Extended Reality (XR) - Page 24

Cognixion today announced that it's bringing to market an augmented reality headset that incorporates a brain-computing interface to interpret your thoughts and dictate your speech. This headset gives a voice to people who don't have one and solves many accessibility challenges.

The Cognixion One augmented reality headset is a fully standalone unit that doesn't require any wires or outside computation. The headset includes brain computing interface (BCI) technology, which enables to device to interpret what you're thinking and respond accordingly. In Cognixion's words, Cognixion One "reduces the lag between intention and outcome."

The Cognixion One features direct integration with Amazon Alexa, enabling you to control things like home automation system, music selection, and even queue up games-all with just a thought. The headset can also interpret the words you're thinking and generate speech or convert them to text for private messaging. It also includes 4G connectivity so you can stay connected to your virtual assistant everywhere you go.

Have you ever wanted to hunt ghosts in prison? Yeah, me neither. But just in case you want to try, the latest Phasmaphobia beta release has a new prison level.

Phasmophobia is a 4-player co-op game where you and your mates try to hunt down ghosts and other apparitions in dark, spooky, haunted locations. This multiplayer psychological horror game even offers full VR support to make the experience all the most frightening.

In the latest beta update, the developers at Kinetic Games added a genuinely frightening new locale. You can now spend your nights wandering an abandoned prison in search of all the things that go bump in the night.

Universal Studios Japan partnered with Nintendo to build a $580 million Nintendo theme park, and one of the main attractions is an interactive augmented reality Mario Kart ride.

Super Nintendo World is a new theme park slated to open next February in Osaka, Japan. The new park will be part of Universal Studios Japan and has been a work in progress for over 6-years. When the park finally opens, guests will get to experience life-size recreations of Nintendo's franchises, with one of the main attractions being an augmented reality Mario Kart experience.

Sadly, you won't have full control over the karts; the experience is on rails. However, it is a multiplayer experience, and there are two side-by-side tracks to give it a bit of a competitive element. The ride includes interactive buttons, and patrons will don an AR headset to get the full experience out of the ride.

Pimax just released a new version of its 5K-series of ultrawide VR headsets. This latest model boasts a crazy 180Hz refresh rate and still packs dual 2560x1440 displays. This is going to be fantastic for people with top-tier GPUs.

Pimax is always trying to push new boundaries with its VR headsets. The company's latest release is a shining example of Pimax's drive to go where no other headset maker dares to venture. Today, Pimax released the Pimax Vision 5K Super, which boasts the fastest refresh rate yet offered in a VR HMD. If you thought Valve's Index was impressive with 144Hz displays, what do you think about 180Hz in the new Pimax? It was first revealed at CES 2020 and now you can buy it.

Like the other Pimax 5K headsets, the Super packs a pair of 2560x1440 outward-canted displays that give you up to 170-degrees of horizontal field of view. The new model's significant difference is the faster screens, although you don't need to run the headset at full pace. The headset supports 90Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, and 160Hz officially, and Pimax offers an experimental 180Hz mode if you really want to live on the bleeding edge.

OpenBCI, a biotech company based in Brooklyn, NY, recently revealed Galea, a brain-computer interface that integrates into AR and VR headsets.

OpenBCI created the open-source brain-computer interface, which enables computers to interpret your thoughts. Now the company is working on bringing that technology to AR and VR devices.

The Galea platform integrates several biometric devices, including EEG, EMG, EDA, PPG, and eye-tracking sensors. It will give developers time-locked access to pull the data into game engines to enable thought-based interactions in AR and VR experiences.

SideQuest announced that it is now a member of the Khronos Group. The company will now have a hands-on role to play in shaping the future of OpenXR.

Khronos Group is the working group responsible for creating many of the open standards that developers use today. OpenCL, OpenGL, WebGL, and Vulkan are all the products of efforts put forth by Khronos Group members. OpenXR is the latest set of standards to come out of Khronos. It recently hit release version 1.0.

OpenXR enables developers to build VR and AR applications that work across any XR device. The OpenXR applications interface handles all the translation between any variety of hardware and software platforms. SideQuest joined Khronos to help promote OpenXR and help developers see the benefits of adopting the OpenXR standards.

If you've been waiting to find out when you can take to the skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator in full VR immersion, I've got great news for you! The update is coming near the end of December.

When Microsoft rolled out Flight Simulator 2020 earlier this year, the simulator was missing a significant feature that we were all promised. The initial release didn't include VR support, but the wait for that feature is almost over. The team working on the game said the next patch, which is due in December, would have VR support for everyone.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jorg Neuman, head of Microsoft Flight Sim, joined Sebastian Wloch, CEO of Asobo Studios, and Martial Bossard, the Executive Producer responsible for MS Flight Sim, on Twitch to discuss the development of the simulator and upcoming patches. At approximately 35 minutes into the live stream, Bossard revealed that the next update, called Sim Update 2, would bring VR support out of the closed beta and into the mainstream release.

EA just rolled out the version 3.0 update for Star Wars: Squadrons. The new patch brings a host of new features, including a new map, support for fancier HOTAS systems, and new battles. And if you play in VR, you've got better performance to look forward to.

Star Wars: Squadrons is one of the best space dogfighting games to come out in ages. Even more exciting is the fact that you can play the entire game in fully immersive virtual reality. That kind of feature is rare to see in a AAA title, and it's scarce for a game from EA. It's not the company's first VR title, but it's the most full-featured VR title in the company's catalogue.

Thankfully, EA seems to be doubling down on VR support for the game. The new patch is mostly a compatibility update for the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series consoles that some lucky people have, even though EA said it wouldn't do that. But the patch also includes a few performance and fidelity improvements for VR gamers.

Facebook is preparing an alternative storefront for the Oculus Quest standalone VR system. The company currently keeps tight requirements for apps on the official store. Many app developers have been forced to look for alternative distribution methods for their software because of it.

SideQuest, the unofficial alternative content store that allows you to sideload unapproved Quest content on your headset, was born of necessity when Facebook started leaving some developers high and dry. SideQuest has thus far operated in a grey area neither against Oculus's terms of service nor adhering to Facebook's vision for its VR platform. Thus far, SideQuest has skirted any severe backlash from Facebook, but that might be about to change next year whenFacebook rolls out its new distribution plans.

Facebook notoriously makes life difficult for developers that build things that it sees valuable to the core Oculus platform. Take Yur Fit, for example, Facebook has repeatedly patched the Quest software to break the functionality of Yur Fit, and it has now rolled out a system-level fitness tracking system that renders Yur Fit all but obsolete. Why wouldn't Facebook do the same to SideQuest once it has a similar solution available?

Pimax recently launched the Pimax VR Experience beta, which gives Pimax owners a brand-specific content launcher and home environment. Today it released a new update that introduces "major core changes" to the Pimax VR Experience software.

Pimax said that some of the planned future feature updates would require significant changes to the VR Experience code. Rather than tackle issues as they come up, the software team decided to give it a pre-emptive rebuild. The current iteration is not a complete rebuild, but the company is rolling out a new version because it includes a long list of bug fixes and several feature updates.

Pimax VR Experience 0.70.0.0 beta includes support for touchpad and thumbstick scrolling in all drop-down menus and scrollable pages. You can also now use a mouse scroll wheel to cycle through pages of content. The new version also includes click and drag on the HTC Vive and Valve Index controllers by half-pressing the trigger button.

HTC is offering significant discounts on its Vive VR headset bundles for Cyber Week in the UK. It also brought back the free Half-Life: Alyx promotion from earlier this year.

HTC's UK website is already advertising its Cyber Week sales, which is surprising because there's nothing to be found on the North American website, even with Black Friday being days away.

We have no idea if these discounts will extend anywhere else in the world, but UK buyers can get a pretty good deal on a new headset right now.

After a month of delays, VR Cover has finally opened sales for its highly anticipated Oculus Quest 2 cushion replacement system. If you order one now, you should have it in time for the holidays.

VR Cover is calling the Facial Interface & Foam Replacement for Quest 2 its most exciting product yet. We're not sure how to quantify that, but we're sure it will sell like crazy. VR Cover has been around for longer than consumer VR headsets and it's easily the top name in sanitary VR upgrades. VR Cover's recognition, combined with its official partnership with Oculus, should entice many people to upgrade their Quest 2 headset.

As the name suggests, the VR Cover Facial Interface & Foam Replacement for Quest 2 is an aftermarket replacement for the factory cushion interface. The Quest 2 doesn't have a Velcro-attached cushion; it has a removable plastic bracket, not unlike that of the Rift, with a glued-on cushion. As such, the VR Cover replacement includes the whole plastic bracket interface. VR Cover's solution adds a Velcro layer that allows you to swap cushions as needed.

The global pandemic has claimed another business victim: it forced Intel to shut down its 10,000 square foot mixed reality film studio. It was the biggest and most ambitious project of its kind globally, and it's no longer a thing.

Intel opened Intel Studios in 2018 and operated the facility for a little over two years. It was a 10,000 square foot green screen dome designed for capturing volumetric video. Intel equipped the facility with over 100 8K cameras and an Intel-powered server farm to process the captured footage.

Intel Studios played host to several projects in the two years it operated, including music videos and stage performances. The resulting footage was used to create immersive AR and VR experiences. Sadly, Intel's corporate leadership set a mandate that Intel Studios must become self-sustainable and profitable, and the current global situation has made that impossible.

StarVR released the StarVR One ultrawide VR headset earlier this year, but it was available for businesses only at launch. The headset still isn't a consumer device, but hardcore sim hobbyists are now welcome to buy one.

StarVR had a long journey to bring its headset to market. The company first revealed the StarVR One prototype in 2015, when it toured several gaming events, including E3, showing off Overkill's The Walking Dead experience. The StarVR headset never came to the consumer market, but it has been available to select corporate customers since June of this year.

StarVR still doesn't offer the StarVR One headset to regular consumers, but the company is loosening its grip on the business requirement. StarVR announced that it would now accept requests for its headset from simulation racers. The StarVR One is now compatible with the most popular racing simulation games on the market. It was already supported in Project Cars 2, and now it works with iRacing and Assetto Corsa.

Last week Oculus announced that it would be giving away copies of Asgard's Wrath to Quest 2 owners who activate their headset between November 20 and January 31 and then plug it into a computer for Oculus Link. Now that promotion is available to all Quest 2 owners.

The new promotion, which Oculus launched to celebrate the first anniversary of Oculus Link, caught more negative attention than the company probably expected. The idea of giving a free game as a Black Friday sale would make sense, but that's not really what Oculus is doing here, and it appears the company now agrees.

Oculus Link is a way for Quest 2 owners to use their headset as a PC VR system, a great feature, but it's hardly a mainstream use for a Quest 2 headset. The average Quest 2 buyer is more interested in the console-like nature of the standalone VR device. Those people may need some enticement like a free game to pique their interest, but a PC VR title probably isn't the right piece of content for that crowd.

Oculus is celebrating the 1st anniversary of Oculus Link with a new promotion. If you activate a new Oculus Quest 2 between November 20 and January 31 and plug it into your PC to try Oculus Link, Oculus will give you a free copy of one of the best PC VR games on the Oculus platform: Asgard's Wrath.

Asgard's Wrath is a first-person VR action-RPG based on Norse Mythology, and it met critical acclaim when it launched last year. As Oculus put it, Asgard's Wrath is an "ambitious dungeon crawler" and "one of the most fully-realized VR worlds to-date." It's genuinely a must-try for anyone who owns a gaming computer and a compatible VR headset.

The process for claiming your copy of the game is simple. Activate a new Quest 2 between now and January 31, install the Oculus PC app on a compatible computer, and use a compatible USB-C cable to connect the two. Once you've done that, you should see Asgard's Wrath in your Rift library.

Kat VR is gearing up to release Loco S, the second-generation of its wearable VR locomotion sensors, and you can pre-order them now.

Kat VR is no stranger to the VR locomotion game. The company started off making omnidirectional treadmills for the VR arcade industry and VR enthusiasts. It now offers a handful of products for gamers and professionals alike.

Kat VR Loco S is an updated version of the original Kat VR Loco sensors, which allows you to control your movement in VR games by walking in place. The kit includes three sensors that you attach to your body; one for each foot, and one for your waist, which tracks your movements relative to a basestation receiver.

HTC just released a set of new enterprise features for its ageing Vive Focus Plus standalone VR headset. The company clearly still sees value for businesses in its all-in-one device.

HTC released the Vive Focus Plus in April 2019, which was an iterative update to the original Vive Focus. The Plus model added two 6-DoF motion controllers to the package and a slightly redesigned face cushion. The Vive Focus lineup never caught hold in the North American market, but it's pretty popular in Asia. With the latest update, HTC is hoping to attract the interest of more businesses.

HTC's new Vive Focus Plus update includes new security and device management features and integrations that would enable large businesses to manage their Focus Plus headset. The new update adds support for VMware and Mobileiron remote device management. The new update also makes it possible to connect the Vive Focus Plus to a corporate VPN for secure access to company network infrastructure.

JVC Kenwood, a company most known for its audio products, such as car stereos, headphones, home audio speakers, is apparently building a mixed reality headset and the specifications are kind of incredible.

It's taken a while for the news to make its way stateside, but JVC Kenwood revealed the upcoming headset to the Japanese tech press members in late October. Road to VR picked caught the news today, but the original story hails from Mogura VR, a Japanese VR publication.

According to Mogura, JVC's upcoming mixed reality headset will have display specifications that rival the best VR headsets. The unnamed JVC headset is said to feature dual 2560 x 1440 displays, giving the headset a total resolution of 5120 x 1440, which is the same resolution as the Pimax 5K+.

The Star Wars franchise has always been part of virtual reality. The Trials on Tatooine experience was one of the first pieces of content available for the Rift and Vive back in 2016. Since then, we've seen several new experiences on many VR platforms, including PC VR, standalone VR, and even exclusive arcade content.

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge is ILMxLAB's latest VR experience, and this one looks to be a much more ambitious project than past endeavours. The game takes place "hundreds of years" before the events of The Phantom Menace, on a remote planet called Batuu. In this game, you play a droid repair technician who needs to escape the clutches of ship pirates.

Later you'll take on the role of Jedi Padawan Ady Sun'Zee, who gets to fight alongside Master Yoda himself. You'll also meet C-3P0 voice by none other than Frank Oz, who voices the movie's character.