Extended Reality (XR) - Page 19

HP is now taking orders of the upcoming Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition. The Omnicept is a VR headset that includes a handful of biometric sensors that give it advanced features best suited for business uses, but it looks like anyone can order it from HP's website.

The Reverb G2 Omnicept comes equipped with a pair of pupil-tracking cameras to enable foveated rendering, which gives the headset image quality and performance benefits when paired with the right graphics card. The eye-tracking sensors also allow developers to infer information about the user's cognitive function during a training experience. The Reverb G2 Omnicept even has a heart rate sensor to track the user's level of excursion or anxiety while performing a training task.

The Omnicept Edition also includes a built-in face tracking sensor, which monitors your facial expressions and tracks your lips and tongue to help animate realistic avatars in collaborative VR experiences. When HP announced the Omnicept, face tracking was a novel idea. HTC recently beat HP to market with an attachment for the Vive Pro, but Omnicept has it built-in and integrated with the other sensors on the headset.

HTC revealed its new lineup of VR headsets, which includes a new Vive Pro 2 with improved resolution and refresh rate over the original. The company also revealed the Vive Focus 3, a standalone VR headset with similar features as Facebook's Oculus Quest 2, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 SoC driving it.

Unfortunately for gamers, HTC isn't kicking off the VR version of the console wars any time soon. This headset is targeted squarely at businesses, with the primary focus on workplace process training. To that end, HTC has put significant resources into building out an ecosystem that supports current businesses and will soon invest in VR solutions for training.

HTC's Vive Focus 3 is a Qualcomm XR2-based standalone headset with dual 2.5K RGB displays (the same ones found in the new Vive Pro 2) that operate at 90Hz. The headset features 6-degrees of freedom inside out tracking for both the headset and the controllers. The Focus 3 also includes adjustable IPD spacing, with the widest range available in any commercial headset. 57mm to 72mm with an analog adjustment dial for fine-tuning.

HTC just upped the ante for VR headset makers. The newly announced Vive Pro 2 cranks up the resolution, refresh rate and field of view. And this one supports SteamVR tracking and the Vive Wireless Adapter.

HTC today announced the next addition to its Vive Pro high-end VR headset lineup. The company currently offers the Vive Pro, Vive Pro Eye, and Vive Pro Secure headsets for business and arcade use, and by the end of the month, the Vive Pro 2 will join the line for use cases that demand the highest visual fidelity.

The Vive Pro 2 features the same overall design as the original Vive Pro, retaining the visor shape, head strap design, and SteamVR tracking compatibility. The big changes lie under the hood, with 120Hz 2448x2448 pixel fast-switching RGB LCDs, one for each eye, giving it a total resolution of 4896x2448. For comparison, HP's Reverb G2 sports a pair of 90Hz 2160x2160 displays.

Sony is currently working on its next-generation PSVR, and if UploadVR's sources are correct, the new headset could have some tech that no other headset does. Namely, it's said to have a motor inside for haptic feedback. If that's true, it would be the first VR headset that we know of that offers such a feature.

The next PSVR will also get a significant display overhaul. The new device reportedly features a dual-screen setup (the current PSVR has a single display shared by both lenses) with adjustable lens spacing. The new PSVR should also have significantly improved image quality thanks to a 2000x2040 per-eye resolution. Supposedly, the next PSVR will also include gaze-tracking cameras for foveated rendering, which would help with the performance requirements to drive those high-resolution panels.

It seems like Sony may be working to reduce the cable clutter with the next PSVR too. The original model required a breakout box with a pair of cables that ran back to the headset. The new device will reportedly run off a single USB-C cable, which would plug into the front port of the PS5 console.

Rebuff Reality, a well-established VR accessory maker, recently announced the VR Power 2, an extended battery pack specifically designed for the Oculus Quest and Quest 2 headsets. The VR Power 2 gives your Quest 2 a total of 10,000mAh of battery capacity. That translates to up to 8 to 10-hours of use, depending on what you're doing. You can get up to 8-hours of gaming or 10-hours of media consumption out of this setup.

The VR Power 2 battery pack attaches to the rear of the head strap, which in addition to giving your headset extra runtime, adds ballast to help balance that counterbalances the weight. The VR Power 2 is compatible with any head strap option, including the original fabric strap and the Oculus Elite Head Strap. Rebuff Reality also offers its own head strap accessory, which is also compatible with the VR Power 2 battery pack.

The kit includes the battery pack, a USB-C cable, and two cable guides that attach to the upper strap and help secure the USB cable. The battery pack features two output ports; one for the Quest headset and one for accessories. The VR Power 2 also has a charge port on the side that allows you to charge both the extended battery and the headset all at once.

Facebook today announced that it acquired Downpour Interactive, the independent game studio that created the popular VR war simulator Onward. Facebook said this move would give Downpour the resources to improve the game even further.

Onward is one of the most popular VR games. Downpour Interactive originally released the game on PC VR platforms, where it saw great success on both the Oculus and SteamVR ecosystems. Recently, the developer ported the game over to the Oculus Quest platform, which exposed a much wider audience to the game.

Facebook recognized the Downpour Interactive is one of the pioneers behind social VR experiences. Under the Oculus Studios umbrella, Downpour will have the resources to take Onward to greater heights. Facebook also said the move would give Downpour the ability to pursue future projects.

Roto VR recently revealed that it had finalized the development of its DisplayPort cable magazine, which would enable the use of Vive Pro and Valve Index headset with its motorized VR chair.

Last year, Roto VR began shipping its long-awaited motorized Roto VR Chair for virtual reality experiences. The company first opened pre-ordered for the Roto VR Chair in May of 2016, and it took roughly four years to deliver the first units.

Roto VR's big selling point is the data cable passthrough system that enables the chair to rotate in continuous 360-degree rotations without wrapping the cable around yourself. Roto VR developed a device it calls the Cable Magazine, which gives the headset a place to plug in that rotates with the chair. The base of the unit has plugs to connect to your computer.

A new mixed reality company called Campfire just came out of hiding to make it's big reveal this week. The company purchased the rights to now-defunct Meta's patented technology and reimagined it for remote enterprise collaboration. Campfire's headset should be available later this year.

Campfire, a small startup company from San Mateo, California, this week announced that it raised $8 million in venture capital to help bring its enterprise AR solution to market. The company has an innovative approach to using immersive technology for remote collaboration. It believes that the biggest problems with remotely sharing 3D content with multiple users have nothing to do with the virtual environment and everything to do with the orientation of virtual content in the physical environment.

Campfire's solution includes a headset that can display AR and VR experiences, an accessory that turns your smartphone into a tracked controller to manipulate the virtual environment, and a console that acts as an anchor point to link the virtual and physical worlds together.

Yaw VR launched a Kickstarter campaign earlier this week for its Yaw2 home motion simulation seat, and it already secured nearly ten times its backing goal. Yaw VR expects to ship the first unit to backers in September.

Three years ago, Yaw VR ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for its first motion cockpit, the Yaw VR, which was pretty much a bowl with a seat it in that rotates along with the input of your VR game. The Yaw 2 accomplishes the same motion with a much more impressive-looking setup.

The Yaw2 features a racing-seat-style gaming chair on a motorized platform that mimics the motion of the games you play. The Yaw2 supports 70-degrees of pitch motion and 40-degrees of roll motion. Yaw VR also offers an optional attachment called the Yaw Platform, which adds 360-degree rotation to the package.

If you've been lamenting the Oculus avatar system and its lack of diversity, fret no more. The new Oculus avatar system has practically unlimited options to make your virtual avatar look just the way you want.

Facebook Reality Labs just revealed a completely overhauled avatar system for the Oculus platform. The new avatar creation tool lets you get into the details when building your virtual likeness. Now you can adjust facial features individually, including eyes, nose, mouse, and you can even add wrinkles if you want to show your age.

The new Oculus avatar system also allows you to customize your hairstyle and hair colour, adjust your body type and size, and now you can dress yourself up in whatever clothes fit your personal style.

HTC today announced its partnership with iFixit to provide Vive customers with a means to repair their off-warranty VR hardware. That is a massive win for right-to-repair advocates.

HTC said that iFixit would sell replacement parts for Vive VR headsets and accessories and provide instruction guides to help people make their repairs. iFixit already sells all the tools required for each repair.

"We hear from many customers who love their original HTC Vive headsets after years of use, but occasionally still need a specific part," said Daniel O'Brien, General Manager, HTC America. "By partnering with iFixit, we're taking an unprecedented approach to meeting the demands of our long-time customers who want to repair and continue to use their beloved headsets that may be out of warranty or no longer available through us."

In an interview with Protocol, Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson announced that the company is gearing up to release its second-generation mixed reality headset this year. Johnson said Magic Leap 2 would be first available in an early access program, with general availability in early 2022.

Magic Leap's first headset did not fare well in the market. The company tried to target the consumer market with its messaging, but the device's price tag screamed enterprise technology. In the last year, the company made the pivot focus solely on the enterprise space and put its consumer roadmap on hold for a while. Magic Leap 2 is exclusively an enterprise-focused device, with significant attention on medical training.

Johnson said that a core priority for Magic Leap 2 is making it comfortable for front-line workers. The new headset is half the size of the original model, along with a 20% weight savings. Magic Leap 2 will also offer a much larger field of view than the original model. Johnson said that her engineering team managed to create optics that enable double the field of view provided in the Magic Leap One.

A new HTC Vive headset has won an award for its innovative design, but the company said it does not have plans to bring it to production.

HTC is gearing up for Vivecon 2021, where it will presumably announce a new VR headset. Rumour has it the product is meant for the enterprise market. If the design of this award-winning headset concept is any indication, we would bet on a consumer-level product from HTC this year.

The IF World Design Guide released its list of 2021 winners, and HTC won the award for best Product Design with a concept VR headset called the Vive Air. The award page describes the Vive Air as a VR headset inspired by the footwear industry. The Vive Air features breathable, quick-drying fabrics that help keep the headset cool and dry while during high-intensity activities such as using fitness apps.

Megadodo Games just hit a significant milestone in the development of its DecaGear lineup of VR hardware. The company is still working on perfecting theDecaGear 1 headset, but it's preparing to take orders for the first run of DecaMove locomotion controllers.

Last year, Megadodo Games came out of nowhere and announced an advanced VR headset and locomotion controller. The company quickly started taking pre-orders for the hardware that it planned to ship early this year. Development of the hardware is taking a bit longer than expected, but the DecaMove controller is almost ready to go.

The DecaMove clips to your hips and gives you an additional level of movement fidelity in first-person games. The DecaMove tracks your hip orientation and separates your head and hands from your movement direction for a more natural feeling experience. Megadodo sent out Blogger Editions of the DecaMove last month, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Facebook Reality Labs' top brass shot down the rumours that predict an Oculus Quest 3 or Quest Pro headset is coming this year. Quest 2 will be on the market for "a long while."

Andrew Bosworth, VP Facebook Reality Labs, and John Carmack, Consulting CTO at Oculus, answered several community questions on Twitter Spaces. The discussion also touched on some rumours concerning upcoming hardware.

Bosworth recently teased that a Quest Pro may be in the works during an Instagram-based ask-me-anything event. It turns out his comments were more of a tease than you may have expected. Quest Pro seems to be a real thing, but we won't see it this year. UploadVR posted a partial transcript of the call which highlights a few key details from the discussion.

Pico Interactive just announced the Neo 3, its third-generation 6-DoF standalone VR headset. The company has a significant presence in the enterprise market. The Neo 3 is the company's most significant push to capture the consumer market, but only in Asia. At least for now.

Pico Interactive's new headset is a 6DoF standalone VR device with inside-out tracking with four cameras and two optically tracked controllers. The headset is powered by Qualcomm's XR2 SoC platform and supports the Wi-Fi 6 standard.

The headset also bears an uncanny resemblance to theOculus Quest 2 equipped with an Elite head strap. The headset shares a similar oblong shape with two cameras facing forward and to the ground and two cameras are facing up to the corners, just like the Quest 2 design. The Neo 3 also has a rounded head strap attachment that looks a lot like the swappable attachment on the Quest 2. Pico also said the Neo 3 has three IPD settings, also like the Quest 2.

Facebook Reality Labs announced that the next update for Oculus Quest 2, v28, would introduce three new features to make the headset even more compelling. The company plans to unlock 120Hz mode, introduce the Infinite Office VR productivity solution, and enable native wireless PC VR through Air Link.

Oculus had previously announced Infinite Office, a productivity solution that enables you to use your Quest 2 headset as your work-from-anywhere computer. It allows you to create a virtual computing space with access to windowed web browsers, document creation tools, and chat communication apps.

Most importantly, Infinite Office enables you to bring your real keyboard into VR environments and allows you to see it through your Quest headset. You can pair the Logitech K830 Bluetooth keyboard to your Quest to enable this feature. Along with keyboard tracking, the new update will allow the Quest 2 to track your desk space and integrate it with your safety boundaries.

HTC recently launched a set of Vive-branded VR accessories, but it isn't done with the new announcements yet. It is now dropping hints that there's a new headset on the way.

HTC's marketing team had some fun on Friday. The HTC Vive Twitter account dropped a very dark image of a closeup of what appears to be an inside-out tracking camera on the edge of a headset.

The shot is cropped too tight, and the image has too much contrast to see any meaningful details. Attempts to enhance the image have been fruitless in uncovering anything else. Meanwhile, HTC also released a teaser on the Vive Blog, which cheekily confirms that a new headset is imminent.

HP this week revealed the price of its upcoming Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition. The new enterprise-focused VR headset includes various biometric sensors that are not included with the standard Reverb G2, and they come at a high cost.

HP first revealed the Omnicept Edition of its Reverb G2 VR headset in September of last year. The headset is based on the HP Reverb G2, which features dual 4K displays and Valve's over-the-ear speaker solution. The Omnicept Edition builds on that base and adds several biometric sensors to unlock advanced features for business uses.

The Omnicept Edition includes a pair of eye-tracking sensors from Tobii, which enable features like foveated rendering for improved performance. The eye-tracking sensors can also provide useful information about the user's level of focus and attention. HP also included a heartrate monitor, which in conjunction with the eye-tracker, can help determine a user's cognitive load level.

Spatial today announced a major update to its virtual collaboration platform that enables more realistic virtual environments modelled from real-world locations. The company is also making Spatial available for new devices to make the platform accessible to almost anyone.

Spatial started life as an augmented reality co-location system that would enable anyone with a Hololens or Magic Leap headset to meet remotely with other people with AR devices. The system includes a virtual avatar that can be projected into a remote location. If you want to get fancy, you could even use a 3D scan of your body as your avatar.

Now you can get even fancier by bringing scanned objects and environments into the mix. The new Spatial update enables you to bring high-fidelity LiDAR scans into the platform, which you can use to recreate real-world environments to use as virtual meeting places. You can also import virtual copies of real objects into your virtual meeting space, making virtual collaboration feel a bit closer to the real thing.