VR Gaming News

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

This VR Pod Let’s You Feel & Smell Experiences!

This is a multi-sensory VR pod, it stimulates all your senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. In this video, we dive into this VR pod: what does it feel like, how does it work and what will we use it for? ► Check out our VR equipment → https://www.amazon.com/shop/caschary ► Subscribe to see more videos like this one → https://goo.gl/bSJ6L8 TIMESTAMPS 00:01 - Sensory Reality Pod Introduction 03:00 - What's inside the pod? 04:00 - What does it feel like? 05:00 - How does it work? 06:16 - What is it being used for and what about the gaming industry? 08:29 - Last Sensiks info, pricing, and outro LINKS * - Sensiks Sensory Reality Pods trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDrMrX3mobU - Get the Oculus Rift S (US) - https://amzn.to/2Wn20HQ - Get the Oculus Rift S (UK) - https://amzn.to/2HOmcci - Get the Oculus Rift S (NL Coolblue) - https://prf.hn/l/6WJ3bgr SUPPORT THE CONTENT ► Become our Patron (includes exclusive rewards) → http://bit.ly/PatreonCasandChary ► Become a Sponsor on YouTube (includes exclusive rewards) → http://bit.ly/JoinCasandChary ► Check out our VR Merch → http://bit.ly/casandchary-merch USE OUR LINKS TO SUPPORT US ► VRcover → http://bit.ly/CCVRCover ► VR Prescription Lens Adapters (5% discount code: "CAS&CHARY") → http://bit.ly/CCWidmoVR ► Oculus Quest Comfort Strap (5% discount code: "CAS&CHARY") → http://bit.ly/CCStudioformVR ► Play PC VR games with your Quest (10% discount code: "JWGTCASCHARY") → http://bit.ly/CCRiftcat ► More on our website → https://casandchary.com/discount-codes-affiliate-links/ OUR GEAR Our VR equipment → https://www.amazon.com/shop/caschary Full PC Specs → https://casandchary.com/vr-equipment/ 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: - artArmin - BaxornVR - Olemartinorg - Studioform VR - Wintceas - Andy - Albert - Ben P. - D Coetzee MUSIC Music we use is from Epidemic Sounds → http://bit.ly/CCEpidemicSound DISCLAIMER Links in this description may contain affiliate links. If you use it, a small referral fee will go to the channel, supporting the content without costing you anything extra. If you use it, thank you very much. VR on! - Cas and Chary VR #sensiks #vr #casandchary

‘Angry Birds Movie 2 VR’ Studio Raises $2M to Continue Development on AR/VR Games

XR Games, the studio behind couch co-op VR game The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure (2019), has secured $2 million (£1.5 million) in a recent funding round, which was led by Praetura Ventures alongside existing investor ACT Capital Partners.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Leeds, England, Angry Birds Movie 2 VR was its second VR game, coming after their first production, the Cardboard game All-Star Fruit Racing (2018). The studio said to start “several new strategic partnerships,” which includes one with an undisclosed LA-based production company.

The investment is earmarked to help the studio expand its games portfolio through new projects with Hollywood film studios and world-famous media and entertainment companies, the company says is a press release. XR Games previously worked with Sony and Rovio to create its Angry Birds-themed VR title.

“We are incredibly excited about Praetura’s investment in XR Games. Not only do they share our vision for growth, they are committed to supporting our ambitions and can provide strategic support alongside an injection of capital,” said Bobby Thandi, founder and CEO of XR Games. “This was a really important factor when choosing our next investment partner and their support represents a significant milestone for our business. Together we will be able to grow our team and continue to build partnerships with major movie studios to capture new opportunities moving forward.”

Thandi’s team includes non-executive director Jason McGann, an industry veteran of 30+ years’ experience, and co-founder of Rockstar Leeds (formerly Möbius Entertainment Limited) where he worked on titles such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006), Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005), and Star Wars: Episode I – Obi-Wan’s Adventures (2000).

As part of the deal, Praetura Ventures director Mark Lyons will join the board as a non-executive director.

The latest funding round brings the company’ total investments to around $4.6 million; Australian venture capital firm Global Merces made a $2.6 million seed investment in XR Games from its Media Fund back in January 2018.

The post ‘Angry Birds Movie 2 VR’ Studio Raises $2M to Continue Development on AR/VR Games appeared first on Road to VR.

Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/xr-games-investment-2m-angry-birds/

Varjo Launches $10,000 XR-1 Dev Edition, Combining VR & AR in a Single Headset

Following the launch of Varjo’s enterprise-focused VR-2 headset back in October, the Helsinki-based company has now made available its XR-1 Developer Edition headset, which at $10,000 includes the company’s high fidelity ‘bionic displays’, integrated eye-tracking, and now passthrough cameras which promise to make the headset an ideal platform for both AR & VR enterprise development.

Like Varjo’s enterprise-focused VR-2, the new XR-1 includes the company’s ‘bionic display’, blending a central 1,920 x 1,080 micro-OLED ‘focus display’ (60 PPD) with a larger ‘context’ display at 1,440 x 1,600, which has a lower PPD but provides the headset with an 87-degree field of view.

Varjo’s display architecture left quite the impression on us to say the least, as we called the company’s prior headsets a “breathtaking preview of VR’s future.”

In addition to its integrated eye-tracking, which was previously made available in both VR-2 and VR-2 Pro variants, Varjo has now included in its XR-1 two fixed-focus 12 megapixel cameras, which have a 90 Hz refresh and a 94-degree circular viewing angle. This, the company says in a blog post, aims to let developers build “truly photorealistic mixed reality experiences where virtual objects seamlessly merge with reality for the first time in full field of view.”

To highlight this, Varjo also released a video showing an unmodified capture shot through XR-1 Developer Edition, which shows a cockpit-based XR solution built by Bohemia Interactive Simulations which lets the pilot and co-pilot to interact with the physical cockpit while immersed in a virtual environment.

Below you’ll see the pilot looking out at the virtual world and down at the instrument cluster, revealing that the superimposed virtual simulation environment is actually blended to include his own physical hands and flight controls.

Like all of its enterprise-focused headsets, the company is also tacking on its mandatory one-year software and support package, which costs an extra $1,995, bringing the whole package to just under $12,000—no small bananas, but apparently a price range large names such as Audi, Volkswagen, Saab Group, haven’t minded shelling out in the past, as Varjo has seemed to tap into a variety of industrial usecases that require the highest fidelity 1:1 virtual environments for skill transfer.

If you’re looking to try out Varjo’s headsets, the company will be demonstrating the XR-1 Developer Edition, as well as VR-2 and VR-2 Pro headsets, at I/ITSEC 2019 through December 5th, 2019.

XR-1 Developer Edition Key Features:

Photorealistic video pass-through enables users to see digital objects in true-to-life color, lighting and shadows in a full field of view (87 degrees).
The ability to switch between mixed reality and ‘full’ VR so users can interact with the real and the virtual world in one device for applications such as testing designs in different environments or manipulating their surroundings with pixel-perfect clarity.
Industrial-grade 20/20 Eye Tracker delivers unmatched sub-degree accuracy of users’ eye movements in mixed reality scenarios for valuable insights into research, training and simulation and product design.
Ultra-low latency imaging pipeline lets users experience the most realistic digital worlds as extensions of the natural environment without perceivable lag.
Human-eye resolution Bionic Display (over 60 PPD/3,000 PPI) brings high visual fidelity to even the most demanding industrial scenarios where extreme precision and photorealistic accuracy is required.
Varjo’s products can also be experienced at I/ITSEC at various customer booths including Bohemia Interactive Simulations, Vertex Solutions, Ryan Aerospace, Presagis, Flight Safety International, and Aechelon.

The post Varjo Launches $10,000 XR-1 Dev Edition, Combining VR & AR in a Single Headset appeared first on Road to VR.

Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/varjo-launches-10000-xr-1-dev-edition-headset-combining-vr-ar-single-package/

Quest Commanding 157% Price Premium After Selling Out at Retailers

As holiday shopping jumps into full swing, Oculus Quest is sold out at many retailers, driving the resale price of the headset up to 157% of the retail price.

Major US retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are fresh out of the 64GB Oculus Quest after one of the most active periods of holiday shopping, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which hit over the weekend. Even attempting to buy the headset direct from Oculus in the US shows that the 64GB model isn’t expected to ship for another two weeks, with the 128GB model not expected to ship until December 23rd.

This stock scarcity comes despite Quest not even getting an actual holiday discount below its $400 MSRP; instead Oculus has chosen to bundle the headset with the Vader Immortal trilogy (a $30 value).

Resale Value as an Indicator of Demand

With major retailers in short supply, resellers are able to increase prices to sell to those willing to pay more than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) in order to secure a scarce item. In competitive marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay, seeing how much resellers are charging for the headset gives us an idea of Quest’s ‘true value’—or at least how much shoppers are willing to shell out to get their hands on the headset in time for the holidays. An economist might say that the price being charged by resellers is a more accurate reflection of Quest’s equilibrium price (the point where supply meets demand) than the MSRP, at least under these particular conditions.

Oculus Quest (64GB) – $400 MSRP

Looking at the 64GB Oculus Quest on Amazon US, we can see that the best reseller offer for a headset with ‘New’ condition is currently $537 which is 134% of the usual $400 MSRP; but there’s a catch—this reseller doesn’t expect delivery until after December 31st.

Other resellers who are promising to have the headset delivered before Christmas are asking even higher prices—the best price currently offered on Amazon for a 64GB Quest delivered before Christmas is $626, a whopping 157% of the usual MSRP. The highest asking price, presently, is $680, or 170% of the MSRP.

Oculus Quest (128GB) – $500 MSRP

The 128GB Quest is in a similar boat. An Amazon reseller promising delivery sometime after Christmas is asking $671, or 134% of the $500 MSRP. The best offer for a 128GB Quest with delivery before Christmas is $725, or 145% of the MSRP. The highest asking price at present, a seller offering Prime shipping, is asking for $1,000, a whopping 200% of the MSRP.

This is both good and bad news for Oculus. For one, the significant premiums being charged by resellers suggest that Quest is seeing significant demand and is a hot item for this holiday season. On the other hand, every additional dollar paid for the headset adds to the expectation of the product, and Oculus could end up with some customers who weren’t aware of the actual MSRP and ultimately feel that the headset wasn’t worth what they paid for. And of course the lack of stock means that Oculus wasn’t able to meet demand head-on, which means fewer customers will end up with the headset compared to how many customers would have bought the headset if it were available at the MSRP.

Where Can You Still Buy Oculus Quest at the MSRP?

Scrupulous shoppers may still be able to find Oculus Quest headsets sold at the MSRP and deliverable before Christmas. At least at the time of writing, we’re seeing the following US stores reporting stock availability:

Oculus Quest (64GB)
Oculus Quest (128GB)
- Gamestop
- Best Buy
- Walmart
- B&H Photo
- Micro Center

Also be sure to check in-store stock through retailer’s websites and you might be able to find stock available for local pickup that’s otherwise not available for shipping.

The post Quest Commanding 157% Price Premium After Selling Out at Retailers appeared first on Road to VR.

Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-quest-reseller-premium-price-sold-out/

Monday, December 2, 2019

PlayStation Store ‘End of Year Sale’ Brings Steep Savings on 29 PSVR Games

It’s that time of year—in addition to Cyber Monday deals on PSVR, Sony is offering an ‘End of Year Sale’ in the PlayStation Store where you can find discounts on 29 PSVR games.

Looking for something new to play? Check out all the PSVR game deals below as part of the PlayStation Store End of Year Sale. We’ve highlighted some of our favorites:

Game	Price	Discount
Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son	$20	33%
Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight	$20	50%
Ghost Giant	$17	30%
Detached	$15	40%
Telefrag VR	$12	50%
The Wizards	$12	50%
Carly & The Reaperman	$12	40%
Torn	$12	60%
PlayStation VR Worlds	$10	33%
Dirt Rally Plus PSVR Bundle	$10	80%
Mind Labyrinth VR Dreams	$10	60%
Titanic VR	$10	50%
Apex Construct	$8	60%
Wolftenstein: Cyberpilot	$8	60%
Football Nation VR & Sports Bar VR Bundle	$7	70%
Sports Bar VR	$7	65%
Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality	$7	65%
Cave Digger: Riches	$7	33%
Guns’n’Stories: Bulletproof VR	$6	70%
Thumper	$6	70%
Apollo 11 VR	$6	50%
Chess Ultra	$5	60%
Wild Turkey Hunter VR	$5	50%
Infinite Minigolf	$4	70%
Kona VR Bundle	$4	80%
Pinball FX2 VR	$4	75%
Catlateral Damage	$3	65%
Kona	$3	80%
Theseus	$3	70%

Sony says these End of Year Sale deals will be available until December 23rd at 8AM PT. Additionally, we’re still seeing Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on some top PSVR games:

ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission – $14 (30% discount)
Moss – $15 (50% discount)
Firewall Zero Hour – $10 (50% discount)

Don’t have a PSVR yet? Sony is also still offering a solid 29% discount on the PlayStation VR ‘Blood & Truth’ + ‘Everybody’s Gold’ bundle for $250 on Amazon and elsewhere. Find the breakdown on PlayStation VR related Cyber Monday deals here.

The post PlayStation Store ‘End of Year Sale’ Brings Steep Savings on 29 PSVR Games appeared first on Road to VR.

Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/playstation-vr-end-of-year-sale-psvr-games/

Oculus Go Beats Out Nintendo Switch & More as Amazon Top Seller

Apparently Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been good to Facebook this year, as Oculus Go has jumped far up the video games best sellers list on Amazon, beating out notable entries such as Nintendo Switch, Oculus Rift S, and Oculus Quest.

Undoubtedly the consumer friendly pricing has attracted plenty of Amazon users for this year’s biggest sale in preparation for the holiday season, as the 32GB version is currently just $150, and the 64GB version at $200. You can find the 32GB version here on Amazon, and the 64GB version here.

At the time of this writing, Oculus Go is sitting at third place, which is just above Nintendo Switch with Gray Joycons; at 33rd place is Oculus Rift S, and at 43rd place is Oculus Quest. Sitting at first and second are vouchers for PlayStation Store credit and PS Plus, which ought to make for easy stocking stuffers.

First introduced in May 2018, Oculus Go brought to the table an experience very similar to Samsung Gear VR, albeit without the need of smartphone to drive its graphics.

Oculus Go & Gear VR, Photo by Road to VR

As an ‘all-in-one’ VR headset with headset tracking only (unlike Oculus Quests’ room-scale tracking) Facebook mostly couches it as a media consumption device with the added ability to play a library of games designed specifically for the single controller and its modest mobile chipset, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821.

Although you can’t play more graphically intensive games, or games that require room-scale tracking and two controllers like Beat Saber (2018) or Job Simulator (2016), the ability to watch streaming services in your own private movie theater such as Netflix, YouTube, Plex, Hulu, and Showtime, has been a pretty substantial draw.

Development for Go has admittedly slowed down somewhat since the hypetrain left the station for the $400 Oculus Quest, but it should have casual users looking for a cheap and portable VR solution consuming media, playing light games, and even popping into social VR spaces for some time yet to come.

The post Oculus Go Beats Out Nintendo Switch & More as Amazon Top Seller appeared first on Road to VR.

Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-go-amazon-best-seller/

Oculus Cyber Monday Sale Brings Big Savings to Rift & Quest Game Bundles

Black Friday may be gone, but Cyber Monday has arrived to give you one last chance at nabbing some big savings on a number of Oculus platform titles, with bundled game deals topping out at 50% off for Rift and Quest.

The sale is active until December 2nd at 11:59PM PT (local time here), and includes a number of ‘Essential’ bundles for both Oculus Rift and Quest.

Some—but not all games below—feature cross-buy between Rift and Quest, although it seems to be such a toss up that you’d be better off searching for sale items on their own. That may not be such an issue if you own a Quest and a VR-ready PC, as you can now play Rift games on Quest thanks to Oculus Link.

Thankfully Oculus bundles benefit from flexible bundle pricing too, so if you already own a game in the list it should be automatically deducted from the total price.

Without further ado, here’s a look at what the Oculus Store is offering up this Cyber Monday: