Traditionally, the middle-child can be the most problematic, but Oculus is hoping that its new Oculus Quest virtual reality headset bucks that trend. Revealed at Oculus Connect 5 today, the Facebook-owned company's annual VR developer event, the Quest slots in-between the existing Rift and Go headsets and, as I eagerly put to the test, promises the best of both.
![Star Wars: Vader Immortal trailer and release info revealed [UPDATE]](https://c.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/oculus-connect-5-2018-9-980x620.jpg)
This week the folks at ILMxLAB spoke at Oculus Connect 5 about their new title "Vader Immortal." This is a virtual reality experience that takes place in three parts - the first of which is called Vader Immortal: Episode I. In the game, users will travel to Mustafar, to Darth Vader's palace. This experience will take place in the Star Wars universe in the period of time between Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope.
While the Oculus Quest may have been the big-ticket item during today's Oculus Connect 5 keynote, Facebook still took a little time to cover the software side of things. More specifically, the company gave us a launch window for the next version of the Rift's system software. Dubbed Oculus Rift Core 2.0, this new system software is exiting beta today and launching to all Rift owners at some point next month.
Oculus will launch personalized expressive avatars later this year, adding the ability to show facial expressions and more through the virtual versions of each VR user. It's part of the Facebook-owned company's attempt to reach a billion users, something social network CEO Mark Zuckerberg concedes that Oculus is only around 1-percent of the way to completing so far.
Oculus Quest is Facebook's big-time next-generation VR headset. This device is wireless, comes with Touch Controllers, and offers 6DoF (6 degrees of freedom.) It has built-in audio (with a system similar to previous all-in-one mobile VR systems) - and it's running its own OS (based on Android). Inside the device is a series of sensors that allows the device to run free from other devices.
Generally speaking, air travel is a pretty dull affair that is nonetheless a reality of life for a lot of people. Alaska Airlines announced today that is has a new way for some flyers to pass the time while they're in the air, as it has outfitted some of cross-country routes with VR headsets. More specifically, Allosky headsets from SkyLights will allow Alaska Airlines passengers to watch some immersive VR movies and short films as they fly.
This week the folks behind Google's Daydream VR universe revealed they'd made a pair of new controllers. These controllers look something like a cross between their earliest Daydream controller and a PlayStation Move - or better yet, just a PSVR controller, but a tiny bit different. These new controllers are not (yet) available to the public, they'll be sent first to game developers and app developers interested in taking VR to a new level.
Google has revealed new experimental controllers for the Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream. These controllers, which are only available for developers at this time, feature six degrees of freedom (6DoF), bringing "natural and intuitive controls" to the standalone virtual reality headset. Interested developers must apply for a dev kit.
Virtual reality is all about immersing yourself in a made-up world that looks (in theory) like you’re really in it. The last thing you need is a flat floating rectangle that shatters that illusion. That said, if you ever need to access the Web, that’s exactly the only way. Mozilla, however, says it doesn’t have to be a painful and disconcerting experience. With Firefox Reality now in its version 1.0 stable release, one of the world’s biggest web browsers is taking a step towards blending the 2D web and the immersive web.
Much like Xerxes the first, the team behind Viveport are generous gods, and do not want to keep the service to themselves alone. As such, the Viveport subscription service just came to Oculus this morning. With the Viveport VR Store on Oculus Rift, users can drop in on the subscription service with 200 compatible titles OR buy games individually.
Acer has a new Windows Mixed Reality Headset, the Acer OJO 500, for IFA 2018, and since AR and VR are more fun in a group, it's focused on simpler sharing. The first headset to support Microsoft's Mixed Reality platform that has a detachable design, it also promises to be more flexible when it comes to users with different eyesight.
One advantage of low and mid-range virtual reality headsets like the Gear VR or the Oculus Go is they're wireless, relying on phones or onboard hardware for their power. High-end headset like the HTC VIVE and Oculus Rift require that you connect them to a reasonably powerful gaming PC in order for them to work. HTC is looking to change that today, introducing the VIVE Wireless Adapter at Gamescom.