Back in 2016, Valve debuted its vertically oriented "Knuckles" controller for use with SteamVR. The device remains exclusive to developers, but a new EV2 model has just been unveiled with a number of refinements that translate to improved controls in a VR environment, including new sensors that detect finger movement and grip strength.
The Sony PlayStation might be getting a lot of flak lately over its Fortnite cross-play snub, but PS fans can now gloat over the Xbox rivals over one aspect. The PlayStation has its own VR system and, if things continue as they are now, the Xbox won’t. Microsoft is now practically going back on its own marketing that plays up the Xbox One X as being capable of “high-fidelity VR”. And beneath its reason is the simple fact that it doesn’t foresee making money out of console VR.
Children aren't the most receptive when it comes to needles, but virtual reality is helping change that. A new study details research into the use of VR headsets in the doctor's office, specifically as a tool to distract kids from the mild pain associated with getting a shot or blood drawn. Turns out, the majority of kids stop caring about the needle when there's a headset strapped to their face.
When it comes to major, non-mobile VR platforms, there are often only two names thrown around: VIVE and Oculus. Less known is an admittedly more restricted VR platform, one that requires you to have a very specific hardware. That is PlayStation VR, PS VR for short, one of the youngest in the market. Its selection of apps has been pretty limited and more on the gaming side. On Tuesday, however, PS VR will get serious with the addition of SculptVR to its short roster.
Netflix is preparing to launch a new original drama television series called Kiss Me First, and it has released the first trailer for that show. This is the latest among several Netflix originals that center around futuristic technology, making it a suitable addition to the service's growing science fiction library.
Inside the Microsoft HoloLens 2 augmented/mixed-reality headset is tipped the most major appearance of Qualcomm's own XR1 VR chip. This processor isn't technically as powerful as the Qualcomm Snadpragon 845, but according to all the information we have on the XR1 so far, it's made for and capable of running a device just such as this. The hardware itself is tipped to be coming to the market starting in early 2019.
If the Star Trek Holodeck is the virtual reality dream, then Sandbox VR has got closer than most. Opening in new pop-up locations in San Mateo, CA, as well as other US cities, ahead of fixed centers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, it's a tried-and-tested group VR experience that has already seen success in Asia. Now, it's hoping to bring that experience to the US.
For years now, Sega has offered a catalog of classic Genesis and Mega Drive games through Steam. These games can be purchased separately or in a bundle featuring all 59 of them, but regardless of how you purchase them, they're all launched through a Steam compilation called "Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Classics." Sega has pushed a new update to Classics, and chief among the new features is support for virtual reality headsets.
Qualcomm has revealed its latest chipset, the Snapdragon XR1, but rather than phones it's intended for Extended Reality headsets like AR smartglasses and untethered VR. Slotting in beneath the Snapdragon 845 as a more affordable "XR" option for device-makers, it's part of Qualcomm's attempt to capture entry-level standalone systems.
HTC has just unveiled its 2018 flagship, the HTC U12+, proving that it's not yet done in the mobile market. It is perhaps no coincidence that it scheduled that announcement mere days before its VIVE Ecosystem Conference (VEC). Because at its VR-centric event, it announced a reimagined VIVE Ecosystem and a new System Update 2.0 for the VIVE Focus which would, among other things, let HTC U12+ owners see their smartphone notifications inside the VIVE Focus, letting them access a part of the outside world without removing the headset.
This week the folks at Hyperbolic Magnetism are probably pretty pumped up about all the press they're getting for Beat Saber. They first started development for this game back in 2016, and between then and now it's been tested by hundreds of users. In its first couple weeks on the Steam VR store and Oculus Store, Beat Saber's become a sort of shock hit.
There's a device called RED Hydrogen One out in the universe that we need to have a talk about. This is a smartphone from the folks at RED, a company best known for their cinema-friendly high-end video cameras. We've seen this smartphone - parts of it anyway - earlier this year, but without a whole lot of deep detail, it's suddenly popped up on Verizon and AT&T. What the heck?