Virtual & Augmented Reality News - Page 4

Microsoft revealed that as part of its partnership with HP to develop the HP Reverb G2 Windows Mixed Reality headset, the company spent time improving the Windows Mixed Reality platform's overall visual quality.

Microsoft added two specific image correction features to the latest Windows Mixed Reality; Chromatic Aberration Correction and Light Leak Correction.

Microsoft's engineers improved Windows MR's method for reducing chromatic aberration (the refraction effect caused by white light hitting a Fresnel lens). Microsoft's Chromatic Aberration Correction pre-warps the image such that a single white pixel would appear as a single white pixel in the lens, not a white pixel with red, green, and blue refractions.

The new Light Leak Correction feature helps balance the color in both LCD panels in the Reverb G2. Light leakage is the color fringing effect that occurs when the red, blue, and green light isn't perfectly filtered. It can often cause color ghosting around edges. This effect also creates a tinting effect on the screen. Microsoft said its algorithms reduce color fringing and tinting.

It looks like Sony might not be giving up on PSVR as quickly as we thought. Sony just confirmed that the PS Camera adapter for PlayStation 5 would soon come packaged in the PSVR Marvel's Iron Man VR bundle.

Sony's PlayStation 5 drops on November 12, and gamers will be able to enjoy next-gen games as well as their PS4 games, some with enhancements and better loading times. PSVR games are also playable on PS5, but the new PlayStation camera doesn't work with the headset.

Sony's solution is the offer afree adapter to anyone who has a PSVR headset and wants to use it on a new PS5. PS5 PSVR games don't yet exist, and we're not sure that they ever will, but Sony's not abandoning the headset. The company just revealed that the adapter you need would soon come with PSVR kits, which should encourage newcomers to consider a PSVR headset.

Deca released more information about its upcoming DecaGear 1 VR headset today. To convince people the headset is real, Deca released the Bill of Materials for the headset, including model numbers and rough pricing.

Deca stirred up a lot of buzz in late October when it revealed the existence of its upcoming VR headset, DecaGear 1. The new headset boasts a wild array of specifications, including inside-out tracking, facial expression tracking, eye tracking, and dual 2160 x 2160 RGB LCDs. This headset's specifications are scarcely believable, but the $450 price tag puts the DecaGear 1 into "something seems fishy" territory.

Facing a lot of skepticism, Deca's founders are trying to be as transparent about the product as possible. Today, they revealed the DecaGear 1's Bill of Materials, a complete breakdown of the components needed to build the headset and their associated costs. Deca said the prices listed are an approximate range because of NDA obligations with some companies and because the prices depend on purchase volume.

Split Light Studios dropped a teaser trailer for its upcoming game Pirate VR: Jolly Roger, and it looks fantastic. It almost seems too good to be real.

The Pirate VR: Jolly Roger Steam page describes that game as a Robinson Crusoe-style story, in which you find yourself on an island in the Caribbean Sea. The developer said that Pirates VR: Jolly Roger is a linear game, which implies that you won't get to wander freely throughout the island. Still, the trailer depicts a wide range of environments that you'll encounter, such as jungle scenes, dark caves, and a sunken ship.

The trailer also shows off impressive graphics, although it's unclear if the visuals were dressed up for the video. The clip appears highly scripted, so it remains to be seen if the final game looks this good.

GodView Tech is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of its GodView 5K AR/MR smart glasses, which are compatible with any device that supports HDMI or video of USB Type-C.

GodView Tech launched its Kickstarter campaign on October 28, and within 30 minutes, the company had pulled in the $5000 it needed to complete the project. The campaign has since gone on to raise more than $160,000, so it's fair to say people are excited about the GodView smart glasses. Given the specifications, it's not hard to see why.

The GodView Smartglasses offer an extremely high resolution for an augmented reality device. Top-end hardware like the Microsoft Hololens 2 and Magic Leap One offer 2K and 2.5K resolution, respectively. GodView Tech claims its headset produces a 5K resolution projected display

bHaptics today revealed a pair of haptic feedback vests that are sure to bring an extra level of immersion to your VR gaming experience. The company is taking pre-orders now, with delivery expected before the holidays.

bHaptics' TactSuit X series comes in two flavours. The TactSuit X16 is the entry-level option. It features 16 ERM vibration motors, with eight on the back and eight on the vest's front. The X16 comes equipped with a 4900mAh battery, which gives it a claimed 22hrs of playtime.

The higher-end TactSuit X40 is packed with 40 ERM motors to add more realism to the haptic response. The extra vibration motors come at a high cost on power. The battery in the X40 has twice the capacity at 9800mAh, which gets you 18hrs of playtime.

The wait for HP's Reverb G2 VR headset is over for some people. HP started shipping headsets to suppliers last week, and those suppliers have already begun shipping headsets to customers. The first review surfaced on Discordon Wednesday.

A member of the HP Reverb G2 Discord community that goes by Oaf_Tobark reported on Wednesday that they had received their pre-order. Unbeknownst to Oaf_Tobark, it appears they were the first customer to report receiving the headset. Luckily for us, Oaf_Tobark is a good sport and gave us a mini-review of the headset: Despite it being their first VR headset.

"This has been such a strange day... I never would have expected to be in this position. This is my first VR headset, so please understand I really can't provide any comparisons and please take my words with a grain of salt. I'm sure most of you would be much better day 1 "reviewers" than I am. After finally getting the chance to spend a couple of hours with this G2, here are a random assortment of my thoughts as well as two videos through the lens."

VR Cover today introduced two different accessories for the Oculus Quest 2 standalone VR headset, including washable face cushions and lens protectors.

VR Cover is famous for fits hygienic solutions for VR headsets. The company has existed for longer than consumer VR has been available, and it offers solutions for almost every headset on the market. The new Oculus Quest 2 is the latest device that VR Cover supports. It partnered with Facebook to make these official Quest 2 accessories.

VR Cover usually sells PU leather cushions, which are moisture-resistant and easy to wipe down with an anti-bacterial wipe. VR Cover will have that style of cover available later this month, but the first product for Quest 2 offers a higher level of cleanliness. You can now get medical-grade hypoallergenic silicone covers that are moisture-proof and washable. These will be great for situations where you're sharing headsets with the public.

Facebook has a bit of an issue with the Quest 2 accessories on its hands, and the problem may be worse than it initially expected. Some Quest 2 Elite Straps fail prematurely, and Oculus has stopped shipping the product until it figures out why.

Not quite a week after Facebook started shipping the Oculus Quest 2 standalone VR headset and its accessories, reports began surfacing about failing Elite Strap upgrades. Many people have reported their strap cracking or snapping in half altogether.

We reached out to Facebook after the initial reports surfaced, and a company representative confirmed that Oculus was aware of the problem. Still, the company believed that the issue affected a "very small percentage" of customers.

Microsoft is making the HoloLens 2 available for a broader audience. What was previously limited to enterprise-class organizations is now accessible for most developers.

Microsoft introduced the HoloLens 2 Developer Edition, which should help independent developers and small software studios start creating Windows Mixed Reality experiences. The developer edition headset isn't a cheaper device, but Microsoft is now offering financing to soften the blow. The HoloLens 2 Developer Edition also comes with a few extra bundled perks to sweeten the deal.

Microsoft's HoloLens 2 Developer Edition bundle includes a standard HoloLens 2 headset, which retails for $3,500. The developer package also includes $500 in Azure credits, enabling developers to experiment with some of the HoloLens 2's cloud-enabled features, such as Azure Spatial anchoring and Azure Remote Render. The HoloLens 2 Developer edition also includes 3-month trial licenses for Unity Pro and the Pixyz Plugin, which Microsoft says is an added $750 value.