Category: Oculus Home

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Oculus’ May Platform Update Adds Events For Rift

Oculus’ May Platform Update Adds Events For Rift

The May update for the Oculus Platform is here, and it should help you keep your VR schedule in order.

With this week’s update, Oculus is adding Events listings to Rift (the feature has been running on Gear VR since last year). Events make it easy to keep track of what’s going on with games and apps across Home, giving you notifications about things like free weekends, multiplayer tournaments and social VR meetups.

In the latest version of the desktop app you’ll find a new Events section that lets you subscribe to upcoming events like a Winner Takes All tournament in Poker VR or Game Night for Settles of Catan. If you’re on mobile (including the newly-launched Oculus Go), you can find the same section in the Oculus mobile app.

As for developers, you can customize and schedule Event listings on Oculus’ Developer Dashboard. This might prove to be a good way to improve discoverability of your app on the increasingly-crowded Oculus Store. Or, if you run a multiplayer game, it could help a dedicated community find the right time to jump online.

It’s not the most exciting update for Rift users, this month, but it is another month down until we get to the full launch of Oculus Home 2.0, which will feature important updates like social VR support within Rift’s hub world and more.

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Oculus Highlight New Features Coming to Oculus Home

Social spaces are important for the virtual reality (VR) community as it continues to grow and develop, and those spaces and tools need to be developed to suit their needs. To address this growth in demand, Oculus has announced new features that will soon be heading to Oculus Home.

The Rift Core 2.0 beta was originally announced at GDC 2018 and is intended to make Oculus Home and more social, friendly and inspiring place to be.

oculus home

For decades, the idea of a social videogame experience involved hanging out on a sofa, discussing what to play next and then loading the selected title for some multiplayer fun. Oculus are now bringing that feeling into VR with the Synchronous Social feature. This lets users hang out in the same virtual space.

Users will be able to look through each others’ videogame libraries, and even launch directly into a multiplayer experience, such as Echo Arena, without leaving Oculus Home. Developers can also integrate multiplayer apps and experiences by using the Coordinated App Launch feature.

The Oculus Team are currently in the process of stress-testing the infrastructure ready to incorporate this new feature.

When Oculus Home got its relaunch, several users were enthused by the ability to redesign the space and give it the look they preferred. This is now being taken a step further by allowing users to import custom-made assets into the VR space. 3D sculpts made in Oculus Medium will be able to be imported for inclusion in the user’s Home inventory.

oculus home

The feature will allow assets using the GLB format to be imported, such as those used in Facebook’s 3D Posts in the News Feed. Oculus demonstrated the feature by showing how a bust of Rift Engineering Director Ross O’Dwyer could be placed in a Home space.

Further details can be found on the Oculus blog. As always, VRFocus will continue to keep you up to date on new Oculus Rift developments.

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New Oculus Home Update Adds Trending Apps, Improves UI

New Oculus Home Update Adds Trending Apps, Improves UI

Oculus Home is set for a big update this summer, bringing big new features like social VR support. In the run-up to that launch, though, the platform is getting several smaller updates, like a new Public Test patch rolling out this month.

Rift SI version 1.25 is starting to roll out to users that have opted into public testing. It’s by no means a huge improvement, but it does include some interesting tweaks. Most notably, you’ll find a new section of the Oculus Store listing trending apps and highlighting your recent searches (which might make discovery a little better). This is very much a test for now, Oculus says, so we don’t know if it will be included in the full 1.25 release.

Elsewhere, the Library panel inside Oculus Dash has been tweaked, allowing you to browse an updates tab and sort through experiences based on their comfort rating and locomotion methods. The virtual keyboard has also been adjusted to be a little more dependable.

Finally, Oculus notes the patch improves the multiplayer infrastructure for Home, though you won’t actually be able to meet up with friends just yet. That feature isn’t due for release for a few months yet, and should arrive along with the ability to bring your own 3D assets into Oculus Home.

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Oculus Home to Get Multiplayer & User-generated Content This Summer

At GDC 2018 this year, Oculus released word during their ‘Inside Oculus 2018’ developer talk that Home, the customizable user space for Rift, is gaining the ability to host multiple players as well as user-generated content.

The new Home space arrived with the Rift Core 2.0 beta update released back in December, although the update lacked the ability to host more than one person in one of the artfully decorated spaces at one time. A future update, we learned, will include the ability to join others in Home via Parties, and launch apps in sync with friends so you can jump into games together – basically everything we wanted from the original Rooms function that was originally intended to come both Rift and Gear VR, but only made its way on the latter.

image captured by Road to VR

Home also lacked customization beyond the ability to kitbash preset items (pasting things together), but the addition of user-generated content will allow for especially talented users to completely customize their Home space. Director of Engineering Ross O’Dwyer demonstrated by sculpting a bust of himself, importing the bust and resizing it and copying it on the fly while in Home. Imported objects will be based on the GLB file format, supporting physically-based rendering. There will be an in-VR tool for creating content and importing into Home. We aren’t certain on the specifics yet, but we’ll be keeping our eyes out for official announcements.

The multiuser/content creation update is said to arrive sometime in summer 2018.

The post Oculus Home to Get Multiplayer & User-generated Content This Summer appeared first on Road to VR.

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Oculus Home mit Multiplayer-Modus und User-Generated Content

Wie Oculus während seiner gestrigen Präsentation auf der GDC 2018 verriet, werden Oculus-Home-Nutzer schon bald ihre Behausung mit anderen Menschen teilen können. Zudem sollen User eigenen Content kreieren und in ihre virtuelle Heimat integrieren können.

Oculus Home mit Multiplayer-Modus und User-Generated Content

Im Sommer 2018 möchte Oculus das große Social-Update ausspielen, welches euch ermöglichen wird, Gruppen zu bilden, gemeinsam in Apps zu gehen oder einfach im Oculus Home abzuhängen. Was genau Freunde im Oculus Home anstellen können, ist noch nicht bekannt. Doch wie zu erwarten war werden eure Oculus Avatare für die Darstellung im virtuellen Raum genutzt.

Eigener Content kommt in eure virtuelle Heimat über Objekte im GLB-Format. Sollte dies reibungslos funktionieren, könnte sich das Oculus Home tatsächlich zu einem Ort entwickeln, an dem man sich gerne aufhält und Freunde einlädt. Um ein 3D-Objekt in das richtige Format zu bringen, müsst ihr es zunächst als FBX-Datei exportieren. Ein FBX-Export ist mit den meisten gängigen 3D-Anwendungen – beispielsweise mit Paint 3D – möglich.

Anschließend könnt ihr ein Tool von Facebook nutzen, um die .FBX Dateien in das gITF-Format zu überführen. Wenn ihr das Tool heruntergeladen habt, zieht ihr einfach eure .FBX Datei auf die FBX2glTF-windows-x64.exe und schon startet die Konvertierung. Die erstellten gITF-Dateien lassen sich abschließend mit dem GLB Packer in das GLB-Format überführen.

Falls ihr keine eigenen Objekte erstellen wollt oder könnt, lohnt sich ein Blick auf die kostenlose Plattform Poly von Google. Hier gibt es extrem viele spannende Modelle zum kostenlosen Download.

(Quelle: Upload VR)

Der Beitrag Oculus Home mit Multiplayer-Modus und User-Generated Content zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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GDC 2018: Oculus Home Is Getting Multiplayer, User-Generated Content

GDC 2018: Oculus Home Is Getting Multiplayer, User-Generated Content

You’ll soon be able to share your personal Oculus Home designs with other Rift users and even bring your own content into your space.

At its ‘Inside Oculus 2018′ session at GDC today Oculus confirmed that the new version of Home, which launched in beta late last year, is getting social VR support as well as user-generated content.

Social support should arrive on the platform this summer. It will allow users to form parties and even launch into apps together, providing developers enable support for this within their own apps. As you’d expect, friends appear as their personalized Oculus avatars. We don’t know what new features multiplayer will support at this point in time, though.

What this means for the long-awaited Rift version of Oculus’ Rooms software is also unclear at this point, though we’ll try to find an answer on the show floor.

As for user-generated content, Oculus explained that Rift owners will be able to upload objects in the GLB file format. There will be an in-VR tool for importing your content, too, which will hopefully make this a smooth process and allow you to make Home truly your own.

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The Biggest Rift, Vive, And Windows Releases Of The Week 25/02/18

The Biggest Rift, Vive, And Windows Releases Of The Week 25/02/18

This week on the PC VR side of things there’s a good variety of things, highlighted by one major VR game release that’s finally barreling out of Early Access at the full-speed of a galloping raptor.

If you missed last week’s releases they’re here. And don’t forget that UploadVR has a Steam community group, complete with a curated list of recommendations so that you don’t have to waste any money finding out what’s good in the world of VR. We also have a top list of the absolute best Oculus Rift and HTC Vive games at the corresponding links.

Island 359, from CloudGate Studios

Price: $24.99 (Currently Discounted)

Island 359 is finally out of Early Access after a year and a half of iteration and extended development and the final result is a great one. This is one of the most robust and intense experiences anyone can have in a VR headset right now with a massive six-square mile island to explore.

Read our full review here.

The Way of Kings: Escape the Shattered Plains, from Arcturus Studios

Price: $10.99

The Stormlight Archive is one of the most successful and popular modern fantasy book series and the third installment, Oathbringer, just recently released. This experience is based off of the debut novel, The Way of Kings, and lets you experience the wonder of Brandon Sanderson’s thrilling world. Maybe we can get Mistborn VR next!

Cloudborn, from Logtown Studios

Price: $14.99 (Currently Discounted)

Here’s another game leaving Early Access this week after debuting back in September. In Cloudborn the developers have created a “momentum” based movement system and task players with exploring a massive, richly detailed world to uncover the remnants of a lost civilization.

Rise of Insanity, from Red Limb Studio

Price: $9.99 (Currently Discounted)

I’d wager that a new VR horror game of some kind probably releases every week. I haven’t done the research on that, but it seems true. Rise of Insanity isn’t VR-exclusive, but supports both Rift and Vive for seated gamepad or keyboard gameplay. It’s a beautiful and haunting game about the human mind.

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The Biggest Rift, Vive And Windows Releases Of The Week 02/18/18

The Biggest Rift, Vive And Windows Releases Of The Week 02/18/18

A pretty good selection of content for Rift owners this week! Though it’s a little sparse elsewhere for other headsets.

If you missed last week’s releases they’re here. And don’t forget that UploadVR has a Steam community group, complete with a curated list of recommendations so that you don’t have to waste any money finding out what’s good in the world of VR. We also have a top list of the absolute best Oculus Rift and HTC Vive games at the corresponding links.

Brass Tactics, from Hidden Path Entertainment
Price: $39.99 (Rift)

A VR real-time strategy game from the team that brought you Defense Grid 2 VR (and Age of Empires before that). Brass Tactics offers tabletop battles come to life in tactical multiplayer games as well as a full single-player campaign. This is the VR RTS you’ve been waiting for since you got your Rift.

Here’s our full review.

Operation Apex, from Curiscope
Price: $19.99 (Now on Rift)

Curiscope’s underwater educational adventure is the next Vive Studios project to pop up on the Oculus Rift. Journey deep under the ocean to explore the ecosystem that thrives there and investigate some strange upsets to the food chain. This is a smart app that teaches you through action and well worth checking out.

Conquer, from Wan studio
Price: $9.99 (Rift, Vive, Windows)

Conquer is a visually-striking action game in which you take sword in hand and fight off mythical beasts. It’s one of those games that has seemingly appeared from thin air with it’s impressive presentation, though we can’t speak to if its gameplay holds up. Still, a sight for sore eyes to be sure.

Reality Decks, from Philip Mackenzie
Price: $19.99 (Rift)

A comprehensive DJ suite for an aspiring DJ master. This app teaches you the basics of spinning tracks without the need for expensive decks and then lets you create your own mixes with included songs or your own library. Designed for both professional and casual use.

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The Biggest Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Releases Of The Week 02/04/18

The Biggest Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Releases Of The Week 02/04/18

Only a handful of games worth highlighting this week, but they’re all pretty solid. We’ve got a cyborg ninja simulator, an excellent racing game, and one of the most promising Early Access VR God games we’ve seen in recent months.

And don’t forget that UploadVR has a Steam community group, complete with a curated list of recommendations so that you don’t have to waste any money finding out what’s good in the world of VR. We also have a top list of the absolute best Oculus Rift and HTC Vive games at the corresponding links.

Sairento VR, from Mixed Realms

Price: $29.99 (Discounted Further Currently)

Imagine you had the ability to stop and slow down time, shoot a wide variety of guns, and slice through dozens of enemies with dual katanas all while wall running, jumping, and sliding around levels. Now stop imaging and go play Sairento VR if that sounds fun. It’s shallow and unpolished, but it’s a good time.

Read our full review.

Sprint Vector, from Survios

Price: $29.99 (Discounted Further Currently)

Simply put, Sprint Vector is an entirely unique and immensely rewarding VR racing game that has you up and on your feet, swinging your arms, racing against opponents at breakneck speeds. And there’s no VR sickness in sight. Must-play territory right here.

Read our full review.

Townsmen VR, from Handy-Games

Price: $9.99

Townsmen VR is a God game in which you take care of a quaint little village full of cute, tiny people. You have to watch over them and make sure they have everything they need. It’s sort of like Black & White in VR, or similar to The Sims.

Read our impressions.

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Gewinnspiel: Speedball Arena – Mix aus Rocket League und Tron (Update)

Update: Die Gewinner und Gewinnerinnen habe eine Mail erhalten. Bitte schaut auch im Spam-Ordner nach.

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Reality Reflection hat kürzlich ein neues Spiel für die Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality Headsets und die HTC Vive veröffentlicht, das mit der Unreal Engine 4 entwickelt wurde und auf den ersten Blick an Rocket League erinnert. Nicht unbedingt das schlechteste Vorbild, doch funktioniert ein solch schnelles Spiel wie Speedball Arena überhaupt in VR?

Speedball Arena – Wilder Mix aus Rocket League, Windlands und Tron

In Speedball Arena geht es darum, den Ball in das gegnerische Tor zu manövrieren. Hierzu benutzt ihr die Motion Controller, um mit einer Hand den Steuerungsjoystick des Hoverbikes zu bedienen. Mit der anderen Hand könnt ihr Greifarme verschießen, um euch schnell an einen Punkt der Karte zu ziehen oder euch den Ball zu schnappen. Ansonsten gibt es keine Power-ups, aber dafür einen Booster und natürlich könnt ihr auch wie in Rocket League springen.  Sicherlich sind die schnellen Manöver, das Springen und die starke Beschleunigen nicht für jeden Magen die beste Erfahrung, doch wenn ihr mit Motion Sickness keine Probleme habt, dann könnt ihr viel Spaß mit dem Titel haben.

Speedball arena 3

Aktuell habt ihr die Möglichkeit, gegen eine KI mit drei verschiedenen Schwierigkeitsgraden anzutreten oder online gegen andere Menschen im 2v2 Modus zu zocken. Natürlich kommt der meiste Spaß bei einem Duell mit echten menschlichen Widersachern auf, doch die Server sind derzeit trotz Cross-Platform Play noch extrem unterbevölkert. Aus diesem Grund verlosen wir heute fünf Steam-Keys für das Spiel und wir hoffen, dass wir euch bald online auf den Speedball Arena Servern herausfordern dürfen.

Speedball arena 2

Um teilnehmen zu können, müsst ihr einfach euer Interesse in den Kommentaren bekunden. Schon am Freitag den 09. Februar 2018 um 14 Uhr werden wir die Gewinner ziehen und ihr könnt mit etwas Glück das Wochenende mit Speedball Arena in der Virtual Reality verbringen. Der Rechtsweg ist ausgeschlossen.

Wenn ihr nicht auf die Auslosung des Gewinnspiels warten wollt, dann könnt ihr das Spiel auch direkt bei Steam für 9,99 € kaufen.

Der Beitrag Gewinnspiel: Speedball Arena – Mix aus Rocket League und Tron (Update) zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!