturbing fashion, though perhaps it's the blank, non-eyed face of a VR user that makes  it more chilling.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZEnjwUqc4M']

Fortunately I'm a life-long gamer so don't find it too difficult to separate the virtual from reality, just as I'm not really that bothered by Hatred as a game. It is after all, just a game. However I can't help but feel that this is one step closer to the VR-murder-sim that the news loves to paint games like GTA as and once this video gains enough traction it's going to be used as ammo in an anti-gamers-gun. Ironically.

While I think a company like Omni might have been better off showcasing other aspects of the game – at the very least shooting against people that could arguably be considered the bad guys – anti-VR sentiment is something that we will be set to encounter at some point, whether this trailer sparks the keg or not. Just be ready for the headlines, as I get the feeling they aren't far away.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What's the best anti-VR news headline you can come up with? I'll start: “Virtual reality may not be so virtual in the minds of today's children, as contemporary games become true to scale murder simulators. More on that, after this.”

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Now you can explore Hogwarts in VR https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/now-you-can-explore-hogwarts-in-vr/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/now-you-can-explore-hogwarts-in-vr/#respond Mon, 06 Apr 2015 13:58:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=243795 One of the more exciting aspects of virtual reality is being able to explore otherworldly locations. That can be anything from the Library of Alexandria, to Sword Art Online, but there's one universe that more than a fair share of people would love to visit, and that's the wizarding world of Harry Potter. In the …

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One of the more exciting aspects of virtual reality is being able to explore otherworldly locations. That can be anything from the Library of Alexandria, to Sword Art Online, but there's one universe that more than a fair share of people would love to visit, and that's the wizarding world of Harry Potter. In the “Ghosts of Hogwarts,” demo recently uploaded to the Oculus Share site, you can wander the Hogwarts castle and discover memories and remnants of people that once played a real part in the school's history.

hogwarts

There's a lovely level of detail in the demo and there's plenty to explore. It's all a bit dark, so spotting things can sometimes be difficult, but that's why you're able to light up your surroundings with a classic Lumos spell.

hogwarts2
Be careful running around too quickly as there is some motion sickness in this demo

Although some of the audio clips that play throughout your exploration of the castle are exciting or remind you of good moments from the films, a good number are quite creepy. Rest assured that nothing jumps out at you – as far as I could tell – but some of them are quite unnerving considering lightning is flashing just beyond the windows.

hogwarts3

There's plenty to discover though, from the Great Hall, to the girl's bathroom – complete with Moaning Myrtle – and even the restricted section of the school's library.

KitGuru Says: If you give the demo a go, let us know what you find. I spotted at least two sets of wizard's chess. I bet there's more. 

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You can visit Sword Art Online in your Rift https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/you-can-visit-sword-art-online-in-your-rift/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/you-can-visit-sword-art-online-in-your-rift/#comments Fri, 30 Jan 2015 17:48:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=233306 If you have an Oculus Rift DK2 headset, you can do something that thousands of digital characters never could: visit Sword Art Online and then leave, without dying. It might be a little nerve racking putting on your headset to watch the bootup sequence and character login portion of the experience, but I can assure, …

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If you have an Oculus Rift DK2 headset, you can do something that thousands of digital characters never could: visit Sword Art Online and then leave, without dying. It might be a little nerve racking putting on your headset to watch the bootup sequence and character login portion of the experience, but I can assure, it's safe.

In-fact, if anything it's a little boring. There's very little to this ‘experience,' at the moment, but fans of the show may get a kick out of the handful of references in it. There's also a small environment to explore, though if you've used the Rift before it isn't anything that will blow you away.

swordart

This is still a very early stages project and is made as more of a tribute to the game than anything else, but you can open up your inventory and the soundtrack will be familiar to anyone that's watched the show.

Considering Oculus once stated that it wanted to create an MMO that over a billion players took part in, the show itself isn't' actually that far fetched. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your view) the technology to tap into our brains quite as much as the Nerve Gear is still a long way off, but still, we're on the right track.

For those wanting to try this demo out, you can download it for free from Oculus Share.

KitGuru Says: Do you guys think we're only a few decades away from a Sword Art Online-like scenario? Where people get lost in virtual worlds? 

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Who wants to play Pokemon, in VR? https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/who-wants-to-play-pokemon-in-vr/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/jon-martindale/who-wants-to-play-pokemon-in-vr/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2014 09:37:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=224814 Dumb question really. I should have just posted the download link and waited for the applause to roll in. Of course you should probably also send some praise via the developer's way too, since they're now the first person to give us the ability to throw pokeballs with our real hands and command our Pokemon …

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Dumb question really. I should have just posted the download link and waited for the applause to roll in. Of course you should probably also send some praise via the developer's way too, since they're now the first person to give us the ability to throw pokeballs with our real hands and command our Pokemon with voice commands. You know, like we pretend to do when no one else is around.

pokemon

The only downside to this awesome looking experience, is not many people will actually be able to play it properly. On top of needing an Oculus Rift DK2 headset for the virtual reality aspect, you'll also need a Leap Motion controller to give you the hand function; making this game only playable by a niche few. If you do want to download it though, you can do so here.

Audio commands are a little easier, since they only require a headset and the Voice Attack software.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybHzx-vetNg']

Still it's interesting to dream of what a future Pokemon game like this could be like. As long as Nintendo doesn't shut it down to ‘protect' its IP.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What would you guys like to see in a VR pokemon? Would you want it to be a remake of a classic Pokemon title, or would you want a brand new experience?

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Mozilla experiments with virtual reality websites https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/mozilla-experiments-with-virtual-reality-websites/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/mozilla-experiments-with-virtual-reality-websites/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2014 10:08:12 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=221535 The internet looks a lot different than it did just a few years ago and far different again than a few years before that. The further back you go, the more archaic it seems and the more lacking in modern design choices and style features it is than the years that came after it. But …

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The internet looks a lot different than it did just a few years ago and far different again than a few years before that. The further back you go, the more archaic it seems and the more lacking in modern design choices and style features it is than the years that came after it. But that means that the web of today is going to look old and grimy before long, so what might an internet of the future look like? Maybe it will be in virtual reality and maybe it will look a bit like Mozilla's MozVR experiment.

MozVR is the browser creator's attempt to see whether it's possible to make information as easily accessible in VR as it is on a standard screen. Books, movies and games have shown us for years that virtual worlds can be just as interactive and perhaps more informative than the one we inhabit now, but how to go about doing that? That's the question.

route
In VR, websites can go far beyond flat panels

This is a first attempt by Mozilla and it's designed to keep use of the internet smooth and easy.

To give it a try, you'll need an Oculus Rift Dk2 headset and a 64bit copy of a VR enabled browser, preferably Firefox, which can be downloaded here. Support for other headsets and higher frame rates, along with Direct to Rift mode are coming soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have any of you guys had any luck getting this working? I couldn't get the head tracking to register properly.

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Some of the best Oculus Rift DK2 demos to show your friends https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/uncategorized/jon-martindale/some-of-the-best-oculus-rift-dk2-demos-to-show-your-friends/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/uncategorized/jon-martindale/some-of-the-best-oculus-rift-dk2-demos-to-show-your-friends/#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2014 17:39:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=218727 One of the best and worst aspects of the Oculus Rift and virtual reality as a whole at the moment, is that it is quite hit and miss. It's in a very experimental stage of its life, with lots of developers, many of them first timers, all looking to get in on the VR action. …

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One of the best and worst aspects of the Oculus Rift and virtual reality as a whole at the moment, is that it is quite hit and miss. It's in a very experimental stage of its life, with lots of developers, many of them first timers, all looking to get in on the VR action. That's all well and good, but it means that for every hit, there's a good number of misses. Combine that with the fact that there aren't really that many fully featured games or experiences yet and you can spend a lot of time with your Rift wondering just why the hell you got so excited during the many months you waited after pre-ordering.

Now that's not to say that virtual reality isn't absolutely, god damn amazing in every way you can imagine. It is, and it's that much better now we can experience it on a DK2, with a higher res screen, less nausea and positional tracking.

It's especially fun to show to people who haven't tried it before and may not even be aware of VR. Which is why for the past few weeks, I've been feverishly playing through every demo and experience I can find, so that I can show off the current state of VR to friends and family. But it seems selfish to horde the information on what works, what's good and what's great, so I thought I'd give this version's rundown (here's my favourite DK1 demos) of what's gotten me excited about VR as of late.

RPG Room

rpgroom

This is an entirely static demo, but gives me great hope for third person RPG games in the future. It's a small scene, featuring a detailed room with two levels and soft lighting and while it's not the kind of demo to give you much prescence, you get a great vantage point to see any action that could take place there. You could easily imagine your character(s) walking around the room while you watch from an isometric perspective.

It's also a great way to test out the DK2's positional tracking feature, as you can lean down from above and look over some of the details of the room.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWYmaPQJ_Mw']

Download the demo from Oculus Share, here.

Knock Knock

knock

This was an interesting demo that I had to do some digging to actually find. It features a woman entering a room and whispering in your ear. It's pretty dull visually and the texturing and modelling are all at a much lower level than most of the demos and experiences I'll be talking about here, but it does two things fantastically well.

Firstly, the sound is phenomenally well done. It was recorded using a binaural microphone, so stereo panning is spot on. When that knock on the door comes it really makes you want to get up and open it and the woman's voice feels very intimate and close by. You can almost feel her breath on your ear.

Another aspect of this demo which I loved – which I don't even think was a major feature – was the use of your shadow on the wall First person games are the most realistic feeling demos in general for VR, but you never get to see yourself move in time with the real you. By showing your shadow on the wall, you actually see your head move in-game along with your real head. It makes a huge difference to feeling like you're really there and despite the somewhat lacklustre visuals, this demo had a lot of presence.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW46XW5-3bo']

Download the demo and a number of others fromo the developer's site, here.

From Ashes

from-ashes

From Ashes is a static demo in which you can't move around, but are instead sat behind a desk for its entirety. It takes you through time from the big bang, right through to the modern age, discussing space, chemistry, biology and more throughout its journey.

While I had a little trouble getting my positioning right (you tend to be forced far too close to the desktop for a natural height) this was the first demo that really made me see the power of positional tracking. Being able to lean around the desk to look at objects more closely, or to see them from a different angle was very exciting.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cewwHBjG-Q']

Download the experience from Oculus Share here.

Sightline The Chair

sightline

This is a really interesting demonstration that plays with some of the potential of the Oculus Rift in ways others don't. In a similar fashion to the original Sightline, what you're not looking at changes, often dramatically. However in this one, like From Ashes, you can't move from your chair, which in many ways aids immersion.

Throughout the demo you'll see the room around your shrink and expand, magic blobs you can control with your viewpoint and space rocks you can explode with your mind. You might get a little jumpy towards the end, as the demo plays with your perceptions of personal space and danger, without ever really trying to spook you. It's very well done and is easily one of the more polished experiences available on the DK2 right now.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4ahBee1M8′]

Download this experience from the developer's site, here.

UE4 Rollercoaster

ue4

The original DK1 had a number of different rollercoasters made for it and with good reason. While the Rift at that point was pretty low resolution, the speed you were travelling often made up for that and it gave you a great little drop in your stomach when you went over a precipice, showing the effectiveness of the VR medium.

That's the case with the DK2 as well, although there aren't quite as many. The most impressive, in my opinion, is the beautifully created UE4 rollercoaster, which has you riding around a lovingly crafted living room as a Borrower-sized individual.

The physics are spot on for the most part and you get a great sense of speed, with a couple of nice drops to make your stomach flip flop.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSUirqb5Rns']

Download this experience from Oculus Share, here.

Titans of space 2

titans

There's a reason Gravity blew away audiences this year. It's not because it had a sterling performance from ol' frozen face Bullock and not even necessarily because the CGI was great (it was), but because space is undeniably beautiful and awe inspiring. Titans of Space gives you a great look at not only each of the planets in our solar system, their moons and facts about each of them, but the scale of it all.

If you want a jaw dropping experience in the Rift, take a good look at Titan's of Space. Transitioning from the 10 metre scale Earth, to the hundreds of metres in diameter Sun, is utterly mesmerising.

Combined with a soundtrack that fits with the Comos' like feel of the demonstration, this is one of the very best experiences available for the Rift (DK1 or 2) right now.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoL1uLS1HQ4′]

Download this experience from the developer's site, here.

Cineveo

cineveo

You might not think going to the Cinema is a particularly exciting experience you can have in the Rift, but I think it has a lot more potential for a popular application than a lot of other developments. There's a lot of different ones out there, but I tried one of the few that actually costs money to use.

Cineveo, at $10 is the most expensive Rift cinema experience available at the moment and it does come across as very polished. The menus are easy to navigate and apart from a couple of hiccups, it works very well. There's multiple different cinema screens for you to use, putting you in space, under the sea or in a traditional setting but with added “4D” extras to make the experience more exciting.

With a Rift cinema you always have the best seat and can pause the film whenever you want. It's like going to a real cinema, only better. I might have a 40″ TV in the living rooom, but the one in Cineveo is hundreds. 3D movies work particularly well too and don't require an expensive TV.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQZ_BvM858s']

NB. The Cineveo developer has been rumoured to have downvoted a lot of comparable Rift cinema experiences and left faux reviews for his own software. I can't confirm this, but it's worth bearing in mind if you consider buying it.

Other available cinema experiences include: VR Cinema and Rift Max.

You can buy this VR cinema application from the develooper's site, here.

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Oculus reveals details on Rift consumer version https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/oculus-reveals-details-on-rift-consumer-version/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/oculus-reveals-details-on-rift-consumer-version/#comments Fri, 05 Sep 2014 09:26:31 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=210452 Oculus has revealed a few details surrounding the upcoming consumer version of its virtual reality headset. For a start, the specifications for the consumer version of the Oculus Rift have already been decided on and the team already has a price point in mind. Speaking with Eurogamer, Oculus founder, Palmer Luckey said: “We know what we're …

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Oculus has revealed a few details surrounding the upcoming consumer version of its virtual reality headset. For a start, the specifications for the consumer version of the Oculus Rift have already been decided on and the team already has a price point in mind.

Speaking with Eurogamer, Oculus founder, Palmer Luckey said: “We know what we're making and now it's a matter of making it. The consumer version is significantly improved, the jump from DK1 to DK2 is similar to the jump from DK2 to CD1, the consumer version.”

rift

The consumer version of the Oculus Rift will feature a “significant increase” in resolution and will have a 90Hz refresh rate. Considering that the consumer version is still a couple of years off, it's possible that we could see it utilize a 4K screen- or a 1440p screen at the very least. Additionally, the final version will be smaller, lighter and much easer to set up compared to today's development kits.

As far as price goes, we could either see it release as low as $200 or as high as $400, according to the Oculus founder, it could “slide in either direction” depending on pre-orders, scale, final components and business arrangements.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I'm excited for the Oculus Rift, although I have a feeling that we are going to be waiting a while for the final version. Have any of you guys tried out the development kit? What did you think?

Source: Eurogamer

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Oculus VR announces Rift DK2s shipping, new SDK https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/oculus-vr-announces-rift-dk2s-shipping-new-sdk/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/oculus-vr-announces-rift-dk2s-shipping-new-sdk/#respond Fri, 25 Jul 2014 15:14:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=204793 Despite assurances that the second development kit for the Oculus Rift, dubbed DK2, would be arriving around the middle of July to the earliest of buyers, delays caused a bit of a push back – until today. We've just gotten word that the Oculus Rift DK2 is now shipping and that the latest SDK, 0.4.0 …

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Despite assurances that the second development kit for the Oculus Rift, dubbed DK2, would be arriving around the middle of July to the earliest of buyers, delays caused a bit of a push back – until today. We've just gotten word that the Oculus Rift DK2 is now shipping and that the latest SDK, 0.4.0 has been released.

Announced on the Oculus blog, the developers are promising to have as many as 9,000 DK2s in the hands of developers by the end of next week, with the other 35,000 or so following on in short order.

Oculus also wanted to apologise for the delay and thank people for bearing with it: “Thank you for your continued patience as we build more kits and move them around the world as quickly as possible,” it said.

k2

However we've talked about the new DK2 for months, so if you're a fan of the technology there's not a lot more to say, just keep an eye out for first hand experiences soon. However what is new, is the software development kit that Oculus has released along with the new headset. 

This new version of the SDK brings with it plenty of new features, including official positional tracking support and a new display driver that makes it much easier to send video straight to the Rift rather than needing to extend or duplicate the main display. 

Other changes include a new health and safety warning screen and an Oculus runtime that is separate from the SDK, keeping the config utility self contained.

KitGuru Says: Unfortunately I pre-ordered my DK2 late, so I won't be able to give you guys my impressions for some time, but the release of the DK2 should mean a bunch of new experiences are coming in short order, so keep your eyes peeled. 

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Oculus VR acquires Carbon Design, the developer of Xbox controller https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/anton-shilov/oculus-vr-acquires-carbon-design-the-developer-of-xbox-controller/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/anton-shilov/oculus-vr-acquires-carbon-design-the-developer-of-xbox-controller/#respond Tue, 24 Jun 2014 22:57:41 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=199885 Oculus VR on Tuesday said it agreed to acquire Carbon Design, one of the premier industrial design and product engineering teams. Carbon Design is known for the Xbox gamepad as well as the Kinect motion sensor. The design team will help Oculus VR to design its first commercial virtual reality headset and its successors. While …

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Oculus VR on Tuesday said it agreed to acquire Carbon Design, one of the premier industrial design and product engineering teams. Carbon Design is known for the Xbox gamepad as well as the Kinect motion sensor. The design team will help Oculus VR to design its first commercial virtual reality headset and its successors.

While Oculus VR’s Oculus Rift prototypes for software developers work pretty well, their design is far from being really good. They are too bulky, they are not stylish and they are generally consumer-unfriendly. With its own design team, which will work closely with the Oculus R&D team based out of Redmond, Oculus VR will address all the design issues of its final product that is expected to be released in 2015.

As part of the deal, the team will officially become a key component of the product engineering group at Oculus, operating from the Carbon studio in the Seattle area.

microsoft_xbox_one_controller_carbon

“A few seconds with the latest Oculus prototypes and you know that virtual reality is for real this time,” said Peter Bristol, creative director at Carbon Design. “From a design and engineering perspective, building the products that finally deliver consumer virtual reality is one of the most interesting and challenging problem sets ever. This is an entirely open product category. With consumer VR at its inception, the physical architectures are still unknown – We are on the cutting edge of defining how virtual reality looks, feels, and functions.”

carbon_example

The acquisition of the design studio indicates that Oculus VR has rather big plans for the future. It is highly likely that the company already foresees not only a successor to its first commercial product, but a lineup of various VR gear, possibly aimed at different types of customers.

Carbon Design has a 20 year history of taking consumer, industrial and medical products from concept to completion. Carbon is known for quality engineering, ergonomics, deep user insights, and rapid iteration.

microsoft_xbox_360_kinect_carbon

Oculus VR expects the deal to close by the end of summer.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Oculus VR clearly did a right thing by taking over a design studio. One of the things that the Oculus Rift VR headset lacks is style and that is something the commercial product due next year will clearly need.

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Oculus Rift is still a gaming VR headset first – company https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/anton-shilov/oculus-rift-is-still-a-gaming-vr-headset-first-company/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/anton-shilov/oculus-rift-is-still-a-gaming-vr-headset-first-company/#respond Thu, 12 Jun 2014 04:23:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=197786 While Facebook did say that the virtual reality technology is a strong candidate to emerge as the next social and communications platform when it acquired Oculus VR earlier this year, the main focus of the virtual reality headset that is under development today is gaming, according to Nate Mitchell, vice president of product at Oculus …

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While Facebook did say that the virtual reality technology is a strong candidate to emerge as the next social and communications platform when it acquired Oculus VR earlier this year, the main focus of the virtual reality headset that is under development today is gaming, according to Nate Mitchell, vice president of product at Oculus VR.

Many industries, including communications, media and entertainment, are expected to benefit from virtual reality technologies, so it is logical to expect that eventually there will be different types of VR headsets designed with various applications in mind. Nate Mitchell said that while Facebook had introduced Oculus VR to new ideas, the headset that is expected to hit the market next year is still intended for gaming.

“For us, we are all gamers, we are game developers, and if you look at our team, it is 90 percent industry veterans, so we have this big focus on games,” said Mr. Mitchell in an interview with Polygon. “We want this to be the best platform for VR games. I think, longer-term, we are all excited about the potential of everything you can do with VR, whether it's film or education or training or communication. Over time, I think you'll see more of that, but it's all really about games, and Facebook is excited about that, too.”

oculus_oculus_vr_oculus_dk2_oculus_rift_vr_helmt

While gamers demand realism and high-quality experience, they can live with relatively bulky and not really stylish devices that come with numerous wires. Therefore, it is pretty logical to create a gaming headset and then develop VR headsets for other applications based on the gaming device. To some extent, this is the strategy of the ongoing collaboration between Facebook and Oculus VR.

“Part of the Facebook deal is, ‘Here's a buffet of resources, take advantage of whatever you want.' On the flip-side, they've also been super proactive in suggesting ideas,” said the vice president.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is nice to see that there are no attempts to make Oculus VR’s first commercial virtual reality headset a universal consumer device from the very start. In a bid to build a perfect gaming device, no trade-offs should be made.

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Zenimax sues Oculus VR, Palmer Luckey, seeks compensation https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/zenimax-sues-oculus-vr-palmer-luckey-seeks-compensation/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/zenimax-sues-oculus-vr-palmer-luckey-seeks-compensation/#comments Wed, 21 May 2014 22:38:58 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=194429 After accusing John Carmack of stealing intellectual property earlier this year, ZeniMax on Wednesday started a legal battle against Oculus VR, which is about to become a subsidiary of Facebook. When John Carmack was asked why he left id Software (which is owned by ZeniMax Media) last year for Oculus VR, he said that the …

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After accusing John Carmack of stealing intellectual property earlier this year, ZeniMax on Wednesday started a legal battle against Oculus VR, which is about to become a subsidiary of Facebook.

When John Carmack was asked why he left id Software (which is owned by ZeniMax Media) last year for Oculus VR, he said that the company did not put enough efforts into development of virtual reality (VR) technologies, which, he believes, are the key to the future of video games. Ironically, but ZeniMax entertainment not only accused John Carmack of stealing its VR-related intellectual property last month, but also filed a lawsuit against Oculus VR on Wednesday.

ZeniMax Media and its subsidiary, id Software LLC, filed suit against Oculus VR, Inc. and its founder, Palmer Luckey, for “illegally misappropriating ZeniMax trade secrets” concerning virtual reality technology, and “infringing ZeniMax copyrights and trademarks”. ZeniMax is also asserting claims “for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and unfair competition against the defendants.” The suit was filed in federal court in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

john_carmack_oculus_id

According to ZeniMax, the defendants unlawfully exploited its intellectual property, including trade secrets, copyrighted computer code, and technical know-how relating to virtual reality technology. ZeniMax claims that development of the VR-related technologies took “years of research and investment” and were allegedly provided to Mr. Carmack under a binding non-disclosure agreement. The software company asserts that its fundamental technology drove the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset “since its inception”. In 2012 and 2013 John Carmack, who is not mentioned in the lawsuit, helped Mr. Luckey to make the Oculus Rift prototype better.

It is noteworthy that ZeniMax revealed in Wednesday's court filing that Oculus offered it a 2 per cent equity stake in the company as a compensation for the intellectual property. The negotiations ended early in 2013 after Oculus and its founder Palmer Luckey “became increasingly evasive and uncooperative.”

Oculus VR and Facebook did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: There may be two key reasons why ZeniMax sued Oculus VR now (both are speculations at this point). The software company believes that this time the virtual reality technology will take off and it naturally wants to capitalize on it somehow. ZeniMax wants to sign a larger deal with Facebook concerning not only virtual reality technology in particular, but something considerably broader.

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Google Glass engineer lands at Oculus VR, might shrink headset https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/google-glass-engineer-lands-at-oculus-vr-might-miniaturize-headset/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/google-glass-engineer-lands-at-oculus-vr-might-miniaturize-headset/#respond Fri, 16 May 2014 12:22:13 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=193503 Adrian Wong, lead electrical engineer of Google Glass, has left Google to work for Oculus VR, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Facebook. While people often change workplaces in Silicon Valley, the arrival of a specialist like Mr. Wong at Oculus VR may point to some interesting things about the future of the company’s virtual reality headset. …

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Adrian Wong, lead electrical engineer of Google Glass, has left Google to work for Oculus VR, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Facebook. While people often change workplaces in Silicon Valley, the arrival of a specialist like Mr. Wong at Oculus VR may point to some interesting things about the future of the company’s virtual reality headset.

At Google, Mr. Wong was responsible for the main printed-circuit board (PCB) and display electronics subsystems used by the Glass smart eyewear, reports Androidcentral. While the engineer calls himself a “Professional Daydreamer for Oculus VR” on his LinkedIn page, he really is an electrical engineer who has experience in designing miniature devices.

M_Id_435245_Google_Glass

Google Glass in its current form is not the final version of the product that Google and its partners will eventually sell; yet, it is miniature and can actually be comfortably used while outside without attracting too much attention. As reported, hardware inside Google Glass closely resembles hardware inside smartphones, but in a considerably smaller package. The internal design of Google Glass looks simple on a picture, but it is rather hard to design as the level of integration is very high.

google_glass_exploded_catwig-com_1

Google Glass dissected. Image by Catwig.com

By contrast, Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets designed for game developers are very bulky and are not stylish at all, which is probably a result of a rather low level of integration and rough design of internal parts. The Oculus Rift virtual reality helmets can be used for gaming, but they are not as neat as Google Glass.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlHKSmATTng']

Oculus VR itself has said numerous times that commercial version of the VR headset will be a lot different from the development kits available now. The first thing that comes to mind about Oculus Rift is that it needs miniaturization and style. In a bid to make a device smaller, it is necessary to shrink its internal design by as much as possible. Perhaps, this is exactly what Mr. Wong will do at Oculus VR: rework internal PCBs and electrical systems of the VR headsets. At least, it is logical to assume that.

Keeping in mind that Facebook wants to spread virtual reality beyond video games, it will certainly need to design VR headsets and eyewear that will be useful in other areas. In a bid to develop such devices, a lot of engineers are needed, so Mr. Wong will be joined by other people.

Adrian Wong, Google and Facebook did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Without any doubts, Oculus Rift headsets need miniaturization because in their current form-factor they will hardly appeal to any audience other than core gamers. The best thing to shrink something in size is to integrate it more tightly using either more advanced off-the-shelf components or proprietary parts designed specifically for the device. In case Oculus VR needs exclusive hardware, we will see the company hiring a lot more hardware specialists.

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Oculus VR to reveal new Oculus Rift VR headset prototype ‘soon’ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/oculus-vr-plans-to-reveal-new-oculus-rift-vr-headset-prototype-soon/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/oculus-vr-plans-to-reveal-new-oculus-rift-vr-headset-prototype-soon/#respond Tue, 06 May 2014 13:24:58 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=191425 One of the reasons why Oculus VR decided to become a part of Facebook was the latter’s ability to invest vast amounts of money into research and development of hardware. That expectation seems to be paying off: the company’s chief executive promised to reveal yet another Oculus Rift VR headset prototype shortly. Speaking at TechCrunch …

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One of the reasons why Oculus VR decided to become a part of Facebook was the latter’s ability to invest vast amounts of money into research and development of hardware. That expectation seems to be paying off: the company’s chief executive promised to reveal yet another Oculus Rift VR headset prototype shortly.

Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt conference, chief executive officer of Oculus VR – Brendan Iribe – said that the acquisition of the company by Facebook and access to its resources would quicken development process of the virtual reality headset hardware as well as games designed for such platforms.

“[The decision to become a part of Facebook] centered around being able to leverage their cash and investment into hardware R&D, which is expensive,” said Mr. Iribe, reports Cnet News. “[Oculus would pursue original vision], but doing it even bigger, faster.”

oculus_oculus_vr_oculus_dk2_oculus_rift_vr_helmt

Early this year Oculus VR introduced the code-named Crystal Cove prototype virtual reality headset that features 960*1080 resolution per eye at 75Hz refresh rate. The company’s Oculus Rift development kit 2 is based on the Crystal Cove. However, the DK2 will not be the only prototype from Oculus VR this year. According to Mr. Iribe, a new prototype of the company's virtual reality Rift headset is “coming soon”.

The head of Oculus VR did not elaborate regarding details about the upcoming headset’s specifications, but it is logical to expect it to support higher resolution, lower response time, lower lag and so on.

The new prototype will be Oculus VR’s second model to be introduced this year, a clear indication that the company is speeding up its development efforts.

It is likely that the new prototype aimed at game developers will closer resemble commercial version of Oculus Rift, which is supposed to hit the market sometimes in 2015, than currently available DK1 and DK2 versions.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Since even development versions of Oculus Rift are in high demand among video game enthusiasts, it is logical to expect Oculus Rift development kit 3 (DK3) to become popular among gamers too. In case you plan to buy a DK2 now, then it makes sense to wait a couple of months…

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Secret Oculus Rift prototype features photorealistic VR experience https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/secret-oculus-rift-prototype-features-photorealistic-vr-experience/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/secret-oculus-rift-prototype-features-photorealistic-vr-experience/#respond Fri, 02 May 2014 11:58:41 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=190801 Not a lot is known about the commercial version of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset that is due in 2015. However, it is known that Oculus VR is developing a version of its VR gear that is considerably more powerful than the existing devices aimed at game developers and features photorealistic graphics, according to …

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Not a lot is known about the commercial version of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset that is due in 2015. However, it is known that Oculus VR is developing a version of its VR gear that is considerably more powerful than the existing devices aimed at game developers and features photorealistic graphics, according to people, who tried it.

The first-gen Oculus Rift VR headset designed for software developers supported 640*800 resolution per eye, whereas the second-gen development kit features 960*1080 resolution per eye at 75Hz refresh rate. Both DKs are equipped with gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer. Although the Oculus Rift DK2 based on the code-named “Crystal Cove” concept should be dramatically better than the DK1, it hardly can provide realistic image quality when virtual looks like real.

oculus_vr_oculusvr_oculus_rift_dk2_2

However, Oculus VR has something that does offer photorealistic experience, according to Andreessen Horowitz partner Chris Dixon, an investor in Oculus VR, who tried the device in a secret room while at Oculus Rift headquarters in Irvine, California.

“Crystal Cove is 50% of what they are running in [their HQ],” said Mr. Dixon in a conversation with Business Insider. “You go into a room. It is a special room. Fancier headset. In user testing it gets to a level of realism where almost all people feel that it is realistic.”

No technical details about the prototype virtual reality headset are known outside Oculus VR. What is known is that the VR gear is connected to “a giant server” with “a massive amount of processing power” and takes up a whole room. Oculus expects, eventually, to be able to shrink the size of the prototype into units that can be sold commercially, according to Business Insider.

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It is highly likely that the secret prototype features an ultra-high-definition resolution display (or maybe a display with full-HD+ resolution and antialiasing) with very high refresh rate (at least 100Hz) and minimal response time as well as very advanced motion sensors. The unit is probably connected to an ultra-high-performance system that receives information from sensors and renders photorealistic graphics so fast and so smoothly (at a framerate that equals refresh rate of the display and adjusted to how human eye and brain receive and process information) that people cannot tell the difference between virtual reality and reality.

“Imagine everything you can see now, but it is a little bit pixelated. Eventually that [pixelation] will go away,” said Mr. Dixon.
An official from Oculus VR confirmed existence of the demo room with an Oculus Rift prototype which provides photorealistic experience.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: A relatively small UHD display with high refresh rate and which could be integrated into a VR headset is, perhaps, a year away from mass production (there is a 6.1” IGZO display with 2560*1600 resolution from Sharp and 10.1” LTPS display panel with 3840*2160 (4K) resolution from Japan Display already, smartphone with 4K screens are predicted to emerge in 2015), so, creation of a 4K VR headset is hardly a problem. However, computing power that would be required to process data from sensors and render graphics at a frame-rate that is adjusted to human eyes and brain may not be there for a couple of years at least. Moreover, to really create photorealistic virtual reality, software should work in absolute synchronisation with hardware. Such software is probably very far away…

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Commercial version of the Oculus Rift set to hit the market in 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/commercial-version-of-the-oculus-rift-set-to-hit-the-market-in-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/commercial-version-of-the-oculus-rift-set-to-hit-the-market-in-2015/#comments Fri, 02 May 2014 10:42:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=190768 Having sold over 85 thousand of Oculus Rift virtual reality headset prototypes aimed at software developers, Oculus VR is still pretty far away from introduction of commercial versions of the device. The company said at the Facebook’s F8 conference that the consumer version of the Oculus Rift VR gear would hit the market in 2015. …

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Having sold over 85 thousand of Oculus Rift virtual reality headset prototypes aimed at software developers, Oculus VR is still pretty far away from introduction of commercial versions of the device. The company said at the Facebook’s F8 conference that the consumer version of the Oculus Rift VR gear would hit the market in 2015.

Business Insider reports citing a spokesperson for Oculus VR that the company and its new owner Facebook would be disappointed if the VR headset would not be available at retail for ordinary people before 2016, which points to availability during the holiday season 2015 at the latest. While many enthusiasts who bought developers version of the Oculus Rift would like to buy the commercial flavour of the product already this year, the official launch in 2015 makes a lot of sense.

oculus_vr_oculusvr_oculus_rift_dk2

In a bid to make Oculus Rift a commercial success among gamers (even core gamers) there should be quality games developed with the VR in mind on the market. Development of video games takes a long time these days, those titles that are being built today will only show up sometimes in 2015.

The main issue here is that game publishers are reluctant to invest into development of games for new platforms until that hardware is at the hands of the consumers, who then will buy software. However, gamers will not buy a piece of hardware that is not supported by existing software. As a result, Oculus VR and Facebook should coordinate their efforts with game developers in a bid to release the first commercial version of the Oculus Rift simultaneously with games that were developed for VR headsets.

Keeping in mind that virtual reality titles should be developed differently than currently available games, expect software creators to learn how to make VR games in a right way. The first breed of virtual reality titles will, without any doubts, be very impressive (and certainly more impressive than games developed for monitors which are now experienced in the VR gear). However, eventually, as artists and programmers learn how to build virtual worlds and experiences, the VR games will get much closer to reality than the first wave of titles.

Oculus-Rift-1

At present neither the launch date, nor the lineup of launch titles, nor the price of the VR headset are known. However, several big developers have confirmed that they are working on titles that will use virtual reality gear. At present Oculus VR is in the process of building a team to work on marketing and branding of the product.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see how many more devkits Oculus VR will manage to sell to gamers before the commercial version becomes available. The interest towards the VR among the core gamers is so high that it looks like many of them are going to get current-gen Oculus Rift DK2 “Crystal Cove” in order to play select games that have support for it already this year…

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