Every weekend VRFocus brings you a number of sports and eSports related virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) stories as part of This Week In VR Sport. This week, a reminder that the VR league Season 2 finals are being held at the upcoming Oculus Connect 5 event, Vuzix has announced a partnership with OnCore to produce AR experiences for golf players and fans can now watch PGA TOUR coverage in both VR and AR.
VR League Season 2 Final To Be Held At Oculus Connect 5
The ever growing VR eSports scene will be making another big step soon as it has been announced that the VR League Season 2 finals will be features at the upcoming Oculus Connect 5 event.
The Oculus Connect 5 event is taking place on September 26 – 27 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose and it is here that teams will face off against each other in the world finals of the VR League season 2. This will see teams for popular VR titles such as Onward, The Unspoken, Sprint Vector and even Echo Arena battle it out to take home the victory and the prize. The VR League is sponsored by Oculus and ESL so it isn’t much of a surprise that the final will be held at the Oculus Connect 5 event and might even become a trend in the future.
VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest from both the Oculus Connect 5 event and the finals of the VR League Season 2 as they develop, so stay tuned for more.
Vuzix Announces Partnership With OnCore Golf To Bring AR Experiences To Golf Players
Vuzix Corporation, known for their Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses, have announced that they are partnering with OnCore Golf to deliver new AR enhanced experiences for golfers on the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses.
The two companies will team up to create AR instructional, entertainment, and educational programs that golfers of all skill levels can enjoy at any venue – including driving rangers, golf entertainment centers, on the golf course, and at home – all center around the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses. The two companies are planning to introduce their first AR golf experience in early 2019 and will leverage third-part ball launch system at driving ranges and practice facilities.
By mid-2019, OnCore expects to launch its smart GENiUS ball and offer it with the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses to allow for real-time AR tracking and analysis for golfers to use in actual course play. The system will include a range of features such as instructional and caddying advice using a network of both professional golf instructors and artificial intelligence (AI), along with GPS location and sensor technology. More features are expected to be announced in the coming months closer to the release of the product.
“We are excited to enter into this partnership with OnCore Golf and believe it can create an entirely new form of entertainment and training experiences for golfers of all skill levels,” said Paul Travers, President and Chief Executive Officer at Vuzix talking about the new partnership: “Bringing Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses to the golf courses, golf entertainment centers and driving ranges gives us an opportunity to connect with more than 25 million active golf participants that play on more than 15,000 golf courses across the USA.”
“Coupled with an appropriate golf ball launch system, wearers can see their flight statistics in real time. Connecting the digital world to the real world through the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses allows wearers to keep their phone in their pocket and eye on the ball while offering an opportunity to improve their golf handicap or just simply have a lot fun while trying.”
VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on this partnership in the future as it develops.
Watch The PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoffs In VR And AR
PGA TOUR announced earlier this week that it was going to give fans an immersive way for fans to experience coverage of the FedExCup Playoffs event for the 2017-18 season. On offer are three holes of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club which are being broadcast in VR with fans also able to enjoy some of the top 30 in the FedExCup standings warm up on the driving range.
Fans will be able to enjoy coverage of East Lake’s par-3 9th, par-3 15th, and par-5 18th closing hole in VR with an AR option available as well. In order to enjoy this content fans can watch it on Twitter, Periscope, the PGA TOUR mobile app and on the Samsung Gear VR via the PGA TOUR VR Live Oculus application. The remaining live coverage will run today from 1pm – 6pm (ET) and tomorrow at the same times.
To experience the AR cover, fans will need to download the PGA TOUR AR app to their device and then find a flat, horizontal surface on which to display the content. Once the model has loaded viewers will be able to select a player to watch and then enjoy their shot trails in AR. There are a number of different players and holes available to pick so make sure to try them all out in AR. For more information on the application and setup process, here over to the official website.
PGA Tour Makes Move To Be Broadcast In 360 Degrees
