Category: Oculus Quest

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ILMxLAB to Reveal Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series Details in April

During Oculus Connect 5 last year Star Wars fans got rather excited when Oculus and ILMxLAB announced work on an immersive three-part TV series based around legendary villain, Darth Vader. Since that initial reveal several months ago, few other details have been released, but head down to the Star Wars Celebration in Chicago this April and you won’t be disappointed. 

ILMxLAB will be hosting an in-depth discussion about the upcoming virtual reality (VR) experience on the conference’s main stage on Friday, 12th April, at 1:30PM CST. During the panel they will reveal key details about the first episode, written by David S. Goyer, award-winning executive producer and writer known for The Dark Knight film series.

Once the panel has concluded, ILMxLAB and Oculus will open a booth on the show floor so that fans can get an exclusive taster of Vader Immortal – Episode I on Oculus Quest headsets that will run throughout the remainder of Star Wars Celebration.

The event is five days of pure Star Wars indulgence, running from 11th – 15th April 2019. There will be special guests galore, exclusive merchandise, a cosplay competition, a bustling show floor and of course plenty of panels talking about the much-loved sci-fi franchise. Tickets are almost sold out, with only Monday 15th left, adults are $75 and children are $35 while stocks last.

At present, all we know about Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series is that it takes place on the dark lord’s home turf of Mustafar, putting fans at the centre of an original Star Wars story. The immersive adventure will be canon material, taking place between Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope, and is set up by the events of Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, ILMxLAB’s location-based VR experience hosted at The VOID.

The first episode of Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series will debut this year as a launch title for Oculus Quest. As further details are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.

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John Carmack Used Beat Saber To Refine Oculus Quest Tracking

Beat Saber Oculus Quest New

Beat Saber might be VR’s savior in more ways that one according to John Carmack.

Following today’s announcement that the hit VR game is coming to Quest, Carmack revealed an interesting fact. He said that he used the hit game to help refine Oculus Quest’s positional tracking. Specifically  Carmack was refining Quest’s six degrees of freedom (6DOF) extrapolation code. Beat Saber was his primary testing ground.

Oh, and as you can see from that tweet, Carmack is also currently third on Beat Saber Quest’s leaderboards.

Extrapolation code refers to prediction algorithms for accurate tracking. It’s concerned with predicting how a user is going to move in an attempt to reduce any perceived latency. In the case of VR controllers, such code would use the kit’s accelerometers to decipher where a user is probably moving their hand next. Refining that code simply means getting faster, more accurate feedback out of the given device.

Oculus confirmed to UploadVR that Carmack’s tweet was accurate. It was also quick to point out that Carmack was far from the only person eager to test Beat Saber on Quest. Big surprise.

Carmack’s comments are pertinent given that, in today’s announcement, Beat Games itself spoke about Quest tracking. The developer said that the visuals “look absolutely stunning, gameplay is smooth and polished, and tracking is just great. Watching the game evolve on this platform was pretty exciting.”

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Beat Saber is Going Mobile, Confirmed as Oculus Quest Launch Title

Being the virtual reality (VR) phenomenon that Beat Saber is, it’s no surprise that if a new consumer headset is coming out having the title available for launch would be a must. With Oculus Quest on the horizon, the company has now confirmed that Beat Saber will be a launch title.

Beat Saber

So this means complete freedom to enjoy the rhythm action videogame for the first time, with no cables to worry about players can let loose on their favourite tracks. “Playing Beat Saber on Oculus Quest allows you to make literally any move you want,” explains Beat Games Head of Marketing Michaela Dvorak in a statement. “You can easily add that extra dance move, and that feeling when you don’t have to watch out for any cables is priceless. I’m a big fan of Rift, but Beat Saber on Quest is a whole new level of experience! Visuals look absolutely stunning, gameplay is smooth and polished, and tracking is just great. Watching the game evolve on this platform was pretty exciting.”

It seems that almost anyone and everyone with a compatible VR headset has played Beat Saber, with the title having reached the 1 million units sold recently. It has been quite the month for Beat Games as the studio released its first official track pack DLC, the Monstercat Music Pack Vol. 1 which features 10 songs for players to enjoy.

While the track pack is payable DLC, an update was released alongside it, adding a new UI interface for every version. And of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive players, they also received all 5 tracks from OST Vol. 2 and the Campaign which was only previously available on PlayStation VR.

Beat Saber Screenshot

Monstercat Music Pack Vol. 1 is only the start with a further two packs confirmed to be in development, plus the fact that Beat Saber is still classed as an Early Access title, so it’s yet to fully launch. “We also have some pretty big plans in the works, so this will be an exciting journey,” Dvorak teases.

Check out the new trailer for Beat Saber on Oculus Quest below. For further updates keep reading VRFocus.

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Breakout VR Hit ‘Beat Saber’ Confirmed as Oculus Quest Launch Title

Beat Games is getting ready to take their massively successful block-slashing rhythm game to new heights, as Oculus today announced that Beat Saber (2018) is coming to Oculus Quest at launch.

According to an Oculus blog post, the Quest version of the game will deliver the entire Beat Saber experience, including all of the songs currently available on Rift, Vive, and PSVR, as well as “maybe more to come,” an Oculus spokesperson tells us.

The game originally launched into Early Access on Steam (Rift, Vive, Windows VR) and the Oculus Store (Rift) in May 2018. A few months later, the game then made its way to PSVR, quickly landing a decisive hit on the platform by becoming PSVR’s second most-downloaded VR game for the entire year; it was live on the PlayStation Store for only six weeks before vaulting past every PSVR game except the perennial favorite Job Simulator (2016), which came in at number one.

Beat Saber most recently celebrated an important milestone too, namely the revelation that the game has sold over one million copies, generating between $20 – $30 million in gross revenue across all platforms.

Image courtesy Oculus

Outside of Beat Saber, Quest launch titles already confirmed thus far include Robo Recall, Moss, The Climb, and Dead & Buried (Superhot VR is also very likely). At Quest’s Oculus Connect unveiling last year, Mark Zuckerberg also said there will be some 50 launch titles planned for the Oculus Quest launch.

At the time of this writing we still don’t know when the company’s $400 6DOF standalone headset is due to hit consumer doorsteps, although Oculus hasn’t changed their Spring 2019 launch window expectation, putting launch hypothetically anywhere between March 20th and June 21st. Whatever the case may be, Oculus has started a ‘Quest Countdown’, so we’re bound to learn more at GDC this week.

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Beat Saber Confirmed As Oculus Quest Launch Title

Beat Saber Confirmed As Oculus Quest Launch Title

Facebook’s $400 Oculus Quest standalone VR headset is launching with Beat Saber in its lineup.

For Facebook, Beat Saber was a must-get its Oculus Quest launch lineup. The game is a system seller for some buyers. If you don’t own a PS4 or a high-end gaming PC, Oculus Quest is also going to be the lowest cost way to enjoy the VR game.

Beat Saber is rhythm slashing game first that was released in May last year for PC VR headsets. It launched on Sony’s PlayStation VR in November and, by February, sold more than 1 million copies across those systems. That makes it one of VR’s highest and fastest selling titles. Beat Saber doesn’t require high-end graphics hardware while making incredible use of 6dof controllers. The game makes players feel like powerful light-sword equipped warriors fighting in perfect sync to the music.

We are of course extremely curious if Oculus Quest Insight tracking system is able to keep up with higher level difficulties seen in the game. We also asked representatives of Oculus and development studio Beat Games if the recently launched song pack will be included in the Quest version. We’ll update this post if we hear back. Beat Games also has other plans for Beat Saber in 2019, including multiplayer, and we don’t know how that feature might be implemented with regard to Quest.

There are still lots of unannounced titles still to be revealed for the launch of Oculus Quest. Facebook promised more than 50 titles for the system in 2019 with games like Superhot and Face Your Fears shown previously.

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Oculus Quest ‘Tracking Is Just Great’ Says Beat Saber Studio

Beat Saber gameplay

Finally, we have confirmation that Beat Saber is officially coming to Oculus Quest. Today, ahead of GDC 2019, Oculus officially confirmed the viral sensation is hitting their standalone VR headset later this year.

“Playing Beat Saber on Oculus Quest allows you to make literally any move you want,” explains Oculus blog post. “You can easily add that extra dance move, and that feeling when you don’t have to watch out for any cables is priceless. I’m a big fan of Rift, but Beat Saber on Quest is a whole new level of experience! Visuals look absolutely stunning, gameplay is smooth and polished, and tracking is just great. Watching the game evolve on this platform was pretty exciting.”

This is great to hear directly from Beat Games. When I tried the Quest back at Oculus Quest 5 I noticed that I was unsure about the quality of the tracking in comparison to the Rift, Vive, PSVR, and Windows VR headsets. Hopefully these comments hold true — thankfully, we should get a chance to play the game on Quest this week and verify these claims.

“Free movement in VR is very important, especially with games where you have to move a lot,” says Dvorak. “For me, the biggest plus is the accessibility of these types of devices. No PCs, no cables, no waiting—you just put it on and play. You can take it anywhere with you and show it to your friends and family. With standalone headsets entering the market, more people will be excited to get into VR. The more people join the community of VR players, the more attractive it becomes for developers. This is an amazing way how to boost the VR industry. I think we are moving in the right direction. And with Standalone VR, we can move literally everywhere, right?”

Stay tuned to UploadVR for more on Beat Saber and Oculus Quest as we are on the ground at GDC 2019 this week. Let us know what you think down in the comments below!

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GDC 2019: Oculus teasert Beat Saber für Oculus Quest und weitere VR-Titel an

Die GDC 2019 öffnet heute seine Pforten und verspricht interessante Neuigkeiten für die VR-Industrie. Laut einer kürzlichen Mail soll auf der Großveranstaltung die neue Oculus Rift S enthüllt werden und auch Nate Mitchell verspricht einige interessante Überraschungen sowie ein spannendes Jahr für die Virtual Reality. Oculus teasert per Twitter spannende Nachrichten auf der Spielemesse an, die deutlich auf eine Version von Beat Saber für die Oculus Quest hindeuten.

GDC 2019 – Oculus teasert Beat Saber für Oculus Quest an

Passend zu den Vorabkündigungen von Oculus zur GDC 2019 veröffentlicht Hugo Barra, VP der AR- und VR-Abteilung von Oculus, per Twitter neue Einblicke in kommende VR-Titel für die Oculus Quest.

Während die Verantwortlichen spannende Nachrichten von Oculus versprechen, verweist ein kurzes Video auf kommende Software für die Quest-Brille. Innerhalb des Videos führt der Oculus-Repräsentant ikonische Bewegungen mit der neuen VR-Brille aus, die Kenner des Erfolgstitels Beat Saber sofort bekannt vorkommen sollten.

Zwar wird der Erfolgstitel Beat Saber nicht explizit genannt, die weitläufigen Handbewegungen verweisen jedoch auf das rhythmische Zersäbeln von Blöcken mit den ikonischen Lichtschwertern.

Beat Saber RBTV

Oculus veröffentlicht heute Nachmittag auf der GDC 2019 weitere Informationen zu Software- und Hardware-Produkten. Eine Enthüllung der Oculus Rift S ist ebenso möglich, wie eine Ankündigung der Oculus Quest. Zum Release der Oculus Quest sollen insgesamt 50 Starttitel erscheinen. Entwicklerstudios wie Resolution Games, Fast Travel Games und Schell Games arbeiten bereits seit Längerem an dazugehörigen VR-Spielen.

Zudem soll es weitere Einblicke in die VR-Titel Stormland, Asgard’s Wrath und das bisher unbekannte Zelda-artige VR-RPG von den Left-4-Dead-Entwicklern geben.

(Quellen: Oculus | Oculus Twitter)

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Oculus Teases ‘An Announcement Or Two’ Ahead Of GDC 2019

oculus rift lenses

The 2019 Game Developer Conference kicks off tomorrow in San Francisco. We’re expecting some big reveals on the VR side this year, and Oculus appears to be teasing just that.

Facebook’s VR team just posted a blog outlining its plans for next week’s show. It’s largely comprised of stuff we already knew about, but there is one tiny tease. Along with new Rift and Quest demos, Oculus says it “may just have an announcement or two” up its sleeves.

No points for guessing what that might be teasing. On Friday we confirmed that Oculus plans to announce its upgraded Rift S headset at this year’s show. It’s thought that Rift S runs the same content as the original Oculus Rift but features improved optics and inside-out tracking. It’s rumored to also be coming in at a lower price than the original Rift, though this is all just speculation for now.

If Rift S is one announcement, though, could there be another big reveal in store? Perhaps something on the software side? We’ll have to wait and see.

Elsewhere we know that Oculus is going to debut a new game from Turtle Rock Studios at GDC. It’s said to be a little similar to a Zelda game. There are also going to be new demos for Asgard’s Wrath and Stormland. Attendees will be getting hands-on time with new, unannounced Oculus Quest demos, too.

And that’s just Oculus – we’re also expecting news from HTC and Valve next week. Best strap in, it’s going to be quite a ride.

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Adam Orth On Quest And Standalone VR: ‘Everyone’s Going To Have Them At Some Point’

oculus quest vr

Former Firewall: Zero Hour developer Adam Orth thinks that standalone headsets like Oculus Quest could mark a turning point for the VR industry.

Speaking to Game Daily, Orth revealed that he has “three or four” VR projects “in the stages of being greenlit.” One of those includes work on a potential Oculus Quest game, though it’s yet to be approved by Oculus itself.

Orth left his role at First Contact Entertainment shortly before the release of Firewall, our 2018 VR Game of the Year. Before that he also worked on Oculus Rift launch title, Adrift. Now he’s back to working as an independent VR developer. He admitted it’s a risky business, but the arrival of standalone headsets should improve VR’s prospects.

“As a creator, I’m super okay with taking that graphics hit because I’m very comfortable and believe in designing and creating with boundaries,” Orth said. “I’m willing to take that hit because I believe in the freedom of wireless and the things that you can do there.”

He later added: “You’ve got to take risks right now if you want to do big things in VR. It’s the price of admission for developing [in VR]. But when you think about the Oculus Quest and the standalone headsets? Everyone’s going to have them at some point.”

Standalone headsets feature all the necessary compute power inside of the device itself. That means there’s no need for an expensive PC or smartphone. Headsets like the Oculus Quest also deliver six degrees of freedom (6DOF) positional tracking. Breaking down barriers to entry such as this has many hoping standalone headsets will increase VR adoption.

As for his projects, Orth has high hopes. “I have some ideas that I’m really excited about, probably more excited about than my other VR games,” he said.

Orth will be speaking at GDC 2019 in San Francisco next week. He’s one of a handful of talks VR devs shouldn’t miss.

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GDC 2019: 6 VR/AR Talks You Won’t Want To Miss

oculus quest standalone vr headset

GDC 2019 is nearly upon us. This year’s show promises to be one of the biggest yet for VR and AR. We’re hoping to see new headsets and experiences that paint a bright picture for the immersive industry’s next few years. But let’s not forget about one of GDC’s biggest selling points; the talks.

There’s a raft of sessions and workshops for VR developers to look forward to this year. Below, we’ve rounded up six that we think you won’t want to miss.

Digging for Fire: Virtual Reality Gaming 2019 with Adam Orth

Adam Orth has made VR games you’ve heard of. In 2016, he launched Adrift for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Last year, though, the developer was part of the team (First Contact Entertainment) that brought you Firewall: Zero Hour. Now Orth is off on his own again, working on something new. We’re not expecting him to share any updates on that in his GDC session, but we will be excited to hear his take on the current state of the VR industry.

Embracing Chaos: Designing for Emergent Gameplay in VR with Owlchemy Labs

No one knows interactivity better than Owlchemy Labs. That’s what we’re especially interested to hear from the studio in this session. We’re just weeks away from exploring Owlchemy’s latest creation, Vacation Simulator. Before then, we’ll be intrigued to hear what kind of new gameplay systems the developer is thinking up to bring VR immersion to a new level.

Galactic Lessons in Mixed Reality Storytelling with ILMXLAB

ILMxLAB has a lot going on in the immersive tech space right now. This session, however, will zer in on the company’s work with Magic Leap. ILMXLAB recently debuted Project Porg, a sort of Star Wars tamagotchi, on the AR headset. In this session Michael Koperwas, Mixed Reality Supervisor, ILMxLAB will give an insight into AR (or mixed reality) development at the studio. It’s sure to be packed with plenty of juicy tips.

Making of ‘ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission’: Reinventing Platformers for VR with Sony Japan

Astro Bot Rescue Mission was one of 2018’s best VR games. It combined rock solid platforming with VR spectacle to create an unforgettable experience. In this talk, Creative Director Nicolas Doucet goes in-depth on how the project came to be. Astro Bot is bursting with innovation and anyone that wants their VR project to be the same best pay attention to this session.

Developer Day Keynote: Platform Strategy for 2019 with HTC Vive

With the launch of the Vive Pro Eye and Vive Focus Plus on the horizon, HTC has a busy 2019. But the company’s next consumer headset, the Vive Focus, is also due to launch later on in the year. We’re hoping this session, which kicks off Vive Developer Day 2019, reveals a bit more about the anticipated device.

Down the Rabbit Hole with Oculus Quest with Oculus

Speaking of new headsets, it’s no secret that the much-anticipated Oculus Quest will be at GDC. We’re hoping to learn a lot about the headset at next week’s show. This session will probably provide some of the main sources of information, at least for developers. Oculus’ Chris Pruett promises to talk over the design considerations for getting into Oculus Quest and how it differs from Rift.

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