A couple of months back VRFocusreported on indie developer One Hamsa announcing that its futuristic tennis title Racket: Nx would be fully launching in July 2018 having spent just over a year in Early Access. VRFocus can confirmed that will be happening today.
Racket: Nx might be inspired by sports like tennis, the actual experience itself turns the difficulty up a notch to ideally make use of virtual reality (VR). Players enter a 360-degree domed arena surrounded by a variety of different panels. Once a match starts the players must rack up their high score by targeting score panels with extreme precision before the timer runs out. To add to the challenge, players also need to maintain their health bar by avoiding penalty-dealing death panels as well as restoring health by hitting health panels.
With a glowing ball whizzing around the arena it can be difficult to keep track of it – especially when you get to the warp panel levels. So sound plays a major part in the Racket: Nx experience, developed in conjunction with Waves Nx Spatial Audio Technology that captures the audio in 6 channels. This provides players with accurate 360-degree spatial surround sound enabling them to track the ball even when it’s not within their field of vision.
And just to make sure you’ve got ultimate control of the ball when you do spot it, Racket: Nx also comes equipped with a grappling hook tool, enabling players to instantly retrieve the ball for another quick serve.
Featuring a selection of single-player and multiplayer game modes, Racket: Nx’s solo mode offers score-based challenges across dozens of stages of varying difficulty. Then in Arcade players compete for global highscores in an infinitely intensifying survival mode. On the competitive multiplayer side, local and online multiplayer modes feature a competitive league with head to head matches, a skill rating system and rankings.
Racket: Nx includes cross-platform online play between HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality devices. For any further updates on the videogame or the studio, keep reading VRFocus.
Sports titles in virtual reality (VR) have proven to be very popular, especially if they have a strong multiplayer element to them. Last year indie developer One Hamsa launched a futuristic, tennis style experience called Racket: Nx for HTC Vive, subsequently bringing the experience to Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets for cross platform gameplay. Now the team has revealed its on course for a full release in July.
Featuring both single-player and co-op, PvP multiplayer, Racket: Nx is a frantic, point scoring experience inside a 360-degree dome. Players have to hit different coloured wall panels to accumulate enough points to progress to the next stage when playing solo, or score enough to beat their opponent in multiplayer.
While the Steam Early Access time has seen plenty of additions, the main gameplay modes have remained the same throughout; two single-player modes (campaign and endless play) as well as competitive multiplayer (online and local). The final build will include even more features including dozens of new handcrafted levels, an extensive powerup system, new tile types, environments and more.
Due to Racket: Nx’s gameplay, decent spatial audio is a must to keep track of the ball. To do this the Racket: Nx team partnered with global audio brand Waves to use their Nx spatial audio technology, allowing for high quality realtime positional audio simulation, not only aiding players immersion but also allowing them to rely on their ears as well as their eyes to tell them what’s where.
Featuring an original soundtrack which includes popular Progressive Trance artists such as Mr Bill, Electrypnose and Digicult,Racket: Nx will continue to offer full cross-platform compatibility between HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
Currently One Hamsa and publisher Keshet International Gaming have given a launch window of July 2018. When the teams specify a concrete released date for Racket: Nx, VRFocus will let you know.
It seems you just cannot escape wireless virtual reality (VR) at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The 2018 show held in Las Vegas has been throwing up all kinds of news updates in relation to cutting the cords for VR and enabling users to go untethered. In fact, we’re practically falling over stories about it.
The biggest is, naturally enough, the reveal by HTC during their press conference of their offcial solution to the problem of freeing the HTC Vive head mounted display (HMD) from the terror of the cord. There’s also been two new standalone headsets announced, Xiaomi’s Mi VR Standalone which will be the dedicated Chinese market equivalent of the Oculus Go and feature power by the Qualcomm Snapdragon. This was then followed by another reveal as QIYI unveiled their own take on the technology, the QIYU-II. There has also been a trio of announcements from TPCAST and also one from DisplayLink.
But it’s DisplayLink we’re back with now because they’ve also been showcasing at CES 2018 just how wireless can be enjoyed in a multiplayer setting. In a demo area at CES users can try out a game of Racket:Nx, a virtual racket ball videogame, and see the difference that it makes. People around the area can also see the virtual arena the players are in thanks to mixed reality which uses the latest DisplayLink XR codec and reference designs.
“VR opens so many new opportunities for business, enterprise and gaming. We cut the cord last year and now we’re showcasing VR in an untethered, multi-player virtual arena. DisplayLink continues to push the boundaries for immersive solutions and this demonstration highlights the considerable benefits for collaborative work, whether it’s designing a new workspace, engaging clients on a product vision, or exploring virtual worlds with a friend. Multi-user VR (MUVR) using DisplayLink’s XR codec combined with 60GHz wireless connectivity provides the very best immersive VR experience.” said John Cummins, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing. “
“We’re very excited about DisplayLink’s wireless solution, not just for Racket: Nx but for VR in general. The freedom to move, spin and act without any concern for cables is physically and psychologically liberating – Racket: Nx has been waiting for this technology for a long time! VR is about to get that much more immersive, uninhibited, and accident free.”
Some days are really sent to test you. Nothing goes right, and instead everything goes very wrong indeed. It’s raining out, or cold, or both. Something expensive breaks. Someone reliable is not. You’ve no time for any of the things you need to do. Your post is nothing but bills and your next-door neighbour is still playing that same song over and over they started playing several hours back. What’s the worst is when these days happen to be on the weekend, supposedly days of rest.
Sometimes you just need to take a load off, and get away from it all. In this way virtual reality (VR) is especially valuable. After all, if the world’s full of nonsense why not go to a new one? Thankfully there’s always a deal here on the various stores where you can pick up a videogame on the cheap and work out some of the stress from a testing world.
Today’s selection of titles picked by VRFocus come from Steam, so check out the below and maybe save some cash on something good.
CROTEAM VR Bundle
Compatibility: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
Remember what I said about combating stress above? Here’s a bumper pack of titles to cause havoc in.
Earlier in the week we told you about the release of Serious Sam 3 VR: BFE. Croteam have been busy throughout 2016 and 2017 converting some of their most iconic titles – the Serious Sam series – into VR compatible adventures for both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. As well as that release Croteam also released a special bundle of all their VR related titles onto Steam.
It’s a five pack consisting of Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope, Serious Sam VR: The First Encounter, Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter, the aforementioned Serious Sam 3 VR: BFE and also The Talos Principle.
The CROTEAM VR Bundle works out to be 51 percent off of purchasing the games separately; meaning you can pick up all five titles for £73.90 GBP rather than £150.95.
Racket: Nx
Compatibility: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
“Racket: Nx is an out and out sports title, compare it to any game which involves a racket of some sort (badminton, tennis, table tennis, etc), just with a bit of sci-fi flare. Players are located in the centre of a dome, on a slightly raised platform. This dome is made up of hexagonal panels which illuminate with different options depending on the game mode or difficulty.” – Read Peter Graham’s preview for VRFocus.
Until the end of Monday Racket: Nx is available on Steam for £9.59 (GBP) rather than £15.99.
Karnage Chronicles
Compatibility: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
“Karnage Chronicles is a first-person experience that performs in a similar fashion to the extremely well received Vanishing Realms: Rite of Steel. While Indimo Labs’ debut title nails the combination of puzzle solving and combat fairly solidly, Karnage Chronicles has two other ideals up its sleeve: character class divisions and co-operative gameplay.” – Read VRFocus Editor Kevin Joyce’s preview.
You’ve just over a day to get Karnage Chronicleson Steam at 15% off, for £16.14 (GBP) rather than £18.99.
ZomDay
Compatibility: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
It seems like there’s always a zombie crisis somewhere isn’t there? In this fast-paced Early Access VR videogame from INTO GAMES a zombie outbreak has occurred throughout the world. You are a soldier of the Special Event Action Team, better known by the acronym S.E.A.T. It’s your job to convince the walking dead to stop the former, and stay the latter. With as many bullets as is necessary.
You’ve until November 17th to get 25% off of ZomDay, bringing the price down to £5.24 (GBP) from £6.99.
Aeon
Compatibility: HTC Vive
“Aeon is a VR shooting game. Use your Bullet Time (slow motion) ability, sharp swords and heavy caliber pistols to kill the enemy! Realistic details of hit reactions, real-time sword cutting system, Advanced IK to let you see your whole body.” – Developer Illusion Ranger
Another title scheduled to end just over a day from the time of writing, Aeon is available on Steam with a 10% discount currently. Buy it now at £17.09 (GBP) over the usual cost of £18.99.
Final Soccer VR
Compatibility: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
In this videogame by Ivanovich Games, soon to celebrate its first anniversary you must take on the role of a football attacker or a goalkeeper and use your virtual skills in order to score goals or prevent them from being scored. Its as simple as that. Whilst for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift the striker side of the game is only for the HTC Vive – so do bear this in mind.
For a short time only you can get Final Soccer VRfor £7.49 (GBP) 50% off its usual price of £14.99. Its also a part of the Virtual Reality Arcade Bundle, which also features Lander 8009 VR, Operation Warcade VR and Off-Road Paradise: Trial 4×4. You can get all four of these titles for £26.60. 52% off the usual price.
Alpha Mike Foxtrot VR – AMF VR
Compatibility: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
“Get ready for the Next Generation in Virtual Reality First Person Shooters! Focusing on fast-paced gameplay and immersive environments, Alpha Mike Foxtrot VR (AMF VR) delivers the goods. Put on your headset and engage in all-out warfare with Bots, Friends (or Enemies) around the globe.” – SUBLEVEL ONE STUDIOS
Developed by LastnOni and published by Frozen Dreams, Legendary Hunter is inspired by the classic NES videogame Duck Hunt – but Duck Hunt didn’t have a day/night cycle, and it certainly didn’t have wolves and crocodiles hunting you.
You’ve just over a day left on this offer, which gives a third off the regular £5.59 (GBP) price to give you a sale value of £3.74.
Super Ninja Hero VR
Compatibility: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
If there’s one thing that’s bound to ruin your day it’s a bunch of ninja’s flying out of the sky. I mean it’s a Sunday. You’ve got things to do. That washing isn’t going to sort itself out you know. Take up arms in Wuhan Firegame Co.,Ltd’s first person battler which is on sale now for half its usual price of £6.99 (GBP). Another title in the Steam week long deal that is rapidly expiring, you’ve just over a day to act and acquire it.
Wacky Wings VR
Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and OSVR
A title that came out at the beginning of the year from Pocket Money Games, Wacky Wings VR doesn’t see you just fly aeroplanes, it also sees you take command of helicopters and even dragons! Navigate your way through ten levels of in-flight entertainment.
Racket: Nx is an impressively polished and physical VR arcade sport which plays like a mashup of futuristic racquetball and pinball. Currently in Early Access (and rated 99% positive), the game is due to get a major ‘Early Access 2’ update on July 27th that brings with it a host of improvements from physics to gameplay to music.
Racket: Nx puts players in the middle of a 360 degree dome with panels that light up in all directions. Each panel can net you points, power ups, or penalties upon contact, depending on how skillfully you can land the futuristic hovering ball. Underpinned by the ‘Waves Nx’ spatial audio tech, the attention to the game’s soundscape is fantastic, with the sounds of the ball represented in all directions around you, rich sound effects throughout, and a bass-bumping beat to tie it all together. Visually and audibly, Racket: Nx is one of the most polished games you’ll find on SteamVR, and it works with both the Vive and the Rift.
That’s why we’re excited to see the big Early Access 2 update coming on July 27th. The new update reworks key parts of the game—including physics and gameplay—and focuses on making Racket: Nx an increasingly competitive and fast-paced experience, with leaderboards and a multiplayer league with skill-based rankings and career statistics. Some of the biggest changes coming to the Early Access 2 update are to the game’s physics and arena layout.
The developers say the physics have received a major rework which aims to increase player control and intentionality, so that you can get the ball where you want it to go with greater consistency.
The game’s arena has been adjusted for a new gameplay feel. The new arena is smaller, which ups the pace of each match by decreasing the ball’s travel time between your racket and the wall. Along with that change comes and overall new layout of scoring elements; the wall can now develop one-way boundaries which the ball can pass through in only one direction, creating pockets of scoring potential (or penalty) depending upon where you manage to land your shot. The dome is now fully spherical, which means the ball will roll back into the main scoring area if it slides toward the top or bottom of the sphere, which can result in some lucky moments. With the changes come a new color scheme featuring more neon oranges and blues than the game’s formerly signature muted green.
The Racket: Nx Early Access 2 update also brings with it an original soundtrack that seems perfectly suited for the game’s impactful nature. Developer One Hamsa teases “the likes of Mr. Bill, Electrypnose, and Digicult. With Progressive Trance, Psytrance, Glitch and IDM,” with all of the game’s music made in six channels for spatial playback surrounding the player.
With a 99% positive rating on steam across nearly 180 reviews, Racket: Nx is one of SteamVR’s top rated games and is priced at $20 in Early Access, with the Early Access 2 update coming on July 27th. There’s also a free demo available for download on the game’s Steam page.
The weekend is upon us and VR sport Racket: NX is offering its first free weekend for the next two days to entice players into discovering the game.
Racket: NX is a competitive racket sport where you hit an energy ball at a wall for points. It takes some real skill to nail down timing and angle for hitting the ball in just the right direction and its creators have implemented some incredibly robust mixed reality capture support in hopes that it might draw in spectators.
The game continues in early access and normally sells for around $20. Given that the full game is free for this weekend, we highly recommend you check it out. Here’s some two-player mixed reality footage the developers captured at the Unity Vision Summit that gives an idea how the game works.
There is a lot of discussion surrounding VR as a spectator sport. Some folks are even trying to brand the term ‘vSports” as an update to “eSports” for professional VR competition that can attract spectators.
But there are serious roadblocks to this evolution. Games like Call of Duty, Dota 2, or Starcraft 2 have millions upon millions of players and fans that are familiar with their respective games, providing a large base of spectators who can closely follow the action of professional players battling it out. Even then, some competitions enjoy only a few years of interest when the game is popular, and then fall off when players move on or a sequel arrives.
VR doesn’t have that player base yet. It does have something else, though — mixed reality. A big green screen and a beefy PC can be used in conjunction to instantly catch the eye of spectators. Given the way VR uses our natural body movements to interact rather than button presses or mouse movements, anyone watching can get a quick grasp on what is happening — jumping out of the way, ducking your head, or connecting perfectly with a virtual ball all make perfect sense to someone watching a mixed reality stream.
The mixed reality setup for Racket: NX is one of the best I’ve seen. First it was presented on a gigantic TV at VRLA and then I spotted it again at Unity’s Vision Summit this week, this time capturing the full match between two players in mixed reality.
I’ve just played the game these few times, so I am far from a professional. But between the first time I played it and the video above I noted a dramatic change in my ability to direct the ball and aim it where I wanted with precise timing and racket orientation. The sport itself would undoubtedly be even more exciting to watch with experts competing.
“Anyone who plays the game at home will find a very evident learning curve similar to learning a new sport,” said DaveLevy, CCO at Racket: NX developer One Hamsa. “If I don’t play for a couple days I feel my skill drop.”
Even with my limited skill playing, I found myself transfixed by the colorful mixed reality on the screens at both these events — something that makes me hopeful for the prospect of VR as spectator sport.
Racket: NX remains in early access on Steam selling for $20, with a demo version available for free. The plan is for the game to leave early access late this year as more pieces are added to it, like a competitive league and better matchmaking.
This game is in Early Access which means the developers have deemed it incomplete and likely to see changes over time. This review is an assessment of the game’s current state, and will not receive a numerical score.
At its core Racket: Nx is a game about a racket, a ball, and a futuristic dome. Players will come to love all three: the thwack of a good hit; the sweeps and whooshes of a ball whizzing overhead; the pop and fizz of particles as a target is hit sweetly right in the centre. Here comes the ball again… line yourself up and take the next shot. It succeeds in making you feel like an heroic player as you unleash fierce volleys and subtle dinks.
We have written about Racket: Nx a couple of times before. Now, launched today into Early Access on Steam, (ahead of an anticipated late 2017 full release) we have a chance to revisit the latest version, this time with the much anticipated multiplayer support enabled.
Gameplay
I’ll cut right to the chase: the multiplayer is a blast. Fast, fun, satisfying and guaranteed to bring out the competitive streak in anybody. The avatars are really expressive—I’m going to go with ‘Alien Lizard Robot with Sound Activated Brain’ as the best descriptor here—so you can see the effect of play on your opponent as they lunge for a fast moving ball or pull off an impossible seeming back hand while the integrated chat makes sure you’ll hear every grunt and curse as play progresses. And there will be cursing, believe me.
Unfortunately, due to a last minute issue, it looks like Racket: Nx will launch with a small bug that sometimes hangs the game when you opt for a rematch. Exiting back to Steam and restarting the game gets it working again. It’s the only blight on an otherwise very impressive Early Access debut, and hopefully can be resolved soon.
In the multiplayer mode the arena moves through a set number of waves and, at the end of the final wave, the player with the highest score takes the win. Each wave features a different set of target types all around the players and offers a unique challenge. Every point you score takes a point away from your opponent, and vice versa, so there’s a lovely tug-of-war aspect at play here after you both start with 50 points. You will take it in turns to strike the ball, whose excellent and very satisfying physics haven’t lost anything in the months of tweaking since the demo.
Each time the ball hits the wall surrounding the arena it will change colour, alternating between your colour and your opponent’s, and will then return towards the appropriate player with the angle and speed determined by the previous shot. In this way you can make life difficult for the opposition simply by applying excessive power to a shot or ensuring the ball will return from an unfavourable angle. If they miss their shot the ball will pass them by, hit the wall, and then it will be your turn again and they just lost a chance to put points on the board.
In essence when you strike the ball its trajectory feels real, controllable, and believable. When the ball is returning, however, it’s more game-like as it homes in on the next player and you really feel like you’re inside a futuristic sport arena playing hyper-Squash.
There is a welcome element of gamesmanship and far deeper tactical play than I was expecting, in terms of shot selection and thinking a few hits ahead and taking advantage of a slip (literal or figurative) from your opponent. Added to this, the game features power-ups: cells that require multiple hits to break down with the player that lands that final shot reaping a bonus, warp cells that suck the ball in and spit it out randomly through another warp point, hit streaks, moving targets, and the ability to angle your shot just so and see it slide across multiple cells thus raking in the points; and later on there are negative cells that drain your score….
At time’s it’s breathless entertainment, and a good rally will have you laughing at the sheer thrill of it all. It feels very pure, very old school, and very polished. For a game in the vanguard of the initial VR wave—embracing the most modern gaming tech—in the hands, it whisks you back to playgrounds and simpler times.
After spending an hour in the new multiplayer mode with developer One Hamsa’s Community Director Carsten Boserup (and despite being heavily beaten by Carsten in every game we played) I had a great time. As the matches ebbed and flowed I did occasionally find a flurry of good form that felt very rewarding.
One Hamsa describe this as a VR Sport game, and they want player skill and ability to be front and centre. It’s easy to see how, with regular play, I could evolve and improve as a player to the point where I would be far more competitive, as with any “real” sport.
Despite an hour of energetic but friendly competition, the game didn’t leave me exhausted. Obviously a lot will depend on your individual build, level of fitness, style of play and what you want out of the game. Those simply looking for a fun sports game can just play it in a more relaxed way. Those looking for a moderate workout, or as a way to burn some calories, can play it more energetically.
No matter how you game, you will want to make sure your play area is sufficiently spacious and clear. I’m quite tall, with a long reach, and was conscious at all times that a sudden lunge or desperate swing could end in disaster. Equally, it’s all too easy to potentially get caught up in the trailing cables if you’re not careful. By now most VR gamers are accustomed to this but newer players will want to take extra care.
The ‘Alien Lizard Robot with Sound Activated Brain’ avatars actually fit fairly well within the feel of the game.
On the single player side there is a Solo mode featuring five challenges, each of which has a different and escalating combination of waves to master. This is a great mode in its own right, and very difficult to beat, but also acts as a primer for the multiplayer. The enemy here is the clock, as you fight against time to clear each wave, making just a little more progress each time.
When playing solo you can squeeze the trigger to change the ball’s trajectory by attracting it to the racket like a magnet, and the risk here is that the ball can shatter your racket if you don’t release the trigger in time, costing vital seconds as it regenerates. The reward is that you can potentially set up some crucial shots that keep you in the game.
There’s also an Arcade mode offering infinite play against the clock, but the Custom mode (whereby you can build and share your own set of waves) is currently unavailable, clearly intended for a later version.
Racket: Nx is available via Steam for the HTC Vive initially, though the developer has confirmed to Road to VR that they plan to add Rift and Touch support later this year. Though there isn’t yet “official” support, apparently people have been able to play it on the Rift through SteamVR, but I’d advise waiting a while to see the extent to which it’s playable in this way (as the game is built for 360 tracking, which not everyone with Touch has). As we move through the three planned quarterly Early Access updates (with tweaks and hotfixes as necessary in between) One Hamsa’s feature and post-Vive plans should become clearer.
It’s in those plans that the potential of Early Access could be maximised. While the developers have their own vision of where they want to take the game in the coming months, they are very much looking to the community to help shape their priorities and suggest new avenues that the game might explore. Modding is potentially on the table if there’s enough interest, and—given its Unity underpinnings and presence on the Steam platform—I’m certain there would be no shortage of people keen to experiment.
It’s a shame we have to wait until the end of the year for the finished article then, but there’s already enough here to warrant your consideration if you enjoyed the demo (available for free on the game’s Steam page), and the promise of more to come.
At $20—a price that will likely rise throughout the year as features are added—it falls into what we might consider the lower middle tier of VR pricing. Some people might baulk at the value proposition, and on the face of it there are cheaper VR experiences, but in a dollar-per-hour analysis there is a lot of potential play to be had in the game and the production values are above the norm.
Most of you will know from trying the demo whether this floats your boat, and whether it’s worth twenty bucks to you or not. If it is, I hope to see you in the multiplayer. I’ll be the tall British guy with the insane power shot who is slowly improving, match after match.
Immersion
The whole package is presented neatly with a front end that smoothly moves between modes, builds up the 360 arena around you at the start of each match and explodes it away at the end. The sense of presence is excellent and the sound is clear and precise, which lends an air of believability to the notion that you’re bounding a futuristic ball off of futuristic walls using a futuristic racket.
It’s not Discs of Tron (1983), but it is very much like being in the Tron universe. Everything seems very real and solid, from the game world to the simple act of hitting the ball.
Comfort
The fact that you are always located in the same position whether selecting options or playing the game means that comfort is excellent throughout. You are always in control in how you move in your play area and where you look; the only discomfort might come from the act of exercise itself, as it’s all too possible to wind up for a really big hit and overstretch yourself if you’re not careful.
You’ll want to make sure your play space is on the upper end of recommendations. Don’t play this if your ceiling is low or there are walls close to the edge of your play area unless you can be very disciplined in your movement.
The whole experience is so comfortable that spending a lot of time in the game is very pleasant—at least until the warmer weather arrives, at which point you’d better have air-conditioning or things are going to get very sweaty very quickly.
We partnered with AVA Direct to create the Exemplar 2 Ultimate, our high-end VR hardware reference point against which we perform our tests and reviews. Exemplar 2 is designed to push virtual reality experiences above and beyond what’s possible with systems built to lesser recommended VR specifications.
Summary
In Racket: Nx the HTC Vive can claim another worthy roomscale experience. It feels like a real sport, and when you’re in there everything else just fades into the background as you find yourself in the zone trying to beat your previous performances or the opponent standing opposite you. Time will tell how much One Hamsa can evolve and broaden the experience throughout its Early Access run, but what we have here is a very impressive beginning. Even if you’re not quite ready to jump in now, this is one to watch.
This game is in Early Access which means the developers have deemed it incomplete and likely to see changes over time. This review is an assessment of the game’s current state, and will not receive a numerical score.
Imagine that you’re inside of a futuristic gymnasium, when a small, glowing ball comes careening at your head. You deflect it back using a small racket in your hand, aiming it towards a glowing green hexagon on the wall. As your time window to hit that dot decreases, the pitch of the target becomes frantic and hurried. Your pulse races, and then suddenly, the game’s over.
That was very much like an experience I got to see at a private suite demonstration from Waves Audio. The company was showcasing their new 3D audio tracker, called the Waves NX, and their new title that utilizes the device: Racket: NX. This is the first title that utilizes the Waves NX 3D Audio technology.
The Waves NX is a 3D audio tracker that creates a surround sound 5.1 or 7.1 experience using your headphones. It feeds 3D audio or source-encoded 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound through an application that runs on Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. The slightly easier to comprehend version of that is through example: imagine that you are talking with your friend in a quiet room. When he faces you directly, his tone sounds normal. However, when he turns away and starts talking, you can notice a subtle difference in the pitch of his voice. It’s softer, and at a lower frequency compared to when he was facing you directly. The sounds are bouncing off other objects in the room. The Waves NX audio technology puts you at the center of sound localization, without a loss or change in pitch.
A second example that could be used is from watching TV. If you sit in front of the TV and speakers, you get the “normalized” form of the sound; in contrast, if you move to a different location, the sound will be different. Again, the Waves NX prevents that loss in sound pitch.
Waves Audio got into the VR sphere by releasing the NX Virtual Mix Room plugin for audio professionals, which created a virtual audio listening experience and mix room using any regular headphone set. The company aimed to totally immerse the user in a virtual soundscape that uses an HMD to emulate soundwaves reaching the ear from above, below, and all around the user.
The Waves NX is a small, lightweight device that uses one AAA battery and lasts approximately 40 hours. It connects using a small rubber band strap that attaches to the top of any headphone kit. The kit uses Bluetooth technology to connect to any number of devices including mobile, PC, and Mac using different apps catered towards each device. Once the NX connects to Bluetooth, indicated by a flashing blue light on top of the NX, the app can be used to enable the 3D audio listening mode, a mode that can be turned on or off at the press of a button on-screen. So, how does the Waves NX apply to games?
Going back to the space gymnasium example in Racket: NX, the Waves NX allows for a much more immersive gaming experience. Sounds in the game can become a lot more pronounced. In the VR sphere, let’s say you’re playing a shooter and you hear noises behind you. Turn your head towards that stimulus, and the sound becomes much more pronounced. In a space game demo, the noises of the targets behind me became higher pitched once I acknowledged its location relative to my own. Racket: NX required quick reflexes and instincts, as well as a good understanding of spatial awareness. It’s an audio-centric experience that focuses on a surrounding dome, and a ball that emitted sound when it hit a wall.
The sounds became crucial in knowing where to aim the ball; players can attract the ball using a button on the remote, but that came with penalties as extended usage broke the racket in-game and resulted in lost time. Using the a VR headset, players get the opportunity to experience a virtual soundscape and move around freely in the virtual environment.
Priced at $79.99, the Waves NX makes for a much more immersive gaming and listening experience. It’d be great to see this technology make more waves in gaming, especially in the VR fold which focuses a lot more on creating an immersive experience.
CROTEAM VR Bundle
Karnage Chronicles
ZomDay
Aeon
Final Soccer VR
Alpha Mike Foxtrot VR – AMF VR
Legendary Hunter VR
Super Ninja Hero VR
Wacky Wings VR
