CES 2019: A Recap of the Latest VR & AR Tech

Last week was CES 2019 – as if you didn’t know already – the biggest technology event in the world, held in Las Vegas every year. It’s a week where companies from around the globe showcase their latest wares, from early prototypes to products that’ll be available over the course of the next year. VRFocus was there to check out the very latest in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) gadgets and gizmo’s, so here’s a little round up of what was on display.

For those who say VR is a dead gimmick then they’ve obviously not been to CES and its dedicated VR & Gaming area in the South Hall. The place was packed with interesting innovations, from new headsets, to tracking solutions and much much more. There was also the Sands Convention, playing host to even more booths, with the Eureka Park area, in particular, a bewildering array of small booths showcasing a myriad of different ideas, like being in the beating heart of the tech industry.

It was in these hallowed halls that VRFocus came across companies like Ximmerse and its AR headset, or better known Pimax with its 5K Plus and 8K head-mounted displays (HMDs). FinchShift was proudly demoing its new wireless 6DoF controllers, and Qualcomm had its prototype headset on display. AntiLatency is a company working on positional tracking that can be attached to a range of devices, while 3dRudder was at the show to demo its new foot controller for PlayStation VR.

On the AstroReality booth the company displayed its new AR education tech for learning about the solar system, then we had a play with Orqa’s upcoming FPV.One headset designed for drones. Away from the show VRFocus went hands-on with The VOID and Ralph Breaks VR and saw the Hurricane 360 VR ride. Pico was on hand with is new enterprise-focused G2 4K standalone headset, and Blueprint Reality displayed its latest MR video making software MixCast Moments.

Ralph Breaks VR
Image Credit: ILMxLAB

There’s even more than that so check out the video below for VRFocus’ recap. We will be bringing more in-depth write-ups of the tech on display, so check back every day for more exciting VR and AR news.

Create Better Mixed Reality VR Videos With MixCast Moments

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.

CES 2019: MixCast Moments Is Mixed Reality Filming Without The Editing

Mixcast Moments mixed reality intel

Want to make an idiot out of yourself in VR and then humiliate yourself even further online? There’s an app for that.

Blueprint Reality today introduced MixCast Moments, an automated process for capturing your time in VR. MixCast 2.0 already lets you make your own mixed reality videos in your home and at arcades but with MixCast Moments there’s no video editing required.

Initially designed for use in VR arcades, MixCast Moments uses Intel RealSense cameras fitted to booths to bring your actual body into footage of VR games. You can see an example of a video shot using the system below. It features the vertigo-inducing Richie’s Plank Experience. Obviously, it’s a promotional video but it looks pretty promising.

The company says that this process won’t need any editing on the user’s part. MixCast transitions between the player view and a view of the player themselves. It’s a little like getting a picture of yourself after you’ve been on a rollercoaster.

Once you have your clip you can share it to the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Mixed reality capture (not be confused with Microsoft’s ‘mixed reality’ headsets) has become a popular way of conveying the power of a VR experience without asking people to put on a headset.

If you’re at CES then you can try MixCast for yourself at Intel’s booth. Otherwise it’ll be rolling out to arcades a little later on in the year. We’ve asked Blueprint if it has any plans for a rollout to home-based headsets too. The company said this feature would be coming in 2019.

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