Category: CES 2018

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HTC Vive Pro Brings a Visual and Audible Upgrade to VR for CES 2018

It’s CES 2018, the largest consumer electronic convention in the world, and naturally virtual reality (VR) has an ever growing part to play. As is customary for the event, videogame announcements will be few and far between as a lot of the focus is on hardware and that’s no exception when it comes to HTC Vive. On Thursday HTC Vive teased its followers on Twitter with a cryptic images regarding a ‘New Years Resolution‘. Many experts and virtual reality (VR) fans guessed that the Tweet was an indicator that the HTC Vive press conference would reveal a new type of display for the VR headset. The company has revealed the first ever upgrade for its head-mounted display (HMD), improving both the resolution as well as integrating loudspeakers into the device.

The new headset will be called the HTC Vive Pro. It’ll feature two OLED displays with a resolution of 2880 x 1600 – very similar to the Vive Focus standalone headset – an increase of 78 percent from the original HTC Vive’s 2160 x 1200. This is a big jump for users, helping to make VR content richer and more immersive, by making it sharper and clearer than ever before.

In addition to the improved screens the HTC Vive Pro will also feature integrated speakers for the first time. Aiming to compete with Oculus Rift as an all-in-one product, the HTC Vive Pro’s new headphones offer a streamlined design that should make the new HMD more comfortable to wear over longer periods. As most VRFocus readers should be aware, the original headset required the addition of earbuds or external headphones until the arrival of the Deluxe Audio Strap. This was a $99 addition, making the HTC Vive even more expensive than it’s direct PC rival.

That’s not all however, The HTC Vive Pro will feature two microphones for noise cancellation capabilities and it’ll work with both 1.0 and 2.0 base stations.

The announcement certainly continues a trend in the VR industry for upgrades and improvements as the main headsets enter their second year. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) started the ball rolling with a slightly re-designed PlayStation VR, streamlining the audio connection and adding HDR pass through.

There has been a great deal of demand for VR displays with higher resolution and better framerates. Not only for its greater immersion and aesthetic value, but also for the reduction in eye-strain, dizziness and simulation sickness symptoms. The level of demand for ultra-high definition displays was clearly demonstrated by the response to the Pimax 8K headset Kickstarter, which drew in a massive response, accumulating over $4 million (USD) in funding by the end of the campaign.

There have been a number of recent developments with regards to display technology for VR, so the race for better quality displays can be expected to continue. VRFocus will be there to bring you all the latest news on the new HTC Vive display and other industry news.









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Quantum Storey to Introduce New VR and AR Books at CES 2018

The Quantum Storey Company are finding brand new ways to introduce both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content to a wider audience, and will be showing off much more of what they have planned during a press conference at the Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, during CES 2018.

The Quantum Storey Company Operation You image

Operation YOU has already launched at Walmart in the United States, paving the way for new VR and AR experiences to be found on retail store shelves. Their approachable, straightforward applications for smartphone allow users of all ages to easily access and enjoy VR and AR content.

A combination of traditional activity books and a AR tech allows children to see characters come to life in front of them, or, with a Google Cardboard-style VR headset, they can enter the worlds their characters live in. Operation YOU, as the name suggests, puts the user into the lead role in the story, with many books planned in the series.

They’ll be showing off their new products at Pepcom’s 2018 Digital Experience, Monday January 8th 2018. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase this next generation experience and consumer technology to members of the press at Pepcom,” says J.M. Haines, founder and CEO of The Quantum Storey Company and author of the Operation YOU series. “Virtual Reality Books are transformative and unlike anything the publishing industry has seen before. As consumer habits continue to evolve, so too does the demand for something revolutionary and out of the box, and we are proud and excited to be able to deliver it with Operation YOU.”

Readers of the books will be prompted to download the free app to enhance their story, introducing small minigames to play while the story plays out, making Operation YOU a truly interesting media proposition, and perhaps one of the better ways to get children interested in AR and VR.

The Quantum Storey Company has its headquarters in Hollywood, but have already opened offices wordwide, in Amsterdam, Mumbai and Seoul. For more information on The Quantum Storey Company or Operation YOU, take a look at their website. For all of the latest on VR, AR and the exciting new ways you can engage with the virtual world, stay on VRFocus.

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‘Vive Pro’ Leak Suggests Big Bump in Resolution and Optional Vive Wireless Adapter

Late last week, HTC made a major tease of a forthcoming new Vive headset with improved resolution. Apparently leaked information ahead of any official announcements suggests we’ll see a ‘Vive Pro’ announced by HTC at CES this week with an enhanced 2,880 × 1,600 resolution and the addition of an optional Vive Wireless Adapter.

Information reported, and subsequently pulled down, earlier today by VR publication VRNerds suggests that HTC is set to debut a ‘Vive Pro’, a refresh of their VR headset featuring an improved resolution of 2,880 × 1,600 (compared to the 2,180 × 1,200 of the original). That’s 76% more pixels. As we suspected, this is likely the same OLED display being used in the Samsung Odyssey headset.

VRNerds further reported that the Vive Pro would include on-board speakers, though it isn’t clear from the leaked information if that would mean on-ear headphones, like with the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap, or hidden projection speakers similar to those on the Vive Focus headset. The latter would potentially eliminate the need for the Deluxe Audio Strap in some cases, making the headset lighter without sacrificing on-board audio.

The report suggests that the original Vive headset will continue to be offered alongside the Vive Pro. Pricing and availability for the Pro aren’t mentioned.

The VRNerds report also talks of a “Vive Wireless Adapter,” which is described as an official Vive accessory based on Intel’s WiGig connection. That wouldn’t come until Q3, 2018, the report suggests.

There’s no confirmation at this time that the leak is genuine, but the information appears perfectly plausible, and follows logically from prior announcements and teases, like HTC’s collaboration with Intel for a WiGig wireless adapter.

HTC’s CES tease late last week listed a date of January 8th (today), so we expect to see official announcements at some point which will verify the authenticity (or lack thereof) of the leak. Stay tuned!

The post ‘Vive Pro’ Leak Suggests Big Bump in Resolution and Optional Vive Wireless Adapter appeared first on Road to VR.

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TPCast Announces New ‘Plus’ Version of Wireless VR Adapters for Vive and Rift

TPCast, manufacturer of wireless adapters for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift systems, has announced an upgraded version of its eponymous wireless system called TPCast Plus. According to the company, the new Plus version, which will be demonstrated at CES this year, offers several hardware and software improvements, including a new mounting system that supports hot-swap batteries.

Cutting the cords on high-end VR is an important step for the future, but some early adopters have looked to third-party solutions such as TPCast that already offer products to transform a Vive or Rift into a wireless system, albeit at a high price. TPCast’s initial hardware launch hasn’t been the smoothest of rides, both in terms of delayed product availability, and the rather complicated setup process. The current hardware also had issues with microphone support, although there are workarounds.

TPCast’s first generation device, image courtesy TPCast

The TPCast Plus product family aims to address many of the problems based on customer feedback, claiming ‘full support’ for microphones, and “increased stability and anti-interference.” The setup process is said to be simplified in various areas, most notably with a “plug-and-play” USB wireless adapter rather than a router. According to the press release provided to Road to VR, the new adapter “supports automatic restart, wireless interference reduction, and automatic wireless channel detection that substantially improves the stability of the wireless VR connectivity.” It claims the restart time has also been ‘dramatically decreased’. The performance of the connectivity appears to be unchanged, with the same ‘2K resolution per eye’ at 90 fps with sub 2ms latency.

An improved integration with the headset is achieved with a “built-in backplane” that incorporates the battery and wireless adapter into a single area, while supporting a hot-swap battery. A 4-cell battery charging cradle, is said to be part of a series of complementary products that enhance TPCast Plus product family. Production of the existing TPCast solution continues, and the expected release date for the TPCast Plus, which will be available for both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, is in “the first half of 2018.”

“The launch of the TPCast Plus Adapter positions TPCast as the leader in the wireless VR market. The consolidation of the adapter components into one wireless VR unit allows a fully immersive user experience,” says Michael Liu, CEO of TPCast. “We expect that this upgraded product family will lead to a rapid increase of VR content that takes advantage of wireless VR experiences, thus bringing more consumer and enterprise customers into the wireless VR market.”

The post TPCast Announces New ‘Plus’ Version of Wireless VR Adapters for Vive and Rift appeared first on Road to VR.

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NextVR Plans 6DOF, Increased Quality, and AR Support for Live VR Video in 2018

Today, live event broadcasting specialists NextVR announced three technology advancements to their platform coming this year: six degrees of freedom-enabled content, higher resolution output, and augmented reality support. A sneak peek of the technologies is being shown to media at CES 2018.

Positional tracking is the dream for immersive video content, but it is a complex hardware and software challenge. If done correctly, the improvement over common 3DoF content is significant, both in terms of comfort and presence. NextVR claim that their 6DoF solution will make obstructed views “a thing of the past” and that users will be able to naturally shift their vantage point to look around a referee or spectator as they would in reality.

The company haven’t provided details about their process, but 6DoF support has been on their road map for some time, having spoken about the use of light field technology for this purpose in 2015. High quality volumetric video has been demonstrated with enormous camera rigs from companies such as HypeVR and Lytro, but NextVR’s solution is likely to be more compact for the practicalities of event capture and broadcast; on-demand 6DoF content in 2018 is expected be followed by live 6DoF broadcasting.

“VR is the most demanding visual medium ever created and we’re just beginning to deliver on its potential to convincingly create experiences that mimic reality,” says David Cole, NextVR Co-Founder and CEO. “The ability to move naturally inside the experience and the increased ability to see detail add a critical level of presence and realism.”

Higher fidelity output is coming to NextVR early this year, as a result of platform optimisations. The company says it has “exploited and enhanced the detail capture capability of its proprietary VR cameras and encoder infrastructure,” which enables “much higher resolution and higher detailed playout on compatible VR headsets.”

In addition, NextVR plans to “broadly support” AR devices in mid-2018. Exactly how NextVR’s popular live event content will be presented in augmented reality is unclear, but the company says “this cohesive blend of real and transmitted reality allows for real life social engagement while still delivering an unmatched entertainment experience.”

Launched in 2009, NextVR has many years of experience in live broadcast, transitioning from stereoscopic 3D content delivery as Next3D to a VR-focused platform. In recent years, the company has concentrated its efforts on mobile VR platforms such as Gear VR and Daydream, and only recently introduced support for 6DoF-capable hardware in the form of Windows Mixed Reality and PlayStation VR apps in October 2017. While the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive surprisingly still lack support, the company has further plans to support new hardware this year, “including affordable and powerful all-in-one mobile headsets.”

We have feet on the ground at CES, so check back for all things virtual and augmented.

The post NextVR Plans 6DOF, Increased Quality, and AR Support for Live VR Video in 2018 appeared first on Road to VR.

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Tactical Haptics’ New Prototype VR Controller Shapeshifts to Fit Your Game

Tactical Haptics’ newly developed haptic controller prototype uses mechanical sockets that allow them to be mated in different configurations on-the-fly, in order to match a particular virtual interaction more closely than standard VR motion controllers. The controllers incorporate the company’s ‘Reactive Grip’ technology, a unique form of haptic feedback.

Image courtesy Tactical Haptics

San Francisco-based Tactical Haptics is debuting its reconfigurable haptic controllers together with new demo content at CES this week. The hardware is based on the haptic controllers used for Justice League: An IMAX VR Exclusive that has operated at the Los Angeles IMAX VR Centre since November 2017, but with the ability to be mated together in common interaction configurations, such as ‘gamepad’, ‘steering wheel’, or ‘machine gun’ poses.

Image courtesy Tactical Haptics

As described in the press release provided to Road to VR, the mechanical sockets (which appear to be fitted with magnets) “provide a mate-point … to form a semi-rigid coupling between the controllers that allows the users to effortlessly maintain the mated poses.” The images are shown with Oculus Touch controllers for tracking purposes, but they also have mounts for Vive Trackers.

Image courtesy Tactical Haptics

Colony Defense, a new game developed by Tactical Haptics to demonstrate the hardware, is a first-person experience with building and combat elements. The player is asked to join the two controllers to create a ‘physics gun’, then separate the controllers to operate a jet pack and weapon each hand, and the option to combine the controllers in the ‘machine gun’ configuration to operate a heavier blaster. The company says that “significant effort” was put into optimising the placement of the sockets to result in ergonomic poses and to aid on-the-fly reconfiguration while wearing a headset.

Image courtesy Tactical Haptics

A new “brick breaker” style game called Cyber Smash is also at the show, which the company says demonstrates “feeling the inertia of throwing smash-balls and settling of the ball after it rebounds and is caught by the player.” As highlighted by the IMAX VR Centre partnership, the company is currently focused on location-based entertainment, and is working on multiplayer versions of both games for this purpose. It is seeking partner opportunities with high-profile LBEs while at CES this week.

Both games make use of Tactical Haptics’ core innovation: an advanced haptic feedback technology called Reactive Grip, showcased in various prototype controllers since 2013. Actuated plates in the controller’s handle apply friction and shear forces in the hand, creating various tactile illusions such as inertia and elasticity.

Stay tuned to Road to VR for further coverage of CES 2018, including a hands-on with the new Tactical Haptics controller prototype.

The post Tactical Haptics’ New Prototype VR Controller Shapeshifts to Fit Your Game appeared first on Road to VR.

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Funai Plans Rollout of Technicolor HDR, Demonstrations at CES 2018

We’re already well into the 4K high-dynamic range (HDR) revolution, and now Funai Electric Co. are now planning to introduce Technicolor HDR in our living room TVs, and will be displaying their new techology at CES 2018, Las Vegas.

Technicolor HDR will be integrated into Philips TVs in 2019, but attendees at CES 2018 will be able to see the technology for themselves first-hand. The preparation is to be ready for the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, which will allow networks to broadcast HDR video live as soon as late 2018 – sure to be essential for the future of big sports broadcasts.

“We believe that Technicolor HDR with its superior quality will deliver an exceptional viewing experience when watching over-the-air TV or RF/cable,” said Peter Swinkels, general manager at Funai’s Overseas Product Planning Dept. “Sports in particular, will benefit from the enhanced image quality, as will other live broadcasts.”

Technicolor image

Technicolor have previously supported the development of both VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) content at their Technicolor Experience Center, and these continuing developments in display technology are sure to make the future of VR very bright indeed.

“Funai’s announcement contributes to Technicolor’s ongoing mission to bring the best HDR experience to consumers worldwide,” said Kirk Baker, senior vice president, Emerging Products, Technicolor. “With Technicolor’s HDR technology embedded in Philips TVs for the US, consumers will experience sports as if they were in the stadium. The color accuracy, expanded color gamut, and enhanced details will add an extra dimension to the viewing experience that traditional SDR simply can’t give you.”

Funai, Technicolor and Philips alike all hope this will usher in a new era of clarity and quality in broadcast television, with Frederic Guillanneuf, head of business development for HDR at Royal Philips, saying; “The presence of Philips TVs in the US market that incorporate Technicolor HDR is further evidence of how rapidly this technology is evolving and being implemented. It also reflects the importance of delivering high quality HDR or SDR to any screen regardless of specific formats. Finally, it strengthens the link between two leading brands in video – Technicolor and Philips.”

CES 2018 attendees should take a look at the new broadcast standard in action for themselves, but those staying at home should keep their eyes on VRFocus for more.

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Intel Claims Tiny NUC PC is the “Smallest VR Capable System Ever”

The latest version of Intel’s miniscule ‘NUC’ PC is VR capable, the company says. Thanks to the power of AMD’s discrete Radeon Vega M graphics, the new NUC can power “premium” VR experiences at 90 FPS, says Intel.

Announced at the start of this week’s CES 2018, Intel has debuted a new version of its NUC computer line of tiny enthusiast PCs. The new NUC8i7HVK model comes equipped with the 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8809G with discrete Radeon RX Vega M GH graphics attached directly to the GPU. The two companies, which have been longstanding rivals, announced last year that they would begin collaborating on CPU/GPU products; the first fruits of that joint effort—Intel CPUs with on-board AMD graphics—were revealed here at CES 2018.

Intel’s 8th-Gen Core Processors with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics | Image courtesy Intel

Intel claims the new NUC is the “smallest VR capable system ever,” at just 1.2 litres in volume (221 x 142 x 39 mm). Based on the information provided by the company—which says the system is capable of 90 FPS VR gaming—we take that to mean the PC meets the typical ‘VR Ready’ specifications adopted by Oculus, HTC, and others, though the claim is not well specified by the announcement. We’ve reached out to Intel for clarity.

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Image courtesy Intel
Image courtesy Intel
Image courtesy Intel

Intel NUC8i7HVK Specifications

  • CPU/GPU
    • 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-8809G
    • 3.1 GHz to 4.2 GHz Turbo, Quad Core, 8 MB cache, 100W
    • Radeon™ RX Vega M GH graphics, 1063 MHz – 1190 MHz
    • Unlocked [for overclocking]
  • RAM
    • Dual channel DDR4-2400+ SODIMMs, 1.2V, 32GB maximum
  • M.2 & SDXC
    • 2x M.2 22×42/80 (key M) slots for SATA3 or PCIe x4 Gen3 NVMe or AHCI SSD, RAID-0 and RAID-1 capable
    • SDXC slot
  • Connectivity
    • 2x rear Thunderbolt™ 3 (40 Gbps) and USB 3.1 Gen2 (10 Gbps) and DisplayPort 1.2 via USB-C™ connector
    • Front USB 3.1 Gen2 via USB-C™ and front USB type-A connector
    • Front charging USB 3.0, 4x rear USB 3.0, 2x internal USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0 via headers
    • Front Consumer Infrared port
  • Video Outputs
    • Front and rear HDMI 2.0a (4K 60Hz, HDR) connectors
    • DisplayPort 1.3 via 2x rear Mini DisplayPort ports, and 2x rear Thunderbolt™ USB-C™ ports
    • All ports support HDCP 2.2
  • Networking
    • 2x Intel® 10/100/1000 Mbps (i219-LM and i210-AT) Ethernet ports
    • Intel® Wireless-AC 8265 M.2 22×30 card, IEEE 802.11ac 2×2 + Bluetooth v4.2, internal antennas
  • Audio
    • Up to 7.1 multichannel digital audio via HDMI or DisplayPort signals
    • 3.5mm front headset jack, 3.5mm rear speaker / TOSLINK combo jack
  • Internal Headers
    • Common I/O header with Front Panel, CEC, 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB2.0 signals

Pricing hasn’t yet been announced, though the company says the systems will become available starting in the Spring. Prior NUC devices have ranged in price from $200–$900, though this time around Intel says the new NUC will be “sold as bare-bones kits, targeted to DIYers who are looking for small, sleek and powerful mini PCs,” which sounds decidedly more ‘premium’ than how the NUC line was positioned in the past.

The post Intel Claims Tiny NUC PC is the “Smallest VR Capable System Ever” appeared first on Road to VR.

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New Foot-Powered Controller 3dRudder Blackhawk to be Unveiled at CES 2018

Virtual reality (VR) demands new control methods, which is why we’re seeing such innovation with controllers, such as the PlayStation Move controllers and the Oculus Touch controllers. But for the enterprising company 3dRudder, that’s not enough. In fact, they demand more ways to be able to interact with the virtual world. They demand you are able to do so with your feet.

The 3dRudder Blackhawk is a new motion controller you use with your feet, so you can comfortably use room-scale VR in a smaller space. You sit in your chair while using your feet to move yourself around a room-scale experience, all while having the benefits of being sat at a desk. Sure, it takes away some of the fun immersion from room scales experiences, but not everyone has the space to be able to dedicate to it, despite wanting to.

It has some brand new features, including an “Active Dead Zone” which helps the controller be more reactive to sudden, quick movements and won’t spin you for a loop if you get a bit excitable. You also get flashy LEDs and foot straps in the new model, to keep you from losing your place while in the VR world.

On top of that, 3dRudder is introducing two foot kits to enable users of existing 3dRudder foot controllers to upgrade, foot straps and all.

You can already use the 3dRudder in games such as DOOM VFR and Fallout 4, allowing you to navigate Mars or even the wasteland with your just feet. Truly the future.

The new 3dRudder Blackhawk will debut at CES 2018, Las Vegas. 3dRudder will also be receiving a CES 2018 Innovation Award, which they have won three years in a row. An incredible streak.

“It is truly an honor to have received the CES 2018 Innovation Award for the 3dRudder BlackHawk,” said Stanislas Chesnais, CEO 3dRudder. “The new design, including leds and foot straps, coupled with the Active Dead zone functionality represents a step forward in the VR foot motion controller technology that we started developing 4 years ago and a new standard for all VR accessories.”

We can’t wait to try the Blackhawk for ourselves. For all of the latest from CES 2018, make sure to keep reading VRFocus.