Category: Argos

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HTC Vive Cosmos Appears on Argos Website for £700

The HTC Vive Cosmos is expected to arrive in the next couple of months, with the company still sticking to its Q3 2019 launch window. The last few have seen new videos and specifications being released but there hasn’t been much info relating to price – other than a rumoured $900 USD which was supposedly ‘incorrect’. Today, UK retailer Argos has put up a listing pricing the device at £699.99 GBP.

HTC Vive Cosmos - Argos

As the image above displays, the HTC Vive Cosmos can be searched for and found alongside the original HTC Vive. Clicking on the link however doesn’t take you to the product listing, just a page saying ‘Watch This Space…Check Back Soon’. So it’s more than likely a placeholder price. While HTC Vive has yet to confirm the retail price for Cosmos, the £699.99 may very well be near the mark.

The original HTC Vive costs £499 on the official site (£499.99 at Argos for some reason), and the most recent addition to the SteamVR hardware lineup Valve Index will set you back £919 for the entire kit. So a price in between both does seem reasonable. Whether this translates across the world is another matter. While UK prices include VAT (Value Added Tax) US prices tend to add on top. So an Oculus Quest is £399 in the UK and $399 in the US, regardless of variables such as currency fluctuations – on the other hand, the full Valve Index kit does retail for $999.

If this does turn out to be the correct price then HTC Vive Cosmos does look to be going in the same direction as its SteamVR cousin, going for high-end quality rather than mass consumer affordability like Oculus Rift S. It’s also unclear whether the original HTC Vive will be discontinued as it’s now over three years old, yet offers the cheapest entry point into the system.

HTC Vive Cosmos

At the end of June, HTC Vive revealed the headset would feature a combined resolution of 2880×1770 (1440×1700 per-eye) using an LCD display, an 88% increase in resolution over the original HTC Vive. Other specs include a hinged design, six inside-out tracking cameras, and a 90Hz refresh rate.

More official details should be coming soon, when they do VRFocus will let you know.

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Argos Updates its AR App Functionality So you can View Lego Models

One of the most popular use cases for augmented reality (AR) tech on mobile devices has to do with shopping. Retailers like Ikea have created AR enabled apps so that users can not only see 3D models of what they’re buying, but also how they’d fit at home. UK-retailer Argos is another company doing just that, this time however it isn’t just for the adults, as kids checking out the latest Lego sets can get in on the fun.

Argos AR Lego

Using the Argos app on iOS devices, customers can head to the Lego section and view models like the Star Wars Kessel Run Millennium Falcon or the Disney Princess Sleeping Beauty Fairytale Castle. Over 30 sets are currently available to view through the app with Argos planning on featuring over 100 sets by the end of July 2018.

“Argos has always looked at new ways to innovate and improve how our customers shop with us,” said Matt Grabham, digital product manager at Argos in a statement. “As more and more of our customers – particularly busy parents – are shopping on-the-go using our mobile app and embracing advances in technology, using AR to showcase our products is a natural evolution.”

Its easy and straight forward to view the compatible sets in AR. The mobile app has an AR symbol indicating which ones can be selected. Once in the store listing simply tap on the View in AR tab, find a flat, horizontal surface the software will then scan environment to make the 3D set appear.

Argos AR Lego_SW

Nichola Cox, retail ecommerce manager from the Lego Group, adds: “We are incredibly excited to have partnered with Sainsbury’s Group to deliver this innovative, exciting, fun and immersing solution for Argos’ shoppers. Our augmented reality execution not only embraces Argos’ digital vision but helps inspire and develop the Lego builders of tomorrow, making it a formidable collaboration.”

As further retailers begin to use AR technology in their apps, VRFocus will let you know.

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PlayStation VR Black Friday Deals, Where to Find Them if You’re Quick

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) may not have released exact sales figures for its PlayStation VR headset but by all accounts sales are going well, very well in fact, easily beating its PC-based brethren. And the company is doubling down on this success by offering several Black Friday bundles, dropping the cost of the head-mounted display (HMD) even lower, making it an attractive Christmas present. There’s is one small cravat however, that’s finding one in the first place. Some retailers aren’t doing the bundles and those that are have sold out or possess limited quantities. So VRFocus has done some internet legwork to find those sites that still have stock available for UK customers.

It was late last week that SIE announced several promotions for PlayStation VR, featuring the headset, PlayStation Camera, PlayStation VR Worlds (digital code) and either The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR or GT Sport. All for a retail price of £249.99 GBP. As you may expect retailers like Amazon UK have now sold out, but there are still bundles around for those that have set their heart on the device.

PlayStation VR Group shot

Now bear in mind, such is the way with internet shopping, that these details were correct at time of writing and stocks may have already been depleted.

VERY

PlayStation VR, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR Bundle
PlayStation VR, GT Sport Bundle

Tesco

PlayStation VR, GT Sport Bundle

Argos

PlayStation VR, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR Bundle
PlayStation VR, GT Sport Bundle

Hughes

PlayStation VR, GT Sport Bundle

Currys PC World

PlayStation VR, GT Sport Bundle

So that’s your lot in terms of online availability. Some stores like Amazon do still have the PlayStation VR headset on its own for £249.99, but you are getting less for your money.

It’s also worth pointing out that some footwork can also help nab you a good deal, with Smyths Toys having sold out online but several stores are still showing stock.

PlayStation VR isn’t the only headset dropping in price for Black Friday. This morning Oculus announced a £50 saving on the Oculus Rift and Touch, dropping the price to £349 for a limited time.

For all the latest VR deals, keep reading VRFocus.

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Venice Film Festival to Premiere Melita, Snatch and Argos File VR Films

Last week VRFocus reported on the 74th Venice Film Festival (VFF) taking place this summer in Italy. As with a lot of film festivals around the world, the event will also be home to several virtual reality (VR) films with three set to premiere, Melita, Snatch and The Argos File.

Melita is a 20-minute animation created by Future Lighthouse. Consisting of three parts, with the second and third still in the development, Melita tells the story of two strong female characters on their quest to save humanity due to climate change’s irreparable damage to Earth.

“What really sets this apart from other VR experiences is a combination of cinematic movement, character development, actors, and dialogue,” said Nicolás Alcalá, director Melita and CEO of Future Lighthouse. “The experience pushes the boundaries of VR cinematic narratives and visually appears as though the viewer has been placed inside any of your favorite animation films”

The Argos File image

The Argos File is a VR proof of concept create by Cinaptic in collaboration with Future Lighthouse and Magnopus. The film is an interactive, live-action VR experience integrating 360-degree stereoscopic footage and cinema-quality visual effects where find themselves as a detective solving a murder by exploring the recorded memories of the victim.

As a first-person experience The Argos File incorporates augmented reality (AR) overlays to add extra layers of engagement for viewers whilst featuring a mockup of future intuitive controls allowing users to rewind, pause, and fast-forward the memories.

“We wanted to imagine a world that took our most complex fears about the modern age, and explore it within the intimate, sensory-overload experience of VR,” said Joshua Rubin, writer and co-creator of The Argos File. “What do we become as a culture when every moment we experience is saved and shareable, and in constant danger of being hacked?”

“The different elements allow viewers to piece together emotionally-charged fragments to solve the mystery, and understand the context of the main character’s final moments,” said Josema Roig, director of Argos. “This truly explores what VR really is, and addresses the question of who am I? Why am I here? Why should I care?”

Lastly there’s the Snatch VR Heist Experience featuring Harry Potter star Rupert Grint. An off-shoot of Sony Pictures Television’s Crackle programme Snatch which first aired last year, the experience transports viewers into the middle of a safe-cracking diamond heist alongside Grint, Luke Pasqualino, Lucien Laviscount, and Phoebe Dynevor.

“VR gives the viewer power and controls over the outcome,” said Future Lighthouse CEO Nicolas Alcala. “Our goal is to teleport you alongside Rupert Grint and his thieving friends to make you feel the adrenaline of the heist. We want the viewers to have agency over where they want this caper to go.”

The experience is platform agnostic, and currently available on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Samsung Gear VR.

For further VFF updates keep reading VRFocus.