Extended Reality (XR) - Page 27

Adobe developed technology that enables persistent virtual objects in multi-user AR experiences. The technology tracks the location of other devices to display virtual objects on multiple devices at once accurately.

Adobe introduced AR Together, an experimental app for smartphones that enables multi-user AR experiences with accurate object tracking. One of the hurdles that prevent developers from creating seamless multi-user AR experiences is sharing the position of virtual objects between multiple devices.

Existing multi-user tracking solutions often involve comparing each device's positional data to predict where they are in relation to each other. Adobe uses the sensors in modern smartphone and sensor fusion to identify other AR-capable devices and keep track of their real-time position. The result is more accurate virtual object tracking, creating more believable shared experiences.

Facebook's Quest 2 gives you multiple ways to interact with digital content, including motion controllers and hand tracking. It's also working with Logitech to bring keyboards into the virtual office. But what if you didn't need a keyboard to type in VR? Facebook's latest experiment does just that.

Facebook Reality Labs researchers have been developing new text input methods that work better in VR. Pointing your controller at a virtual keyboard gets the job done, but it's hardly intuitive and definitely a step backwards for productivity. In September, Facebook revealed that it's working with Logitech to build trackable keyboards for Quest 2, but you may not have to buy hardware to get a good typing experience in VR.

Facebook's researchers recently demonstrated a virtual keyboard solution that allows you to type on any flat surface. Facebook developed a motion model derived from speech recognition technology to analyze hand motion to predict your keystrokes. Facebook said that typists who tried the experiment averaged 73 words per minute, which was consistent when their typical keyboard typing speed.

Facebook expected Quest 2 to be a popular device, but according to a Facebook Reality Labs executive, sales are still outpacing the company's expectations. Quest 2 might just be the device to bring VR mainstream.

Facebook launched the Oculus Quest 2 one week ago, and the new device is already having a considerable effect on the growth of the VR industry. We previously wrote about the success that VR developers have seen following the headset's launch. Many of them saw 2x to 10x their usual sales numbers immediately after Quest 2's release. As you might expect, Facebook is equally excited about the interest in its new headset.

Chris Pruett, Facebook Reality Lab's Director of Content Ecosystem, this week spoke with Protocol.com and expressed his excitement about the launch.

Facebook's new Oculus Quest 2 must be selling like crazy because VR developers are reporting massive gains in daily sales. It's not just SideQuest reaping the benefits of a bigger audience.

Quest 2 hit the market on October 13, and developers immediately noticed significant increases in their sales numbers. Many games are seeing 2x to 10x the sales they were getting before the new headset shipped. And free games are seeing record numbers of concurrent players.

Rec Room's developers said that they say 2.5x the number of players on Quest 2's launch compared to Quest's launch last year. And it took only a few hours for the number of Quest 2 Rec Room players to exceed the number of Quest Rec Room players.

An indie developer figured out how to capture mixed reality VR video without a computer, and all you need is a Quest and an iPad. The project is still a work in progress, but you can try it now.

Mixed reality video capture is one of the best ways to share your VR gaming experience with others, especially if you want to broadcast the footage on your favourite streaming platform. With mixed reality video, you can embed yourself in real-time within the video stream to make it look like you're inside the game, just like it feels when you're playing a VR game.

Traditionally, you would need a powerful computer with a webcam or captured video camera and software like OBS to blend the feeds. But with the new Reality Mixer app from GitHub user Fabio914, you can capture amazing mixed reality content with just two mobile devices: An Oculus Quest 2 and an Apple iPad.

Pimax VR announced that it secured $20 million in a Series B funding round. The company said the new investment would give it the resources to speed up its R&D and production efforts. The additional resources will also fund improvements to Pimax customer support.

Things are looking up for Pimax recently. The company is shipping its new Pimax 8KX ultrawide headset to pre-order and Kickstarter backers. The Kickstarter backer boxes are about to go out the door, it's Sword controllers are almost ready for primetime, and the company said that sales of its current lineup of headsets are strong. The new influx of cash from the recent Series B funding will set Pimax up to put gasoline on the fire and accelerate the business.

Robin Wang, the company's founder, said the investment would allow the company to move quickly and offer a better product and improved customer service.

Facebook's Oculus Quest 2 headset hit the market a week ago, and within days, word got around that there's a bounty out for a functional jailbreak for the standalone VR headset. But don't get too excited by a nice payday. It looks like someone already claimed the prize.

When Facebook announced its intent to require Facebook accounts for Oculus users, Robert Long, a developer working at Mozilla on the Hubs VR platform, declared that he would donate $5000 to anyone who could provide a jailbreak for the Quest that get around Facebook's login requirements.

Long said that his definition of a jailbreak is root access to the device. He wants to replace or modify Oculus Home and the default launcher, and removal of Facebook's login requirement and telemetry tracking is also on the request list.

SideQuest, the alternative marketplace for Oculus Quest content, is having a great week. Within three days of Quest 2's launch, it saw rapid growth in new users and unique visits.

SideQuest has had a good run recently. In September, the company received backing from some high-profile investors, including the founder of Oculus, Palmer Luckey. Now, SideQuest is riding high with a massive influx of new users following the release of Facebook's Quest 2 headset.

In a typical month, SideQuest sees roughly 300,000 users, but the release of Quest 2 is driving it closer to 300,000 users this week. The day before Quest 2 started shipping, SideQuest had 16K users and a modest 650 signups.

If you were hoping to play your favourite Oculus Go games on the brand-new Quest 2, Facebook has some bad news for you: Quest 2 doesn't support Go games as the original Quest headset did.

When Facebook announced that it would discontinue support for the Oculus Go, it was understood that the content library from that platform would live on with the Quest platform. Unfortunately, to date, only 50 Go games have made their way over to Quest, and it doesn't look like we'll ever see more come through because Oculus doesn't sell a compatible headset anymore. That also means that GearVR content is now lost to the past as well.

Quest 2 just came out, and some people noticed that they couldn't find the tab for Go games in the new headset's store. John Carmack, consulting CTO for Facebook Reality Labs, confirmed on Twitter that Quest 2 does not support any Go titles. Carmack noted that he fought to keep the feature, but Facebook opted to entirely deprecate the Go platform.

FitXR, formerly known as BoxVR, is finally making changes to the core game to pair with its recent name change. The game will soon get dance routines as an alternative workout choice.

FitXR is one of the top fitness games for Oculus Quest. It started life as BoxVR, which was a workout game based on boxing moves. The game works like Beat Saber, with floating markers coming at you synchronized to a soundtrack. But unlike Beat Saber, where you don a pair or lightsabers and chop boxes to the beat, you use your fist to punch the beat. Recently, the developer changed the name of the game to FitXR to expand into new workout types.

Today, FitXR revealed the first new workout type that's in the works. Soon, the game will offer dance routines as an alternative to get those calories burned. The developer didn't reveal many details, but a short trailer clip shows that these new workouts will require more space. The boxing workouts don't do much for your legs other than a few squats, but it looks like the dancing routines will get those legs moving.

3dRudder today announced that it has begun shipping the latest iteration of the 3dRudder locomotion controller. The new 3dRudder Pro Wireless is the first version of the controller compatible with standalone VR devices.

3dRudder makes a VR accessory meant to solve one of the more significant problems with VR simulations: long-distance movement. The 3dRudder controller is a foot-based input device that allows you to move around a 3D environment without moving physically and without the use of unnatural mechanics, such as teleporting.

3dRudder says the device is simple to use and easier to learn than some virtual movement mechanics. The controller tracks four axes of movement, which allow you to move forward, back, left, and right by tilting the controller with your feet. It also supports rotation in both directions by twisting your ankles. And finally, it supports vertical elevation by moving your feet in opposing directions.

Cybershoes today announced that it would soon offer a wireless version of its VR locomotion peripheral compatible with Quest and Quest 2. The company plans to launch a Kickstarter later this year to fund the first production run.

Cybershoes is a VR locomotion peripheral that allows you to walk in VR. The system includes a stool to sit on, a carpet for traction, and a pair of mechanical slippers that fit over your shoes. Each Cybershoe features a roller that tracks how fast you move your feet.

"Movement and locomotion has been a consistent issue in VR gaming. The main movement mechanics available today - smooth Movement via joystick or teleportation - can be jarring and lead to motion sickness," said Michael Bieglmayer, CEO of Cybershoes. "By translating natural movement to in-game motion, Cybershoes addresses motion sickness while increasing immersion, activity, and enjoyment."

Google this week revealed Google Meet for Glass, a reimagined version for Google Meet designed for the company's Glass Enterprise Edition 2 wearable computer.

Google Meet for Glass is a secure real-time video collaboration tool for hands-free communication while on the job. Meet for Glass allows workers to communicate with each other through live video chat. The camera on Google Glass will enable others to see exactly what the wearer sees, perfect for remote support.

Google said that it started testing Meet for Glass in its data centers to allow technicians to communicate remotely while maintaining social distancing protocols. Google's technicians used Meet for Glass for all sorts of purposes, including equipment review and training new employees, but the most common use case is remote assistance.

Facebook started delivering Quest 2 headsets to eager customers on October 13, but before most people could get their hands-on one, someone in Japan ripped the guts out of theirs. It's pretty amazing to see how Facebook put the whole thing together.

In the early hours of October 13, Twitter user GOROman posted a live stream video of an Oculus Quest 2 teardown followed by a series of close-up images of some of the internals. The pictures give us a bit of insight into the hardware in Quest 2, and the video shows just how complicated this device is.

In the first picture, you can see the entire assembly with the front cover removed. In the center, we see a small blower-style fan with a shroud to direct the air across the center of the primary board.

Snap Inc. today released Lens Studio 3.2, which brings support for theLiDAR camera in Apple's new iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro. Developers can now create Lenses that blend in with the real-world.

Apple's new iPhone 12 Pro lineup includes the same LiDAR camera system as the latest iPad Pro. These advanced cameras can capture depth and geometry to create a high-detail mesh of the surrounding environment, including detecting and identifying surfaces and objects. Lens Studio 3.2 utilizes that information to blend virtual objects with the real-world seamlessly.

"The addition of the LiDAR Scanner to iPhone 12 Pro models enables a new level of creativity for augmented reality," said Eitan Pilipski, Snap's SVP of Camera Platform. "We're excited to collaborate with Apple to bring this sophisticated technology to our Lens Creator community."

Apple today revealed the iPhone 12 lineup, and the onboard LiDAR camera in the top-of-the-line Pro model could make it the best phone ever for AR experiences.

Apple is a big supporter of augmented reality technology. The company's ARKit platform allows developers to build robust AR experiences for Apple's iPhone and iPad devices that blend virtual objects and assets with the real-world. iOS devices have always been capable AR viewers, but the new LiDAR-equipped Pro devices take things to a new level.

Apple released the iPad Pro with onboard LiDAR sensors earlier this year, and later this month, the iPhone Pro and Pro Max will ship with the same embedded camera technology. The LiDAR camera enables Apple's new devices to run depth scanning to capture your surroundings and detect surfaces in real-time, which gives them much better positional tracking and object anchoring capabilities than other mobile devices.

Just in time for the Quest 2 launch, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is now available on the Oculus Quest mobile VR platform. If you're new to VR, maybe try something else before giving yourself a heart attack in a zombie apocalypse.

Skydance Interactive today released the Oculus Quest port of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, one of the most highly acclaimed VR games in the horror genre. The game came out last year on PC VR and PCVR, and now it's available for Oculus' standalone VR solution.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is an open-world survival horror game situated in the heart of New Orleans. Players need to scavenge for equipment such as weapons, food, and crafting materials, while they fight for their lives against uncountable numbers of bloodthirsty walkers.

Beat Games today released the long-awaited multiplayer update for one of VR's hottest games, Beat Saber. Now you can battle your friends in Tetris-style head-to-head beat-slashing competition.

Beat Saber, if you're unaware, is one of, if not the hottest game in virtual reality. An excellent way to describe it would be Dance Dance Revolution meets with Rockband, with lightsabres. It's a simple game that anyone can pick up, but it's a very challenging game to master. Beat Saber has given many people countless hours of calorie-burning entertainment, but it's been a solo experience until now. Now it's a competitive event.

Beat Saber's new multiplayer mode puts you against up to four other players for five-way battle action. The game features a matchmaking system that lets you jump in quickly, but it also allows you to host private matches for you and your friends.

FOVE Inc today released version 1.0 of the software that powers its FOVE0 eye-tracking VR headset. The latest update introduces a handful of new features that should be helpful for the medical industry.

If you don't recall, FOVE Inc. was the first company to introduce an eye-tracking VR headset. FOVE launched a Kickstarter to fund the FOVE0 VR headset's development in 2016, and it began delivering those headsets in January 2017.

After fulfilling its backer commitment, FOVE retreated into obscurity, but it never went away. After four years of development, the company has finally released version 1.0 of its software platform.

HTC recently partnered with GIGABYTE Technologies to offer Vive Cosmos bungles that include powerful gaming laptops to give you a full VR solution in one package.

HTC's new Cosmos Series x AORUS 15G bundles include Vive Cosmos VR headsets and AORUS 15G gaming laptops. The packages are available in four different varieties, with prices starting at $2,249.

GIGABYTE is offering two different laptop models. The AORUS 15G SB includes a Core i7-10750H and a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti paired with a 15.6" 144Hz 1080p display. If those specs aren't good enough for you, the AORUS 15G WB packs a more powerful i7-10875H processor with a GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and a 240Hz display.