Virtual & Augmented Reality and 3D News - Page 1

All the latest virtual reality and augmented reality plus 3D related news, with everything related to gaming headsets & plenty more.

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Meta Quest 3 Lite is a cut-back, more affordable VR headset on track for a 2024 release

Kosta Andreadis | Mar 18, 2024 1:00 AM CDT

By all accounts, the Meta Quest 3 is an excellent VR headset. Adding RGB video pass-through for an immersive mixed-reality experience adds a new layer to the virtual experience. The only real problem is that the Meta Quest 2, with its recent official price cut, looks to be the more popular option for those picking up a Quest.

Meta Quest 3 Lite is a cut-back, more affordable VR headset on track for a 2024 release

$249 USD for the 128GB Meta Quest 2 compared to $499 USD for the 128GB Meta Quest 3 represents a 66% increase for the newer model, so Meta is looking to launch the Meta Quest 3 Lite in 2024. The new 'Lite' model is expected to retain all the improvements made to the displays and additional processing power of the Meta Quest 3.

The big difference and reason for lowering the price from the current $499 USD is the removal of the two RGB cameras - one of Quest 3's biggest draw cards.

Continue reading: Meta Quest 3 Lite is a cut-back, more affordable VR headset on track for a 2024 release (full post)

The Apple Vision Pro's App Store just got a web version so anyone can browse it

Oliver Haslam | Mar 16, 2024 7:30 AM CDT

The Apple Vision Pro has now been on sale for a few weeks and the headset is reportedly expected to debut in additional countries beyond the United States within the next few weeks. This being such a new product for Apple the headset continues to undergo a number of changes with the latest being a new way for people to browse its App Store.

The Apple Vision Pro's App Store just got a web version so anyone can browse it

Previously, the only way to browse Apple Vision Pro apps and the App Store's various stories and promotions was to buy an Apple Vision Pro, something that isn't always viable for a variety of reasons. Now that's changed after Apple released a web-based version of the visionOS App Store for people to peruse at their leisure and on any device of their choosing. 9to5Mac was the first to spot the addition of a web-based App Store.

Visiting the visionOS App Store via a web browser gives you quick access to everything that you would likely need including a rundown of all of the new apps as well as the ability to go through a collection of curated apps as well as categories. Each app page includes screenshots and all of the details that you would expect to find, too.

Continue reading: The Apple Vision Pro's App Store just got a web version so anyone can browse it (full post)

An 18-karat gold Apple Vision Pro? If you have to ask how much, you probably can't afford it

Oliver Haslam | Mar 15, 2024 11:15 AM CDT

The Apple Vision Pro definitely isn't an impulse purchase for most people thanks to its $3,499 starting price. But that price could well turn out to be cheap when compared with the price that will likely be charged for a special 18-karat special edition version that is already being offered by Caviar.

An 18-karat gold Apple Vision Pro? If you have to ask how much, you probably can't afford it

Caviar is of course the Russian outfit that has built itself a reputation for launching custom phones and other devices the likes of which few can realistically afford. The company takes high-end iPhones and covers them in gold and leather as a matter of course, but things have been taken to a whole new level with this special Apple Vision Pro.

This Apple Vision Pro is what Caviar is calling a Rolls-Royce experience thanks in part to a new headband that is made from the legendary Connolly leather, the same outfit that supplies the British Royal Court and yes, Rolls-Royce. That leather is apparently soft yet durable and is considered by some to be one of the finest that money can buy. And now you can get it attached to Apple's spatial computer.

Continue reading: An 18-karat gold Apple Vision Pro? If you have to ask how much, you probably can't afford it (full post)

The Apple Vision Pro is little more than an expensive devkit, one former Oculus chief claims

Oliver Haslam | Mar 14, 2024 1:15 PM CDT

The Apple Vision Pro has been on sale for a few weeks now which means that it isn't quite the huge story that it was not that long ago. But it's still a big product for Apple and the mixed reality headset market as a whole and now one person who knows a thing or two about that market has weighed in on Apple's so-called spatial computer.

The Apple Vision Pro is little more than an expensive devkit, one former Oculus chief claims

Hugo Barra is the former VP of Android at Google but most recently he was the head of Meta's Oculus headset brand. Now, he's published a post on his blog that looks at Apple's headset and where it currently fits in a market that has so far been mostly Meta's for the taking.

Notably, Barra has once again ignited the complaint that the Apple Vision Pro is nothing more than a devkit, or a device that Apple needed to make and sell in order to give developers something to work with while they fill the visionOS App Store with apps. Barra backs that claim up, saying that the heavy weight and other factors are a reason that the headset is a "high-quality devkit" that is designed to capture the attention of everyone. It's certainly done that, with YouTube and other platforms full of influencers and reviewers and legitimate owners sharing clips of themselves using the headset in various different settings.

Continue reading: The Apple Vision Pro is little more than an expensive devkit, one former Oculus chief claims (full post)

The Apple Vision Pro could launch in these NINE countries soon

Oliver Haslam | Mar 14, 2024 8:15 AM CDT

The Apple Vision Pro has now been on sale for a few weeks having finally been released to the public on June 2. But the mixed reality headset, or in Apple's parlance the spatial computer, is only available to those in the United States right now. That's expected to change sooner or later, and a new report claims that it might know which countries will be next up on the release calendar.

The Apple Vision Pro could launch in these NINE countries soon

According to that report, there are nine new countries that could potentially see an Apple Vision Pro release next. That's based on code that describes the addition of new languages to the Apple Vision Pro's visionOS software keyboard. Currently, only the English (US) and Emoji keyboards are offered in visionOS 1.1, but new ones are thought be be on the way according to code discovered by MacRumors.

According to the report, the following languages will all be added:

Continue reading: The Apple Vision Pro could launch in these NINE countries soon (full post)

Portal 64 dev's latest project? Nintendo 64 powered VR connected to an Oculus Rift headset

Kosta Andreadis | Mar 13, 2024 11:02 PM CDT

N64 expert and programmer James Lambert is back doing the impossible. The developer who successfully ported Valve's iconic first-person puzzle game Portal and got it running natively on Nintendo 64 hardware is shifting to modern VR on the N64. Virtual Reality was a big deal in the 1990s. However, products like Sega VR for the arcades were the VR Stone Age compared to where we are today.

Portal 64 dev's latest project? Nintendo 64 powered VR connected to an Oculus Rift headset

The Nintendo 64 never got a VR peripheral, nor was one ever in development (Nintendo's Virtua Boy device is a different story), but in bringing "modern-day" VR to the system, James Lambert's project involves getting the Oculus DK1 (the development kit precursor to the Oculus Rift) to communicate with the N64 a custom USB adapter.

The reason for using the Oculus DK1 is its simple tracking, fewer sensors, and access to the source code, making it easier to port over to the Nintendo 64. From there, the HDMI port on his modded N64 sends the video signal back to the Oculus DK1, creating a nice little VR loop. Simple.

Continue reading: Portal 64 dev's latest project? Nintendo 64 powered VR connected to an Oculus Rift headset (full post)

Apple Vision Pro used by surgeons in a breakthrough experiment

Jak Connor | Mar 13, 2024 10:30 AM CDT

The Apple Vision Pro isn't just for having fun around the house or out in public, it has practical uses within hospitals, according to a recent report from Business Insider.

Apple Vision Pro used by surgeons in a breakthrough experiment

The report details a success story of surgeons at London's Cromwell Hospital using Apple's first-generation product to assist in two micro spinal procedures, which has been deemed a first in the UK and Europe. The two surgeons, Mr. Fady Sedra and Mr. Syed Aftab, used the eXeX software, which is an AI program designed for surgical organization and workflow optimization to enable hands-free access to important documentation on the patients and about the procedure.

According to Aftab the experience with working with the eXeX software greatly improved the way the surgeons were "able to deliver care to our patients" and the software provided a seamless interaction that has led to "improved efficiency within the Complex Spine team". This achievement highlights the potential for the Apple Vision Pro within workplaces and the multitude of use cases Apple's spatial computing software can provide users.

Continue reading: Apple Vision Pro used by surgeons in a breakthrough experiment (full post)

Here's the launch lineup for Omni One, the complete VR entertainment system with a treadmill

Kosta Andreadis | Mar 13, 2024 5:02 AM CDT

VR gaming is here to stay, but the technology still feels like it needs a few elements to become a 'must-have.' That said, playing in a true virtual space can be transformative even while using the most affordable solutions. As fans of the technology, we've followed the development and progress of Virtuix's Omni One, which delivers a "full-body VR gaming system."

Here's the launch lineup for Omni One, the complete VR entertainment system with a treadmill

Per the name, the Omni One is an omnidirectional treadmill that gives you 360-degree movement so you can walk or even run in a virtual environment without having to worry about what's going on in the real-world. Freedom of movement for VR gaming is one of the reasons why thousands have pre-ordered the complete Omni One system (priced at $2,595), which includes a customized Pico 4 Enterprise headset.

With all pre-orders to be fulfilled during Q1 and Q2 of this year, the Omni One system is set to launch in late Q2 2024. With that, Virtuix has announced the full launch lineup for the Omni One, 35 games in total, including the well-received Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord and Breachers.

Continue reading: Here's the launch lineup for Omni One, the complete VR entertainment system with a treadmill (full post)

UK surgeons use Apple Vision Pro during surgery to 'eliminate human error'

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 12, 2024 8:01 PM CDT

A team of NHS surgeons at private Cromwell Hospital in London used Apple's new Vision Pro headset during an operation, a first for the UK.

UK surgeons use Apple Vision Pro during surgery to 'eliminate human error'

The team at Cromwell Hospital used the new Apple Vision Pro during an operation on a male patient and his spine, navigating the surgery using augmented reality. A scrub nurse used the Apple Vision Pro headset to keep track of the process and choose the right tools.

The AR headset allowed the nurse to see the real-world with virtual screens displaying important information, with Suvi Verho, the lead scrub nurse at London Independent Hospital, told the Daily Mail that Apple's Vision Pro headset was a "gamechanger" and that "It gives you confidence in surgery," adding "It eliminates human error. It eliminates the guesswork".

Continue reading: UK surgeons use Apple Vision Pro during surgery to 'eliminate human error' (full post)

Samsung will enter the VR and AR market with a 'Vision Pro' style display in 2027 or 2028

Kosta Andreadis | Mar 10, 2024 8:59 PM CDT

Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset is a powerful, high-end device with cutting-edge microOLED display technology. It can deliver incredibly immersive visuals with unmatched clarity. Apple's claims that Vision Pro gives you the equivalent of a single 4K TV per eye is backed by a recent iFixit teardown of the device, which details that each pixel on each tiny display is the size of a single red blood cell.

Samsung will enter the VR and AR market with a 'Vision Pro' style display in 2027 or 2028

With leaked 'Bill of Materials' reports indicating that it costs Apple around $456 to obtain the two microOLED 4K display panels from Sony, it's not hard to see why the Vision Pro is sold for $3,499 USD. Sony is Apple's only supplier of microOLED panels, which could be the case for a while because Samsung is predicting that it will take at least three to four years for the tech to become commercially viable.

"The market potential of micro OLEDs installed in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) is considerable, but I think the market will start in earnest around 2027 to 2028," Samsung Display CEO Choi Joo-sun said at a recent Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) event.

Continue reading: Samsung will enter the VR and AR market with a 'Vision Pro' style display in 2027 or 2028 (full post)