It’s the week of the Facebook Developers Conference (F8) and hopefully, tomorrow should see some exciting virtual reality (VR) announcements being made. Expectations are that Oculus Quest may finally get its ‘Spring 2019’ release date. The company has been building expectations via its #QuestCountdown, with several new apps and videogames now confirmed for the standalone headset.
When it comes to videogames, newly revealed is Ballista by High Voltage Software (Dragon Front). The experience puts players in control of a giant sling to destroy castles. With a fantasy theme involving goblins and a magic mirror, players also have use of a special unicorn wand to destroy their foes.
“With Quest, we’re able to better provide a full range of motion to let people move around their entire play area and impact gameplay,” says High Voltage Producer Keith Hladik in a statement. “Whether it’s defending your creatures from attack or walking around to analyze a castle, the game provides an immersive experience.”
And for those that like to gamble, PokerStars VR will be an Oculus Quest launch title. “PokerStars VR givers players the atmosphere and social interaction you get when playing in an actual poker room,” says LuckyVR Founder Jeffrey Lande. “With VR technology, we can deliver players the immersive feeling you might not get on other platforms. Oculus Quest takes that one step further in terms of a new level of accessibility. Being able to set up independently means players have more freedom to play how they want and whenever they want.”
VR is great for exploring the natural world and you’ll be able to do that this Spring with National Geographic Explore VR. A collaboration between National Geographic, Force Field VR and Oculus, the 30-minute experience challenges you to find a lost penguin colony hidden in the frozen wilderness of Antartica.
“National Geographic continues to experiment in the immersive storytelling space,” says Senior Director of Immersive Experiences at National Geographic, Jenna Pirog in a statement. “We are using the latest visual technology to spark curiosity about our world and enable people to better understand it.”
Further adventures will be added to the app in the coming months, such as archaeological expeditions to sites of important cultural heritage. As that happens, VRFocus will keep you updated.