VR Download: Facebook Cancels Mind Reading, Can Steam Deck Do VR?

We’re going to get into a big week of VR-adjacent news on our live show today as we digest the likeliest implications for visiting simulated worlds.

At noon Pacific we’ll be driving through the news that Valve announced its “open” Linux-based handheld PC, aka Steam Deck, Facebook cancelled a head-mounted brain-reading research effort, and there might be a larger-storage entry model for Oculus Quest 2 coming in the near future. It is sure to be a lively discussion as both Valve and Facebook have expressed considerable interest in more direct brain-computer interfaces than we have today, but the exact approach these companies pursue, how far away it is from actual consumers and how directly these systems will integrate with VR and AR headgear remains unclear.

And while Valve made clear that its Steam Deck handheld PC is technically capable of VR, its performance isn’t tuned for that use case. Still, some people are going to dive right in and start experimenting with VR nonetheless on Steam Deck and its existence might offer a playground for experimentation with things that Facebook’s Oculus Quest simply doesn’t allow.

We’ll be discussing all this and more on today’s show produced live in VR in our custom-built studio using hand tracking, Oculus Avatars, and standalone VR headsets. You can tune in live and we’ll be able to see YouTube comments and incorporate them into our discussion, or subscribe to our VR Download podcast on the platform of your choice and listen to it after the recording session.

Watch at the YouTube link embedded below:

VR Download: Facebook’s Confidence Grows As HTC Teases Next Steps

Our live discussion from VR this week utilizes Facebook’s latest high frequency hand tracking technology as we get into the latest industry-wide trends.

This week we’re going to talk about Facebook’s growing confidence in VR as the company sees sustained sales for Oculus Quest 2 after its 2020 holiday season debut. Even on Valve’s Steam, 60 percent of the headsets in use are now Facebook’s. We’ll also be running the latest 60 Hz hand tracking mode in our virtual studio and seeing if it has any impact on ability to interact with one another in virtual reality over the Internet.

We’ll be talking about HTC’s latest teases too as the company previews a new VR headset ahead of its ViveCon event. HTC even went so far as to suggest it is planning to reveal multiple VR headsets. We’ll be broadcasting at 1 pm Pacific time on May 3, 2021.

For those unfamiliar, the VR Download is our twice-weekly show streamed live to YouTube from our broadcasting studio in virtual reality. Some of our staffers have never met one another in the real world but VR allows us to sit together and interact in real-time. Our custom-built studio is made by David Heaney using Unity and C# and we currently use the Oculus Avatars SDK for our avatars, though we don’t yet have access to the latest Oculus avatars since the newest SDK hasn’t been released. We can see live comments on our YouTube channel and incorporate those into our discussion. Every episode is also made available on all major podcast platforms within 24 hours of airing.

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Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond Multiplayer Livestream

For today’s livestream we’re playing Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond specifically the multiplayer mode online wirelessly with Oculus Quest 2 via Virtual Desktop! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


Today, we’re playing Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, the latest entry in the long-running iconic series. This is a return to roots for Medal of Honor as it goes back to World War II for the setting with a 10+ hour long campaign, full multiplayer offering, survival mode, and intricate gallery of historical footage. For this stream, we’ll specifically be playing the online multiplayer modes.

We’re going live with our Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond multiplayer livestream at about 2:00 PM PT today and will last for around an hour or so, give or take. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and we’ll be streaming from an Oculus Quest 2 wirelessly while playing inside Virtual Desktop. I’ll do my best to try and check chat every now and then to stay up to date.

 

[Livestream] Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond Multiplayer Live Gameplay @2PM PT on 12/11

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely. Let’s get ready to go!

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge Livestream – Launch First Impressions

For today’s livestream we’re playing Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge in VR using an Oculus Quest 2 natively! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


Today, we’re playing the brand new Star Wars VR game, Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge. It just launched today exclusively for the Oculus Quest platform and we’ll be showing it off on the Quest 2. This will be our LIVE unscripted first impressions of the latest VR game from ILMxLAB.

We’re going live with our Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge livestream at about 12:15 PM PT today and will last for around an hour or so, give or take. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and we’ll be streaming from an Oculus Quest 2 while we try and check chat every now and then to stay up to date with Ian helping on Discord with chat.

 

Livestream: Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge On Quest 2

Check out the stream here or embedded down below:

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely. Let’s get ready to go!

LIVESTREAM: Playing And Ranking Every Zombie Game On Oculus Quest 2

For today’s livestream we’re playing a bunch of PC VR games on the Oculus Quest 2, showing off what’s possible with Virtual Desktop and SideQuest! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


This week Facebook released Oculus Quest 2! You can order one right now for yourself and experience what we’ve called “the new king of VR” as long as you don’t mind the integrated Facebook account requirement.

We’re going live with a new Quest 2 gameplay livestream today specifically focused on showing off some of the spooky and intense VR zombie games on offer, which includes The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, Arizona Sunshine, Drop Dead, and Death Horizon.

Our Oculus Quest 2 gameplay livestream is planned to start at about 12:45 PM PT today and will last for around an hour or two, give or take. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and we’ll be streaming from an Oculus Quest 2 via Chomecast and with colleagues in Discord chat to help with questions.

 

Livestream: Oculus Quest 2 Zombie Games Ranked

Check out the stream here or embedded down below:

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely. Let’s get ready to go!

Star Wars: Squadrons VR Multiplayer Gameplay Livestream With Flight Stick

For today’s livestream we’re playing multiplayer in Star Wars: Squadrons, a AAA immersive space combat game from EA Motive! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


In case you missed it yesterday, our review-in-progress published for Star Wars: Squadrons, including impressions on the story mode, gameplay, and VR support. We’ll update it with a finalized score once we finish the story and spend time with the multiplayer modes this weekend. Speaking of, now that the game’s out, we can dive in for some multiplayer right now! We may be joined by some other Upload staff on the stream as well.

Our Star Wars: Squadrons livestream is planned to start at about 10:30 AM PT today and will last for around an hour or two so, give or take. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and I’ll be streaming from an Oculus Quest via Link using a T.16000M flight stick. I’m flying mostly solo on this one and will pin chat inside my cockpit to keep an eye on things.

 

Star Wars: Squadrons VR Multiplayer Livestream

Check out the Star Wars: Squadrons stream embedded right here and down below once live:

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely. Let’s get ready to go!

Star Wars: Squadrons VR Pre-Launch Gameplay Livestream With Flight Stick

For today’s livestream we’re playing Star Wars: Squadrons, a AAA immersive space combat game from EA Motive! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


In case you missed it earlier this morning, our review-in-progress published for Star Wars: Squadrons, including impressions on the story mode, gameplay, and VR support. We’ll update it with a finalized score once we finish the story and spend time with the multiplayer modes this weekend. Let’s just say I kind of love it so far.

Our Star Wars: Squadrons livestream is planned to start at about 10:45 AM PT today and will last for around an hour or two so, give or take. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and I’ll be streaming from an Oculus Quest via Link using a T.16000M flight stick. I’m flying solo on this one and will pin chat inside my cockpit to keep an eye on things.

 

Star Wars: Squadrons VR Livestream

Check out the Star Wars: Squadrons stream embedded right here and down below once live:

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely. Let’s get ready to go!

Solaris: Offworld Combat VR Shooter Quest Gameplay Livestream

For today’s livestream we’re playing Solaris: Offworld Combat, the latest  VR shooter from the creators of Firewall Zero Hour! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


Yesterday the next VR shooter from First Contact Entertainment released, Solaris: Offworld Combat. It’s a sci-fi take on the arena shooter genre with fast-paced gameplay reminiscent of classics such as Quake and Unreal Tournament.

You can read more about the game and my first impressions right here.

Our Solaris livestream is planned to start at about 1:15 PM PT today and will last for around an hour or so, give or take. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and I’ll be streaming from an Oculus Quest with two Touch controllers using a Chromecast connection. I’m flying solo on this one and will only be able to see chat periodically when I peak through my headset nose gap.

Check out the Solaris stream embedded right here and down below once live:

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely. Let’s get ready to go!

Virtua Sonic Fan-Game Livestream: Gotta Go Fast In VR!

For today’s livestream we’re playing Virtua Sonic, a fan-made Sonic VR game for PC headsets! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


Sometimes you just gotta go fast. Sonic knows that and that makes Sonic a pretty cool dude. Now, with the power of virtual reality and the sheer will and dedication of fan modders that sacrifice hours of work just so others can have fun, I too can go fast by playing Virtua Sonic VR!

You can read more about the fan-game right here in our original Virtua Sonic coverage from back in June and download it for yourself, for free, right here if you have a capable gaming PC and PC VR headset.

Our Virtua Sonic livestream is planned to start at about 12:00 PM PT today and will last for around an hour or so, give or take. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and I’ll be streaming from an Oculus Rift S with two touch controllers. I’m flying solo on this one, pinning chat behind me to check periodically.

Check out the Virtua Sonic VR stream embedded right here and down below once live:

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely. Let’s get ready to go!

Project CARS 3 VR Livestream: Racing Wheel Gameplay

For today’s livestream we’re playing Project CARS 3 in VR using a racing wheel and pedal set! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


Project CARS 3 released this month with full VR support on PC and if you’re curious what we thought, you can read our review already. Overall, it’s not a bad game, but is definitely stripped down in comparison to its predecessor. The benefit to that is that it’s now a more accessible and easy to get into game, which means I can actually complete races reliably without resorting to the absolute beginner difficulty settings.

Our Project CARS 3 livestream is planned to start at about 3:15 PM PT today and will last for around an hour or so, give or take, depending partially on how long my small toddler child decides to behave. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and I’ll be streaming from an Oculus Rift S with a Thrustmaster T300RS GT racing wheel. I’m flying solo on this one so I’ll pin chat behind me to check periodically.

Check out the Project CARS 3 VR livestream embedded right here or down below once live:

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely. Let’s get ready to go!