All Call of Duty games in order, by release date and chronologically
Call of Duty titles have been releasing annually since 2003 and covered military conflicts from 1940 to 2187. Here's what the titles look like in order.
5 Great Quest Games for New VR Players & Novice Gamers
Oculus Quest 2 is an inexpensive and easy to use headset that offers a wide range of experiences for all kinds of people. Granted, the library of content leans heavily toward games, many of which are targeted at experienced gamers who know their way around a gamepad. So where to start if you’re just getting into this whole gaming thing—or if you want to show your headset to someone without gaming experience? We’re glad you asked…
The Quest game library now totals nearly 300 games and apps. Among them are some expansive games like The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, which is a great ‘gamer’s game’, but far from easy to pick up for someone who is just learning how to use a controller (VR or otherwise). Luckily there’s plenty of Quest games that are simple, straightforward, and tons of fun for beginners and experienced players alike.
Whether you’re brand new to VR and looking for great introductory games, or an experienced VR player who wants easy-to-play games to demo for less experienced friends and family, this list has something for everyone.
First Steps – Free
First thing’s first! First Steps is a short demo experience from Oculus that comes pre-installed with your Quest. You probably already ran through it the first time you set up your headset, and you can replay it any time by launching it from the app library in your headset. While not a game you’ll likely go back to every day, it’s a great experience because it not only gives a brief introduction to the power of VR, but also walks users through all the buttons on the controllers and shows them the basics like how to grab and throw things.
This makes First Steps one of the top VR experiences for first-time VR players, especially if they aren’t experienced gamers. If you’re demoing the headset for a group of friends or family, this is a great place to start! Not only because it’s short and sweet, but also because the player gets to pick between two short (5 minute) experiences at the end—a shooting game or a dancing game—which lets them cap off their first time in VR with something of their choice.
Did you like first steps? Consider trying First Contact next.
Beat Saber – $30 (free demo)
Beat Saber is undeniably one of the most approachable VR games out there. That’s because it requires no buttons (except for pulling the trigger a few times to navigate the menu). Not only is it easy to play, it’s also a blast! Beat Saber is a VR rhythm game where you swing lightsabers to slice blocks to the beat.
Aside from being engaging and really easy to play, Beat Saber is also great because it’s almost universally comfortable. That’s because you stand in one place while you play instead of moving around through the virtual world.
When I’m showing this game to new players I like to put them through the Tutorial section (which you can find by clicking the question mark icon at the bottom of the main menu, then clicking the ‘Play Tutorial’ button); it’s no more than a minute or two but explains the basics. You might also want to know about the ‘No Fail’ option (which you can find the left side of the song selection menu) which makes it so the player can’t fail the song by missing too many notes.
Simple to play but difficult to master, this is a game that belongs in everyone’s VR library.
Check out our full review to learn more about Beat Saber.
Did you like Beat Saber? Consider trying Pistol Whip next.
Superhot VR – $25 (free demo)
If you want to amp up the action a bit, look no further than Superhot VR. This is an action game with a mind-bending premise that feels truly unique in VR. In the game time only moves forward when you move. So if you completely stop moving, the world will freeze. If you move slowly the action will move in slow motion around you.
This is another very easy and comfortable VR game because you only really need to know how to use the grip buttons on the controller to grab objects and there’s no artificial movement through the virtual world so it’s very comfortable. The game also encourages you to move your body to dodge things which is more engaging than just using your hands!
In the game you’ll be whisked through a series of scenes where you have to destroy enemies by throwing objects at them, punching them, or shooting them. The enemies are blocky and there’s no blood; it feels more like shattering glass statues than actually harming people so it can be pretty approachable even for those who wouldn’t typically want to play a ‘shooter’.
Check out our full review to learn more about Superhot VR.
Did you like Superhot VR? Consider trying Space Pirate Trainer next.
Fujii – $15
Fujii is a serene and fantastical game that’s an excellent first introduction to more complex VR controls. Unlike the games higher on this list, in Fujii you’ll use artificial movement to explore a cheery virtual world, solve simple puzzles, and collect seeds and creatures that become part of a garden that you get to plant and care for.
Even as someone who loves action games, I find Fujii to be a delightful and refreshing VR experience. The nice part is that, unlike many games, there’s no ‘threat’ in Fujii. Nothing is going to come out and chase you or destroy you and send you back to a checkpoint. This game is really all about exploring a magical world at your own pace, and that makes it the perfect game to learn some VR basics like grabbing, throwing, teleportation movement, and gesture controls, at your own pace. All of those skills will come in useful when you move on to more mechanically complex VR games.
Check out our full review to learn more about Fujii.
Did you like Fujii? Consider trying Job Simulator next.
Star Wars: Vader Immortal – $10 Per Episode (three episodes total)
If you’re looking for a little bit of narrative, look no further than Star Wars: Vader Immortal. Even if you aren’t a Star Wars buff, this three-part series offers a fun and immersive mix of narrative, light puzzles, and action. It’s one of the best looking games on Quest—and you get to wield a freaking lightsaber!
Better yet, the game is technically broken into three bite-sized ‘episodes’ at $10 each. That means you can sample the first and decide from there whether or not you want to play the next two. Even if you don’t want to jump into the next two episodes, the first includes a ‘lightsaber dojo’ which is a replayable wave-based mode that offers hours of fun in trying to master your lightsaber skills. It’s a great demo for friends too!
Check out our full review of Vader Immortal: Episode I, Episode II, and Episode III to learn more.
Did you like Vader Immortal? Consider trying Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge next.
This is just a taste of what’s available on Quest. If you don’t find something appealing in this list, keep exploring! As you’re learning about your new headset, consider checking out our list of tips & tricks for new Quest owners.
The post 5 Great Quest Games for New VR Players & Novice Gamers appeared first on Road to VR.
13 Major New Features Added to Quest Since Launch
Since its launch in 2019 Oculus Quest has represented a major shift in Facebook’s VR strategy by moving away from the PC. Quest 2, which launched in October 2020, has become the most popular VR headset on the market. Sensing traction, the company has been aggressively updating the headsets with new features, making them better they were at their launch. Here’s a look at the biggest updates so far.
Updated – January 21, 2022
Note: Some of these features are still ‘experimental’ and may not be available to all users. Make sure your headset is up to date to access the latest features available to you.
Hand-tracking
Hand-tracking first came to the original Quest in late 2019, offering users and developers a controllerless option for input on the headset. While there’s a handful of hand-tracking games available on the headset, the entire Quest menu, including the Oculus browser, can be controlled completely by your hands. This is really handy when you want to do something in the headset that doesn’t really need the precision of controllers (like watching videos).
Oculus Link & Air Link
While Quest 2 became the most popular VR headset in use on Steam just a few months after its launch, the original Quest couldn’t even connect to a PC when it first hit the market!
Today, both Quest and Quest 2 can connect to a PC to play PC VR games either with a cable (Oculus Link) or wirelessly (Air Link). Air Link is technically still in beta and is cumbersome to enable, so we’ve got a full guide here.
Up to 120Hz Refresh Rate on Quest 2
Like the original Quest, Quest 2 launched with a default refresh rate of 72Hz. However, the headset has been steadily updated to support faster refresh rates—first 90Hz and today up to 120Hz. A faster refresh rate means a smoother image which reduces latency and can improve comfort and immersion. It’s up to developers to choose which framerate their application uses, and most still use 72Hz, but having the range of options makes Quest 2 a more flexible headset.
The original Quest is still stuck at its initial maximum of 72Hz, purportedly because it was only certified for that rate by regulatory agencies; increasing the refresh rate would have required recertification.
Fitness Tracking
The v23 update brought ‘Oculus Move’ to Quest and Quest 2. The feature works a bit like a FitBit or Apple Watch by using your movements to estimate your calorie burn.
Beyond just a gaming device, Facebook has been pushing the fitness angle on Quest and Quest 2, and the feature naturally pairs well with movement-focused applications like Beat Saber, OhShape, and Supernatural.
Bluetooth Mouse & Keyboard Support
If you want to achieve any sort of productivity in a VR headset, a keyboard and mouse is a must. Luckily Quest and Quest 2 now have the ability to connect to a bluetooth mouse and keyboard.
To pair a bluetooth device to Quest go to Settings > Experimental, and then find the Bluetooth Pair button which will open a dialogue to display nearby bluetooth devices to connect to.
Of course you can’t use the keyboard or mouse in typical VR games, but they’ll definitely help you navigate the Oculus Browser much more quickly, or you can even use an app like Virtual Desktop to access your desktop computer (PC or Mac) remotely, and use the paired mouse and keyboard for real productivity work.
Desk, Couch, & Keyboard Tracking
Since the start, Quest’s Guardian feature allowed players to outline their playspace to track the edges of where they can safely enjoy their VR games. But over time, Oculus has added the ability to track more than just the playspace.
Today you can track the position of a desk, couch, and even a keyboard. But why would you want to?
While most VR experiences are designed for a large and open playspace, for some you might prefer to sit on your couch or pull up to your desk.
For example, if you just want to kick back and watch some YouTube in VR, you’ll probably want to be seated. If you set up your couch to be tracked in your headset, you can actually see a representation of the couch in (or even outside of) your usual playspace. If you walk over to the virtual couch and sit down, the Guardian system will understand what you’re doing instead of complaining that you’re outside of the boundary. Better yet, it will ask if you want to switch to couch mode, and automatically move the Oculus menu in front of you for easy viewing.
Desk tracking works similarly. You can tell the system when your desk is, and when you walk over to the desk it will ask you if you’d like to switch to desk mode, which will automatically move the Oculus menu over to the desk. This is especially handy in combination with keyboard tracking.
Keyboard tracking detects a keyboard in front of you and makes it appear inside of your virtual space, along with a visual representation of your hands (to make it easier to type). Unfortunately keyboard tracking only currently works with a specific keyboard (the Logitech K830 [Amazon]), though Oculus says its working to add tracking for more keyboards in the future.
Continue on Page 2 »
The post 13 Major New Features Added to Quest Since Launch appeared first on Road to VR.
How to Enable Smartphone Notifications on Oculus Quest
The latest Oculus Quest update, v29, added support for displaying smartphone notifications (currently iOS only) inside of your headset. Here’s how to enable the feature.
Note: Smartphone notifications in Quest are only currently supported for iOS devices (iPhone 7 or newer). Android support is “coming soon.”
Make Sure You’re Running v29 or Later
The Oculus Quest v29 update only started rolling out last month, but if you haven’t used your headset or restarted it recently, you may not be running the latest version of the software.
- In your headset, bring up the Quest menu by pressing the Oculus button on your right controller. Find the Settings section (gear icon).
- On the left of the Settings section select ‘About’ at the bottom of the list
- Look next to the ‘Software Update’ label to see if a new version is available
- Check the ‘Version’ label to see which version is currently installed
If you’re running an earlier version and don’t see the option to update, try restarting your headset and checking again. If you still don’t see it, the update may not be available to you yet.
Turn on Smartphone Notifications in Oculus Quest
- In your headset, bring up the Quest menu by pressing the Oculus button on your right controller. Find the Settings section (gear icon).
- On the left of the Settings section select ‘Notifications’
- In the Notifications section, select ‘Phone Notifications’ (if you don’t see ‘Phone Notifications’ and have already verified you are running Quest v29 software, try restarting your headset)
- On the next screen, enable the ‘Phone Notifications in VR’ option
Turn on Smartphone Notifications in the Oculus Smartphone App
- Open the Oculus smartphone app on your phone
- Open the ‘Devices’ section and select your headset to connect
- Once your headset is connected, scroll to the bottom of the Headset Settings list and select ‘Phone Notifications’
- Enable the option ‘Phone Notifications in VR’
- Accept the prompt to pair the phone and headset via Bluetooth
- Accept the prompt to allow the headset to display notifications
Choose When to See Notifications and From Which Applications
Now that you’ve enabled notifications in both your headset and on your smartphone you’ll start seeing phone notifications appear in your headset as a pop-up and in the Notifications list (the bell button on the menu bar).
By default, you’ll see notifications from applications anywhere in the headset, but you’ve got some options to change this. For each application which can send notifications from your phone you can choose between ‘Always’, ‘While in home’, and ‘Never’.
The ‘Always’ option means the notifications will pop up no matter what you’re doing in VR. ‘While in home’ means you’ll only see notifications when you’re in Quest’s main menu (ie: not currently running an application). ‘Never’ of course means you’ll never see the notifications from that app.
If you want to temporarily silence notifications you can enable Do Not Disturb mode (moon icon) via the quick actions on the Settings page (gear icon). Note that this option impacts all notifications on the headset, whether they’re from your phone or from the headset itself.
And a quick note: although incoming phone calls will appear as a notification, sadly you can’t answer them inside of your headset. One day it would be great if Quest could act like a Bluetooth headset to be to answer calls.
Quest Smartphone Notifications Privacy
Something worth noting about smartphone notifications in Quest: notifications will be sent to the headset even when you aren’t using it (as long as it’s powered on and nearby). These notifications will be added to the notifications list and can be seen by anyone using the headset.
If a guest is using your headset and you’re worried about them seeing your smartphone notifications, open the Oculus app on your smartphone and temporarily disable the feature:
- Open the Oculus smartphone app on your phone
- Open the ‘Devices’ section and select your headset to connect
- Once your headset is connected, scroll to the bottom of the Headset Settings list and select ‘Phone Notifications’
- Disable the option ‘Phone Notifications in VR’
If you share your headset with another user regularly, consider using Quest’s multi-user account feature which allows each user to have their own profile on the headset. Oculus says that smartphone notifications are tied to each account and won’t be displayed between accounts.
The post How to Enable Smartphone Notifications on Oculus Quest appeared first on Road to VR.
How to Play PC VR Games Wirelessly on Quest with Oculus Air Link
Oculus Air Link is an integrated way to play PC VR games (on Oculus PC or SteamVR) wirelessly on Quest or Quest 2. This guide will show you how to activate the Air Link feature on both your headset and your desktop software.
Updated – January 13th, 2022
In order to use Air Link your PC hardware also meet the Oculus Link requirements.
Just like Oculus Link allows you to plug into a VR ready PC to play PC VR games, Oculus Air Link allows you to do so wirelessly.
For optimal Air Link performance, Oculus recommends the following:
- Have your PC connected to your Router/Access Point via Ethernet cable
- Headset should be connected to Wi-Fi via 5GHz band – AC or AX (AKA Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6)
- Your router shoulder be in the same room as the headset or in line-of-sight, and at least 1m off the ground
- Don’t use a mesh network (range extenders, etc.)
To enable Oculus Air Link on Quest there’s a few steps you’ll need to go through. Here’s the breakdown.
Oculus Air Link requires that both your Quest headset and Oculus PC software are running v30 or later. Here’s how to check:
On Quest
- In your Quest headset, open the Settings app (in your app library)
- On the left side of the Settings page, scroll down to find the About section
- On the About page, see the Version section, which should read 30.X or later (it may be a very long version number, like 30.0.0.221.359…)
If you aren’t already on v30 or later, see if there’s a prompt to update your headset on the About page next to the Software Update section. There’s no way to force the update, but if it says ‘No Updates Available’, you could try restarting your headset and checking again.
On Your PC
- On your PC, launch the Oculus PC app (if you don’t already have it installed, you can download it here)
- On the left side of the app, select Settings then go to the General tab
- Scroll all the way to the bottom of the General section where you will find the version number which should read 30.X or higher (it may be a very long version number, like 30.0.0.222.459…)
If you aren’t already on v30 or later, go to the Library section and then the Updates tab, you may see an ‘Oculus Software Update’ item in the list. Allow it to update and restart the software if prompted, then check again to see if you are on version 30 or later.
If you still aren’t on v30, go to the Settings section and then the Beta tab. Enable the Public Test Channel option, then return to the Library section and the Updates tab to see if an ‘Oculus Software Update’ appears. Allow it to install and then check your version number again to see if you’re on v30 yet.
On Your PC
- On your PC, launch the Oculus PC app
- On the left side of the app, select Settings, then go to the Beta tab
- At the bottom of the Beta tab, find the Air Link option and enable it
On Quest
- In your Quest headset, open the Settings app (in your app library)
- On the left side of the Settings page, scroll down to find the Experimental Features section
- In the Experimental Features section, find the Air Link option and enable it
Ok so you’re running the right version of the software and have activated Air Link on both devices. Now you’re ready to play. Here’s how:
On Your PC
- Launch the Oculus PC software
On Quest
- In your Quest headset, click on the system clock in the menu bar to open the Quick Actions page
- On the left side of the Quick Actions page, click the Oculus Air Link button (you may be prompted with an ‘Air Link Requirements’ pop-up, read them then click Continue
- In the next dialogue select your computer under Available Computers and click Pair
- If you are prompted with a Pairing Code, go to your PC and click Confirm on the prompt
- Back inside your headset, select your PC again and then Launch
Once you are running Oculus Air Link you will find yourself looking at the Oculus PC dashboard called Oculus Dash. From here you can launch Oculus PC games directly from the Library tab (or launch them on your PC).
If you want to run SteamVR games first activate Oculus Link so that you can see the Oculus Dash. Then you’ll need to launch Steam on your PC and then launch SteamVR by clicking the VR icon at the top right of the Steam window. SteamVR should automatically detect your Quest, and when you put your headset back on you’ll find yourself looking at the SteamVR dashboard.
From here you can launch SteamVR games from the Library tab of the SteamVR dashboard (or launch them from Steam on your PC).
If you want to stop playing PC VR games on Quest, you can quit Oculus Air Link by opening the Oculus Dash menu (click the menu button on your right controller), then looking on the far left of the menu bar to find the Oculus Air Link section.
Inside the section there is a ‘Quit’ button which will return you to the regular Quest dashboard).
The post How to Play PC VR Games Wirelessly on Quest with Oculus Air Link appeared first on Road to VR.
How to Record Videos on Quest 2 and Improve Capture Quality
Quest 2 has simple built-in video capture capabilities. In this article you’ll see how to use them and, for advanced users, you’ll learn how to increase the quality of the videos captured on Quest 2 and how to transfer videos to your computer.
Record, Stream, or Cast Your VR Gameplay on Quest 2
With something as cool as VR, it’s natural to want to share the experience. Luckily Quest 2 has many sharing options built right in. You can record videos of your gameplay, take screenshots, cast a video to your phone or TV, or even stream to viewers online. Here’s how:
- In your headset, bring up the Quest menu by pressing the Oculus button on your right controller. Find the Share section.
- At the top of the Share menu you can now choose between Record Video, Take Photo, Go Live, and Cast.
If you have set up Quest Voice Commands, you can even say “record video,” “take screenshot,” “cast,” or “stream” to quickly do any of these actions in the midst of gameplay.
‘Cast’ allows you to stream video of your experience devices on your local network. You can cast to your smartphone through the Oculus smartphone app or to your PC by visiting oculus.com/cast. You can also cast to any compatible devices on your network like a TV with Chromecast.
‘Go Live’ allows you to stream your Quest 2 experience out to the internet, but unfortunately you can only stream to Facebook.
Recorded videos and captured photos are stored on the headset, you can access them by clicking the ‘View All’ button in the Share menu. You can also plug Quest 2 into a computer to download videos for editing and sharing (see section further below).
Increase Capture Quality on Quest 2 Recordings (advanced)
The default Quest 2 capture settings are fine for sending quick clips to friends, but painfully low quality for doing much else. If you’re an advanced user, it’s possible to increase both the resolution and framerate of Quest 2 recordings. A PC will be required.
- Install SideQuest via these instructions.
- Plug the headset into your PC.
- On the SideQuest menu bar, click Run ADB Commands > Custom Command.
- Input the following commands one line at a time, and press ‘Run Command’ for each:
- adb shell setprop debug.oculus.capture.width 1440
- adb shell setprop debug.oculus.capture.height 1080
- adb shell setprop debug.oculus.fullRateCapture 1
- adb shell setprop debug.oculus.capture.bitrate 30000000
- Once complete, you can unplug your headset and use the built-in ‘Record Video’ function (see the top of the article) to capture higher quality video with the new settings.
- Resetting your headset will return to default settings
Tweaking Capture Settings
In the above steps we set the Quest 2 capture resolution to 1,440 × 1,080, the capture frame rate to 72 FPS, and the capture bitrate to 30,000,000.
The settings above can be tweaked based on your needs, but be warned that if you push them too high you can cause performance issues both in the game you’re capturing and in the captured video itself (stuttering and encoding artifacts).
The settings we shared above are based on a balance of quality and performance, and we’ve found they work well for most games. However, if you’re going to be capturing a lot of footage, we’d highly recommend you first test against any new game to ensure the captured output is error free.
Aspect Ratio
One important thing to note is that the resolution options we set above also control the aspect ratio of the Quest 2 video capture. The default aspect ratio is 1:1 (square), while our settings above are a bit wider at 1.33:1, which gives the crop a bit more room to breath on the sides.
If you’d like a traditional widescreen 1.77:1 (16:9) crop, 1,920 × 1080 will give you the shape you’re after. However, 16:9 tends to feel ‘cut off’ on the top and bottom compared to what the view feels like against the headset’s field of view.
How to Transfer Videos from Quest 2 to Your Computer
If you want the raw video files captured on your Quest 2, you can transfer them from the headset in two ways.
With no additional software:
- Plug the headset into your PC.
- Put on your headset and accept the prompts to allow your PC to access the headset.
- If you see no prompt the first time, your headset is not correctly connected to the PC. You may need to accept your Guardian boundary before you will see the prompt. You can also try a different USB port, or try resetting the headset.
- Open Explorer in Windows and access ‘This PC’. ‘Quest 2’ will be listed under ‘Devices and Drives’.
- Your videos are stored in Quest 2 > Internal Shared Storage > Oculus > VideoShots.
- Drag and drop videos where you’d like to copy them. You can also delete them from here if you don’t need them on your headset anymore.
With SideQuest (advanced):
If you’re using SideQuest already, it has the advantage of allowing you to browse the headset’s files without needing to accept the prompt every time. Here’s how:
- Install SideQuest via these instructions.
- Plug the headset to your PC.
- On SideQuest’s menu bar, click ‘Manage files on the headset’ (folder icon)
- Browse to Oculus > VideoShots
- Click to highlight videos you wish to save, then mouse-over the ‘plus’ sign at the bottom right and click ‘Save selected items to computer’
- You can use the trash icon in the same menu to delete videos you no longer need on your headset
– – — – –
Got any other video capture tips for Quest 2? Let us know below!
The post How to Record Videos on Quest 2 and Improve Capture Quality appeared first on Road to VR.
How to Watch the Super Bowl in VR With Friends for Free
Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s Super Bowl is set to be very different. If you have a VR headset though, you can still host that Super Bowl Sunday party with your buddies while staying safe at home. Here’s how you can watch the Super Bowl in VR for free with with your friends using the Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, and all SteamVR-compatible headsets.
There won’t be any 360 immersive video options to watch the game like in years past, however you can leverage VR to watch the normal TV broadcast of game in a huge virtual theater where you’re sitting right next to your VR headset-owning pals.
For this method to work you just need two things:
1. At least one PC user with access to a stream of the Super Bowl on their computer (CBS will stream the Super Bowl for free without any subscription at CBSSports.com).
2. A headset that supports the Bigscreen app (free).
Bigscreen is a cross-platform VR app that lets you and multiple friends get together in a virtual reality personal theater where you can stream your computer’s desktop screen onto a huge virtual screen that everyone can see.
Bigscreen is free and available on Steam (supporting Vive, Rift, and WMR), Oculus (supporting Rift, Quest), and WMR (supporting Windows VR headsets). Luckily, Bigscreen is also cross-play between all of these headsets, so even if your friends have different headsets you should have no problem watching together (note that Bigscreen unfortunately doesn’t support PSVR).
Once everyone who will join your social viewing of the Super Bowl in VR has downloaded the Bigscreen app on their headsets, the rest is pretty easy.
How to Watch the Super Bowl in VR With Friends using Bigscreen
Note: Thanks to its 100+ streaming channels, the app also provides public access to CBS Sports. however it’s a public room so it may not be best for party viewing. Until Bigscreen makes streaming TV available in private rooms, we’re suggesting the following tips for now:
1. Select someone in your group with access to the Super Bowl stream on their PC to be the host (it will be easiest if the host is also using a VR headset on their PC, but if no one in your group is using a PC VR headset, you can still stream your PC’s view into mobile headsets by following these instructions). Ideally your host will be whomever has the best bandwidth so that guests will see decent quality when streaming the Super Bowl in VR (easily check your bandwidth here).
2. Have the host launch the Bigscreen app and select the ‘Create a Room’ button under the ‘Browse Multiplayer Rooms’ tab (house icon). Give the room a name (select ‘Big Room’ if you plan to have more than four friends watching). Set the room to Private, unless you are open to strangers joining your viewing.
3. Once the room is created, click the ‘Invite Your Friends’ button and copy the Room ID and share with guests who will join the viewing (the Room ID looks like this: room-uqaebpj4). Guests will enter this Room ID into their Bigscreen apps to join your session once it has been created.
4. Now the host should put on their VR headset and use their floating desktop screen to pull up the Super Bowl stream on their computer. Once the stream is playing, open the Bigscreen interface and click ‘Display on the Big Screen’ (this will now show your monitor to everyone in the room).
5. Click the Desktop Audio button (speaker icon) to allow guests to hear the stream audio. (if you or your guests are hearing echoing audio, check this support page)
6. Kick back and enjoy watching the Super Bowl in VR with your friends in a multiplayer personal theater.
Tips for maximizing your social Super Bowl in VR viewing experience:
- Any stream will work: This method will work with any Super Bowl stream, whether it’s the official stream through CBS in a browser, or another stream through a TV provider’s PC app. As long as the host can get a video of the game to show on their monitor, you’ll be able to stream the video into Bigscreen for friends to see.
- Test ahead of time: It’ll take you a few minutes at least to find your way around Bigscreen. Don’t risk missing the kickoff, be sure to test ahead of time to iron out any issues.
- Move your screen: When you first get into Bigscreen, anyone on PC will have a small screen floating in front of them which is sometimes in the way. Using your controller you can point to the screen and drag it out of the way, or use the ‘Customize your screen’ tab (monitor icon) on the Bigscreen interface to make further adjustments.
- Pick the ideal viewing environment: Bigscreen offers a range of environments from a modern living room with a projector screen to a huge movie theater cinema. Use the ‘Choose an environment’ tab (world icon) to pick the one that suits you.
- Bandwidth = quality: The more people in the room, the more upload bandwidth the host will need to ensure guests are seeing good quality video in their headset. If guests are complaining that quality is low, the host can adjust the streaming quality to reduce bandwidth. In Bigscreen, use the Settings tab (gear icon) and Multiplayer menu turn down the ‘Video Stream Resolution’ option until guests are consistently seeing smooth video. As a last resort, consider changing the room environment to any of the environments with the green leaf icon, which reduces the performance demands on the host PC.
Update (February 2nd, 2021): Included all supported platforms and additional links for livestreams.
The post How to Watch the Super Bowl in VR With Friends for Free appeared first on Road to VR.
Latest Updates Enable Quest 2 to Run Oculus Link at 90Hz – Here’s How
Facebook promised that tethering Quest 2 to a PC via Oculus Link would eventually support the headset’s full 90Hz refresh rate. With the latest updates to Quest 2 and the Oculus PC app, this is now a reality.
Facebook started rolling out the Quest 2 v23 update last week with a bunch of improvements for the headset. Part of that update enables Quest 2 to run at 90Hz by default. In parallel, the company also updated the Oculus PC app to allow Oculus Link to run at 90Hz on the headset.
In order to use Oculus Link at 90Hz on Quest 2 you’ll need at least the v23 of the headset software and the desktop software (note that because these updates are just rolling out they may not be available to all users right away).
How to Update Quest 2
- In your headset, bring up the Quest menu by pressing the Oculus button on your right controller. Find the Settings section (gear icon).
- On the left of the Settings section select ‘About’ at the bottom of the list
- Look next to the ‘Software Update’ label to see if a new version is available
How to Update Oculus PC Software
- In the Oculus PC app, select ‘Settings’ on the left menu
- At the top of the Settings page, select ‘Beta’
- Enable the switch for ‘Public Test Channel’
- Go to the ‘Library’ page and click the ‘Updates’ tap to see if an ‘Oculus Software Update’ appears in the list (you may need to click the download arrow next to it to begin the update)
Once you’re running v23 of both the Quest 2 and Oculus PC software you’ll be able to configure your Oculus Link refresh rate between 72Hz, 80Hz, and 90Hz, as well as adjust the render resolution. 80Hz and 90Hz require a USB-3 cable and port on your PC.
To see all your options, connect Quest 2 to your PC, then go to the Oculus PC software. Access the ‘Devices’ menu on the left side, then select ‘Quest 2 and Touch’. From the panel that pops out on the right, scroll down to find ‘Graphics Preferences’ where you can change the refresh rate and render resolution of Oculus Link (original Quest users can’t change framerate but they can adjust Render Resolution).
Facebook warns that cranking the Oculus Link refresh rate up to 90Hz and pushing the Render Resolution slider too high may result in poor performance depending upon how powerful your PC hardware is. If you run into problems, try reducing Render Resolution or refresh rate until things are smooth.
– – — – –
We’re glad to see Oculus Link updated with 90Hz support for Quest 2, and Facebook is promising even more updates in the future, including more directly integrating your PC VR library into the Quest interface.
The post Latest Updates Enable Quest 2 to Run Oculus Link at 90Hz – Here’s How appeared first on Road to VR.
25 Free Games & Apps Quest 2 Owners Should Download First
Not ready to plonk down your first $100 on Quest 2 games? Thankfully there’s an impressive number of free games, experiences, apps, and social VR platforms to keep you playing before you’re paying.
Note: We didn’t include demos for paid games in the list, but you should definitely also check out these too for a quick taste of the full thing, such as Synth Riders, Journey of the Gods, Creed: Rise to Glory, Beat Saber, Superhot VR, Space Pirate Trainer, No More Rainbows, Pistol Whip, and Carve Snowboarding.
We have however included App Lab games. If you want to see more, SideQuest’s search function is a great resource for finding free stuff and demos. Below you’ll find some of the top App Lab games in addition to those hosted on the official store.
Free Games
Population: One
Population: One is basically VR’s most successful battle royale, letting you climb, fly, shoot, and team-up with whoever dares. Once paid, the free-to-play game does feature microtransactions, but only for cosmetics, which is nice. It’s still a paid on game on Steam though, which makes sense considering developers BixBox VR were acquired by Meta. There is more than just battle royale though: you can play in the sandbox for custom maps and rules, team deathmatch with customizable loadouts, a 12v12 war mode, and more.
- Developer: BixBox VR
- Store link
Blaston
Once a paid game, this room-scale shooter is now free-to-play, letting you take on friends, family and foes in head-to-head 1v1 dueling. Refine your loadout and jump into the action as you scramble for weapons and send a volley of hellfire at your enemies, all the while Matrix dodging through this innovative bullet hell meets futuristic dueling game. Spend money on cosmetics, or don’t: it’s a massive slice of fun any which way.
- Developer: Resolution Games
- Store link
Gun Raiders
There aren’t a ton of free-to-play shooters out there that promise multiplayer action, however Gun Raiders fits the bill with its multiple game modes that let you jetpack through the air, climbing from wall to wall, and shoot down the competition. There’s the same sort of microtransactions you see in bigger games, but it they’re all avatar skin stuff, so no pay-to-win here.
- Developer: Gun Raiders Entertainment Inc.
- Store link
Hyper Dash
Hyper Dash is a multiplayer shooter that basically fills in where Echo Combat never could (never mind that Echo Combat was never on Quest, and is now entirely defunct on Oculus PC). Letting you quick dash, sprint, and rail grind around, Hyper Dash manages to serve up an impressive number of modes, including Payload, Domination, Control Point, (Team) Deathmatch, Capture The Flag, and Elimination. You can also take on both Quest and SteamVR users thanks to the inclusion of cross-play.
- Developer: Triangle Factory
- Store link
Ultimechs
Ultimechs should look pretty familiar: it’s basically Rocket League, but instead of driving around in cars, you’re given rocket-powered fists to punch balls into the goal. Online multiplayer includes both 1v1 and 2v2 matches, offering up tons of opportunities to earn cosmetic gear that will let you outfit your battle mech into something unique. There are also now two paid battle passes too, offering up a ton of cosmetics to set you apart from the competition.
- Developer: Resolution Games
- Store link
Battle Talent
Battle Talent is one of those fighting sims that let you go ham on ragdoll baddies, which in this case are wily goblins and loads of skelingtons. This physics-based roguelite action game lets you climb, run and slide your way through levels as you slash, shoot, and wield magic against your foes.
- Developer: CrossLink
- Store link
Cards & Tankards
Cards & Tankards is a pretty addictive social collectible card game, letting you collect and battle friends with over 180 cards. With cross-play against SteamVR headsets (also free on PC), you may consider hosting your regular game night playing more than a few rounds in the game’s characteristic medieval fantasy tavern.
- Developer: Divergent Realities
- Store link
Pavlov Shack Beta
Ever wanted to play Counter-Strike on Quest? Pavlov Shack offers up a pretty comparable experience, as you play in either deathmatch or co-op mode. It’s got all of the realistic gunplay and much of the fun of the paid PC VR title, but it’s still going strong with a free open beta on Quest.
- Developer: Vankrupt Games
- Store link
Spatial Ops
Still in open beta, this 4v4 arena-scale shooter requires space and Quest 2 (or Quest Pro) owning buddies—both of which you may not have. Still, it makes for an incredible time that is basically the best version of laser tag you’ve ever played. You’ll need SideQuest to download this one since it disables Quest’s guardian system, but it’s well worth jumping through the hoops to get working if you have everything else.
- Developer: Resolution Games
- Store link
Gorilla Tag
This humble game of tag started out life on SideQuest and App Lab, offering up an infectious bit of gameplay that’s now available for free on the official Quest Store. You’ll be lumbering around a tree-lined arena using its unique grab-the-world locomotion style that lets you amble around like a great ape. Chase the other apes and infect them or climb for your life as the infected chase you. Pure and simple. Make sure you’re far from TVs, furniture, babies, and pets because you will punch something in the mad dash for sweet, low-poly freedom.
- Developer: Another Axiom
- Store link
PokerStars VR
No real cash gambling here, but PokerStars VR not only let you go all-in on games of Texas Hold’em, but now a full casino’s worth of table games a machines that are sure to light up the dopamine starved pleasure centers of your brain. It’s all free play, so you won’t be risking real cash unless you buy in-game chips, which cannot be turned back into real money: it’s only to keep your bankroll flush for free play.
- Developer: LuckyVR Inc
- Store link
Gym Class – Basketball
Gym Class – Basketball is the solution if you’re looking to shoot some hoops and dunk like you probably can’t on a physical court. Online multiplayer lets you go head-to-head for a pretty convincing game of b-ball thanks to the game’s physics-based and full-body kinematics.
- Developer: IRL Studios
- Store link
Ancient Dungeon Beta
This plucky roguelite dungeon crawler is still in beta (still!), but there’s a reason it’s become an App Lab favorite. Explore a vast dungeon to explore, housing plenty of baddies just asking for the steel of your sword, knives, and arrows. You’ll climb over deep pits, dodge lethal traps, and search for hidden treasures. Smash all the pots and crates you can before it officially launches on Quest sometime in the near future.
- Developer: ErThu
- Store link
Elixir
Would-be wizards, this is your time to shine. Explore a magical laboratory and take on the job of apprentice wizard. The lab is full of gadgets and magical stuff to mess around with; as one of the games that natively supports Quest’s hand tracking, you can put your controllers down and get experimenting with this little slice of the dark arts.
- Developer: Magnopus
- Store link
Bait!
Since the recent Fishin’ Buddies update, this classic VR title has gotten a whole new lease on life as a multiplayer VR fishing game that lets you sit back and crack a cold one with the boys as you reel in the big’uns. The additional social areas also let you sit back between your fishing adventures to take part in casual mini-games.
- Developer: Resolution Games
- Store link
Gods of Gravity
Gods of Gravity is an arcade-style RTS game where you compete in an epic showdown of between celestial gods (2-8 players). Scoop up ships and fling them to capture a nearby planet, or open wormholes to teleport them across the solar system. Hold planets and moons to boost your production. Mine asteroids for the powerful resources within. And if you dare, capture the sun for the ultimate buff. Then send a massive fleet to conquer your enemy’s home planet. Last god standing wins.
- Developer: Trass Games
- Store link
Social VR Platforms
Rec Room
Without a doubt one of the most fun, and most expansive VR titles out there… and it’s free. Sure, you can pay real cash for in-game tokens to buy spiffy clothes for your avatar, but that’s really up to you. Gads of mini-games await you in both first-party creations such as the ever so popular co-op Quests—that could be games in their own right—to user-created stuff that will keep your pocket book gathering dust. It’s social VR, so meet people and have a ball for zero dollarydoos. Fair warning: there’s a ton of kids.
- Developer: Rec Room
- Store link
VRChat
If you’ve been anywhere near the Internet in the last few years, it’s likely you’ve already heard about VRChat, the user-generated social VR space filled with… well… everything you can imagine, re-pro games included like Among Us, Mario Kart, and even a version of Beat Saber. Fashion your own avatar or download the millions of user-generated avatars out there so you can embody SpongeBob, Kirito from Sword Art Online, or any one of the million anime girl avatars that you’re bound to see there.
- Developer: VRChat
- Store link
Horizon Worlds
Horizon Worlds is still taking baby steps, although recent efforts have brought more tools and user-generated content to the platform which has rounded out things to make it more competitive with Rec Room and VRChat. You may want to check in just to see the state of Meta’s first-party VR social platform—and then check right out again—but at the price of ‘free’, you may just find an environment or community you really gel with, which is the whole reason behind social VR in the first place.
- Developer: Meta
- Store link
Continue on Page 2: Free Experiences & Apps»
20 Great VR Games for Relaxation & Meditation
In times like these it’s nice to be able to get away from it all, if only for a brief moment. If you have a VR headset you’re one of the lucky people who can enter other realities from the confines of your living room, so why not use it for your wellbeing? Here we’ve gathered VR games and experiences focused on relaxation and meditation. We’ll be covering apps on Quest 2, Oculus PC, SteamVR, and PSVR, so there’s something for everyone (including a couple that are free!).
Below you’ll find that we split up 20 VR meditation and relaxation experiences into several categories: Nature Relaxation, Musical Relaxation, Creation & Puzzling, Musical Creation, Meditation, Reflection, Mindfulness, and Exploration.
We’ve refreshed our list with the latest info. Here’s a quick summary of changes since the last update:
- Added Squingle (Creation & Puzzling section)
- Added Puzzling Places (Creation & Puzzling section)
- Tetris Effect now on SteamVR
- Tetris Effect now has cross-platform multiplayer
- Gadgeteer now on PSVR
- Guided Meditation VR now available on Quest
- Drops: Rhythm Garden no longer available on Oculus PC
- Where Thoughts Go no longer available on Oculus PC
- Marvellous Machine no longer available on Oculus PC
- Updated prices
Nature Relaxation
theBlu (Oculus PC, SteamVR) – $6
TheBlu takes you underwater to get up close and personal with some beautiful aquatic scenes and creates. Many will know the iconic whale encounter in this app as a favorite first-time demo for new VR users, but the full version has two additional scenes that go beyond the original, including extra features like the ability to take pictures. The app also has a dedicated ‘Ambient Mode’ that will simply let you sit, uninterrupted, in the deep blue.
Real VR Fishing (Quest, Oculus PC) – $20
You can probably guess what this one is about… but you might not expect that the app has some rather beautiful environments, even on the Quest version. So yes, you’ll be fishing and you can take it as fast or as slow as you’d like. Consider putting on some music or even a podcast while you relax and wait for the big one. Real VR Fishing also supports multiplayer so you can fish with friends (unfortunately multiplayer is not cross-platform between Quest and Oculus PC versions).
Google Earth VR (Oculus PC, SteamVR) – Free
Google Earth VR is exactly what it sounds like… its Google Earth, but in VR. Beyond being able to explore essentially the entire globe as if you were a giant towering over it, the app can also be a wonderful way to relax. Find yourself a pretty place (there’s some great ones in the ‘Featured’ section inside the app), bring yourself down to ground level, and simply sit as a giant and take in the scene around you. You can even set the mood by adjusting the time of day. It can also be magical to just ‘wander’ starting from a familiar place and see where you wind up. Considering both the quality of the experience and the fact that its free, this one is an absolute must-try.
Musical Relaxation
Tetris Effect (Quest, Oculus PC*, SteamVR, PSVR) – $30, $40
Tetris Effect is classic Tetris gameplay wrapped in an audio-visual experience which uniquely accompanies each of the game’s levels. As you maneuver the blocks you’ll hear sounds that fit into the beat. Don’t lose yourself too much in the sights and sounds though as some of the levels will take skill and practice to complete, even on ‘Normal’ difficulty. A post-launch update to the game has brought cross-platform multiplayer to Tetris Effect so you can vibe with friends no matter if they’re playing in VR or on a flat screen.
*via Epic Games Store
Sheaf – Together EP (SteamVR) – Free
Ever wish you could cruise down an endless highway, watching as the trees, buildings, and city streets pass you by while a synthwave soundtrack perfectly fits the vibe? Artist and musician Sheaf has created just that—a short VR experience which is hand-crafted to fit a three track synthwave album. For the great price of free, this one is a no-brainer.
Creation & Puzzling
Squingle (Quest, SteamVR) – $15 (free demo*)
Squingle is one of those games that you can look at and still not entirely understand what you’re actually seeing. But once you get your hands on the game all becomes clear: it’s a clever, trippy, and fun puzzle game that plays to VR’s spatial strengths. To put it simply, the goal of Squingle is to guide a pair of spinning balls through a pipe. Sounds easy enough, right? Well like any good puzzle game, Squingle starts simply enough but introduces more difficult concepts as you go—like a button that reverses the spin of the balls or one that changes the axis of the spin. And the pipe? It’s actually a bit more like a cosmic bowel that undulates with twists, turns, and parallel tunnels.
*Free Squingle demo: Quest, SteamVR
Puzzling Places (Quest, PSVR) – $15
This is one truly for the jigsaw puzzlers. Puzzling Places is a series of 3D puzzles made out of 3D scans of real-life places. Going from flat jigsaw puzzles to 3D puzzles will stretch your brain in satisfying new ways as you use all your 2D jigsaw strategies (like sorting by color, edges, and the like) while leaning into your spatial reasoning sense to find the right connections between pieces. Even more satisfying—when you’re done you have a tiny 3D diomara to explore!
Particulate (Oculus PC, SteamVR) – $10
Particulate uses a custom engine to render millions of particles and let you play with them. You’ll have a handful of tools at your disposal to spawn and interact with a galaxy of particles, including the ability to turn on ‘Audio Reactivity’ which will make them dance to any music you play. You can make and save your own scenes or check out ‘Featured Scenes’ to just sit back, relax, and watch the colorful mingling.
Gadgeteer (Quest, Oculus PC, SteamVR, PSVR) – $15
Have you ever wished you had a whole room and a box full of tracks, balls, and dominos to build the ultimate Rube Goldberg machine? You’re in luck. Gadgeteer will let you finally imagine your childhood dream of filling an entire room with a crazy chain-reaction-machine without the cat knocking everything over. Beyond being able to build whatever you want in ‘Sandbox Mode’, Gadgeteer is a full fledged puzzle game with 60 puzzles to complete and a pleasant soundtrack to boot.
Cubism (Quest, Oculus PC, SteamVR) – $10
Cubism is a casual VR puzzle that plays a bit like a 3D version of Tetris. Its sleek, casual design makes it great for relaxing seated play. But fear not, while the puzzle concept is simple, Cubism will have you scratching your head in short order as difficulty increases across 60 stages. The bright, void-like environment makes it easy to forget about the woes of the real world as you focus on finding the right fit for the pieces before you to the backdrop of a beautiful piano soundtrack. Thanks to hand-tracking support, you can even play without needing to pick up your controllers.
Vrkshop (SteamVR) – $20
Vrkshop describes itself as a “VR woodworking game” and aims to recreate a hands-on woodshop where you can measure, mark, cut, nail, and much more. With a realistic wood-cutting system, the app challenges you to use the tools at your disposal to create furniture and other objects with no explicit instructions.
Color Space (Quest, Oculus PC) – $10
Color Space is a virtual reality coloring book where you get to bring life to a full 3D scene rather than just a flat page. Step into one of 26 environments and start adding color as you see fit. As you color the scene, it will start to come alive with animated elements and ambient sounds.
Musical Creation
Electronauts (Quest, Oculus PC, SteamVR, PSVR) – $20
Electronauts is like a VR DJ station with training wheels. Though you can take the training wheels off if you’re especially talented, the training wheels are actually part of the appeal; Electronauts does an incredible job of letting you express your inner musical creativity even if you don’t have instrumental talent. The game serves up some 80 tracks, each which function as a custom sound-kit with unique instruments, backing tracks, and more. And as a huge bonus, the Oculus PC and SteamVR versions of the game are multiplayer, meaning you can jam out with a friend (unfortunately the Oculus PC and SteamVR versions aren’t cross-platform multiplayer so make sure your friend buys on the same platform). The track list is heavy on the EDM side (though there are some chill songs to be found) so if that’s not your cup of tea you might want to look elsewhere.
Drops: Rhythm Garden (SteamVR) – $7
Drops is a musically focused experience where shapes that you place make different sounds when struck with falling balls. With an endless flow of balls, you can construct a cacophony of sounds on the fly, adding new shapes and creating new paths as you go. Think of it like a Rube Goldberg machine, but for making minimal, meditative music.
Continue on Page 2: Meditation, Reflection, Mindfulness, and Exploration »
The post 20 Great VR Games for Relaxation & Meditation appeared first on Road to VR.