Category: Mobile VR Games

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‘Moss’ is Coming to Oculus Quest at Launch

There isn’t a list of launch titles for Oculus Quest yet, the company’s newly announced $400 high-end standalone VR headset. Polyarc, the minds behind Moss (2017), say that the super endearing platformer adventure is indeed going to be among the 50+ launch titles coming to Quest on day one.

Already available on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows VR, Moss will be cramming itself into mobile VR hardware for the first time—no small feat that will hopefully retain the incredible graphics that we came to love on higher-resolution headsets such as Rift and Vive. After all, Quest is said to feature a 1,600 × 1,440 per eye OLED, which is not only the same resolution of HTC Vive Pro, but we think it actually looks pretty great on Quest.

A particularly important piece of the puzzle is undoubtedly Oculus Quest’s ‘Touch’ controllers, which just like with Rift will allow you to physically interact with the little pint-sized hero Quill and move the puzzle-like platforms to help her along the way to save her missing uncle.

Oculus Quest is said to launch sometime in Spring 2019, so the team still has some time to tighten down on those textures, reduce polygons, and stuff the wide, beautiful world of Moss to fit Quest’s on-board Snapdragon 835 chipset.

Check out our spoiler-free review of Moss here for more information.

While the list of Quest launch titles is still pretty uncertain—Oculus says Rift titles Robo Recall, The Climb, and Dead and Buried are all coming to the headset—it’s not clear if these are launch titles or not. Either way you slice it, some of the best Rift titles making it to Quest will certainly makes it easy for newcomers looking for solid content on the Rift-like mobile headset.

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Zen-like Adventure ‘Arca’s Path’ to Launch December 4th on All Major VR Platforms

Arca’s Path is a controller-free VR adventure that takes you into a mysterious world, and tasks you with solving puzzles by leading a ball through obstacles using your gaze. The game, produced by Rebellion and developed by Dream Reality Interactive, is slated to launch on December 4th on all major VR platforms.

Arca’s Path follows the story of a young girl who finds a VR video game in a trash heap. While the gameplay itself is based entirely around leading the ball with the game’s gaze-based mechanic, there’s also some story here as well, told through manga-style stills that are dispensed as you make your way through the crumbling road ahead.

The game, launching globally on December 4th, is supporting a wide array of VR platforms including PSVR, HTC Vive, HTC Vive Focus, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Gear VR, and Windows VR headsets.

Rebellion is best known in the VR industry for its adaptation of Battlezone (2016), among numerous other PC and console titles including the Sniper Elite series and Rogue Trooper Redux (2018).

Developers Dream Reality Interactive previously worked on VR experience Hold the World (2017) starring iconic broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, and Orbu, an AR game for iOS using Apple’s ARKit. Dream Reality Interactive’s core team previously worked at Sony’s London Studio, with titles such as PlayStation VR Worlds and AR games for Wonderbook.

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‘Firefox Reality’, Mozilla’s VR Web Browser, Launches on Major Standalone Headsets

Mozilla today launched its made-for-VR web browser, Firefox Reality. The company says the browser is “designed from the ground up” for standalone VR headsets, and today it becomes available for the Oculus Go, Lenovo Mirage Solo, and Vive Focus (and other Vive Wave headsets).

Mozilla has been an early supporter of VR. As a key collaborator on WebVR—which makes it possible to run VR experiences from the web across many devices—the company continues to focus considerable effort into making VR a first-class citizen on the internet. As such, their new Firefox Reality browser is built with WebVR in mind, supporting both basic 2D browsing and immersive VR experiences accessible through the web.

In addition to having a home screen which highlights fresh WebVR content, the company has made VR considerations for basic browsing tasks, including voice-search and a private browsing mode. Mozilla says that the browser is based on the Quantum engine for mobile, the same engine that powers their speedy Firefox Quantum browser on desktop.

Image courtesy Mozilla

For developers interested in building WebVR content, Mozilla recently published a Firefox Reality Developers Guide. The company also suggests that developers reach out to the company to get their content highlighted through the browser.

While Mozilla is calling this the 1.0 launch of Firefox Reality, some key features are still missing—like bookmarks and support for 360 videos (an essential function to pair with the private browsing mode)—though the company says those functions will be coming soon, along with more “at a steady pace.”

“We are in this for the long haul. This is version 1.0 of Firefox Reality and version 1.1 is right around the corner. We have an always-growing list of ideas and features that we are working to add to make this the best browser for mixed reality. We will also be listening and react quickly when we need to provide bug fixes and other minor updates,” said Sean White, Mozilla’s Chief R&D Officer, as part of the launch announcement.

Image courtesy Mozilla

Firefox Reality is available as of today on standalone VR headsets including Oculus Go, Lenovo Mirage Solo, and Vive Focus (and other standalone headsets based on the Vive Wave platform). The browser is not currently supported on smartphone shell headsets like Oculus Go or Daydream View.

While the dedicated Firefox Reality browser isn’t available for PC headsets, the latest  Firefox desktop browser supports WebVR content via the Rift, Vive, and Windows VR headsets.

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Oculus Connect VR Livestream Coming to Gear VR and Go, But Rifters Get Left Out

Oculus today announced it will offer an immersive livestream during the company’s annual Oculus Connect developer conference, including coverage of the opening keynote and several VR esports championships hosted during the event. Owners of the Oculus Go or Gear VR headsets can join the immersive livestream via the Oculus Venues app which is unfortunately not available to the company’s desktop-based users who own the Oculus Rift.

Continuing a trend of an awkwardly incohesive product ecosystem which does little to allow users of its mobile and desktop headsets to engage with one another, Oculus today announced a schedule of immersive livestreams that will offer some sense of virtual attendance to Oculus Connect. Through the Oculus Venues app, which is only available on Gear VR and Go, users will be able to tune in to the following events:

  • September 26th
    • 10AM PT: Oculus Connect 5 keynote
    • 12AM–5PM PT: Esports coverage begins
    • 6PM–10PM PT: Onward Grand Finals
  • September 27th
    • 10AM PT: Oculus CTO John Carmack Unscripted Keynote
    • 12PM–4PM PT: Echo Arena Grand Finals

Oculus has partnered with immersive content company Supersphere to produce the VR livestreams for Oculus Connect. Through Oculus Venues users will have a social viewing experience where they can see and talk to other users watching the broadcast simultaneously.

A screenshot from an Oculus Venues broadcast shows many users watching an event together. | Image courtesy Oculus

“For the keynotes, we’ll focus on switching live 180° cameras on the speakers, along with graphics integration. The esports tournaments will blend live cameras and multiple gaming inputs. We’ll also debut brand-new technology that creates immersive outputs from the game engines themselves, for a true 180°/360° observer view of the gameplay,” said Lucas Wilson, Supersphere’s Founder & Executive Producer. “This is the first time that viewers will be inside this rich, more immersive look at gameplay. We worked closely with the talented teams at Facebook, Oculus, and ESL to build a complete set of immersive environments that fans will love.”

From Wilson’s description, it sounds like this will be the most advanced and produced livestream to come from Oculus Connect yet. The ability to get streaming views from inside the games themselves sounds very interesting, but the irony can’t be escaped that—despite that it’s Rift games being broadcast—Rift users won’t be able to see these immersive views for themselves as Oculus Venues is not available on the Rift.

SEE ALSO
Oculus Confirms Four VR eSports Tournament Finals Coming to Oculus Connect 5

Oculus instead suggests that Rift users consider jumping inside Oculus Home where they could virtually visit with other Rift users (but not friends using Go or Gear VR) while watching the standard 2D livestream from the event. A half-hearted consolation for what is arguably the company’s most engaged userbase.

Oculus Connect 5 will be held next week in San Jose, CA on September 26th & 27th at the McEnery Convention Center.

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‘Guided Meditation VR’ Makes Great Use of Carmack’s 5K Playback Tech on Oculus Go

Earlier this year Oculus CTO John Carmack revealed a new video playback technique designed to bring high-resolution video to mobile headsets like Oculus Go. Oculus released a sample of the system and developer Cubicle Ninjas saw a perfect opportunity to adapt the code to their Guided Meditation VR app, resulting in a vastly improved visual experience.

While Guided Meditation VR is rendered in real-time on tethered headsets which are backed by a PC with plenty of processing power, the mobile Oculus Go version of the app, relies on 360 video captures of the virtual environments instead. The monoscopic 360 footage is a far cry from the crisp real-time 3D renderings found on the PC version, making it more difficult to get lost in the app’s otherwise often beautiful environments.

But then along came a new method for playing back 360 video content on Oculus Go. Developed by Oculus CTO John Carmack, with the goal of delivering top quality playback, the technique involves rendering individual strips of high resolution footage depending upon where the user is looking. Doing so allows the more of the device’s video decoding power to be put to work where it matters most (where the user is looking) rather than spreading evenly everywhere.

SEE ALSO
Carmack Details New 5K Mobile VR Playback Tech, Releases Sample for Developers

The technique happened to be very well suited to the static viewpoints of Guided Meditation VR, and the developers went to work adapting Carmack’s sample code to the app.

The result is a major leap in visual fidelity for serene scenes in Guided Meditation VR, which are being slowly updated for the new format. Not only does the new approach bring 3D to the table (which is already a big step forward for immersion over monoscopic video) but the scenes now look nearly as if they’re being rendered in real-time, except with graphics which Oculus Go could never hope to deliver with its limited processing power.

Having built a full Unity integration for the playback system, Cubicle Ninjas claims they’re the first to deploy Carmack’s VR playback tech outside of the re-release of Oculus’ Henry on mobile headsets which was first used to demonstrate the new technique. They’ve also built some extra functionality on top, like the ability to add 3D objects rendered in real-time into the scene, which they use to layer in near-field effects like falling leaves and floating dust.

The move to this new playback tech is a clear net positive for Guided Meditation VR, but it isn’t without some drawbacks. You can sometimes see the higher quality video strips pop into place as you turn your head, but it’s not too bothersome and doesn’t overtly harm the experience. Another downside, which is a necessary conceit based on how the playback system is designed, is that the quality at the top and bottom poles of the scene is clearly lower resolution than the rest. That’s fine when most of what you’re interested in looking at is near the horizon, but in scenes where you’re close to tall trees (which naturally draw your eyes up to the canopy) or interesting things like rocks and grass at your feet, it becomes apparent. Smartly chosen scene compositions will make best use of the new playback method.

Right now the app offers just eight scenes in the special 5K format (out of a library of 100 or so), though the studio says each week they’ll be adding more and update existing scenes with the extra quality. The 5K content is only available on the Oculus Go version of the app; the Gear VR version will see the same quality as before the 5K update.

In addition to letting you immerse yourself in scenic vistas, the app includes hours of guided meditation voiceovers to instruct your relaxation; the studio has confirm to Road to VR that a new series of meditations on Mindfulness will soon debut in the app.

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Pulse Pounding Rhythm Game ‘Thumper’ Now on Oculus Go

Thumper (2016), a totally unique rhythm game and verifiable indie gem, has launched on Oculus Go. As far as mobile VR is concerned, Thumper is a pretty big deal to see ported to the headset, and will likely set the stage of more ports to come as the launch of Santa Cruz, Oculus’ high-end mobile VR headset, draws nearer.

Update (September 6th, 2018): Thumper is now available on Oculus Go. It’s the complete game, and uses a combination of the Go controller’s trigger and trackpad for input. You’ll want to use external headphones to experience the game at its most immersive, as Go’s built in audio can’t quite capture the game’s rich soundscape.

Original Article (September 5th, 2018): Thumper launched back in October 2016 on both PS4 and PC, but its VR version was exclusive to PSVR at the time. A few months later, the VR version also came to the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift on PC.

And now the unique ‘rhythm violence’ game is getting ported to Oculus Go, according to a tweet from the game’s developer, due to launch tomorrow, September 6th, priced at $10. Developer Drool tells Road to VR that it currently has no plans for bring the game to Gear VR.

The game’s PC & console trailer gives a taste of the action:

Rather than a score-fest like most rhythm games, Thumper is, at its most basic, about survival—you’ll need steady timing and quick reactions to stay alive as you screech around sharp turns and battle mini-bosses. Although Thumper plays identically in VR as it does on flat screens, its superb visual and audio design are underscored by VR’s immersiveness, making it easy to achieve deep focus and a satisfying flow state as you race down the track. We gave the game an 8.5 out of 10 in our review on PSVR:

‘Thumper’ Review – Summary

Thumper is a fun and visually aggressive, face paced rhythm survival game. As a space scarab you’ll enjoy banking and weaving your way through hours of increasingly intense levels. It doesn’t make use of any mechanics that are unique to VR and plays identically on the screen as it does on the headset, however the novelty of being in VR enables a more focused experience and heightens the game’s purposeful intensity.

Gameplay: 9/10 | Immersion: 7/10 | Comfort: 7.5/10

It isn’t clear at this time whether or not the game will appear on Gear VR as well, nor do we know how much visual fidelity will need to be sacrificed to make the game run well on the Oculus Go’s mobile processor, but assuming the developers manage to achieve the headset’s usual 60Hz framerate, it should at least be a smooth ride.

Another question up in the air is exactly how the controls will work. On PSVR, the game is played with a gamepad using sticks and buttons; Oculus Go’s controller lacks a thumbstick but has a trigger, trackpad, and some motion input capabilities, so controls will need to be reworked—hopefully in a way that doesn’t diminish any amount of precision from the original.

Though its received heaps of praise, Thumper isn’t a huge name as far as the traditional gaming world is concerned, but mobile VR ecosystems are not exactly filled with recognizable gaming IP, and so it feels significant that a respected PC VR title is getting a port to Oculus Go. It could be a sign of things to come, especially as Oculus’ high-end VR headset, Santa Cruz, is expected to launch early next year, and is likely to encourage even more ports from PC VR to the mobile VR space.

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Google Launches Chrome for Daydream Headsets, Yes it Has Incognito Mode

Today Google has launched an update for Chrome, bringing support for Daydream headsets including the View and the Lenovo Mirage Solo.

Google today announced that Chrome for Android is getting an update that brings proper VR support to Daydream headsets. The update is available starting now; those using Android phones need only to update their Chrome app, at which point they’ll find the app ready to launch in the headset alongside their other VR apps. Users of the Mirage Solo will finally be able to find and install Chrome from the Daydream store inside the headset.

Google says that Chrome for Daydream headsets is a full featured release, including voice search, saved bookmarks, and Incognito Mode, which could come in handy. The browser is also getting some VR-specific features, including a “cinema mode”, which Google says “optimizes web video for the best viewing experience in VR.”

Technically, Chrome has been available to those using Daydream View headsets since September 2017, but the feature was largely hidden because it could only be launched by opening the browser on a phone in non-VR mode, and then sticking the phone into the View headset with the browser open; the Chrome app didn’t actually show up in the headset’s library of Daydream apps. The new version can still be launched in this way, meaning you can easily navigate to a webpage on your phone and then pull it up in VR mode by simply putting the phone into the headset.

SEE ALSO
Google Brings WebVR to Chrome, All Major PC VR Headsets Supported

When it came to the Lenovo Mirage Solo though, the first standalone Daydream headset, the fact that it isn’t a phone meant that there wasn’t even a way to install Chrome in the first place, since the app wasn’t listed as a VR app in the Daydream app store, and the headset can’t access non-VR Android apps. The lack of a web browser on the Mirage Solo was odd given Google’s klout in the browser space, but thankfully with today’s Chrome update the app will now appear in the Daydream app store right inside the headset.

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Justin Roiland’s ‘Dr. Splorchy’ to Release on Daydream Next Week, Launch Trailer Here

Dr. Splorchy Presents: SPACE HEROES is an upcoming Google Daydream title from Squanch Games, a studio founded by Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland. Squanch today announced that the patently Roiland-esque game is launching July 23rd.

I went hands-on with Dr. Splorchy at this year’s GDC in March, and while I walked out not quite understanding if the game was primarily a shooter or action-adventure title, whatever it is I knew Dr. Splorchy was set to offer the same ad lib madness of Squanch’s other off-the-wall VR games such as Accounting+ (2018) and the upcoming PSVR platformer Trover Saves the Universe.

Image courtesy Squanch Games

Here’s Squanch’s description of the game (apparently the titular Dr. Splorchy types in all caps):

YOU AND YOUR BROTHER ARE IMPORTANT SPACE HEROES. WITH THE HELP OF ME, DR. SPLORCHY, YOU’VE MADE YOUR WAY INTO THE HEART OF THE EVIL SPACE LORD SHIP WHERE YOU MUST DEACTIVATE HIS WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

Demos of Dr. Splorchy Presents: SPACE HEROES are currently available at the San Diego Comic-Con doing an informal ‘pop-up playtest’ outside of the venue this weekend. Squanch employees walking around with Lenovo Mirage Solo headsets will be tossing unwitting con-goers into what we suppose is a special demo build of the game.

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‘Rick & Morty VR’, ‘Coco VR’, ‘Blade Runner 2049 VR’ & More Nominated for Emmys

The 70th Annual Emmy Awards are nearly here, and the nomination list is out. Seven pieces of VR content have made the cut, including big names such as Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017), Coco VR (2017), Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab (2017), and Spider-Man Homecoming VR Experience (2017) to name a few.

VR games, experiences and 360 video have found their way into two categories in particular—’Outstanding Original Interactive Program’ and ‘Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within A Scripted Program’.

The list below highlights VR content represented in both categories. Check out the full list here, which includes all other nominees.

The Emmy Awards will air live on NBC Monday, September 17th at 8PM ET (local time here). Without further ado, here’s all the VR content in the running.

Outstanding Original Interactive Program

Back To The Moon (YouTube 360, Rift, Vive)

Created by: Google Spotlight Stories, Karen Dufilho (Executive Producer), Jan Pinkava (Executive Producer), Fx Goby (Director), Google, Nexus Studios

Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab (Rift, Go, Gear VR) 

Created by: Magnopus, Alcon Interactive, LLC, Oculus

Coco VR (Rift)

Created by: Magnopus, Disney, Pixar, Oculus

NASA JPL: Cassini’s Grand Finale (YouTube 360)

Created by: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Spider-Man Homecoming VR Experience (PSVR)

Created by: Create VR, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality

Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within A Scripted Program

Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (Rift, Vive, PSVR)

Created by: Adult Swim Games, Owlchemy Labs, Other Ocean Interactive. Rick and Morty Creative Team

Silicon Valley: Interactive World: Not Hotdog, VR & Twitter-Powered Pizza Drones (VR on Rift, Vive)

Created by: HBO, Brown Hill Productions

– – — – –

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Spell-caster ‘The Wizards: Trials of Meliora’ Comes to Oculus Go & Gear VR, Launch Trailer Here

Carbon Studio, the Poland-based studio behind PC VR games The Wizards (2018) and Alice VR (2017), just brought a new single-player game to Oculus Go, Gear VR, and Xiaomi Mi VR. Dubbed The Wizards: Trials of Meloria (2018), the game looks to replicate some of the spellcasting fun of its big brother, The Wizards.

Using Oculus Go or Gear VR’s 3DOF motion controller, you cast spells, deflect oncoming attacks, and battle against trolls and sword-wielding goblins. The game is a completely new magical adventure set in the same fantasy world, and is developed from the ground-up for mobile VR.

The game boasts four elemental spells ( Lightning, Fireball, Arcane Shield, and Arcane Missiles), each with their own unique conjuring gestures. A leveling and spell upgrading system allows you to become more powerful as you battle across the game’s three original levels, which take you to scenic landscapes and dark dungeons. Carbon Studio says two more levels are due out soon.

Image courtesy Carbon Studio

In the game’s ‘Trial of Fate’ mode, you’re given a number of enemies to slay, and have to complete various challenges set before you to earn points. The game’s other mode, ‘Trial of Persistence’, sets you against an endless stream of baddies until you’re eventually killed, and comes with optional objectives for extra points.

While it’s a single-player game, The Wizards: Trials of Meloria lets you keep tabs on the greater community with its online leaderboard.

Check it out on the Oculus Store for Oculus Go and Gear VR.  The Wizards: Trials of Meloria is regularly priced at $4, but is currently on sale for $3.50.

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