Pimax Launches Kickstarter Today For 8K & 5K VR Headsets

Pimax, the China-based VR headset manufacturer, just launched their Kickstarter for the hotly anticipated 8K and 5K VR headsets.

Update (09/19/17): The rumors were true; Pimax has launched their Kickstarter today. The company is aiming to reach $200,000 in funding, with prices starting at $349 for the 5K, and $449 for the 8K headset. Unlike the Kickstarter preview page that was published earlier this month, the live page quotes a January 2018 delivery for Early Bird headsets instead of the previous December 2017 shipping date.

Original article (09/11/17): To be frank, the Pimax headsets aren’t actually 8K or 5K resolution, instead integrating dual 3840×2160 LCD panels and dual 2560×1440 OLED panels respectively. Both are still higher resolution than consumer VR headsets today though, and have a much higher field of view (FOV) at 200 degrees horizontal, almost the entire 220 degree natural range of human eyes.

There’s no tier pricing on the Kickstarter preview page yet, but the first 8K/5K headsets are said to roll out to backers starting December 2017, with normal tiers delivering in February 2018.

Pimax 8K prototype showing wide FOV fresnel lenses

We had a chance to play with a prototype of Pimax 8K at this year’s CES before the company integrated Valve’s Lighthouse tracking solution—one of the first to do so outside of HTC. Road to VR’s Frank He, who tried the headset, said its 200 degree FOV was “impressive,” and that resolution-wise, he couldn’t discern sub-pixels “no matter how hard [he] looked.” To He, the screen door effect (SDE) was also diminished to the amount of “looking at a slightly textured surface or film.” The prototype did however suffer from a dim display and some geometric warping that made the experience less than perfect.

Since CES, the makers have added support for SteamVR, giving it access to a full catalog of games originally developed for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

image courtesy Pimax

You may be asking yourself how a VR-ready gaming computer could possibly drive these sorts of graphically demanding resolutions. Pimax’s answer is a software technique they call ‘Brainwarp’, which renders a 4K image only on a single display at time, doing it 150/180 times per second. Pimax says users “perceive a complete 8K at 150/180 Hz with high frame rate,” and that it “boosts refresh rate, reduces latency and decreases GPU pressure for Pimax 8K.”

What’s noticeably missing from Kickstarter page is any substantial info about the ‘next generation’ modular add-ons we reported on recently, with the page simply saying that the headset is just a starting point for DIY enthusiasts.

image courtesy Pimax

“With modular design in mind, we made Pimax 8K an extendable device that not only works with your current accessories, but also new technologies. e.g. hand motion, inside-out tracking, wireless, eye tracking, etc,” the company says. At the time of this writing, no funding tiers appear to include any of the teased add-ons.

We’ll check back in when the campaign goes live, so stay tuned.

Pimax 8K VR Specs

image courtesy Pimax

The post Pimax Launches Kickstarter Today For 8K & 5K VR Headsets appeared first on Road to VR.

Synesthesia Misses Kickstarter Goal

Crowdfunding videogames is, by this point, not an uncommon concept. Neither is looking to the likes fo Kickstarter for assistance in bringing virtual reality (VR) projects to life. VRFocus has, on a number of occasions, brought you news of crowdfunding campaigns involving VR (and indeed augmented reality as well).  Some of these have gone on to become big success stories, with others just doing enough to pass, whilst yet others failed to make the grade. A matter we’ve discussed recently on VRFocus in a feature on crowdfunding.

Unfortunately for the developers of Synesthesia their Kickstarter is the latest to end in failure. The project, by multimedia artist Lucas Masoch, would have seen a VR experience that would generate a sensuary visualisation of the music that triggers multiple senses, and having them ‘cross over’ in their effect (‘synesthesia’).

Synesthesia screenshot 1Masoch described the ability to experience synesthesia in the project listing: “As for me, I can see and feel music. Emotions in music have color, sounds have colors and forms, those forms have textures, and in the end it’s as if the music I listen to generates “phantom limbs” in my head that I can live inside of while I listen. But it’s more than that, because lyrics have meaning, and I can use their meaning to shape these forms into something that I can take away from. I often interact with these things in some way as well; I can almost touch them with my hands. This is why I’d actually prefer to say that I live in music, rather than just see it. And now I want to let you experience this too.”

Whilst the funding goal of the campaign was $5,000 (USD) when announced, by the time the clock ran out earlier today the project was still some significant way away from being fully funded. Whether or not this means the end of Synesthesia going forward remains to be seen, although by missing the target by such a margin Masoch may well reconsider the scope of the project.

Should further news develop we will of course let you know on VRFocus.com.

Neues VR-Headset MVR Ascend soll alte Spiele in die VR bringen

Innerhalb des VR-Markts kann man die großen Hersteller von VR-Headsets und Brillen an einer Hand abzählen. Die Unternehmen HTC und Oculus die bekanntesten Namen darunter und beide Unternehmen arbeiten derzeit an der Entwicklung von Standalone-Headsets. Doch nun möchte das Entwicklerteam MVR mit einem völlig neuen Konzept eines VR-Headsets den großen Unternehmen Konkurrenz machen. Dies soll durch eine Crowdfunding-Kampagne finanziert werden.

Integration alter Spiele in die VR dank MVR Ascend

MVR entwickelt nicht nur ein VR-Headset, sondern möchte mit der MVR Ascend bereits existierende Spiele für PC und Konsolen in die VR integrieren. Dies soll durch eine einfache Methode gewährleistet werden: Das entsprechende Spiel wird auf das Handy gestreamt. Das Smartphone dann in das Headset eingesetzt. Daraufhin können die Spieler mit den Controllern, die bekannten Titel innerhalb der VR spielen. Das VR-System funktioniert dabei komplett kabellos.

Die Technologie ließ sich das junge Team patentieren und erstellte einen funktionierenden Prototyp. Mit den Titeln Grand Theft Auto 5, Call of Duty Black Ops 3 und Mirrors Edge ist das VR-System bereits kompatibel.

Wie die Spiele in Aktion aussehen, kann man hier betrachten:

Doch neben den bereits implementierten Titeln, die zum Start verfügbar sein sollen, möchte das Unternehmen anderen Spieleentwicklern einen einfachen und günstigen Weg zur Verfügung stellen, um alte Spiele in neues VR-Gewand zu verpacken. Das VR-System MVR Ascend soll ungefähr 250 Euro kosten und sich damit im mittleren Preissegment innerhalb des VR-Markts festsetzen. Damit soll es eine preisgünstige Alternative zur Oculus Rift und HTC Vive bieten, sich jedoch qualitativ von Google Cardboard und ähnlichen VR-Adapter absetzen.

Zur Finanzierung des VR-Systems sammelt das Unternehmen auf Crowdcube per Crowdfunding. Das Ziel der Crowdfunding-Kampagne sind insgesamt 500.000 Pfund, um das VR-System auf den Markt zu bringen. Dafür haben sie derzeit noch drei Wochen Zeit. Zum aktuellen Stand konnte man bereits mehr als 100.000 Pfund sammeln.

Wir dürfen gespannt sein, wie sich das Projekt in Zukunft entwickeln wird und ob sich genug Investoren finden, um das VR-System für den Massenmarkt zu entwickeln. Wenn das Streaming dann solide ist, könnte MVR Ascend für viele Spieler ein guter Einstieg in die VR-Welt sein.

(Quellen: VRFocus | Crowdcube | Video: MVR Ascend Vimeo)

Der Beitrag Neues VR-Headset MVR Ascend soll alte Spiele in die VR bringen zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

MVR Seek to Fund Stand-Alone VR Headset Through Crowdfunding

The centre ground for virtual reality (VR) is not an area that has seen much activity as of yet. Oculus and Vive are both planning stand-alone VR headsets in the future, so the race is now on to stake out the mid-range market. MVR, a VR system developer is planning to use crowdfunding to help it compete with the big names.

MVR are not simply seeking to create a new VR headset. The company’s ambition is to turn existing console videogames into untethered VR experiences for the MVR headset, titled the Ascend. MVR reportedly has the capability to easily convert existing titles into VR for quick and cheap porting to the Ascend system.

The company has launched a campaign to raise £50,000 (GBP) using equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. MVR have said they are planning a ‘two-pronged approach’ to enter the VR market and compete with established names such as Oculus by doing two things; The first involves creating and patenting a VR system that allows users to play videogames with familiar titles from launch. The second The second is to offer developers a simple way to port existing titles into VR.

“We believe this is truly disruptive because we are inhabiting the middle market between the two tier fragmented VR world we are currently faced with,” said an MVR spokesperson in a statement, “On one side of the VR spectrum you have the low end – cheap plastic versions of Google Cardboard that can only play smartphone apps. On the other hand you have immersive but expensive wired systems that lack quality AAA games (Games with highest development budget and levels of promotion).”

A patent is said to have already been filed for a system to adapt well-known titles such as a Grand Theft Auto 5, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and Mirrors Edge into VR, and a working prototype is said to exist.

VRFocus will bring you further news on the MVR Ascend as it becomes available.

Live Your Day Virtually In “Digital-Life-Network” App connect, Coming To Kickstarter

The more virtual reality (VR) spreads, the more applications, service and advertisers look to include it. As with any technological innovation sometimes that results in creative ideas that truly change the way you think about a product or service. Other times it’s something shoehorned in that has no real purpose in being there other than ‘it’s hot at the moment’.

One of the things particularly of interest at the moment is the combination of social with VR, augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). We’ve seen this in the work being done with Microsoft on the Hololens and the demonstrations they’ve given involving virtual conference calls as well as the likes of Facebook Spaces – something we saw quite a lot of at this year’s F8 might well see more of it at this year’s Oculus Connect 4.

The latest to include social and VR in their product mix is Austrian start-up company e.com who are looking to launch their app connect, which they style as “the first Digital-Life-Network in the world”. The aim of Connect, is to do just as its name suggest – connect you, digitally, to your life be it social or working through a customisable virtual space for living, leisure and working. Bringing together email, video chat, social media channels such as Facebook under one space that can be experienced either in 2D using a PC, tablet or smartphone or in 3D as an immersive environment using a virtual reality head-mounted display (HMD). In your virtual apartment you will find a TV, a Laptop, a sound system, as well as virtual newspapers, magazines and books.

e.com are looking to bring the service to Kickstarter later this month on 18th July 2017 in order to achieve the funding necessary to complete and launch the app, which they say will be free of charge and will act as a hub. An ‘integrated Multi-Messenger-service’ that will bring all user connections under one roof, so to speak. e.com also confirm that receiving and sending via connect does not require the person at the other end to also be a connect user.

“This feature enables us to incorporate all SMS, emails, messages from Facebook etc. and connect in one single App.” Explains e.com CEO Michael Schoeggl, “Users save themselves a lot of time because their day to day communications are not spread out over various different apps.“

With so many accounts connected protecting user data is a concern, e.com address this with a guarantee of complete data security and end-to-end encryption with all messaging. “Selling Data is not an objective of our business model” explains Schoeggl.  “We can’t even decode our users messages. Particularly in virtual or augmented reality, data protection and the protection of private personal space is an absolute must. Our primary goal as a business, is to offer a completely data secure, encrypted alternative to the currently available providers”.

Should the Kickstarter be successful e.com hope to release connect in October this year, with an Alpha version being made available to test for all those who back the campaign at the 5 Euro mark. With VR HMD support given to both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift though no specific mention is made of Oculus Touch support for the latter.

More information can be found on the connect website. VRFocus will bring you more news on the project as the Kickstarter launches and the project develops.

VRgluv Force-feedback Glove Blasts Past 50% Kickstarter Goal in 24 Hours

VRgluv passed the 50% funding mark in less than 24 hours on their Kickstarter page, with 28 days still to go. The product is described as the “first affordable force feedback gloves” that feature “total hand tracking, full force feedback, and pressure sensitivity”.

Going live on March 31st, VRgluv’s website revealed their haptic gloves, compatible with both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift hardware, said to be comfortable, functional, and affordable (despite looking rather clunky). An appealing $300 price point (relatively speaking) for the Super Early Bird is the likely reason for the rapid influx of early backers and, being limited to 100 backers, is already sold out. The next tier at $350 is limited to 200 sets, followed by a ‘Kickstarter special’ price at $400, with the final retail price expected to be $580.

VRgluv Kickstarter

As shown in the Kickstarter video, different adapters allow for Oculus Touch controllers, HTC Vive controllers or Vive Trackers to clip to the sides of the gloves to perform the spatial tracking duties, with the gloves containing proprietary technology to determine finger positions and grip strength. Ideally, Vive Trackers would be used—being the least-bulky attachment to what is already a chunky pair of gloves—although VRgluv describes the units as ‘lightweight’, and the adapters are said to be carefully designed to hold each tracking solution in the most balanced position.

Applying haptic glove support to VR applications involves incorporating the VRgluv SDK, and the team recently created a short video to showcase a few examples of games already compatible.

VRgluv is one of several devices in development that provide a haptic feedback solution for hand interaction in VR. Others include the EXOS, the Dexmo exoskeleton, the temperature-changing Senso and PowerClaw, the Gloveone and Avatar VR from NeuroDigital Technologies, and more. As the haptics challenge is being approached from so many different angles, it’s difficult to predict if one product will rise to the top; this area of VR development is likely to remain experimental and niche, although VRgluv’s price is impressive considering the low volume, wireless technology, rechargeable batteries, and the likely high number of mechanical components involved.

VRgluv is aiming to deliver the first sets to customers in December 2017.

The post VRgluv Force-feedback Glove Blasts Past 50% Kickstarter Goal in 24 Hours appeared first on Road to VR.

‘Starfigher Inc.’ Kickstarter successful, hitting stretch goals with 21 hours remaining

Impeller Studios’ crowdfunding goal of $150,000 was reached with around 40 hours to go, meaning the Starfighter Inc. project has the resources to complete in a timely manner. Stretch goals are now being hit, starting with new pilot and ship skins.

Update (4/14/17, 5:04PM): At one stage it looked like it could be another close call, but pledges accelerated over the last few days, hitting the $150,000 target comfortably with about 40 hours to go. Lead Designer David Wessman posted his appreciation, saying “We made it thanks to the amazing support of over 2700 backers! From everyone at Impeller Studios, know that we are extremely happy and very, very grateful! We can’t wait to deliver the game to you, and you can count on regular updates on our progress. Now, let’s see if we can’t hit a stretch goal or two!”

And with 21 hours remaining, the first stretch goals are indeed being hit, starting with alternate pilot and ship skins, followed by potential new weapons and ships. The major milestone of $200,000, which would introduce a new game mode and add several other features, is still some way off. The successful campaign means that the development team can complete the game faster – their aim is to deliver the game in April 2018.

Creative Director Jack Mamais also posted his thoughts in the Kickstarter comments section, saying “We are all super stoked here (design meetings happening all day) and can’t wait to show you all what’s coming next. We will continue to read and answer these comments…and we will have lots more information coming on our website as the campaign wraps up. We will keep this development very transparent for you guys, you all deserve it and we love to hear the great feedback and responses.”

Original Article (4/6/17): Starfighter Inc. has passed the halfway mark on its crowdfunding campaign, now with 9 days remaining. The game concentrates on multiplayer dogfighting based on a hard sci-fi foundation, promising to be the most realistic space combat simulator ever created. Continue reading "‘Starfigher Inc.’ Kickstarter successful, hitting stretch goals with 21 hours remaining"