Author: Scott Hayden

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Oculus Creates Guide to Help VR Devs Make Highly Optimized Games

Oculus recently published a new guide on how to optimize VR experiences along with some of the common pitfalls for devs to watch out for when tracking down and solving VR performance issues.

VR developers are obsessed with keeping their Rift experiences performing above 90 frames per second (fps), and there’s a few good reasons why. While it’s largely considered the minimum for comfortable viewing (anything drastically lower could cause nausea), if developers can’t get their content to hit a consistent 90 fps or above (60 fps for Gear VR), their apps simply won’t make it on the Oculus Store.

The company has already implemented a few band-aids to help ‘smooth over’ underperforming apps during gameplay including Asynchronous Timewarp and it’s more recent cousin, Asynchronous Spacewarp, both of which are essentially designed to fill in the gaps where frames should be when they’re inevitably dropped due to insufficient compute power. These aren’t really solid legs to stand on though and won’t solve underlying optimization issues, so Oculus says developers will inevitably need to spend a fair amount of time making sure their apps are up to snuff in the first place.

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The guide, which specifically targets app and game engine developers, can be found here.

Here’s a quick look at the table of contents:

Guidelines for VR Performance Optimization:This section covers the general principles that you should follow in order to effectively optimize your VR applications.

Workflows: The process flows you should follow: This section covers the workflows that you should use when tracking down performance problems.

Performance Optimization Tools:This section covers the tools that you should use when tracking down performance problems.

Tutorial: Optimizing a Sample Application: This section is a tutorial that provides a detailed hands-on guide to VRperformance optimization.

Additional Resources: This section provides links to additional resources that you can consult for more information about VR application optimization issues.

Oculus offers a bevy of resources through its developer portal, such as documentation on how to develop VR experience for PC-based VR, mobile VR, Web VR, and both Unity and Unreal Engine. The company has also published an extensive Best Practices Guide that contains some of the most important, hard-won information on how to create a comfortable VR experience. Because developers are taking what Oculus calls “unprecedented control over the user’s visual reality,” simply adding VR support to a traditional game just won’t cut it, and neither will lack-luster frame rate apparently.

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The Best Windows VR Headset Deal for Cyber Monday 2017

The holiday shopping season is here, and VR is getting some sizable discounts to come along with it, making the prospect of owning a VR headset even more affordable. We’re keeping an eye out for the best Windows VR headset deals during Cyber Monday 2017.

Updated 11/27/17, 12:45AM ET

Windows VR Deal Baselines

Windows VR headsets, compatible with the ‘Windows Mixed Reality’ platform, have only been out a few months, and come from a variety of manufacturers including Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung. All the headsets except for one, Samsung’s Odyssey headset, appear to be based on the same reference design provided by Microsoft, so they’re more or less the same outside of the obvious styling differences. To get a good idea of what’s at stake savings-wise though, here’s the headsets’ base prices:

  • Acer Headset + Controllers – $400
  • Lenovo Explorer + Controllers – $400
  • Dell Visor + Controllers – $450
  • HP Headset + Controllers – $450

Oh, and check out our review of Acer’s headset for a deep dive on what makes Windows VR headsets tick.

The Best Windows Mixed Reality Headset Cyber Monday Deal – Lenovo Explorer

Image courtesy Lenovo

If you want to join the ‘Windows Mixed Reality’ ecosystem and don’t care about the small differences between the first generation of Windows VR headsets, the best deal so far is the Lenovo Explorer for $300 from the Microsoft Store, a $100 savings which includes the headset and controllers. The deal lasts until 11:59 PM PST on November 27th.

This is by far the cheapest Windows VR headset on offer, making it the best deal out of the lot, however Microsoft is also offering discounts ranging from $50 to $100 on the other Windows VR headsets too:

The Best VR Ready PC + Windows VR Headset Bundle Cyber Monday Deal

Want to pick up a Windows VR headset but need a Windows VR PC to go along with it? The best deal we’ve found so far is this VR Ready PC and HP Mixed Reality headset bundle from Microsoft for $750.

Other Windows VR Headset Deals to Consider

There aren’t an abundance of game bundles, or other deals coming along with the headsets this year, as it seems Microsoft has set made the deals exclusive to the Microsoft Store. There are some interesting hardware bundles though if you don’t have a computer capable of running more intense applications and games:

There’s also the ongoing Steam Autumn Sale where you can save big on VR games (many of which now support Windows VR headsets).

If you’ve found a better deal on the web, let us know in the comments and we’ll include it in our savings round-up.

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The Best Samsung Odyssey Deal for Cyber Monday 2017

The prospect of owning a VR headset is even more affordable this holiday shopping season as VR is getting some sizable discounts to come along with it. We’re keeping tabs on the best Samsung Odyssey deals during Black Friday 2017 through Cyber Monday as they come in.

Updated: 11/27/17, 2:20AM ET

Samsung VR Headset Deal Baseline

Samsung HMD Odyssey is widely considered the ‘premium’ option among the line of Windows Mixed Reality headsets, what with its built-in audio and refined styling. Only on the market for a few months, the headset + controller bundle normally costs $500, a deal you can find from retailers including Samsung, Microsoft Store, and Best Buy.

The Best Samsung Odyssey Cyber Monday Deal

Image courtesy Samsung

The best Samsung HMD Odyssey Cyber Monday 2017 deal we’ve found online so far is Microsoft Store for $450, a $50 savings which includes the headset and controllers. The deal lasts until 11:59 PM PST on November 27th.

Other Samsung Odyssey Deals to Consider

  • Buy a CyberPower VR-ready Desktop ($630) and get $400 off a Windows VR Headset at Best Buy 
  • Save $150 on Samsung Odyssey Laptop + Samsung HMD Odyssey at Microsoft Store

If you’ve found a better deal on the web, let us know in the comments and we’ll include it in our Cyber Monday savings round-up.

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The Best PlayStation VR Deal for Cyber Monday 2017

With Thanksgiving and Black Friday come and gone, we’re tracking the best PlayStation VR (PSVR) Cyber Monday 2017 deals.

Updated: 11/27/17, 3:26AM ET

PSVR Deal Baseline

Before making a purchase, it bears mentioning exactly how much money you’ll be saving over the baseline cost of the headset. Without any discounts or deals, the basic PSVR ‘all-in’ bundle—which includes the VR headset, PS Move controllers, and PS Camera—has historically cost as low as $500. While the the headset alone with no controllers and camera can come in as low as $285, the best savings invariably come to you via Sony’s new bundles.

The Best PSVR Cyber Monday 2017 Deal

Dollar-for-dollar, the best deal so far is the new PSVR + Skyrim VR Bundle for $334 from Dell which includes the updated PSVR headset, PS Move controllers, PS Camera and a copy of Skyrim VR [our review]. While the bundle will return to its normal price of $450 after the sale, you’d spend a grand total of $540 if you purchased a normally priced PSVR + PS Camera bundle ($400), a separate pair of PS Move controllers ($80), and Skyrim VR ($60).

Out of stock? Check for the bundle here for the slightly higher price of $350:

Other PSVR Deals to Consider

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The Best Oculus Rift Deal for Cyber Monday 2017

Don’t blink, because you might miss the most important time of the year for holiday shopping. We’re keeping an eye on the best Oculus Rift Cyber Monday 2017 deals now that Black Friday has come and gone.

Updated: 11/27/17, 3:50AM ET

Oculus Rift Deal Baseline

It’s important to keep in mind the base price of the headset so you can make an informed decision when purchasing. Without an special discount, the Oculus Rift + Touch bundle costs $400/€450/£400. Inside the box you’ll get Oculus Rift Headset, two Touch controllers, two sensors, and four paid games/apps: Dead & Buried, Robo Recall, Medium, and Quill. The total price of the games comes to $110.

The Best Oculus Rift Cyber Monday 2017 Deal

Photo by Road to VR

The best deal currently brings Rift + Touch bundle to just $350 from Amazon (eligible for fast & free shipping with Prime), a deal that last until supplies run out. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any great extras savings around the web besides the standard Amazon $50 gift card that comes when you sign up for an Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card, knocking the price down to $300. We’ll be keeping our eyes out and updating through Cyber Monday.

Favorite online store out of stock? You can also find the deal here:

In Europe and the UK, the package is selling for €400 and £350 respectively. The deal will be available through Amazon, Dixons, Currys PC World, MediaMarkt, Overclockers UK, and of course direct from Oculus.

Other Oculus Rift Deals to Consider

Oculus has put together a new set of ‘Complete Your Collection’ bundles priced at $100 each. The bundles will be available from now through 11:55pm PT on December 1st (your local time). Oh, if you already own one in the bundle, you get an automatic discount thanks to flexible bundle pricing.

Several individual titles are already on sale for the occasion, discounted up to 60% off including Archangel, Everest VR, and DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles—now through 11:55 pm PT on November 29th. The company says they’ll be advertising “additional holiday highlights” closer to the new year.

If you buy games through Steam you can also find savings on a wide range of VR titles (many of which support the Rift) thanks to the ongoing Steam Autumn Sale.

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Indie VR MMO ‘OrbusVR’ to Launch in Early Access in December

OrbusVR, an upcoming indie VR MMO for SteamVR-compatible headsets, has seen several closed betas since it’s successful Kickstarter back in March 2017, but starting December 15th the plucky quest-driven MMORPG will head into Early Access on Steam.

Having garnered more than $34,000 from its Kickstarter and undergoing several closed betas (and an open weekend), OrbusVR is shaping up to be one of the first ‘native VR’ MMORPGs to combine traditional sword and sorcery elements like quests and dungeons in a cooperative, social VR space. While the genre persists unabated on traditional monitors, there simply aren’t any great examples in VR.

Created by six-person team Ad Alternum, the developers promise to deliver what they call “a huge open world with thousands of players, dozens of hours of quests following an intriguing story, interesting lore and characters, five-player group dungeons, world bosses, and more!”

OrbusVR is launching with a $40 pricetag on Steam Early Access.

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The game aims to make good on a number of features, including:

  • 20+ hours of Main Story and side quests as you embark on an adventure to advance your character from Level 1 to 20.
  • 4 major five-person dungeons, each with unique enemies and bosses with interesting mechanics
  • 9 overworld zones spanning more than 10 square kilometers, including the high-level Wilds zones where danger lurks around every corner and open world PvP can happen
  • 4 different and unique classes to play including the Ranger, Musketeer, Warrior, and Runemage
  • 2 crafting classes: Alchemy and Artificing, plus Fishing
    In-game voice chat, dungeon finder, fellowships, private messaging, and other socialization features to keep you connected to the world
  • Dedicated, collaborative development process with an indie dev team that cares about your feedback
  • Dragon pets, cosmetic capes, achievements, and much more!

We haven’t had a chance to go hands-on with OrbusVR yet, so we can’t speak to the game’s depth. One thing is certain though: creating healthy playerbases is notoriously hard in VR due to the relatively smaller number of users. While some of the most populated spaces in VR are generally free, launching a paid social game that necessarily relies on the first ‘M’ (massive) could be a dicey proposition. That remains to be seen though, so we’ll be following its development and wishing OrbusVR the best of luck as it heads into Early Access in the coming weeks.

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‘Dispatch’ Expertly Weaves a Tale of Grizzly Murders in VR Through the Sound of 9-1-1 Calls

Dispatch (2017), a new episodic story from VR pros Here Be Dragons, launched on Oculus Rift and Gear VR yesterday. Following a small-town emergency dispatcher named Ted (voiced by Martin Starr), you experience the story through a sort of half-imagined, half-real version of the grizzly events he’s privy to.

One of the unique features in Dispatch is its minimalist art style, which leaves a lot of room for the viewer to fill in the gaps with their own imagination. After all, as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, Ted only has the sound from the phone to drawn upon, so every slam or creak of a door is potentially a clue to what’s happening on the other end of the line.

Writer and Director Edward Robles said in an Oculus blog post announcing the experience’s release that from the very beginning he was intent on creating something minimalist, “reducing the details of everyday life to the most evocative.” Highly reliant on positional audio, you’re essentially following along with Ted as he recreates the grizzly scenes of violence in his mind. Despite its visual sparseness, the effect Dispatch has on you is pretty visceral.

Martin Starr, also known for his role as Gilfoyle in Silicon Valley, delivers the action with his patently monotone voice, acting as a sobering backdrop to the violence at hand.

Dispatch is told across 4 episodes, offering the first episode for free, which lasts about 5 minutes. The full four episodes however costs an additional $3, adding about 10 more minutes of overall time to the entire story.

Here’s how Here Be Dragons describes Dispatch:

What begins as a domestic violence call quickly cascades into a host of attacks across town, and the local police are struggling to keep up. Every new call sheds light on Ted’s inner torments and pushes him closer toward danger. Police dispatchers are trained to see with sound. Every door slam, tire screech, and piercing scream paints a picture in their minds. The visual world of Dispatch unfolds inside Ted’s imagination as he wades through the soundscape, advising terrified callers and listening for clues. Ted yearns to be at the scene of the crime, to be given the chance to really help someone. He’s about to get what he wished for.

You can read the full interview with Robles here, where he describes a little more about the creative process, and working with Starr to fill in the role as Ted.

‘Dispatch’ on Gear VR

‘Dispatch’ on Rift

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Fan-Created ‘xkcd’ VR Tool Lets You Make Your Own xkcd-style Webcomics in VR

Created by Winnipeg-based indie studio The Campfire Union, xkcd VR lets you become a character from Randall Munroe’s popular webcomic and create your very own stick figure-based stab at the comic’s famously acerbic humor.

Built as an entry at the Winnipeg Winter Game Jam and xkcd Game Jam this past weekend, the comic-creation tool lets you set up a cell, use props and act out the part of one of 8 xkcd characters. Essentially using the VR headset and controllers for motion capture (both Rift and Vive are supported), you can create a moving comic, or take screenshots of the action for your own xkcd-inspired work.

While the xkcd VR experience is a tribute to Munroe’s comic, and isn’t an official app by the artist himself, it completely nails the font, props, and characters of the comic.

You can download the experience for Rift and Vive here.

Features

  • Be one of 8 xkcd characters (VR as mocap)
  • Choose from 12 props
  • Make speech bubbles with a virtual keyboard
  • Compose wide, regular or narrow comic cells
  • Switch between light and dark themes
  • Take screenshots to make your own comics
  • Switch between comic and mirrored view on 2nd screen output

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Best VR Experiences to Introduce Your Family to Virtual Reality Over Thanksgiving

The turkey is in the oven, the cranberry sauce is in the can, and your VR setup is in the box ready to be shown off to the family at Thanksgiving. Since you’ll be doing a fair bit of VR evangelizing on the big day, an important question remains before you can plug your unwitting relatives into ‘the final computing platform’: what do you show off first?

Assuming you aren’t actually hosting Thanksgiving, undoubtedly the easiest VR systems to lug around would be the selection of mobile VR headsets currently on offer, namely Google Daydream and Gear VR. With a little careful planning though, you can pack up your PS4 console and PSVR, or your entire Vive/Rift/Windows VR system—just make sure the house has adequate space (and electrical outlets!) for room-scale gaming. Unless otherwise requested, you should probably also keep sessions short and simple for VR newcomers.

Here’s a few recommendations for getting Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Ted, Aunt Rachel and your little cousin Skippy McDingus into VR for the first time:

Gear VR

1 of 4
Smash Hit
Minecraft
Oculus Video
Within
  • Smash Hit (2016): With its constant forward motion and a simple objective (smash the glass), almost anyone can understand Smash Hit. The game’s futuristic setting and great soundtrack also help give off the “woah, I’m in the future” vibe.
  • Minecraft (2017): Little Skippy will do and learn anything to play Minecraft in VR. Set up a station in the corner, put on a 10-minute timer and get all the Little Skippies taking turns.
  • Oculus Video: Load up a movie and toss your Uncle Ted in for his own private cinema. Yes, Ted. You can watch *other things* too.
  • Within: Let’s face it – most 360 video is crap. Within however offers a wide selection of curated content that looks pretty darn good considering both mono and stereoscopic (3D) 360 video still isn’t where it needs to be technically speaking. Still very much worth a gander.

Daydream

1 of 4
Mekorama VR
Bait!
LEGO BrickHeadz Builder VR
Fantastic Beasts
  • Mekorama VR (2017): A quiet puzzler for Aunt Gracie, Mekorama VR tasks you with guiding a wibbly little robot pal through a series of 3D puzzles – of course with ever-increasing difficulty.
  • Bait! (2017): Somebody in your family loves fishing. I’m not even going to make up a pretend name. (also on Gear VR)
  • LEGO BrickHeadz Builder VR (2017): Ok. So it’s not Minecraft, the delightful little building app comes in second place with the ability to build LEGO structures without the need for clean up.
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2017): While pretty thin in the gameplay department, the overall “wow” effect is big with this little Harry Potter Universe game that lets you explore the film’s world and even do a little magic too.

PSVR

1 of 4
Farpoint
Allumette
Fruit Ninja VR
The original PlayStation VR Demo Disc | Photo by Road to VR
  • Farpoint (2017): While it’s an intense trip for sure thanks to the immersiveness of holding the PS Aim controller while actually having to locomote across the map, there’s somebody in the group who’ll appreciate the ability to walk distant planets and shoot the ever-living shit out of the native inhabitants.
  • Allumette (2016): Sit grandma down for a story about a young orphan girl who lives in a fantastical city in the clouds. It’s a tear jerker, so make sure to give gam-gam a big hug from us all.
  • Fruit Ninja VR (2016): Just like the popular mobile game, Fruit Ninja on PSVR is easy to understand. Fruit goes up. Fruit gets sliced. Have a competition to see who can get the highest score!
  • PlayStation VR Demo Disc 2 (2017): PSVR’s updated demo disc is jam-packed with upcoming games and crowd favorites. Most are short enough to plug in a person for a quick 10-20 minute play session. Oh, and definitely play Moss.

Rift & Vive (and Windows VR)

1 of 4
Google Earth VR
Space Pirate Trainer
Bigscreen Beta
Coco VR
  • Google Earth VR (2017) – Oculus and SteamVR: The controls may take some explaining, but giving a loved one the opportunity to travel, especially if they aren’t physically able, is going to really be a special moment. Travel the sights and revisit distant places you never thought you’d see again in the flesh.
  • Space Pirate Trainer (2016) Oculus and SteamVR: Han Solo doesn’t have anything on your Auntie Rachel. While it’s fundamentally just a wave shooter, it’s by far one of the best-looking and feeling out there.
  • Bigscreen Beta (2016) Oculus and SteamVR: Pop on a video and get your relatives reeling at the future possibility of never having to buy a TV ever again.
  • Coco VR (2017) – Oculus: Pixar’s first VR experience is absolutely astounding. Ideal for the first timer of any age, the experience can last anywhere from 15-30 minutes per player. check out our hands-on here. Vive and Windows VR headset users have had varying levels of success with Revive, so it’s definitely worth a poke.
  • The Lab (2016) SteamVR: Valve’s collection of mini-games and photogrammetry scenes are top notch, and warrant more than just a few minutes of you time to explore ever single bit of what’s on offer. Kids and adults a like will love the Longbow, Core Calibration, and Xortex.

Don’t Miss

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Samsung Teases 6-DoF Standalone VR Headset as Company’s ‘Next Mobile VR System’

Taeyong Kim, VP of Samsung Electronics and Head of Graphics R&D, took the stage last month at the company’s annual developer conference to talk a little bit about the future of VR for the company. While no big reveals were expected for the talk, Kim actually mentioned to the crowd that the company is actively working on a standalone VR headset with inside-out tracking and 6 DoF controllers as their ‘next mobile VR product’.

“The question is, how do we combine the benefits of [Gear VR and Odyssey] together for our next VR system?” said Kim. “That’s the question we’re asking at this point. So we think the next mobile VR system would have inside-out positional tracking along with 6 DoF motion controllers. Imagine what you can do with a system where you can track your motion […] along with your hands […] and also use it wherever you are with its full mobility.”

The full video can be found here.

Kim says the company is partnering with Intel to bring inside-out positional technology to a standalone VR headset. Intel has been working on its own standalone headset called Project Alloy until it was scrapped back in September, possibly making for a fortuitous turn of events for the tech to live on in the hands of the well-seasoned Korean manufacturer.

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Samsung Suggests High-Powered, Standalone VR Headset To Compete With Rift and Vive

If Samsung pulls through with their own standalone VR headset with 6 DoF controllers, it would be in direct competition with Oculus’ upcoming Santa Cruz prototype, and to a lesser extent with the newly revealed Vive Focus. The future of Vive Focus is uncertain however, as HTC hasn’t said specifically if the headset is staying in China, or making its way to the West at some point. Either way, it won’t be running the Daydream app store and likely only have 3 DoF controllers despite its similar inside-out tracking capabilities.

As for the growing divide between Oculus and Samsung; with the advent of the $200 Oculus Go mobile VR headset announced back at Oculus Connect, it will certainly be interesting to see if app marketplaces diverge, as for now Gear VR (powered by Oculus) is still very much a Samsung product.

Kim says more details we arrive in the near future.

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