Category: Project Ariana

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Razer’s Project Ariana Achieves Top Honours at CES 2017

Last week during the largest technology event in the world, CES 2017, VRFocus reported on Razer unveiling a new prototype projector dubbed Project Ariana. Extending players gaming worlds into their rooms, Project Ariana impressed those at the show that it won several CES awards in the process. 

The Project Ariana gaming projector by Razer won the official “Best Gaming” show honours, as well as distinction as this year’s “People’s Choice” from the official awards partner of CES, Engadget, who also nominated the device for “Best Home Theater Product” and “Best Disruption Tech” awards.

Project Ariana

“We see Project Ariana as the future of gaming immersion and a great showcase of what our Razer Chroma lighting technology can do,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer CEO and co-founder. “It’s great to see that consumers and editors agree on how exciting this innovation is for gamers. Project Ariana is able to offer a virtual reality experience without a headset and which can be enjoyed by everyone in a room.”

Although not technically virtual reality (VR), Project Ariana aims to make standard PC gaming even more immersive by taking environmental information from within a videogame and intelligently projects it around a room, essentially engulfing a player in the on-screen virtual world.

Razer achieved this by using its Razer Chroma lighting technology whilst combining it with laser sensors, 4k video projection technology, wide angle lenses and game code integration in partnership with publishers. And for those wanting to know more about the prototype project, VRFocus got to demo the product first hand.

The win continues Razer’s gaming dominance at CES, the company has now won “Best of CES” awards for seven consecutive years, breaking its own record in the 50-year history of the tradeshow, which annually showcases upwards of 20,000-plus products.

For any further Razer updates, keep reading VRFocus.

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When is VR not VR? When It’s Razer’s Project Ariana

A company very keen on virtual reality (VR) technology, Razer has used CES as a platform for annual unveiling since the surprise debut of the OSVR Hacker Dev Kit back in 2015. In the years that followed the head-mounted display (HMD) has taken on many new forms, pushed itself towards education and industrial application, and become a known quantity to VR gamers worldwide. But at this year’s CES Razer took a different approach to VR, unveiling Project Ariana.

Project Ariana

Back in 2013 – also at CES – Microsoft unveiled a concept technology called IllumiRoom. The idea was to expand the play scene beyond the limitations of a television screen, projecting related material onto walls and surrounding objects to enhance immersion. As a concept it was a wonderful idea, but as a product nothing has materialized in the years since. Now however, Razer plan to capitalise on the principle technology with the core PC videogame demographic begging for greater immersion.

Razer is billing Project Ariana as technology designed for the ‘pre-VR world’. One might argue that it’s a little late to be making such a statement as consumer VR devices are becoming more-and-more prevalent. Indeed, only today Samsung has claimed to have sold in excess of 5 million Gear VR HMDs. However, there’s still a very large gap between high-end VR adoption and the scaleable PC gaming audience, for which Project Ariana might be a stepping stone.

In principle, Project Ariana is a projection system much like IllumiRoom. It disperses light across the environment surrounding the player’s television or monitor to expand the play scene. The player’s focus remains central on the television, however the peripheral gameplay is cast upon the wall around the screen. And this is the core difference between IllumiRoom and Project Ariana: Razer’s technology isn’t just flashing lights, it is actual gameplay footage that would normally be inaccessible.

An extension of Razer’s Chroma programme, the product that is Project Ariana is essentially a high-definition projector that communicates with the videogame to project in-game elements to the dimensions and features of the physical environment.  A pair of 3D depth sensing cameras automatically calibrate to the environment, including recognition of furniture and room lighting, to provide an enhanced display for any room.

Project Ariana

Showcased using Devolver Digital’s Shadow Warrior 2, Project Ariana filled the full field of the wall surrounding the television with in-game visuals. Greater detail of the in-game environment and the action therein; enemies lurking in what would normally be outside of the field-of-view. However, the image remains flat. There’s no relation to the user, either with head movement or stereoscopy, and thus Project Ariana is not quite VR without a HMD.

Project Ariana is an interesting technology, though it will face many hurdles. The same arguments that can be levelled at the likes of Kinect and PlayStation Move – space requirements, room arrangement, supported videogames – can also be presented to Project Ariana. Furthermore, the cost is likely to be a significant hurdle: though VRFocus hasn’t yet been privy to any technical specifications, it’s hard to believe that Project Ariana will be an impulse-buy product. So then, why would a core PC gamer looking for greater immersion invest in Project Ariana over an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive?

It remains up to Razer to provide a convincing argument in that respect.

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Razer’s Project Ariana Expands The Gaming World Into the Real One

Razer’s well known for pushing videogame technology through its various peripherals and innovations. It was Razer along with several other companies that developed the Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) headset. For CES 2017 Razer has continued this progress but not quite in virtual reality (VR). The company has given a glimpse into the future of its flagship lighting technology, Razer Chroma, with Project Ariana. 

Project Ariana, takes the concept of Razer Chroma’s RGB lighting and expands it into room projection, communicating with games in real time to create both lighting and video effects. This creates solutions for players that increase their gaming experience with a wider range of peripherals that can use smart lighting and video projection.

Project Ariana

“Project Ariana is a concept design that showcases the power and potential of the Razer Chroma platform in the pre-VR world in bridging the gap between gamers and games,” says Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan.  “Video projection, multi-color lighting and the responsive intelligence of our Razer Chroma engine are changing the way we game today. We and our publishing and technology partners are working toward new visual solution for an even more incredible and visually rich tomorrow.”

Utilising a high-definition video projector that features an ultra-wide fish eye lens to extend what a player sees on screen right across their walls and ceiling. But to ensure a far more dynamic image that works with consumers rooms, the system adapts the projection of in-game elements to the dimensions and features of the physical environment.  The system comprises a pair of 3D depth sensing cameras alongside proprietary calibration software that automatically calibrates itself to detect environmental factors such as furniture and room lighting.

“This is the future of Razer Chroma as we see it,” says Tan. “We are working toward new video projection technology designed to place users in their games for total gaming immersion. Having a game literally surround a gamer completes the entire ecosystem of gaming, bridging the sensory gap between player and game.”

The idea currently exists in the concept stage, with attendees at CES 2017 getting a first look.

For the latest news from CES 2017, keep reading VRFocus.