Orange Bridge Studios – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

December 17, 2020

End Space Quest 2 Update Adds 90Hz, Phase Sync, And Better Visuals

End Space is one of the best single-player focused arcade-style space combat VR games out there. Originally released way back on the Gear VR Orange Bridge Studios have continued to support and expand the game to every single major VR platform and now the Quest 2 is getting some specific love and attention.

You can watch a short gameplay clip of End Space on Quest 2 with the new update installed right here:

End Space has been available on Quest obviously, but now that the Quest 2 is out the opportunity is there to make that version the definitive way of playing the game. After today’s update, I think they’ve accomplished that. I previously called it a great alternative to Star Wars: Squadrons and now that’s even more true for Quest 2 owners.

With Update 1.0.6.1 the Quest 2 is now able to really set this game apart. You’ll now get the newly supported 90Hz mode for a smoother experience, Facebook’s new Phase Sync feature is enabled for reduced latency, and the overall Level of Detail for the Quest 2 version is bumped up to the “same levels” as on Rift. According to Orange Bridge Studios Director, Justin Wasilenko, “This is as close to the graphics from the Rift version as we could manage inside this amazing standalone headset.”

This latest update includes a host of other changes as well. Now, the default controls for your ship use the thumbsticks for ship movement. Bluetooth gamepads now control more similarly to the Touch controller thumbsticks for a more seamless experience.

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What I love about End Space is that it controls well, looks great, and delivers an exciting single-player space combat adventure. There is plenty of content here for the price of entry and it really, really looks amazing on Quest 2 now especially. Hopefully we get some news about what this team is working on next very soon.

End Space is available on the Oculus Quest platform, End Space on Oculus Go | Oculus, the Oculus Rift PC Store, Steam, and PSVR. In fact, the PSVR version is still discounted for the Winter Sale until December 22nd and is just $5 instead of $20. That’s a steal.

Let us know what you think down in the comments below!

August 30, 2019

End Space Brings TIE Fighter-Inspired Spaceship Battles To Oculus Quest

Orange Bridge Studios launched its spaceship flight battling game End Space on Oculus Quest.

Available now for $15 with cross-buy support for Rift, End Space should satisfy some Oculus Quest buyers who haven’t found many games on Facebook’s standalone VR headset that fulfill the dream of flying — or battling — in a versatile spaceship. I tried out the game and captured the first 15 minutes of gameplay. It took me a few minutes to get used to default controls which lock ship movement to head movement and gun targeting to the direction Oculus Touch controllers are pointed.

A version of the ambitious space battling project shipped previously on practically every VR platform, including Google Cardboard versions for both iOS and Android. Back in 2016 David Jagneaux wrote a deep dive with the sibling creators and their inspirations from the 1990’s game Star Wars: TIE Fighter. From that article:

“The game is heavily influenced by Star Wars: TIE Fighter, a 1990’s Star Wars space shooter from Lucasarts,” said Lee Wasilenko. “When we got involved in VR that was the game we desperately wanted to play more than any other. As a result, Justin decided to start working on a VR space sim and End Space is the result. In addition, in 2014 most of the VR games out there were little more than tech demos (since it was only devs with the hardware and everyone was just sharing what they had starting throwing together) and we desperately wanted to see a full fledged VR space sim.”

So many years after they started, End Space remains a remarkable technical achievement on Oculus Quest bringing its highly maneuverable cockpit to the standalone VR system.

The post End Space Brings TIE Fighter-Inspired Spaceship Battles To Oculus Quest appeared first on UploadVR.

August 20, 2019

End Space Flies Onto Oculus Quest and Google Daydream in August

When it comes to epic sci-fi adventures in space last week’s launch of No Man’s Sky: Beyond with its virtual reality (VR) will likely keep gamers engrossed for some time to come. For those not interested in Hello Games’ title – or more accurately those on Oculus Quest or Google Daydream – then indie studio Orange Bridge Studios will be releasing End Space for both headsets at the end of the month.

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The launch will actually be for End Space version 1.0.5 across all of its currently supported platforms, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Gear VR, HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality and PlayStation VR.

Discussing the two new versions, Justin Wasilenko, Director Orange Bridge Studios said in an email: “The Quest version offers the best visuals over previous mobile releases and we are excited to offer cross-buy with the Oculus Rift. I am hoping End Space on Daydream revives some attention to the platform that has seen some neglect recently. We had a lot of problems with Daydream development but Google has been very helpful in providing hardware and updating its SDK in the development of End Space on Daydream.

In addition to Oculus Quest and Google Daydream support, the update will feature flatscreen compatibility for Steam users plus keyboard and mouse support. Language support has also been improved adding German, French, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (with full voice-over).

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End Space originally launched in 2016 for Gear VR, with PlayStation VR added in 2017 followed by Oculus Rift and Steam in 2018. There’s no mining or scavaging for resources here, End Space is all about space-based battles inside your Minos Starfighter as you battle for the Tartarus sector. Check out VRFocus’ review of the Oculus Rift version of End Space for some hands-on info.

The update will also see the price levelled across most platforms, coming in at a uniform $14.99 on Oculus Store, Steam and Google Store. The PlayStation VR version receives a 75 percent saving globally as part of Sony August Savings sale. End Space 1.0.5 will be made available on Thursday 29th August 2019 at 10:00 am PST. For any further updates from the team, keep reading VRFocus.

August 1, 2018

End Space to Receive one big ‘Collective Update’ Tomorrow Across all Platforms

Ever since End Space was originally released 2.5 years ago for Samsung Gear VR by indie developer Orange Bridge Studios, the two man team has managed to expand support to PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, and most recently Oculus Go. This hasn’t been without its problems, with the team finding it can be a difficult process supporting so many platforms. To smooth out and improve the experience for everyone, the team will be releasing one big update addressing issues across all the headsets.

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Known as the ‘Collective Update’ this isn’t just a collection of bug fixes and tweaks, as Orange Bridge Studios has improved the visual quality on PC and PlayStation, finessed the sound even further, added better support for HOTAS controllers, and made the AI much more formidable.

VRFocus’ review of the Oculus Rift version of End Space, said: “For what it offers End Space is a nice solid experience. It’s not going to set the VR world on fire as it lacks polish and depth when competing against other Oculus Rift titles. Spend a few bucks on it when it’s in a sale and you’ll own one of the best Gear VR ports to come to Oculus Rift.” With this new update some of those issues maybe addressed, lifting the videogame on the more powerful platforms.

In addition to the content update the team has been working to make the Oculus version even more accessible. With Oculus’ help End Space now features cross buy across the Oculus ecosystem. If you buy End Space on Oculus Go or Gear VR you’ll receive a copy to play on your Oculus Rift and vice versa.

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Check out the full list of patch notes for your particular headset below, with the Collective Update going live tomorrow, 2nd August, 2018. For any further updates for End Space, keep reading VRFocus.

End Space 1.0.4 – The Collective Update Patch Notes

Updates (all platforms)

Update to Unity 2018.1.6
New Planet shaders
Added a pointer to the end of motion controllers for easier UI navigation
Added option to disable controller vibration
Added armor and shield hit sound effects
Added a voice prompt when shields are critical
Ship Upgrades menu now shows actual stats of weapon upgrades
Added in warp sound effect
Added smoothing to transitioning between Boosting & Braking while using Gaze for Flight

Updates (Gear VR)

Added 4 new levels
Enabled 72hz mode on Oculus Go
Added option to switch secondary weapon by holding down touchpad on Go / Gear VR controller
Now using Floating Point Precision to reduce shaking and improve performance the farther the player flies from the middle of the world.
Gaze to Fly and Gaze to Target now can work together

Updates (Gear VR/Rift)

Added cross buy! Buy End Space on Oculus Go, and play on Rift or vice versa.
Update to Oculus SDK 1.27

Updates (PS4)

Update to PS4 SDK 5.5
Improved a lot of sound effects
Looking at the targeting reticle will now also acquire a target lock
Explosions look better and are more realistic
Added animated planet textures
Switched to new native Unity and Rewired support for HOTAS

Balance Changes (all platforms)

AI controlled ships are much more accurate and dynamic
Foxhound missile damage increased by 15
Meteor Missile damage decreased by 25
TLF and UTC Fighters now have a 90 degree front firing arc
TLF Bombers now have a 360 firing arc
UTC Fighter damage increased by 15
Reduced TLF Fighter Damage for all ship types

Bug Fixes (all platforms)

Fixed Solo cannon playing the wrong sound effect
Pulse laser wasn’t doing the correct amount of damage
Fixed volume of Solo and Plasma cannons
Improved LOD performance
Research Station doesn’t move when a section of the station is destroyed
Fix for Station Rescue not being able to be completed in certain cases
TLF Cruisers now have the correct HP
Player could acquire a target lock while dead in some cases
Star particles were playing when the player was dead and not moving
Credit count was missing from Ammo Upgrade store
Fix UI issue where moving your head could select items while using a gamepad to use the UI
Fixed issue where the Turret could get stuck pointing up
Fixed AI not being able to target the ship attacking it
Fix for UTC Fighter not helping in LZ-129
Bunch of smaller fixes

Bug Fixes (Steam)

Fixed player not taking damage when using OpenVR with no motion controller connected and only a gamepad connected.
Fixed not being able to Recenter the headset when in the Main menu
Reduced Recenter button time
Fixed Oculus Touch controllers being difficult to use with the UI

Bug Fixes (PS4)

Fix for Station Rescue bug that could prevent mission completion
Fix for audio not fading in and out between scenes
UTC Turrets didn’t have sound effects
Ship reticles are no longer removed when out of range
Minefield particles had the wrong color
Fixed warp in of cargo ship in Lost Cargo
Fixed a crash bug related to the Save Data API and Unity’s scripting backend

Known Issues (PC)

Game will not load on some older CPU’s. For a temporary solution see http://endspacevr.com/support

March 23, 2018

End Space Is Coming To Steam VR Next Week

Developer Orange Bridge Studios have revealed that its virtual reality (VR) sci-fi space combat title End Space is releasing onto Steam next week. After an original release on the Samsung Gear VR back in 2016 the title came to Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR in the last few months and now, its coming to Steam.

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End Space was meant to release on Steam back in February of this year but after being pushed back, it is now dropping next week. The Steam release will bring with it a number of improvements that will give players more options to play thanks to the support for OpenVR and Oculus SDK, meaning End Space can be enjoyed with the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and any Windows Mixed Reality (MR) head-mounted displays (HMD).

Along with the wide range of HMDs that End Space will support with its Steam release is the additional of a number of new features. One is the Steamworks SDK which allows for players to earn Steam achievements, 12 in total at launch and more to be added in future updates.

The Steam releases also supports a number of different control schemes with players able to fine tune them to ensure a solid gameplay experience regardless of the option picked. Of course, this new release has also seen a number of bug fixes and SDK updates to ensure a smoother expereince for players. The version that will release on Steam will, because of this, be version 1.0.4.

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In VRFocus’ review of the Oculus Rift version of End Space, Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham said: “For what it offers End Space is a nice solid experience. It’s not going to set the VR world on fire as it lacks polish and depth when competing against other Oculus Rift titles. Spend a few bucks on it when it’s in a sale and you’ll own one of the best Gear VR ports to come to Oculus Rift.”

End Space will be releasing onto Steam with support for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows MR HMDs on 29th March, 2018. You can find out more about the title on the Steam store page.

For more on End Space in the future, keep reading VRFocus.

February 1, 2018

This is how you Take Down Space Insurgents on End Space

For those that like to head out among the stars, whether that’s to learn about the cosmos or to build a galactic empire that obeys your every whim, virtual reality (VR) developers have got you covered. If you happen to own an Oculus Rift then the latest space-based adventure comes form Orange Bridge Studios with its combat title End Space. Naturally VRFocus has reviewed the experience and now its time to show you some of the gameplay footage captured on the missions.

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End Space is a single-player experience that originally started life on Samsung Gear VR before finding its way to PlayStation VR and now Oculus Rift. The story revolves around you piloting the United Trade Consortium’s Minos Starfighter, looking to keep control of the Tartarus sector. You must protect the UTC’s secret jump-drive technology from Tartarus Liberation Front insurgents at all costs, maintaining dominance in the sector.

For this gameplay video VRFocus has already begun to clear out several levels, showcasing part of the videogame a little way in. Here you’ll see how the ship flies using the Oculus Touch controllers rather than a gamepad, mainly because all Oculus Rift’s now ship with the motion controllers. Dog fights can be fast and furious, requiring nimble use of the break and boost buttons to out manoeuvre enemies and get them in the ships gun sights. End Space now features gaze-based control for the main guns, allowing for independent flight and shooting if you’re good enough. The guns reticule also serves as the lock-on for the missiles, which auto recharge once depleted for an infinite supply.

Check out VRFocus’ 4-star review for further details on what we thought of Orange Bridge Studios first Oculus Rift experience. As always, keep reading VRFocus for the latest updates from the developer and for more awesome gameplay videos.

January 31, 2018

Review: End Space

It’s always nice to see indie developers spreading their wings, bringing their titles to more platforms and as such a wider audience. Orange Bridge Studios first launched its space combat title End Space for Samsung Gear VR back in 2016, before expanding platform support to PlayStation VR last year. Now it’s the turn of PC-based head-mounted displays (HMDs), with the Oculus Rift version now available and HTC Vive getting a copy in February. Like any title that comes to the more powerful headsets from mobile the question is whether than port is worthwhile, making use of the extra grunt on offer.

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It’s fairly easy to tell from the outset that End Space originated from a less powerful platform. Things like the intro – although cinematic – and main hub are quite sparse, with access to minimal upgrades and options. The title has obviously been tweaked for Oculus Rift, offering Oculus Touch and gamepad input options depending on preference – or when you purchased your headset.

As a cockpit-based flyer the gamepad seems the most likely option but Orange Bridge Studios has done a decent job of mapping all the control options to the motion controllers. The sticks control yaw, pitch and roll yet at the same time there’s the option to use one Oculus Touch controller – you can switch between left and right – to encompass all these movements. Whilst it feels weird at first – especially as both input methods can be used simultaneously – having full control just by using the motion controller becomes very intuitive through prolonged use, and certainly when combined with the option for gaze gun control.

End Space is a single-player affair, with a linear storyline that puts you in the pilot seat of the Minos Starfighter from the United Trade Consortium, tasked with protecting the company’s secret jump-drive technology from Tartarus Liberation Front insurgents. Most levels are fairly short affairs, averaging around five mins each, so it’s good that there’s a fair few of them. Completing each area gains you credits to upgrade the ships guns and missiles – there’s nothing for defence – so you can always go back and replay missions to improve your time if you so wish.

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The studio has done an admirable job of upscaling the graphics for the Oculus Rift version. Sure it doesn’t look as good as a made for PC experience like EVE: Valkyrie or offer that videogame’s multiplayer options, but End Space still looks good enough that the immersion works, grounding you in a space fighter that’s highly manoeuvrable and fun to fly. As mentioned upgrades are limited, with two for your main gun and one for your missiles, no ship enhancements or customisation options are on offer, narrowing that overall sense of depth to the experience.

For what it offers End Space is a nice solid experience. It’s not going to set the VR world on fire as it lacks polish and depth when competing against other Oculus Rift titles. Spend a few bucks on it when it’s in a sale and you’ll own one of the best Gear VR ports to come to Oculus Rift.

80%

Awesome

Verdict

January 24, 2018

Gear VR Space Dogfighter ‘End Space’ to Arrive on Rift Tomorrow, Vive Support in February

Orange Bridge Studios today announced that End Space (2017), the single-player space dogfighter for Gear VR, is headed to Oculus Rift January 25th. The Steam version for HTC Vive and Rift is slated to arrive sometime next month.

Orange Bridge says the Rift and Vive version will be an “expanded, remastered and enhanced version,” and will arrive with new content, better visuals, and new motion controller-based flight systems.

The single player game puts you in the cockpit of an advanced Minos Starfighter, where you battle your way through campaign mode on your quest to control the Tartarus Sector. Orange Bridge says the game’s story-driven space combat harks back to classics like Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994) and Wing Commander (1990).

End Space supports a variety of controllers, including gamepads, motion controllers, and HOTAS. In addition, Orange Bridge has made their gaze-assisted flight mode default, something studio head Justin Wasilenko describes as “kind of like Eagle Flight, but with lasers attached to your hand.”

Seeing a bump in graphical fidelity, both Rift and Vive editions will feature “higher resolution models and textures, increased shadow quality and post processing effects like Ambient Occlusion, Bloom, & ACES color grading.” Wasilenko says environmental updates including planetary surface animations have also been added.

End Space will be available for $15 on Oculus Home on January 25th and on Steam in early February. Keep an eye on the Rift version here. You can also keep on the Vive version here.

The post Gear VR Space Dogfighter ‘End Space’ to Arrive on Rift Tomorrow, Vive Support in February appeared first on Road to VR.

January 24, 2018

End Space Will Arrive on Oculus Rift Next Week

Originally released on Samsung Gear VR back in 2016, Orange Bridge Studios’ End Space then came to PlayStation VR in September 2017 for North American players and November for Europe. Now the studio has announced it’ll be expanding platform support to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive over the next few weeks, with the former seeing it arrive next week.

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With the new platforms come several new updates for the PC version. “With the success of End Space on Gear VR we’ve been listening to player’s demands for an enhanced and expanded release of the game specifically for the high-end VR platforms. After a year of hard work we’re very pleased to be delivering a Rift and Vive version of the game with new campaign missions, controls schemes and a host of graphical improvements,” said Lead Developer Justin Wasilenko in a statement.

One such feature is the new flight mode that takes some inspiration from Eagle Flight and attaches laser cannons to your hands. In addition are the graphical improvements, new content, and control options that come with such a big release.

“Starship commanders each have their favourite way to fly, so we’ve tried to support customization for as many controllers as possible,” explains developer Lee Wasilenko. “We’ve even added two new motion controller based options for Oculus Touch and Vive controllers.”

Additionally, End Space is fully Oculus Dash compatible, meaning you can bring desktop elements such as videos into your VR experience.

Designed as a pure space combat title, players jump in the pilot seat of the Minos Starfighter that can track targets with their gaze and blast them with Pulse Lasers, or lock on and pound them into space dust with Meteor Missiles. Like any good shooter, players can unlock new weapons and upgrades as they progress through the ranks by taking on increasingly daring missions. It’s not just about combat though, there are plenty of secrets ready to be revealed at the edge of inhabited space.

End Space will be available for $14.99 USD on Oculus Home on 25th January and on Steam in early February. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

November 8, 2017

End Space Finally Lands on PlayStation VR in Europe

Way back in July VRFocus reported on Orange Bridge Studios Inc. announcing the long awaited arrival of End Space for PlayStation VR. That happened in September for North American players but there was no news on a European release until now, with the title quietly appearing on the EU PlayStation Store.

Originally a Samsung Gear VR from 2016, End Space puts players in: “command of the most advanced starfighter the United Trade Consortium has ever developed in stunning virtual reality as you battle for control of the Tartarus sector. Protect the UTC’s secret jump-drive technology from the Tartarus Liberation Front insurgents as you fight to maintain the corporation’s dominance and earn yourself fame and fortune in the process,” states the description.

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Orange Bridge Studios Inc. has also begun work on several other features including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Google Daydream support, a multiplayer, more missions, more weapons and a 3rd person camera mode.

End Space is available now for PlayStation VR retailing at £15.99 GBP. Unlike the US launch there’s no special launch-week discount of 10 percent, just the standard price.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of End Space and Orange Bridge Studios, reporting back with any further announcements.