Pimax provided an update on their Kickstarter campaign page indicating that their 8K VR headset models have been delayed once again. The initial Kickstarter promised that headsets would ship in January 2018. This delay is just the latest in many, and comes 26 months after the initial September 2017 Kickstarter campaign launch.
These delays affect the 8K+ and the 8KX models. The 8K+ now has an “estimate start shipping [sic] no later than end of Dec. 2019,” while the 8KX has an “estimated start shipping [sic] late Mar 2020 early Apr 2020.”
The reasons given for the delays are as follows:
“The 8K+ experienced a slight delay with last-minute changes to help ensure a quality launch.
The 8KX is still in development. The engineering team will finish assembly some samples for testing this week. We will update the production plan according to test results next week.”
Other Pimax and Pimax-related products, such as the Pimax Comfort Kit, Index Controllers and lighthouse sensors, have also been delayed. You can see the full list of delays here.
We said it in January, but it probably bears repeating: the company’s repeated inability to meet self-defined deadlines means that we strongly recommend not ordering a headset until they completely fulfill backer orders, clear their current backlog, and demonstrate the ability to consistently ship quality hardware at scale.
When No Man’s Sky Beyond launched in August of this year it took the VR world by storm and Hello Games have quietly been toiling away at updates ever since. Now, the Synthesis Update, is the biggest one since Beyond essentially relaunched the game as a whole.
According to an email received from Tim Woodley, head of publishing at Hello Games, the No Man’s Sky Synthesis update includes nearly 300 different bug fixes and feature updates. It’s essentially an amalgamation of several improvements and changes that just hadn’t made their way into a previous update round yet.
“The Synthesis Update is our eighth major free chapter since launch,” says Woodley. “It’s a stepping stone on the way to much larger plans, but contains a lot of features fans are hungry for.”
While we weren’t provided with the full No Man’s Sky Synthesis patch notes prior to the embargo lifting, but they should be live here if you’re reading this. However, we did get a sneak peek at some of the biggest changes, according to Hello Games:
We’ve added some of our most requested smaller features. You can now upgrade your starship, or salvage ships for parts. Players can own and customise multiple Multi-Tools and create multiple characters in the customiser to switch between.
We’ve matched up features across VR and non-VR, so VR players can now ride creatures and take photos, and non-VR players can drive vehicles in first person. As well as a host of VR specific improvements based on feedback from players.
We’ve streamlined, sped up and clarified lots of inventory and UI issues, including a whole new space map and a Personal Refiner you can use directly from your inventory.
There are new technologies and base parts – we’re excited to see what players do with these, especially with the Featured Bases we recently introduced to show off the best the community comes up with.
We’ve overhauled and optimised the terrain manipulator, with new visual effects and new ways to carve your mark in the landscape. As well as undo functionality and the ability to make a permanent stamp on the world with your edits.
And there are literally hundreds (297 in all!) of other bug fixes / small features / bits of polish that lift and bind the game together.
Let us know what you think of the No Man’s Sky update down in the comments below!
Do you love your job? Do you wake up every day looking forward to leaving the house, skipping down the street saying ‘good morning Mr Magpie’ with a sunny disposition? If you’re reading VR Job Hub the opposite is more than likely and you want out. Where you drag yourself out of bed every morning, that one rain cloud always seems to be over you and a fly somehow manages to find your morning brew…without fail. So let’s try to turn that frown upside down with one of these beauties below.
Don’t forget, if there wasn’t anything that took your fancy this week there’s always last week’s listings on The VR Job Hubto check as well.
If you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget you can send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should be sent to Peter Graham (pgraham@vrfocus.com).
We’ll see you next week on VRFocus at the usual time of 3PM (UK) for another selection of jobs from around the world.
For consumers after a virtual reality (VR) headset with a really wide field of view (FoV) choice is very limited, in fact, there’s only really one on the market, and that’s Pimax. Having previously released the 5K Plus, 5K OLED, and 8K head-mounted displays (HMD) with a 200-degree FoV, the company is now preparing to launch its next-generation, two devices called Vision 8K X and Vision 8K PLUS.
The Pimax Vision 8K X is the new flagship headset featuring dual native 4K displays with a 3840×2160 per-eye resolution. Pimax is using customized CLPL panels with an advanced RGB pixel matrix which the company claims offers a: ‘ 50% increase of sub-pixels.’ With a ‘Dual Engine Mode’ feature, users can switch the input resolution between 2560×1440*2 pixel and 3840×2160*2 pixel mode to get the output rendered in either dual upscaled 4K or dual native 4K.
As for the Pimax Vision 8K PLUS, the main difference is purely in the display. This headset features two 3840×2160 CLPL panels with the resolution upscaled from 2560×1440 per eye. Both headsets still feature 200-degree FoV (diagonal) as well as a new ergonomic design and come with a comfort kit including a face cowling, a nose guard to prevent light leakage, soft face foam and a modular audio strap.
Pre-orders have now gone live with the headsets available in two versions. The Pimax Vision 8K X standard headphone version retails for $1,299.00 USD, while the deluxe headphone version retails for $1,399.00. The standard headphone version for Pimax Vision 8K PLUS is $999.00 with the deluxe headphone version selling for £1,099.00.
For those who already own one of the older Pimax models, the company will be running an upgrade programme where owners can get a Vision 8K PLUS or a Vision 8K X starting from $449 or $649 respectively.
Pimax fans may also remember the Sword Series controllers revealed earlier this year. Pre-orders had gone live with shipments expected to take place by the end of the year. That pre-order page has now been taken down, with Pimax now stating: “controllers have been delayed to March of 2020 as there are still technical obstacles to overcome for the development.”
Vision 8K X and Vision 8K PLUS will be demoed at several upcoming events in the US and Europe, the next being VR Days Europe in Amsterdam later this month. For further updates from Pimax, keep reading VRFocus.
Vision 8K X Technical Specifications
Size: 280.10*108.2*135.90mm
IO Connector: Headphone/USB *1/ DP*1/Audio Jack/Type C *2/Microphone
Display: Customized low persistence liquid (CLPL)
Resolution: 3840*2160 per eye
MTP latency: 15ms (typical)
Refresh Rate: 75Hz (native) / 90Hz (upscale)
Lens: Custom Fresnel*2
FOV: 200° Diagonal
IPD: 55mm~75mm
Button: Power Key/ VOL+ Key/ VOL- Key
Eye Tracking: Eye tracking module (optional)
Hand Tracking: Gesture (optional)
Controller: Room scale Controller (optional)
Technology: Outside-in Lighthouse Basestations 1.0 OR 2.0
Sensor: SteamVR sensor
A+G+M: 9-Axis
Vision 8K PLUS Technical Specifications
Size: 280.10*108.2*135.90mm
IO Connector: USB *1/ DP*1/ Audio Jack/ Type C *2/ Microphone
Display: Customized low persistence liquid (CLPL)
Resolution: 3840*2160 per eye (scaled from 2560×1440 per eye)
MTP latency: 15ms (typical)
Refresh Rate: 90Hz (max)
Lens: Custom Fresnel*2
FOV: 200° Diagonal
IPD: 55mm~75mm
Button: Power Key/ VOL+ Key/ VOL- Key
Eye Tracking: Eye tracking module (optional)
Hand Tracking: Gesture (optional)
Controller: Room scale Controller (optional)
Technology: Outside-in Lighthouse Basestations 1.0 OR 2.0
Today Owlchemy Labs released a major update for Vacation Simulator that adds in subtitles for multiple languages along with a slew of visual enhancements to aid accessibility for players.
Supported subtitle languages include English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish which is a great selection of option for players around the world. Coincidentally, the news comes just a day after Sanzaru Games and Oculus Studios announced similar support is coming to Asgard’s Wrath soon as well.
“Crafting subtitles in VR required a massive overhaul of industry best practices—but we truly believe in ‘VR for Everyone’ and are proud to bring VR to a whole new audience with this update,” says Peter Galbraith, Developer at Owlchemy Labs, in a prepared statement. “From the deaf and hard of hearing community to players around the world, everyone deserves a vacation.”
Just like everything Owlchemy Labs does, the subtitles feel like organic parts of the world in Vacation Simulator and are super playful. In a blog post about the update, the company details the process and methodology of adding support emphasizing the importance of making them feel like they “belong” in the world so as to avoid words simply floating for no reason in your field of view.
They’re shown at the depth of the speaker so they feel anchored and even go transparent when you need to interact with things behind them. When you’re streaming or recording footage, they’re shown at the bottom of the screen in Spectator Mode to make for a better viewer experience.
The subtitles update is out now on Steam and Oculus Home with the PSVR update coming soon. When the Quest version launches this feature will be included from day one later this year. There’s no word on if this feature will come to Job Simulator and Rick and Morty VR.
VR workouts are increasingly common – whether it be through dedicated fitness games, boxing simulators, or even just an intense session in Beat Saber or Super Hot. However, Viro Move is a new fitness experience in VR that combines all of the above.
As previously announced, Viro Move has three primary game types, one involving shooting (like Audica), another boxing (like BoxVR), and a third involving slashing à la Beat Saber. However, in the new demo launch trailer, we’ve got our first look at a new mode that will have you quickly switch between shooting targets, boxing and slashing blocks – all in a single level, while getting your blood pumping.
As you can see from the trailer, the way the levels operate looks to be somewhat derivative. That being said, having to quickly switch from slicing to shooting to boxing provides a lot of a variety. The game also look slightly less rhythm-focused since you’ll also have to physically move around a lot more – unlike the occasional wall dodge in Beat Saber, they look much more common – and drastic – in Viro Move.
With these variations from the classic Beat Saber formula, it’s pretty easy to see how you might feel exhausted after a Viro Move session or two. You can view more footage of the game and its different modes on the Viro Move YouTube channel.
Today Bigscreen is announcing its latest new theater environment: The Retro Cinema! This stylish destination looks like it will be perfect for binging old favorites with friends. Bigscreen TV is also getting a slew of new Halloween-focused channels and will roll out a slate of “premium 3D movie screenings” later this year.
Movie theater environments are always popular with the VR community in Bigscreen (as evidenced by past updates like the Modern Cinema) so doing a throwback environment this time around was a no-brainer.
Additionally, Halloween is coming up fast next week so users will be able to check out some brand new Halloween-focused channels to get into the spooky mood. Until after Halloween Bigscreen TV is getting 10 new channels including Fear Factor, Disney Channel, The Addams Family, and more to spotlight terrifying Halloween-themed content.
Plus, all of the new theater environments are building towards an even bigger initiative very soon: premium 3D movie screenings. The ball started rolling on these two years ago when Bigscreen partnered with Paramount for Top Gun, and this December more screenings are planned for all VR headsets across several countries. There aren’t any other details yet, but it sounds exciting — especially if new movies could premiere this way in addition to revisiting classics.
We’ve got a round up of other content you can watch live in VR this week over here, but on the Bigscreen front more stuff is already in the works too. Every Thursday you can tune in for live Thursday Night NFL Football games and then in 2020 Bigscreen will get an internal Friends list that connects across platforms and it’ll be coming to PSVR as well.
Every month we aim to round up each and every AR and/or VR game release for you in one single place — this is October 2019’s list. Check the bolded and underlined entries for ones we feel are particularly worth your time.
Curious about what’s coming this month to a VR headset near you? Then we’ve got you covered. And don’t forget to watch VRecap every Friday and The VR Download live every Thursday to stay on top of the top news stories, top new releases, and enter into our weekly VR game giveaways.
If you’re a VR game developer planning to release a game soon — let us know!You can get in touch with me directly by emailing david@uploadvr.com or hit all of the editorial team by emailing tips@uploadvr.com. Please contact us about your upcoming releases so that we can know what you’re working on and include you in release lists!
Unless otherwise stated, all PC VR releases are the Steam versions.
Rift, Vive, Index, and Windows VR Game Releases For October 2019
This week at the Oculus Connect 6 (OC6) conference in San Jose, CA I got the chance to try out a brief demo of The Room VR: A Dark Matter from Fireproof Games, a newly announced entry in the long-running puzzle series.
The Room VR was announced during OC6 and they had two demo pods with Oculus Quest headsets set up for attendees to try out. During my demo Tatjana did a short interview with Barry Meade, Co-Founder and Director of Fireproof Games, with me playing in the background.
You can watch the interview here:
My demo took place mostly inside the London police station you can see in the gameplay footage sprinkled throughout the interview as well as in the trailer (embedded below) as I was tasked with trying to figure out what’s going on with some new evidence at the station.
If you’ve ever played an interaction-heavy puzzle-based game in VR before, the flow of The Room VR will be very familiar. I basically spent my time teleporting between various nodes in the police station that each had a bunch of objects and items for me to tinker with. For example, near the front was a project that I could use to flip through slides that had evidence and historical details, or I could go to the evidence locker and retrieve items.
Similar to the mobile line of The Room games, or even just physical Escape Rooms and VR-themed Escape games you might have played, it’s just as much about interpreting the objects you’re given as it is filling in the blanks. One of the key puzzles in the demo was figuring out which evidence locker had the item I needed to break into a safe. The safe I was trying to open was overrun by the titular “dark matter” and made it impossible to open normally.
Over at the evidence locker I can see that someone was arrested for safe cracking but their storage number is erased — naturally. So if I look down the list I could tell that each number was listed sequentially and the letter associated was (spoilers) assigned to the criminal’s last name. After realizing that I grabbed the item, opened the safe, and then used that item to solve another puzzle later on.
What stood out to me most though is that this demo was running on an Oculus Quest and it looked absolutely great. Visually all of the environments were sharp, I could go out on the balcony outside and look over the city at nighttime, and all of the physical interactions felt really, really good.
I didn’t get a sense too much of what the narrative is about exactly, but it certainly has a strong mysterious flavor that should hook existing fans of the genre.
We’ll be keeping an eye on Fireproof Games and The Room VR for more details as the months move on. The Room VR is slated to release within the first few months of 2020 and is coming to every major VR device included SteamVR headsets, Oculus Rift via Home, Oculus Quest, and PSVR. Check out the official website for Fireproof Games for more details.
Pimax new headset, the 8KX, offers a true 4K per eye resolution across a 170 degree field of view.
The 8KX is priced at $1299. However, this doesn’t include tracking base stations or controllers. Additionally, Pimax’s own base stations and controllers are once again delayed- despite telling us back in January that they’d ship soon. That means you’ll need to buy these components from Valve or HTC, if you don’t already own a Vive or Index.
That brings the total price well above $1800. This is a VR headset for people who want the absolute best specs available- better than even the $999 Valve Index- and are willing to pay the price.
It’s not exactly clear how any graphics card on the market is supposed to run this kind of resolution in VR. When Tom’s Hardware benchmarked the 1440p per eye Pimax “5K Plus”, it found that even an RTX 2080 could not hit full framerate in games like Space Pirate Trainer or Arizona Sunshine, even with the field of view and resolution reduced to save performance. However, Pimax has added ASW-like “Smart Smoothing” and Static Foveated Rendering to help users keep framerate. Users could also turn down the resolution and framerate, but at that stage we’re left wondering the point of spending this much on a headset in the first place.
This problem could however be solved by the $300 eye tracking addon announced, from the same company making the HTC Vive eye tracking addon. Pimax claims this will enable foveated rendering. The human eye is only high resolution in the very center, as you can notice by looking around your room. VR headsets can take advantage of this by only rendering where you’re directly looking in high resolution. Everything else can be rendered at a significantly lower resolution.
We haven’t seen any verification of this dynamic foveated rendering yet however, but we’re definitely eager to review it once it releases.
For users who want the largest room scale possible, Pimax is also coming out with a 10 meter cable for $100. This should pair nicely with Valve’s SteamVR 2.0 base stations, which support a 10×10 meter space when four are used.
The 8KX finally delivers on Pimax’s original Kickstarter claim of a dual 4K VR headset. While the original Pimax 8K does have 4K panels, it can only accept an input resolution of 1440p per eye. Additionally, those panels didn’t have the full 3 subpixels per pixel- in fact, some reports suggested it had less than 2 subpixels per pixel.
We’ll be keeping an eye on Fireproof Games and The Room VR for more details as the months move on. The Room VR is slated to release 
