Oculus Founder Vows to Create Audio Repair Kit for Rifts Out of Warranty

Oculus founder Palmer Luckey has since moved on to greener pastures after leaving Facebook in 2017, founding his own border defense firm Anduril Industries. That hasn’t kept him from mulling over some of the niggling issues with the now nearly three year-old Oculus Rift though. To him, and many long-time users, a weak point in the headset’s internal audio cabling has surfaced after prolonged usage—something he vows to help remedy by creating a repair kit for out-of-warranty Rifts suffering from the dreaded right-audio cutout.

While Oculus’ customer service is one of the best in the industry, users with out-of-warranty Rifts have really only three options to fix their headsets: buy general replacement parts direct from Oculus, contact Oculus and see if they’ll repair it (for a fee), or solve the issue with good old-fashioned elbow grease.

The right-audio cutout issue isn’t something you can fix with a new headphone though, likely owing to a malfunctioning ribbon cable inside the headset’s strap, so last summer Luckey cast a bid out to Rift owners on Twitter to buy up headsets suffering from the problem.

Anyone else with right-audio cutout? I am interested in buying your headset.

— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) July 30, 2018

This, we learned recently, was an effort by Luckey to understand just how wide-spread the issue was.

Luckey has since purchased what he calls “a lot of headsets with these types of failures,” saying he’s now creating a kit that will help out-of-warranty Rift owners fix the problem themselves.

Thanks to everyone on Twitter and Reddit who responded to this. I bought a lot of headsets with these types of failures, and will be putting out a repair kit for people who are out of warranty. More details this weekend. https://t.co/oAd13T7263

— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) February 13, 2019

Some users have gone great lengths to fix similar audio issues, with one user going as far as (unadvisedly) supergluing the right headstrap in place to limit the strap’s movement.

A more sensible solution: YouTuber ‘Virtual Reality Oasis’ released a video guide featuring a quick fix for the left headphone, which requires only a single external cable to bridge the left and right audio contacts. This, according to video commenters, also appeared to fix right audio issues as well in some cases. Although if Luckey is creating a bespoke repair kit, a more permanent fix could be more complicated than that.

More information on the repair kit is said to arrive this weekend. We’ll be updating this article with new information as it appears.

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Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/oculus-founder-vows-create-audio-repair-kit-rifts-warranty/

Samsung Odyssey 50% Off as Steep Discounts on Windows VR Headsets Continue

If you’ve been eyeing a Windows VR headset, you’ll be interested to see the huge discounts currently available from Amazon US on most Windows VR headsets. Samsung is also running a big sale on the Odyssey headset at a 50% discount.

Updated 2/14/19

The Windows “Mixed Reality” VR headsets launched in late 2017, and today you can pick one up with some steep savings currently available from Amazon US. Here’s a quick look at each headset’s MSRP and the currently available price (brand new, including controllers):

• Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset w/ Controllers [Amazon]
  • MSRP: $400
  • Currently: $200 (50% discount)

• Dell Visor w/ Controllers [Amazon]
  • MSRP: $450
  • Currently: $247 (45% discount)

• HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset w/ Controllers [Amazon]
  • MSRP: $450
  • Currently: $260 (42% discount) 
  • Better Deal: $200 from Microsoft (56% discount)

• Lenovo Explorer w/ Controllers [Amazon]
  • MSRP: $400
  • Currently: $287 (28% discount)

• Samsung Odyssey w/ Controllers [Amazon]
  • MSRP: $500
  • Currently: $450 (18% discount)
  • Better Deal: $250 from Samsung (50% discount)
  • Refurbished: $320 from Amazon

• Samsung Odyssey+ w/ Controllers [Amazon]
  • MSRP: $500
  • Currently: $500 (0% discount)

All Windows VR headsets are compatible with SteamVR via an official plugin.

While at least one of the Windows VR headsets from Acer, Dell, HP, or Lenovo can usually be found with a healthy discount, Samsung’s Odyssey headset—which is positioned as the premium Windows VR headset—is harder to find discounted from its $500 MSRP. The Odyssey is different from the other Windows VR headsets with best-in-class resolution of 1,600 × 1,440 and a wider field of view. The Odyssey+ is very similar to the Odyssey except for some minor tweaks and a slightly modified display which aims to reduce the ‘screen door effect’.

SEE ALSO

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The reasoning surrounding the ongoing discounts seen on Amazon US isn’t clear—nor is it apparent if they are permanent, or how long they might last if they aren’t—but for many months now we’ve seen the headsets trade places being the cheapest, and occasional discounts from the Microsoft store have followed a similar pattern. It’s seems likely that the discounts are helping to drive the slow but steady adoption of Windows VR headsets on Steam.

When the Windows VR headsets were first announced all the way back in 2016, their ~$400 price point was mighty compelling against the then quite pricey Rift ($600) and Vive ($800). But by the time the Windows VR headsets actually made it out the door in late 2017, those incumbents had seen their own major price cuts—now with the Rift at $350 and the Vive at $500—giving the Windows VR headsets much less of an edge of price. But with the discounts available on Windows VR headsets today, they represent a rather attractive value option for new users hoping to jump into VR, especially if you’re just looking to get in on some Beat Saber.

The post Samsung Odyssey 50% Off as Steep Discounts on Windows VR Headsets Continue appeared first on Road to VR.

Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/windows-vr-headsets-see-huge-sales-at-amazon-us/

VLog: Walking to work. DRIVE #VR Steam Key Winner Announcement

Just me taking a few shots on my way to the office this morning. You know... for fun. The winner of the Steam Key for Drive announced.

‘Audica’ is an Inventive “VR Rhythm Shooter” From the Studio Behind ‘Rock Band’

Harmonix, the studio behind many rhythm game hits like Guitar Hero (2005) and Rock Band (2007), today announced what they’re calling a “VR rhythm shooter” that looks—to be frank—pretty freaking awesome.

I guess there’s just something about combining body movements with music that is naturally appealing (who would have guessed?); as someone who has said on more than one occasion that a VR gun game featuring ‘instructed gameplay’ (in the vein of Beat Saber) could be tons of fun, I was thrilled to see today’s announcement of Audica, which looks to skillfully tie together gun mechanics with some audio-visual instructions to create a game which looks to only really make sense in VR.

The game is slated to launch in Early Access on March 7th, and is set to come to the Oculus Rift and SteamVR (ostensibly supporting Vive, Windows VR, and Rift). Harmonix hasn’t yet mentioned support for the upcoming Oculus Quest, but they’d be missing a huge potential opportunity if they aren’t already designing Audica to land there eventually (my guess is that they are).

As for the game’s mechanics: from the trailer we can see a variety of distinct ‘shot’ types that players will need to manage: there’s a ‘hold’ shot (which looks like electricity), ‘straight’ (circular target), ‘sideways’ (horizontal target), ‘rapid fire’ (strings of diamond targets), and ‘hit’ notes where the player has to smack a sphere with their gun.

While the type and timing of each shot is clearly visible, I’m very interested to see how (of even if) the game helps players understand how to move from one note to the next. One reason why Beat Saber feels so good is that notes are confined to a small area in front of the player and they also explicitly indicate the swing direction; it becomes intuitive over time how one would move from one block to the next (given the note position and swing direction), even when playing tracks you’ve never played before. With Audica’s notes seemingly covering a much larger potential area, it may be challenging to help the player understand which movements between notes will be best, short of raw practice and memorization.

SEE ALSO

Valve Updated SteamVR Tracking Because 'Beat Saber' Players Were Too Fast

Something else I’m curious about about is the frequency with which users will need to pull the triggers. I’ve played a handful of (bad) VR games that basically ask the player to continuously pull the trigger to shoot a pistol for the entire duration of gameplay, which can very quickly lead to finger strain. Harmonix will need to be careful not to directly tie track difficulty to trigger frequency, and to smartly rely on a mix of mechanics to avoid finger fatigue (as they appear to be doing so far in the trailer).

In an announcement post on Reddit, the team behind the game said, “Audica has been a passion project for a small team here at the studio and we’re thrilled to finally share it with the world.”

The team answered an impromptu Q&A offering up some additional details on the game:

• “The soundtrack will be a mix of licensed music (the majority) and tracks from Harmonix friends & family. The core soundtrack is expected to be electronic but if the game does well and there is demand for DLC I think we would experiment with some different genres.”
• “When you buy Audica in Early Access you get access to the full soundtrack. On March 7 that will be 10 songs but we’re targeting a 25+ song soundtrack for full release later this year. As we add songs to the soundtrack you’ll get them for free. We may do DLC down the road but it’s a bit too early to say how or what it would look like.”
• “It’s definitely a challenge on Expert but each song has 4 difficulties so there’s something for everyone.”

The team has notably avoided answering questions about the potential for modding and custom music in Audica, which is understandable considering issues with music licensing. Those capabilities are an essential reason why Beat Saber has formed a strong and active community.

Audica isn’t Harmonix’s first foray into VR, but it does look to be their most inventive—and dare I say, promising—yet. The studio actually has a significant track record across major VR platforms, having previously released Harmonix Music VR (2016) on PSVR, Rock Band VR (2017) on Oculus Rift, and SingSpace (2017) on Gear VR.

The post ‘Audica’ is an Inventive “VR Rhythm Shooter” From the Studio Behind ‘Rock Band’ appeared first on Road to VR.

Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/audica-vr-rhythm-shooter-announcement-harmonix-rock-band/

VR Melee Action Game ‘Swords of Gargantua’ Heads into Closed Beta This Week

‘Bigscreen’ Overhaul Brings Big Improvements & New Features to All Supported Platforms

RTS ‘Final Assault’ Headed to Early Access on Vive, Rift & Windows VR Next Week

Phaser Lock Interactive, the studio behind VR titles Final Approach (2016) and Twisted Arrow (2017), are bringing their WWII-themed real-time strategy game Final Assault to Early Access next week.

After a slight delay, Final Assault is now set to release in Early Access on Steam (Vive, Rift, Windows VR) and the Oculus Store (Rift) starting February 19th; it was previously slated for it’s EA debut on February 12th. A PSVR version is also in the works that will allow cross-play with all supported headsets.

The game’s Early Access period is said to last a short three months before its official launch in April. At launch of Early Access, the game will include both cross-platform PvP and PvE, and will see a total of 12 maps unlocking along the way.

Built from the ground-up for VR, Final Assault blows you up to the size of Godzilla, tasking you with commanding land and air units into enemy territory for interactive, dynamic battles. Much like Final Approach, units are controlled by drawing paths for precise, direct combat.

SEE ALSO

Valve Updated SteamVR Tracking Because 'Beat Saber' Players Were Too Fast

“We are focusing on the PVP right now and bringing Campaign, customization, and other game functions closer to launch. With the PvP, we feel that the more people playing in early access will allow us to balance the units/maps along with improving the AI for Campaign and PvE,” Phaser Lock CEO Michael Daubert said.

We’re currently testing a pre-release version of the game, and will have our full report coming before launch of Early Access next week.

The post RTS ‘Final Assault’ Headed to Early Access on Vive, Rift & Windows VR Next Week appeared first on Road to VR.

Ream more: https://www.roadtovr.com/rts-final-assault-headed-early-access-vive-rift-windows-vr-next-week/