Mixed reality (MR) videos have proven to be a great way to showcase what it’s like to be inside a virtual world to those who’ve yet to try virtual reality (VR). Blueprint Reality has been aiding this endeavour through the use of its software MixCast. Initially released back in 2017, the software has seen several improvements, most notably last summer when MixCast 2.0 arrived on Steam for free. For CES 2019, the company has now revealed MixCast Moments, designed to help gamers easily create mixed camera MR videos to share socially.
At present MixCast Moments is a new video capture solution for VR arcades, with location-based entertainment (LBE) providers being the first to gain access to the software soon.
With it, they’ll be able to provide guests with an MR video of their VR gameplay, all captured from different angles, to then share on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. The process is completely automated and based on the player-driven, in-game experience, weaving clips into a seamless story.
“One of the biggest challenges for the VR industry is that potential consumers don’t really understand the powerful immersion of VR until they try it”, said Tarrnie Williams, CEO of Blueprint Reality in a statement. “And for companies marketing VR experiences, it’s like selling TV over the radio in the 1940s. MixCast Moments makes the player a star in their own short video, complete with multiple camera angles, music and sound effects. When people view a MixCast Moment, they immediately want to try VR for themselves”
VR Arcades interested in MixCast Moments need to know the software is optimized for Intel Core i7 and Intel Core i9 processors and utilizes multithreading to enable multiple cameras and high-frame rate performance. The software also integrates with Intel RealSense cameras, cameras designed for MR capture without the use of a green screen.
Blueprint Reality Inc. will be debuting MixCast Moments during CES 2019 on the Intel booth.
If you can’t wait for MixCast Moments or are a home user looking to create your own MR videos to show the world, you can always head on over to Steam to download MixCast 2.0 for free. Check out MixCast Moments in action in the video below, and for further updates keep reading VRFocus.
HTC held a special press event on Monday, just one day before CES officially started. The company announced two new VR headsets, a new VR platform, and a new VR app subscription service.
On Monday we livestreamed the presentation. Here are the highlights from that stream, including the major product announcements.
Vive Pro Eye
Vive Pro Eye is a refresh of last year’s Vive Pro– adding eye tracking technology. This allows for better social VR and gazed based UIs, but more importantly it enables foveated rendering.
Foveated rendering is a process which renders most of the view of a VR headset at lower resolution except for the exact area where the user’s eye is pointed, which is detected with eye tracking. That area in front of the eye — where humans perceive the greatest detail — is rendered at a significantly higher resolution. Foveated rendering is considered crucial for future advancement of VR as it allows for higher resolutions without impossible GPU requirements.
HTC didn’t reveal the price, but told us it will be launching in Q2 of this year.
Viveport Infinity
Viveport Infinity is a new subscription service. It gives users access to over 500 VR apps. The current Viveport subscriptions give access to just 5 apps per month, so this is a significant increase.
HTC seem to want Viveport to be the Netflix of VR. If the platform can secure enough content, Infinity could deliver on that goal.
Vive Reality System
Vive Reality System is a new VR platform for all HTC headsets. In the past, HTC was reliant on Valve’s SteamVR platform. VRS is a clear step by HTC to forge a future without that dependency.
VRS will have a VR UI for launching apps and managing settings. But like Oculus Home and SteamVR, it will also feature interactive multiplayer home spaces. We’re eager to see how HTC will compete in this already crowded space.
Vive Cosmos
Vive Cosmos is a future PC VR headset from HTC. Unlike the original Vive it uses inside-out tracking, not SteamVR “Lighthouse”. In fact, the headset’s native platform isn’t SteamVR either- it’s the new Vive Reality System.
Interestingly, HTC also suggested the headset could work with other devices, showing an image of a smartphone. The company will reveal more details “later this year”, but we expect this means it could be powered by a HTC smartphone.
At CES 2019, Powercast showed off wireless charging grips for the Switch Joy-Con that utilize over-the-air technology. Both the single and dual grips double the Joy-Con's battery life on a single charge.
OLED has long alluded gaming monitors. But no longer. The Alienware 55 OLED Monitor matches the incredible visuals of OLED with variable refresh rates up to 120Hz. It’s pure gaming bliss.
Augmented reality (AR) smartglasses at present tend to be much more focused on enterprise solutions – education, training etc – than consumer-based entertainment like virtual reality (VR) tends to be. At CES 2018, Rokid unveiled its first product, Rokid Glass, to support business. For CES 2019, the company has now unveiled Project Aurora, looking to bridge that gap into the consumer sphere.
Image Credit: Rokid – Project Aurora
Unlike expensive AR headsets like Microsoft HoloLens or Magic Leap, Project Aurora doesn’t have its own computer built in. Being consumer-oriented the headset connects via USB to a users mobile device to extend their gaming or entertainment experience hence why the company is using popular battle royale videogame Fortnite as a demo.
Designed as a new way for consumers to interact with their digital content – not just from smartphones but laptops, game consoles and tablets – Project Aurora offers a 1280×720 high-resolution display, 6DoF tracking and SLAM, Dual depth cameras, stereo speakers and a 40-degree field of view (FoV).
“With the mission of extending mobile device capabilities and experiences, we’re excited to announce Rokid’s Project Aurora,” said Reynold Wu, Head of Product and Business Operations for Rokid U.S. in a statement. “By leveraging the ever-increasing computing power of mobile devices, Project Aurora supplements these robust experiences by providing a lightweight form factor, industry-leading display quality, and multimodal handsfree input. Project Aurora will connect consumers to rich, immersive AR content and experiences that were previously unattainable with such a lightweight smartglass, and we’re excited to share how the future looks through it.”
Image Credit: Rokid – Project Aurora
Project Aurora will be compatible with most computing devices: including Android phones, Nintendo Switch, iPad pro and more. As with a lot of new tech revealed at CES 2019, there’s no price or details on when the device might be made available.
In a secondary announcement, Rokid has also revealed that Rokid Glass has been improved since its debut a year ago. The latest version has seen a 40 percent reduction in weight, bringing it down to 120 grams, and that Rokid Glass is nearing mass-production with plans to begin shipping in spring of 2019.
As Rokid continues development of Project Aurora, VRFocus will keep you updated with its latest developments.
Auf der Pressekonferenz von HTC, auf der diesjährigen CES 2019, wurde neben der neuen Vive Cosmos sowie dem Eye-Tracking HTC Vive Pro Eye außerdem das neue UI Vive Reality System für die kommende Vive Cosmos vorgestellt. Die Core-Software soll zukünftig hauseigene Produkte miteinander verbinden und als Einstiegspforte zur VR dienen. So soll sie Zugang zum Viveport bieten, das Öffnen von VR-Apps ermöglichen und zudem eine soziale Komponente zur Kommunikation mit Freunden offenbaren. Damit macht sich das Unternehmen eigenständig und löst sich von Valves VR-Plattform SteamVR.
CES 2019 – Vive Reality System für Vive Cosmos
Das neue UI Vive Reality System soll HTC’s Gegenstück zu Oculus Home werden und standardmäßig auf der kommenden Vive Cosmos aufgespielt werden. Entsprechend dient es als VR-Eingangspforte und ermöglicht das Öffnen von VR-Erfahrungen und -Apps. Außerdem bietet es den Zugang zum Viveport und erlaubt euch dank individuell anpassbarem Avatarsystem mit euren Freunden in einem virtuellen Umfeld sozial zu interagieren und kommunizieren.
Laut den HTC Creative Labs ist das Ziel, die VR-Nutzererfahrung völlig neu zu erfinden. So schreibt Drew Bamford, VP des Creative Labs, im eigenen Blog:
“Unsere Philosophie war schon immer darauf ausgerichtet, großartige Produkte und Erfahrungen zu entwickeln, die eine natürliche und mühelose Brücke von der realen Welt in die virtuelle Welt schlagen. Mit dem Vive Reality System haben wir uns vorgenommen, die Kern-Software von Valve neu zu gestalten, um diese Anforderungen zu erfüllen. Die Tools und Umgebungen des Vive Reality Systems zielen darauf ab, räumliches Computing für jedermann zugänglich zu machen, egal wohin die immersive Reise letztlich führt. Wir wollen, dass sich VR weniger wie das Starten von Apps anfühlt, sondern wie ein Wandern zwischen den Welten.”
So startet man in seiner eigenen Origin-Startumgebung, welche gleichzeitig als virtuelles Wohnzimmer für eure Freunde dient. In dieser könnt ihr durch virtuelle Linsen, die als Benutzeroberfläche dienen, in die anderen Umgebungen wechseln.
Langfristig soll die neue Software auf das gesamte Hardware-Portfolio von HTC erweitert werden und somit als Alternative zum derzeitigen Standard SteamVR bereitgestellt werden.
Auf der CES 2019 präsentierte Pimax seine neuste VR-Hardware. Dazu zählen die aktuellen Fertigungsversionen der 5K- und 8K-Plus-VR-Brillen, neue VR-Controller sowie Hand- und Eye-Tracking-Module. Die neuen Tracking-Komponenten werden dank einer Kooperation mit Leap Motion und 7invensun umgesetzt.
Pimax präsentiert VR-Hardware auf der CES 2019 – VR-Brillen, Controller, Finger- und Eye-Tracking-Module
Pimax führte während der CES 2019 seine VR-Brillen Pimax 5K Plus und Pimax 8K Plus vor, welche laut dem Unternehmen das neue 2.0-Zeitalter der VR einläuten sollen. Weitere Neuigkeiten gab es in Form von zusätzlicher VR-Hardware.
Image courtesy: Pimax
So konnten Besucher und Besucherinnen die neuen Open-Palm-Controller des chinesischen Unternehmens ausprobieren, welche in zwei Varianten erscheinen sollen. Die Bewegungscontroller sollen zudem Finger-Tracking ermöglichen. Designtechnisch und auch funktional erinnern sie dabei stark an die kommenden Knuckles-Controller von Valve:
Image courtesy: Pimax
Entsprechend werden die Controller dank Halterung am Handrücken befestigt, wodurch dieser auch ohne stetiges Festhalten durch den Benutzer fest an der Körperpartie liegt. Dadurch ist ein freies Öffnen der Hand möglich. Je nach Vorliebe soll eine Version mit Analogstick oder mit Touchpad zur Auswahl stehen. Ebenso soll die Nutzung der beiden unterschiedlichen Varianten gleichzeitig funktionieren, also ein Controller mit Analogstick und einer mit Touchpad. Die neuen Controller setzen auf SteamVR-Tracking und können demnach auch mit anderen kompatiblen VR-Brillen verwendet werden. Dabei unterstützen sie die 1.0- und 2.0-Basisstationen.
Zudem wurden neue Zusatzmodule vorgeführt, die als fester Bestandteil Platz in den Pimax-Brillen finden werden. Dank einer neuen Partnerschaft mit Leap Motion wird ein Hand- und Finger-Tracking-Modul integriert, welches eine controllerfreie Steuerung ermöglicht. Das Tracking-Sichtfeld soll dabei 180 Grad betragen. Außerdem sorgt eine Kooperation mit 7invensun und Nvidia für die Integration eines Eye-Tracking-Moduls, welches dank Foveated Rendering Rechenleistung einsparen soll. Ein ähnliches Vorgehen wie beim vorgeführten HTC Vive Pro Eye von HTC.
This week at CES 2019 Qualcomm is showing off a new VR reference headset sporting impressive new displays that may well define the next wave of VR headsets.
Qualcomm has been a somewhat silent enabler of most of the recent and upcoming standalone VR headsets, not only because it makes the Snapdragon chip that’s central to many of these devices, but also because of its ‘HMD Accelerator’ program which helps companies rapidly bring VR headsets to market by supplying reference designs and pairing companies with partner solutions and capable manufacturers.
Qualcomm’s reference designs act as a jumping-off point for companies to craft a headset to their needs, which could be as simple as slapping a logo on the side, or as extensive as new industrial design, customization of key components, or adding entirely new tech that’s not part of the original reference design. In many cases though, the essential foundation of the reference design can be felt in the end product.
Qualcomm and HTC have worked closely together in the past on Focus, HTC’s first standalone headset, which bore many of the hallmark features found in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 reference headset. Lenovo’s Mirage Solo and a handful of other headsets also share a lineage with one of Qualcomm’s reference designs.
That’s a long way to say this: looking at Qualcomm’s latest reference headsets is a good way to get a preview of devices that are on their way to market.
Photo by Road to VR
At CES 2019 this week we met with Qualcomm who was demonstrating what they called a new reference headset that (surprise surprise) had a detachable tether to a smartphone—the feature that HTC massively teased this week with Cosmos, but wasn’t ready to talk about. The USB-C connector on the Qualcomm reference headset could also easily be plugged into a PC, just like HTC says Cosmos will be able to do.
Note: While Qualcomm called the headset a reference design, it appeared to be a newer, unannounced prototype of Acer’s OJO headset, though we gather this is also based on Qualcomm’s latest reference design for smartphone-tetherable headsets designed for Snapdragon 855 devices. For ease of discussion, I’m going to stick to calling this the ‘Qualcomm reference headset’ for now, because the company wasn’t sharing details about how Acer/Quanta were involved.
The similarities don’t stop there. The Qualcomm reference headset also has a flip-up hinge (just like Cosmos), and detachable headphones (just like Cosmos) that looked very similar to those found on the Vive Deluxe Audio strap.
With these similarities, and HTC’s history of working with Qualcomm, the reference headset is almost certainly forms the basis of Vive Cosmos, which gives us a number of big hints about what Cosmos and other near-term headsets could look like.
Which brings us to the display. HTC has said almost nothing about the Cosmos display except that it’s their “sharpest screen yet,” and that the new displays are “real RGB displays” with “minimal screen door effect.”
That’s exactly what I saw in the Qualcomm reference headset, which had a very impressive pair of displays which I don’t believe I’ve ever seen before. These new displays are LCD and running up to 90Hz with a resolution of 2,160 × 2,160 per-eye, a huge step up in pixels (2x!) over leading displays in headsets like the Vive Pro at 1,440 x 1,600 (even before talking about subpixels).
Additionally, these new displays appear to be RGB and have excellent fill-factor, offering the least screen door effect—and sharpest image—I’ve seen in a headset using any display of this type. The field of view on the Qualcomm reference headset looked a little tighter than similar headsets though, likely around 85 degrees, which would have slightly exaggerated the sharpness and minimal screen door. Even so, if these displays can support ~100 degrees like many other headsets, they’d still have a big edge in sharpness and minimal screen door.
It’s not clear if Cosmos will in fact use this 2,160 × 2,160 display. HTC could opt for another display, but if Cosmos will have their “sharpest screen yet,” then it can’t be the Vive Pro display—and if it’s not this new display, then we’re not sure which it would be because there’s no VR displays in any existing or upcoming headsets (to our knowledge) that fall between those two resolutions.
The Qualcomm reference headset also clues us in to what the smartphone tethering function is likely to look like on Cosmos, and the device that would power it.
Photo by Road to VR
The Qualcomm reference headset was plugged into a Qualcomm MTP-8150 (an early hardware test kit) based on Snapdragon 855 with 5G hardware built in. The device was powering the headset, rendering the content, and handling the processing necessary for the optical 6DOF tracking. Qualcomm had a local 5G network set up which was streaming volumetric video content from NextVR (which looked really impressive on the high res display) as a 5G proof of concept.
The MTP-8150 is like a reference device for a smartphone, except before all the hardware has been compacted into a sleek form-factor. Phone makers use MTPs to test hardware while designing news phones.
So for Cosmos, the play ahead of HTC very much seems like the company plans to launch a new phone—probably built on Snapdragon 855 and including 5G—that will be compatible with Vive Cosmos. That would explain why HTC wasn’t ready to talk about the headset’s smartphone compatibility—because they’ve yet to announce the phone that will power it.
HTC says they’ll have more to say about Cosmos later this year—pay attention when they gear up to launch their next phone, because that’ll probably be when we start to hear specifics on Cosmos.
Using VR in the car sounds like a great way to kill some time on long road trips, but there’s a few factors that may stop you from strapping a headset to your face while in the passenger’s seat—namely motion sickness, unexpected turning, and lack of compelling content. Audi wants to change this with a new technology unveiled at CES this week.
The carmaker has co-founded a start-up named holoride which is commercializing a platform that’ll integrate the car’s movement into VR content, letting backseat passengers view video, and play games and experiences using a VR headset. The platform is slated to be open, and available to all carmakers and content developers in the future, the company says.
Audi and holoride are demoing the VR implementation using an Avengers-themed experience called Marvel Avengers: Rocket’s Rescue Run, an in-car VR experience for backseat passengers built by Disney Games and Interactive Experiences.
“Wearing VR glasses, the passenger in an Audi e-tron is transported into a fantastical depiction of outer space: The Audi e-tron now functions as the ship manned by the Guardians of the Galaxy, as the passenger makes their way through an asteroid field together with Rocket, a character that will appear in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame in spring 2019. Every movement of the car is reflected in the experience in real time. If the car turns a tight corner, the player curves around an opposing spaceship in virtual reality. If the Audi e-tron accelerates, the ship in the experience does the same.”
The startup will provide a software development kit that they say “serves as the interface to the vehicle data and transfers those into virtual realities, allowing developers to create worlds that can be experienced in-car with all of the senses,” the company says in a press statement.
Image courtesy Audi, holoride
One of the advertised benefits to this system is less chance of motion sickness, which occurs when a VR user perceives motion that doesn’t match up with what they expect. Audi says the visual experience and the user’s actual perception are synchronized, making conventional movies, TV or presentations capable of being viewed with what they call “a significantly reduced chance of motion sickness.”
“Audi, Marvel and Disney Games and Interactive Experiences are celebrating Marvel Studios’ 10th anniversary with an Avengers experience that combines world class content and innovative technology,” said Mike Goslin, Vice President, Disney Games and Interactive Experiences. “While this CES demo was developed purely in the spirit of exploration and experimentation, we are constantly evaluating emerging technologies to enhance our stories and experiences.”
Audi’s co-founded startup holoride intends to launch its integrated VR system within the next three years using standard VR headsets for backseat passengers. The company maintains that the long-term roadmap could see things like traffic events becoming a part of the experience, i.e. if you stop at a traffic light you could encounter unexpected obstacles in a game or interrupt a learning program with a quick quiz.
A similar system has also been proposed by Apple of all companies, although the Cupertino-based tech giant admittedly has done anything public with its patent yet.
After Oculus’ big Black Friday sale, which saw Rift & Touch temporarily cut from its regular price of $400 to $350, Oculus now says they’re permanently dropping the price of the bundle to just $350.
We expect to see the new permanent price come to the Oculus Store shortly, although all official retailers in the US now show the new $350 price. In the US, this includes Amazon, Best Buy, New Egg, Microsoft Store, and Micro Center.
An Oculus spokesperson confirmed with us that the bundle will be priced at $350 USD, and “equivalent across all countries where we currently sell. You’ll see prices update to reflect this across regions and channels over the next week or so.”
Photo by Road to VR
Rift + Touch got its first big price cut at Oculus Connect 4 back in 2017, bringing it from $500 to $400.
The package includes the Rift headset, two sensors, two Touch controllers and six free pieces of VR content: Robo Recall, Luckyʼs Tale, Quill, Medium, Dead and Buried, and Toybox.
This widens the margin even greater between Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, with the original Vive still priced at $500.
