Thursday, December 31, 2020

‘VRChat’ Hosts 24-hour Ball Drop & Live Music to Ring in the New Year

Many social VR platforms are playing host to informal New Year’s Eve parties, with users banding together to ring in the new year. VRChat is going the extra mile this year though to put on a 24-hour NYE bash that includes ball drops on the hour and live music so everyone can celebrate.

VRChat’s New Year’s Eve celebration is already in full swing, replete with a Virtual Times Square. The space, which is accessible on PC VR headsets and Oculus Quest, features community-created billboards, 16 community storefronts, and rooftop areas to view the ball drop and (of course) virtual fireworks.

Like any good NYE party, live music is being offered up from a number of artists, which is courtesy of Virtual Bass, a VR festival organizer group with focus on electronic dance music. Check out the schedule below, with showtimes listed in PST:

Image courtesy VRChat, Virtual Bass

Jean-Michele Jarre NYE Concert

Electronic music pioneer Jean-Michele Jarre is also hosting a concert in VRChat that is slated to take place December 31st at 11:25 PM CET (local time here).

The concert is set to take place in a virtual recreation of Notre-Dame in Paris. Check out the promo video below.

There, Jarre will preform tracks from his upcoming album ‘Welcome to the Other Side’.

To experience it live, simply search ‘NOTRE-DAME CONCERT’ once in VRChat. The world is open to both PC VR and Oculus Quest headsets.

Replays of the concert will be available for 24 hours after the live performance.


Know of any other awesome NYE events in VR? Let us know in the comments below!

The post ‘VRChat’ Hosts 24-hour Ball Drop & Live Music to Ring in the New Year appeared first on Road to VR.



Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/vrchat-nye-2020-party-new-years-eve/

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

The 20 Best Rated & Most Rated Quest Games & Apps – December 2020

While Oculus doesn’t offer much publicly in the way of understanding how well individual apps are performing across its VR storefronts, it’s possible to glean some insight by looking at apps relative to each other. Here’s a snapshot of the top 20 Oculus Quest games and apps as of December 2020.

ℹ Why We Publish This Data

While the SteamVR library already has a comprehensive tracking database thanks to SteamDB, Steam 250, and more, no similar database exists to track applications on Oculus storefronts. We publish this data to give users, developers, and analysts insight into the Oculus app landscape.

Some quick qualifications before we get to the data:

  • Paid and free apps are separated
  • Only apps with more than 100 reviews are represented
  • Rounded ratings may appear to show ‘ties’ in ratings for some applications, but the ranked order remains correct

Best Rated Paid Oculus Quest Apps

The rating of each application is an aggregate of user reviews and a useful way to understand the general reception of each title by customers.

Name Rating (# of ratings) Rank Change Price
ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos 4.91 (481) New $40
Cubism 4.89 (165) ↓ 1 $10
The Room VR: A Dark Matter 4.89 (3,800) ↓ 1 $30
Moss 4.83 (3,597) $30
The Thrill of the Fight 4.81 (3,747) ↑ 1 $10
I Expect You To Die 4.81 (2,545) ↑ 1 $25
Walkabout Mini Golf 4.8 (804) ↓ 2 $15
Blaston 4.79 (628) ↑ 2 $10
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 4.78 (4,222) ↓ 6 $30
Pistol Whip 4.77 (5,397) ↑ 2 $25
SUPERHOT VR 4.76 (9,575) $25
In Death: Unchained 4.76 (1,479) ↓ 4 $30
Down the Rabbit Hole 4.75 (662) ↓ 4 $20
Trover Saves the Universe 4.74 (929) ↓ 1 $30
Shooty Skies Overdrive 4.74 (178) ↑ 3 $10
Racket: Nx 4.74 (1,197) ↑ 1 $20
Until You Fall 4.74 (620) ↓ 3 $25
Job Simulator 4.74 (5,480) ↓ 2 $20
Vacation Simulator 4.71 (1,575) $30
Rez Infinite 4.71 (100) New $20

Rank Change & Stats Compared to November 2020

Dropouts
POPULATION: ONE, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

  • Among the 20 best rated Quest apps
    • Average rating (mean): 4.8 out of 5 (±0)
    • Average price (mean): $23 (±$0)
    • Most common price (mode): $30 (±$0)
  • Among all paid Quest apps
    • Average rating (mean): 4.3 out of 5 (±0)
    • Average price (mean): $20 (+$1)
    • Most common price (mode): $20 (±$0)

Continue on Page 2: Most Rated Paid Oculus Quest Apps »

The post The 20 Best Rated & Most Rated Quest Games & Apps – December 2020 appeared first on Road to VR.



Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/best-oculus-quest-games-app-rated-december-2020/

Buy Oculus Quest 2 Today & Get a $15 Gift Card from NewEgg

Oculus Quest 2 has been backordered at major online retailers since before Christmas. If you act now though, you may just be able to snag one and start playing next week, all with an added bonus of a $15 gift card for future purchases at NewEgg.

The deal, which is priced at the standard MSRP of $300, is only available for the 64GB version of Oculus Quest 2 on NewEgg’s US-based site.

You’ll need to act fast though, because the offer ends at 2 AM ET on December 31st (local time here), and also while supplies last.

At the time of this writing, deliveries are expected between January 4th – 8th in the continental United States, which means you could be playing a ton of great games as early as next week.

NewEgg says the $15 promotional gift card will be mailed four days after the purchase goes through, and will expire 365 days after issue.

With that sort of cash, you can offset the cost of an Oculus Link cable, which will let you play SteamVR and Rift platform games, provided you have a VR-ready PC on hand. NewEgg also has washable face pads, the official Oculus Quest 2 carrying case, and headstrap replacements—all of them recommended for long-term Quest users.

The post Buy Oculus Quest 2 Today & Get a $15 Gift Card from NewEgg appeared first on Road to VR.



Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/quest-2-deal-15-gift-card-newegg/

11 VR Games We’re Looking Forward to in 2021

Despite the world grinding to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, indie game studios and ‘AAA’ studios alike continued their work from afar and set new bars for VR gaming. Although some of the games we were looking forward to in 2020 were delayed, the good news is there’s a steady stream of content coming down the pipeline next year.

Here’s a look at 11 highly anticipated titles slated to arrive in 2021.

Hitman 3

  • Platform: PSVR-compatible on PS4/PS5
  • Developer: IO Interactive
  • Release date: January 20th, 2021

Studio descriptionAgent 47 returns as a ruthless professional in Hitman 3 for the most important contracts of his career. When the dust settles, 47 and the world he inhabits will never be the same again.

Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife

  • Platform: SteamVR, PSVR, Quest, Rift
  • Developer: Fast Travel Games
  • Release date: ‘early 2021’

Studio description: Even the dead are terrified inside the Barclay Mansion. As a Wraith, use your supernatural powers to unravel its secrets and hide from the sinister Spectres. Afterlife is a first person VR horror exploration game set in the World of Darkness universe.

Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual!

  • Platform: Quest, ‘PC VR’
  • Developer: Happy Giant
  • Release date: ‘the first half of 2021’

Studio description: Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual! is the Freelance Police’s first original game in over a decade, and the pair’s first foray into VR. The game’s development team includes several team members that worked on the original Sam & Max: Hit the Road by LucasArts in 1992, as well as the Telltale series. The new action adventure title is slated to come out for VR headsets in the first half of 2021.

The Climb 2

  • Platform: Quest
  • Developer: Crytek
  • Release date: ‘coming soon’

Studio description: The thrill of climbing comes alive with The Climb 2–explore a new city setting and exhilarating new maps with breathtaking views. Ascend grand peaks, navigate vast caves, climb skyscrapers, and discover hidden shortcuts as you find your path to the top. Compete with friends and conquer leaderboards in asynchronous multiplayer modes. From exploring mountain environments to scaling urban settings, feel the rush of climbing without ropes, and experience breathtaking vistas as you scale new heights.

Baba Yaga

  • Platform: Quest
  • Developer: Baobab Studios
  • Release date: ‘coming soon’

Studio descriptionBaobab’s newest VR experience, Baba Yaga, invites viewers to be a main character in a haunting fairytale world completely reimagined. Their choices determine the ending of this story of love, fortitude and magic. Sometimes a force for evil, sometimes a force for good, the enigmatic witch Baba Yaga uses her powers to stop the villagers whose settlement encroaches upon her enchanted Forest.


Delayed Games

Lone Echo II

  • Platform: Rift
  • Developer: Ready at Dawn
  • Release date: previously Q1 2020, now 2021

Studio descriptionJack and Liv are back in Lone Echo II. Return to the rings of Saturn in this highly-anticipated sequel, to unravel the mysteries of Lone Echo and journey deeper into space – past the very boundaries of time itself.

LOW-FI

  • Platform: SteamVR
  • Developer: IRIS VR
  • Release date: previously late 2020, now Q1 2021

Studio descriptionYou’re the sheriff of cityblock 303, a retro-futuristic cyberpunk slum where the only inhabitants of note are other “low-fi”. Humans too poor to jack into the platform, and rusting old robots that didn’t achieve the intelligence singularity. What you do with your time is up to you. Are you a good cop, hotshot?

Vertigo 2

  • Platform: SteamVR
  • Developer: Zach Tsiakalis-Brown, Errol Bucy
  • Publisher: Zulubo Productions
  • Release date: delayed to 2021

Studio description: Vertigo 2 is a single-player VR adventure. Explore the depths of the vast Quantum Reactor as you descend to finish your journey home.

Sniper Elite VR

  • Platform: SteamVR, PSVR, Quest, Rift
  • Developer: Rebellion, Just Add Water
  • Release date: ‘coming soon’

Studio descriptionA dedicated VR stealth-action experience from the makers of Battlezone and the BAFTA-nominated Sniper Elite 4, in partnership with Just Add Water. Fight for the Italian Resistance in a daring mission to rid World War 2 Sicily of the Nazi U-boat menace.

After The Fall

  • Platform: SteamVR, PSVR
  • Developer: Vertigo Games
  • Release date: previously 2020, now ‘Early 2021’

Studio descriptionExplore the remains of a civilization ground to a halt in an alternate 1980s, craft a range of ranged and melee weapons, and wield devastating powers with real-life movements. Go solo or join up with players worldwide as you face relentless hordes and colossal bosses in a bid to take back the city.

Panzer Dragoon Voyage Record

  • Platform: PC VR, ‘Console VR’, ‘Standalone VR’
  • Developer: Wild Inc.
  • Release date: crowdfunding & release delayed until 2021

Studio description: The records of past voyage is coming… Omnibus of Panzer Dragoon / Zwei / Saga trilogy for VR from Wildman Inc.


Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!

The post 11 VR Games We’re Looking Forward to in 2021 appeared first on Road to VR.



Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/vr-games-2021-psvr-quest-steam-rift/

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Exclusive: Tundra Tracker Aims for Smaller, Cheaper Alternative to Vive Tracker for SteamVR Tracking

Tundra Labs, which makes chips and development kits for devices which use SteamVR Tracking, is building its own tracking accessory for the tracking ecosystem. The company is positioning its Tundra Tracker as a smaller, cheaper, and better alternative to HTC’s Vive Tracker. A Kickstarter campaign to fund the project and gather feedback is planned for next month.

The Open SteamVR Tracking Ecosystem

SteamVR Tracking Base Stations

Valve’s SteamVR Tracking is an open tracking system which allows any third party to build devices which are tracked by SteamVR Base Stations. Valve’s own Index headset, along with third-party headsets from companies like HTC and Pimax, make use of the shared system for high quality room-scale tracking. The flexible system allows users to mix and match devices (like being able to use an Index headset with Vive wand controllers), and also allows additional devices to be added into the mix—like HTC’s Vive Tracker, which is a general-purpose SteamVR Tracking device that can be attached to things like props or limbs to track those objects in VR.

As the only consumer-available device of its kind, the Vive Tracker has become the defacto general purpose tracker for the SteamVR Tracking ecosystem. It’s commonly used to augment VR motion capture by attaching to a user’s feet and hips, thus providing six points of body tracking (head, hands, waist, and feet) rather than the usual three (head and hands). This allows the movements of players to be captured and represented more accurately, giving VR avatars an impressively wide range of motion.

Friendly Competition

Image courtesy Tundra Labs

As the defacto choice, comparisons to the Vive Tracker are inevitable; Tundra Labs founder Luke Beno says the Tundra Tracker will best the incumbent in several ways.

Specifically the device is expected to be “60% smaller, consume about 50% less power, weight 50% less, and have twice the battery life,” compared to the Vive Tracker, he tells Road to VR. Beno also plans to deliver the Tundra Tracker at a slightly lower cost than the $100 Vive Tracker, along with additional discounts for tracker bundles.

But the Tundra Tracker isn’t purely a competitor, it can also work in tandem with the Vive Tracker, allowing users who have already invested in Vive Trackers to augment their tracking setup without needing to completely switch from one tracker to the other.

In fact, users will be able to pair Vive Trackers, Tundra Trackers, and even Index controllers to the Tundra Tracker’s USB dongle. “It’s the beautiful nature of SteamVR’s open ecosystem,” Beno says.

Placement & Mounting Options

Image courtesy Tundra Labs

With its reduced size and weight, Beno says the Tundra Tracker will also offer more flexible placement options.

“The tracker shape is also designed to fit in places that Vive Tracker cannot. The default baseplate has two loops where a user can thread though a strap or shoe laces. I’m also considering integrating magnets into the base so that it can snap onto a metal plate that can be embedded or sewn into clothing.”

Image courtesy Tundra Labs

Tundra Labs is also considering other base plates for different applications, but is waiting to lock down the options until gathering feedback from potential customers. “I’d like to sort of ‘crowd source’ ideas [for the tracker’s mounting options] such that it is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution like Vive Tracker,” he says.

Tundra Tracker Kickstarter

Image courtesy Tundra Labs

To that end, Tundra Labs will run a Kickstarter campaign for the Tundra Tracker, which is planned to start in January with units shipping later in the year.

While the Kickstarter details are still being finalized, Beno tells Road to VR that Tundra Labs will also offer ‘multi-port dongles’ through the Kickstarter, which will allow users to pair multiple trackers (Tundra Trackers or Vive Trackers) using a single USB connection.

The plan is to offer multi-port dongles capable of pairing up to three, five, or seven trackers, respectively. They will also be small enough to fit into the opening in the front of the Valve Index headset (AKA the ‘frunk’), which would ensure the dongles stay close to the trackers for a strong connection.

Beyond the consumer Tundra Tracker and the multi-port dongle, Beno says the Kickstarter will also offer a ‘Dev Edition’ tracker which includes a “very comprehensive expansion connector,” which could be used by other companies to build functional, tracked accessories like VR guns, gloves, and more.

– – — – –

The Tundra Tracker represents a growing list of devices and use-cases enabled by Valve’s open SteamVR Tracking system, from high-end headsets and third-party controllers to styli and programming of industrial robots.

The post Exclusive: Tundra Tracker Aims for Smaller, Cheaper Alternative to Vive Tracker for SteamVR Tracking appeared first on Road to VR.



Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/tundra-tracker-vive-tracker-alternative-steamvr-tracking/

8 Oculus Link Tips & Tricks - Get The Most Out of PC VR with Quest 2 & 1



Oculus Link has gone out of beta recently, so it’s time for an updated tips and tricks video! Watch if you want to get the most out of your Quest Link experience (Both Quest 2 and 1). ► This video is brought to you by Intel. Get the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor → https://viraln.co/IntelAsusCasAndChary There are two versions of this laptop. The version we have is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 with the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and is made for entertainment and gaming. Sometimes it’s really nice to have a portable PC to spend your time with some good games in a different room, like in the living room cozy on the couch ;) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The PC version of Oculus Home has a lot of cool features that you may not know of. This video consists of 8 tips and tricks that you can do with Oculus Link on your Oculus Quest 2/1. Are you going to use any of these tips or do you have tips yourself? Let everyone know in the comments below and let’s help each other out. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LINKS Some of the links below may be affiliate links. From those, we earn a small referral fee from qualifying purchases that help support the channel. However, it doesn't cost you more. ► Get the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 powered by the 10th Gen Intel i7 core processor here → Link in bio: https://viraln.co/IntelAsusCasAndChary ► Subscribe now to Intel Gaming on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk7SjrXVXAj8m8BLgzh6dGA #IntelGaming ► Our VR equipment kit & tips here → https://www.amazon.com/shop/caschary Things mentioned in video: ► Previous video: Oculus Quest 2 - How To Setup Oculus Link → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddcACvUoCnk&feature=youtu.be ► SideQuest how-to video → https://youtu.be/CQ6TcLwSGag?t=181 ► Oculus Developer Hub: https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/tools/odh/ ► OVR Metrics Documentation: https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/tools/tools-ovrstats/ ► Oculus Cross-Buy Page: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/section/2335732183153590/ ► Reddit Cross-Buy List: https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/wiki/crossplay ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro Start 01:33 Tip #1 Oculus Link Graphical Settings - The Easy To Access Ones 03:05 Tip #2 Oculus Debug Tool For Encode Bitrate 04:13 Tip #3 Oculus Quest FPS Counter / Performance Monitor Oculus Developer Hub: https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/tools/odh/ OVR Metrics Documentation: https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/tools/tools-ovrstats/ 08:12 Tip #4 Useful Oculus App Settings 09:20 Tip #5 Pinning Individual Windows 10:15 Tip #6 Check Which Games Support Cross-Buy Oculus Cross-Buy Page: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/section/2335732183153590/ Reddit Cross-Buy List: https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/wiki/crossplay 10:53 Tip #7 Unlock Oculus Home Decorations With Game Achievements 11:48 Tip #8 Start SteamVR Games Within Oculus Home 12:55 Outro Start ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUPPORT THE CONTENT (and become our VR Champion) ► Become our Patron → http://bit.ly/PatreonCasandChary ► Become a Sponsor on YouTube → http://bit.ly/JoinCasandChary ► Buy our VR Merch → http://bit.ly/casandchary-merch VR DISCOUNT CODES & AFFILIATE LINKS ► ► https://casandchary.com/discount-codes-affiliate-links/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR GEAR Our VR Equipment & Tips → https://www.amazon.com/shop/caschary (affiliate) Our PC Specs → https://casandchary.com/vr-equipment/ MUSIC Music we use is from Epidemic Sounds → http://bit.ly/CCEpidemicSound ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET LATEST UPDATES Twitter → https://twitter.com/CasandChary Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/casandchary/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/casandchary/ Join our Discord → https://discord.gg/YH52W2k ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A SPECIAL THANKS to these Patreon Champs 🛡️ for their support: 😘 BaxornVR, Wintceas, Studioform VR, Barr'd4Life, Andy, Albert, Ben P., Steve Dunlap, Thomas M. Rice, Andy Fidel, VR Balance, Nathan Schmidt ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER This video was brought to you by Intel & ASUS. Links in this description may contain affiliate links. We may earn from qualifying purchases (it doesn't cost you more). #OculusLink #IntelPartner #IntelUnleashedROG

5 Tips for Buying Quest 2 Accessories to Make Your Life Easier

Oculus Quest 2 has everything you need in the box to get playing an awesome selection of VR games. Once you’ve owned it for a few weeks though, you may be looking to reduce the headset’s inherent pain points with some aftermarket stuff. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best basic accessories you may want to consider as a long-term VR user.

1 – Upgrade Your Headstrap

With onboard computing, sensors, and battery all located inside the Oculus Quest 2, the device is decidedly front-heavy. You may not notice right away, but the more you play, the more those niggling comfort issues will arise.

Your neck will thank you in the long run by replacing the stock fabric headstrap with either of Facebook’s official headstrap replacements, the Elite Strap or Elite Battery Strap, which provide good counterbalance to better center the headset’s bulk closer to the middle of your head.

Elite Battery Strap | Photo by Road to VR

At $50 and $130 respectively (the Elite Battery Strap comes with a questionable quality, albeit useful travel case) these are pricey, but effective solutions.

For slightly less at $40, you can also get a a number of white label straps similar to the regular Elite Strap on Amazon that do the same job. If you’re looking to save $10, all of the ones with this design seem to be well rated by users.

2 – Get a Cover or Spare Facepad

After playing VR games regularly over the next few months, you may start to notice grime and grease buildup on the face pad (also called ‘facial interface’) of your Quest 2. The stock face pad is basically a sponge, so to make headset sanitization simple, you should really invest in either a VR cover or a replacement pad that are easily cleanable.

Silicone VR Cover | Image courtesy VR Cover

There are thankfully a number of solutions on the market. VR Cover produces an official third-party facial interface replacement set for $30 which takes the place of the original. It comes with anti-fog airflow channels, removable nose guard and two wipeable PU leather-covered memory foam replacement pads.

VR Cover also makes a silicone cover for $15 that goes over the stock face pad. It offers a hand-washable medical-grade silicone construction and nose light guard too, which is handy. If you’re looking for a cheaper solution, for $13 you can buy a similar silicone cover on Amazon, although it’s unclear if the silicone used is the un-oiled variant seen in VR Cover’s version, which could cause skin irritation in users with sensitive skin. Whatever you buy, make sure it fits Quest 2 specifically since the headset has a unique face pad design.

3 – Buy a Long USB-C Cable

Whether you’re just looking for comfortable charging during gameplay, or you want to connect Quest 2 to your computer via Oculus Link to use it as a PC VR headset, you probably want a nice long cable so at very least you can charge while playing native Quest games with ease.

Official Oculus Link Cable | Image courtesy Oculus

Oculus has the official 16-foot Link cable for $80, and although it’s light weight thanks to its fiber optic design, that may be a bit too much for most people. Thankfully, any 3.0 USB-C cable will work, and there are tons on Amazon that will do the job. Just pick one, and you’re off to the virtual races.

4 – Get Charging Squared Away

Ok, so you have a nice and long charging cable now, but you may not have a computer capable of running PC VR games via Link. There’s a few products out there that help you keep your headset and controllers charged at all times.

Anker just introduced its $87 Quest 2 Charging Dock, which not only acts as a nice place to rest your headset and Touch controllers when not in use, but also makes sure they’re always at 100% battery when you’re ready to play.

Image courtesy Anker Innovations

Barring that, a quick and easy solution is a ready supply of rechargeable AA batteries and battery charger. You’ll find them everywhere, from your local supermarket, to IKEA, to Amazon. Many long-term VR users go for Panasonic’s name brand Eneloop batteries, which offer a low discharge rate when not in user and high rechargeability, but here’s an insider tip: the AmazonBasics and IKEA 2450 mAh Lada batteries are very similar for a much cheaper per-battery price. You’ll want plenty—at least four to make sure you always have a spare ready for when Quest throws you the dreaded low battery warning.

On the topic of batteriers, there are also USB-rechargable batteries from Survival Frog that have a USB connector integrated into the battery’s design. A four pack will cost you $15, and come at a lower 1450 mAh rating, but it certainly gets major points for reducing clutter.

Image courtesy Survival Frog

Headset charging can also be made simple too without buying Anker’s special dock. A set of USB-C magnetic cables on Amazon for as little as $13 will do the trick, although you can’t use it for Link gameplay, only charging.

5 – Protect Your Glasses (and Lenses too)

Glasses wearers already have the plastic off-set included in the box, which puts a bit more room between the Quest 2’s lenses and your precision specs. This may work for a majority of users, but if you’re looking for some special kit, you’ve come to the right place.

Many long-term VR users and developers have opted for a separate pair of low-profile glasses entirely, so you can play in any VR headset, past, present or future. For as low as $30 (depending on your prescription), you can get a cheapish pair of glasses to suit your needs from Zenni Optical, prescription lenses included.

Frames Direct offers an official third-party solution for $80 for prescription inserts which include an anti-reflective coating. There are multiple vendors offering more or less the same thing though, with VR Optician offering theirs for $70. Whatever company you go with though, make sure to have a copy of your prescription since you can’t buy corrective lenses online in the United States without it.

Image courtesy Oculus

Still, you may be in for accidental scratches from your cheapy specs, which leads us to the an expensive, but awesome solution for the myopic among us. You can also buy special inserts that come in both prescription and non-prescription versions.

The same basic design can also be purchased without non-prescription inserts too from a number of companies, which not only protect from scratches but also in some cases blue light too. These are much cheaper, with pricing typically around $20 – $30 for a pair.


We have plenty of more tips incoming for 2 first-timers. Check out our seven essential tips and tricks to getting started with Quest 2. Remember: replace that headstrap!

The post 5 Tips for Buying Quest 2 Accessories to Make Your Life Easier appeared first on Road to VR.



Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/quest-2-accessories-tips-cover-headstrap/

Monday, December 28, 2020

VR Comfort Settings Checklist & Glossary for Developers and Players Alike

For those who have been playing or developing VR content for years, it might seem ‘obvious’ what kind of settings are expected to be included for player comfort. Yet for new players and developers alike, the confusing sea of VR comfort terms is far from straightforward. This has lead to situations where players buy a game but find it doesn’t include a comfort setting that’s important to them. So here’s a checklist and glossary of ‘essential’ VR comfort settings that developers should clearly communicate to potential customers about their VR game or experience.

VR Comfort Settings Checklist

Let’s start with the VR comfort settings checklist, using two example games. While it is by no means comprehensive, it covers many of the basic comfort settings employed by VR games today. To be clear, this checklist is not what settings a game should include, it is merely the info that should be communicated so customers know what comfort settings are offered.

Turning

Half-Life: Alyx Beat Saber
Artificial turning ✔ ✖
Smooth-turn ✔ n/a
     Adjustable speed ✔ n/a
Snap-turn ✔ n/a
     Adjustable increments ✔ n/a

Movement

Artificial movement ✔ ✖
Smooth-move ✔ n/a
     Adjustable speed ✔ n/a
Teleport-move ✔ n/a
Blinders ✖ n/a
     Adjustable strength ✖ n/a
Head-based ✔ n/a
Controller-based ✔ n/a
Swappable movement hand ✔ n/a

Posture

Standing mode ✔ ✔
Seated mode ✔ ✖
Artificial crouch ✔ ✖
Real crouch ✔ ✔

Accessibility

Subtitles ✔ ✖
     Languages [languages would be listed] n/a
Audio ✔ ✔
     Languages English n/a
Adjustable difficulty ✔ ✔
Two-hands required ✖ For some game modes (optional)
Real-crouch required ✖ For some levels (optional)
Hearing required ✖ ✖
Adjustable player height ✖ ✔

If players are equipped with this information ahead of time, it will help them make a more informed buying decision.

VR Comfort Settings Glossary

For new players, many of these terms might be confusing. Here’s a glossary of basic definitions of each VR comfort setting.

Turning

  • Artificial turning – whether or not the game allows the player to rotate their view separately from their real-world orientation within their playspace (also called virtual turning)
  • Smooth-turn – an artificial turning mode which smoothly rotates the camera view (also called continuous-turn)
  • Snap-turn – an artificial turning mode which rotates the camera view in steps or increments (also called blink-turn)

Movement

  • Artificial movement – whether or not the game allows the player to move through the virtual world separately from their real-world movement within their playspace (also called virtual movement)
  • Smooth-move – an artificial movement mode which smoothly moves the player between positions (also called continuous-move)
  • Teleport-move – an artificial movement mode which teleports the player between positions (also called blink-move)
  • Blinders – cropping of the headset’s field of view to reduce motion visible in the player’s periphery
  • Head-based – the game considers the player’s head direction as the ‘forward’ direction for artificial movement
  • Hand-based – the game considers the player’s hand/controller direction as the ‘forward’ direction for artificial movement
  • Swappable movement hand – allows the player to change the artificial movement controller input between the left and right hands

Posture

  • Standing mode – supports players playing in a real-world standing position
  • Seated mode – supports players playing in a real-world seated position
  • Artificial crouch – allows the player to crouch with a button input instead of crouching in the real world (also called virtual crouch)
  • Real crouch – allows the player to crouch in the real-world and have it correctly reflected as crouching in the game

Accessibility

  • Subtitles – a game that has subtitles for dialogue & interface, and which languages therein
  • Audio – a game that has audio dialogue, and which languages therein
  • Adjustable difficulty – allows the player to control the difficulty of a game’s mechanics
  • Two-hands required – whether two hands are required for core game completion or essential mechanics
  • Real-crouch required – a game which requires the player to physically crouch for core completion or essential mechanics (with no comparable artificial crouch option)
  • Hearing required – a game which requires the player to be able to hear for core completion or essential mechanics
  • Adjustable player height – whether the player can change their in-game height separately from their real world height (distinct from artificial crouching because the adjustment is persistent and may also work in tandem with artificial crouching)

As mentioned, this is not a comprehensive list. VR comfort is a complex topic especially because everyone’s experience is somewhat different, but this is hopefully a useful baseline to help streamline communication between developers and players alike.

The post VR Comfort Settings Checklist & Glossary for Developers and Players Alike appeared first on Road to VR.



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