Rec Room developer Against Gravity today revealed the debut trailer of its next new game mode: Stunt Runner, coming in September to all platforms.
From what we can tell Stunt Runner is a race-based mini game that pits players against each other to get through a series of obstacles as quickly as possible. There are walls to jump off of, large gaps to jump across, speed boosts to collect, and more. Based on the gameplay footage shown in the trailer below it certainly seems to be heavily inspired by Sprint Vector.
Since Rec Room typically uses either teleport-based locomotion or smooth movement via analog sticks it’s hard to tell exactly how Stunt Runner will accommodate all control schemes. At one point near the end of the trailer the three players are seen swinging their arms as if they’re actually running — but I can’t tell if that’s just theatrics for the trailer or if that’s a new movement scheme adopted for this new game mode.
“Stunt Runner is an obstacle-based, extreme sports game show set in Rec Room! In this high-speed obstacle course where every second counts, four contestants must sprint, climb, wall jump, mantle, and dodge hazards to survive. Pick the perfect route and execute flawlessly to set a record time and become leaderboard champs!”
Stunt Runner joins the likes of Paintball, Bowling, Laser Tag, Rec Royale, and tons of other options for things to do with friends in VR using Rec Room’s free social VR hub. Gradually it’s grown to included more and more players, including Oculus Quest, PSVR, iOS, and even non-VR gamers on PC and console.
We’re looking forward to giving Stunt Runner a try when it launches later this year in September. A representative from Against Gravity confirmed to us that Stunt Runner will be coming to all platforms, include cross-play like other games, and continues to be entirely free.
Specifically, I’m most excited to see what sort of custom Stunt Runner rooms players will make.
Late last week we reported on initial findings from the July Steam Hardware Survey. But Valve has since updated its listings to finally include the Oculus Rift S and its own Index headset.
Last week we noted that roughly 10% of VR headsets on Steam may be attributed to these new headsets. With this update, though, we know that Rift S counts for 8.4% and Index counts for 1.46%. True, Rift S is some ways in front of Index in this first listing, but it’s had an extra month of sales over Index. Rift S launched late May and Index has been trickling out to customers since late June. The headset only started to ship immediately as of July 24.
July Results
Of course, Rift S costs $399 for the whole package whereas Index starts at $499 for the headset alone. The full package costs $999, so even with the headstart, it’s not surprising to see Rift S in front.
What’s perhaps more interesting is that Rift S is literally 0.99% behind Windows VR’s share. Obviously, we know the Steam Hardware Survey isn’t entirely dependable (it’s only an optional survey for Steam users), but to see the new Oculus headset catch up so quickly to an entire line of VR devices that have been available for a few years is surprising indeed.
In fact, the total of Oculus headsets now used on Steam (including Rift and DK2) is 49.86%. For comparison, the HTC Vive and Vive Pro come to 39.27% of the total share.
It definitely seems like Rift S got off to a good start in the context of the PC VR market, then. Of course, without any official sales figures to go on, it’s difficult to know how well any of these headsets are really doing.
We’ll be looking forward to seeing how Index increases over the course of the next month, too.
Samsung hasn’t really said much about VR since the release of Samsung Odyssey+, the hardware refresh to its Windows Mixed Reality headset that came to market in October 2018. However at Augmented World Expo (AWE), the company offered a few brief statements to underline their continued commitment to the space. In short: Samsung has more AR/VR products coming down the pipeline.
Farshid Fallah, Samsung’s director of developer relations for XR and gaming, took the stage at an AWE panel talk on Thursday to talk a bit about the upcoming AR capabilities for Galaxy S10.
As reported by Variety, Fallah remarked the company has plans to release “multiple AR and VR products” over the coming months.
While Fallah maintained that “Gear VR was a good entry point” for the company, he however admitted “things have moved on” since its initial consumer release in 2015.
Image courtesy Samsung
Case in point: the latest version of the Gear VR headset itself was released in 2017. While it does technically support an impressive 14 different smartphones from the company, the entrance of dedicated standalone VR headsets from Oculus seems to have taken the wind out of Samsung’s collective mobile VR sails.
Fallah however further suggested that it’s not over yet for a ‘Gear’ branded AR/VR devices. “We have other plans for Gear,” he said.
Whatever the case, we’re hoping to finally learn more about what happened to what the company dubbed “next mobile VR system” back at Samsung Developer Conference 2017, where they spoke about a hypothetical 6DOF standalone headset that would, for all intents and purposes, be positioned to compete with Oculus Quest.
Until now this cross-platform support has been limited to the HTC Vive. The latest update adds official support for Windows MR headsets too. The documentation includes details of how the Oculus Touch APIs relate to the Windows MR controllers.
What This Does And Doesn’t Mean
Like with the HTC Vive support this has no direct user facing consequences. Oculus Store games still can only have Oculus API support ticked in Unity. This change won’t make Windows MR work there. What this does do however is lower the technical barriers to building for Rift first and supporting Windows MR later, or wanting to release on both.
A developer of a game in Unity for the Oculus Rift can now add Windows MR support without having to integrate the separate SteamVR Plugin. Instead of having to manage the separate Oculus & SteamVR integrations they can stick with one. We should of course note the SteamVR Plugin can also be used to support both headsets, but this can’t be used for Oculus Store builds. Ultimately, this means developers building for SteamVR first and then planning to submit to the Oculus Store eventually would have to use the Oculus Integration anyway.
Windows MR is nearing 10% market share in the Steam Hardare survey. Hopefully the combination of that shift and this update prompts more developers to add support for Windows MR.
Samsung is offering an incredible deal this week — its Odyssey+ PC VR headset is just $299. This saves $200 (40%) from the regular $499 price.
Odyssey+ is the refreshed version of the original Odyssey, which was Samsung’s first PC VR headset released in 2017. The Odyssey+ launched in October, adding a new “anti screen door effect” technology to the OLED diplays, as well as ergonomic and weight improvements.
The Odyssey+ is a PC VR headset that leverages Microsoft’s Windows MR platform built into Windows 10. This platform is the default experience for the headset and the Microsoft Store is the default store, but it also works with SteamVR by using Microsoft’s SteamVR drivers.
The Odyssey+ has the same resolution as HTC Vive Pro, yet is significantly cheaper. The Vive Pro with base stations and controllers starts at $1,098.
The main difference in these two headsets is the positional tracking technology. The Vive Pro uses the SteamVR “Lighthouse” tracking system, whereas the Odyssey+ uses the two cameras on the front of the headset for “inside-out” tracking. Lighthouse generally provides better tracking quality with more tracked range for controller motion, but inside-out tracking requires no external hardware setup, making it less hassle and more portable.
When we reviewed the 2017 Odyssey we we impressed, concluding that it sits among the best VR headsets on the market. By some reports, the Odyssey+ is even better and at $299 it’s a steal. Remember, this headset can play most VR games on Steam.
The only time we’ve seen a VR headset with this resolution reach a price this low was Black Friday.
Samsung hat ein Patent eingereicht, welches eine VR-Brille beschreibt, die mit einem Field of View von mindestens 180 Grad punkten soll. Um diesen Wert zu erreichen, möchte Samsung auf gebogene OLED Displays setzen.
Samsung: Patent für VR-Brillen mit gebogenen OLED Displays und großem Field of View
Wie Die Abbildung von Samsung zeigt, könnte mit der Verwendung von gebogenen Displays der Formfaktor einer VR-Brille mit großem Field of View deutlich schrumpfen. Laut Patent könnte das Unternehmen zukünftig auf zwei unterschiedliche Linsen je Auge setzen, welche kombiniert eine Darstellung ohne Verzerrung ermöglichen sollen. Hierfür soll auch das ausgegebene Bild in zwei Zonen eingeteilt werden, die unterschiedlich gekrümmt werden.
Das Samsung ein Patent für eine solche Bauweise einreicht, bedeutet jedoch nicht, dass wir auch zeitnah eine VR-Brille nach diesem Vorbild sehen werden. Dennoch scheint Samsung an einer interessanten Lösung zu arbeiten und mit der Samsung Odyssey hat das Unternehmen bereits bewiesen, dass es gute VR-Brillen herstellen kann und ein Interesse für die VR weiterhin vorhanden ist. Hier findet ihr das aktuelle Patent zum Nachlesen.
When VRFocus was in South Korea, they managed to visit the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival which took place from the 11-21st of July 2018. Nina Salomons sat down with Jongmin Kim the curator of the Bifan VR village. He discussed the VR cinema scene in South Korea, how he’s trying to stimulate competition and inspire filmmakers to make virtual reality (VR) films. This year’s focus was on South Korea’s first VR cinema where visitors could either watch the film on a 2D conventional screen or put on a Samsung Odyssey headset and watch a series of films together.
Q: Is this the first year that VR is at the film festival?
A: No, this is our third year. We started two years ago and started to curate the VR village then.
Q: Are there any South Korean VR 360 films that are premiering at the VR village?
A: Yes.
Q: How many?
A: This year twenty-six Korean films are being shown at the VR village with only two or three of them not premiering at this festival.
Q: Wow, that’s amazing. Congratulations. What’s the general response from the film goers and the public who experience VR?
A: First of all there are many people who are interested in this new medium of virtual reality. Even some people who are interested in traditional filmmaking find this interesting. VR is a medium that puts emphasis on experiences and after experiencing VR, many people start to become interested in it. They come up with some new ideas and unique concepts.
Q: How do you decide to curate your VR films? Do you go to other film festivals to then showcase them here?
A: Currently I am only working in Busan and the reason why I started it was because the Busan International Film Festival has some links with VR, as it’s a fantastical film festival. This kind of film festival has an interest in new kind of meda like VR.
Q: With regards to curation, Venice, SXSW or Sundance do you bring them here if you see they’re successful?
A: Yes.
Q: Are there any specific headsets that you are putting into the VR village? Do you have partnerships with HMD manufacturers?
A: So I think it’s not just content that’s leading the innovation in VR. I also think that the headsets play a huge part in it. Every year I try to invite new types of VR headsets to the VR village. This year we had the Odyssey headset provided by Samsung. Even though there are leading VR headsets like Oculus vive and HTC Vive, I think new technology and new VR headsets can stimulate the competition which will boost this industry overall. So that’s why I try to invite companies to showcase their new technology and VR headsets.
In the VR Theatre you can choose to watch the film with or without a VR headset.
Q: Is there an app where people can click the VR village and watch all the content online? Is there online curation of VR films?
A: One of the reasons we can’t do online curation is because there is no online platform for VR right now in Korea. This year several telephone companies are creating online VR platforms and I expect by the end of this year that there will be a way to curate VR online.
Q: I saw some children putting on some VR headsets, also some grandparents which I thought was fantastic – I usually never see that. Are there age restrictions or safety concerns when there are people of different ages experiencing potentially quite intense content like horror films for example?
A: Eventhough VR is designed for horror and thriller, our film festival isn’t a genre film festival. It’s family friendly. I tried to invite films which can be watched by the whole family, so we are now separating the content according to age restrictions with some focusing on education or documentary content for children. I wondered how the future generation would react to this new media, so I tried to bring some educational content for them to experience.
Q: Is all of this content 360 films or also interactive animation in VR experiences as well?
A: There are many types of content being developed this year, but our main focus this year was on the VR theatre. This is because this year many VR theatres will be opening, so I wanted to put an emphasis on the VR theatre. I did however still invite some interactive content here.
Q: A lot of festivals that have a VR section, also have awards. Like ‘best interactive experience’, is this something you’re looking into as well?
A: We aren’t considering adding a competition, because in Korea VR is focused on gaming and not cinema. So we think we need some infrastructure and people should be introduced to VR cinema more before we can introduce competition. We also hope that filmmakers will be inspired by the VR cinema here, and then they can make their own VR films. Overall I think the infrastructure should be made first and more people should get used to VR cinema before we can introduce any competitions. So we are waiting for the producers and creators in Korea to become more active and make VR content before we start competitions.
Q: We go to a lot of festivals and see a lot of films. Are there criteria that have to be met in order to be shown or accepted?
A: There are no clear criteria, I just go around the world for one year and if I see a film which is inspiring in my personal opinion, then I choose it. It’s a rather personal process right now because there is no competition so there can’t be strict or clear criteria for the curation.
Q: With foreign films coming in, is language a big problem or barrier when it comes to watching films and experiences?
A: Yes language can be a barrier because we don’t add subtitles to the VR films. We think VR is different from 2D cinema so if we put subtitles it can break the concentration and ruin the media’s essence in terms of VR. So since we think it’s different from conventional cinema we still have to think of a way to break the language barrier.
Q: Are there anymore extravagant plans for next year?
A: This year we focus on people’s experience of this area. So we focused on how people can actually experience the space. This year we weren’t one hundred percent successful. So next year we will focus on the experience itself regarding the space and place. We think people shouldn’t just wear a VR headset, but also experience the whole thing when they step into the VR village itself. So for example this year was very hot, so we’re thinking of creating a huge plastic igloo where it’s very cool inside and adding a machine to make artificial snow inside so when people step into it they feel like winter and are experiencing the space.
Unlike traditional films we think VR is not very suitable for building stories or characters, but is more useful to build a different space and time. That’s why we’re focusing more on the building of the space and let them experience space rather than focusing on the stories.
Q: For next year it’s going to be in the same space with an igloo? Or are you guys going to move the VR village somewhere else?
A: So we’re still in the planning stages of this, and have to speak to the administration to solve problems like funding. It’s not confirmed yet.
Q: Is there a website that people can go to in order to find out more about the VR village and the film festival?
A: So we do have a website, and because there are restrictions for some people who cannot make it to the film festival in person we are actually planning a roadshow to different cities in Korea to show VR. If it’s confirmed it will all be on the website.
Q: If there’s a filmmaker out there who wants to enter their film and send it to you, how do they contact you?
A: Early next year there will be an option on the website for submissions, there is no personal way to contact myself.
To find out more about VR films keep reading VRFocus.
Während auch in Deutschland die Vorbereitungen auf den Black Friday laufen, wirbt Samsung in den Staaten mit einem ganz besonderen Angebot. In den USA kostet die Samsung Odyssey+ derzeit im Store von Microsoft nur 299 US-Dollar, jedoch liefert dieser Shop nicht nach Deutschland. Bei beispielsweise B&H könnt ihr das Headset jedoch zum gleichen Preis vorbestellen und direkt nach Deutschland versenden lassen.
Samsung Odyssey+ nach Deutschland für 437 US-Dollar liefern lassen
Da wir noch kein Headset erhalten haben, können wir euch nicht sagen, wie gut sich der SDE-Filter in der Praxis schlägt. Die Erfahrungen der ersten Tester gehen hierbei weit auseinander. Während einige User auf Redditbeschreiben, dass das Fliegengitter verschwunden sei, beschweren sich andere Tester/innen über ein zu weiches Bild.
Samsung is offering an incredible early Black Friday deal starting today — its Odyssey+ high end PC VR headset for just $299. This saves $200 (40%) from the regular $499 price. The deal applies only to customers in the United States.
The Odyssey+ is a new refreshed version of the original Odyssey, which was Samsung’s first PC VR headset released in November of last year. The Odyssey+ launched last month, adding a new “anti screen door effect” technology to the OLED diplays, as well as ergonomic and weight improvements.
The Odyssey+ is a PC VR headset that leverages Microsoft’s Windows MR platform built into Windows 10. This platform is the default experience for the headset and the Microsoft Store is the default store, but it also works with SteamVR by using Microsoft’s SteamVR drivers.
The Odyssey+ has the same resolution as HTC Vive Pro, yet is significantly cheaper. The Vive Pro with base stations and controllers starts at $1,098. The main difference in these two headsets is the positional tracking technology. The HTC Vive Pro uses the SteamVR “Lighthouse” tracking system, whereas the Odyssey+ uses the two cameras on the front of the headset for “inside-out” tracking. Lighthouse generally provides better tracking quality with more tracked range for controller motion, but the Odyssey and Odyssey+ tracking requires no external hardware setup, making it less hassle and more portable.
When we reviewed last year’s Odyssey we we impressed, concluding that it sits among the best VR headsets on the market. By some reports, the Odyssey+ is even better and at $299 it’s a steal. Remember, this headset can play most VR games on Steam.
We haven’t seen a VR headset with this resolution ever reach a price this low. Samsung has not said when the offer will end.
Samsung Odyssey+ is the company’s latest VR headset, and while it launched just a few weeks ago for $500, the Korean tech giant is throwing it on sale this Black Friday at a 40% discount.
Update (November 19th, 2018): The deal is now live, although thee’s no telling how long it’ll last.
Original article (November 12th, 2018): The deal is set to start online at Samsung.com on November 18th, slashing the headset to just $300, controllers included.
As a hardware refresh of last year’s Windows VR headset Odyssey HMD, there’s a few notable changes in the latest version.
The biggest change to the Odyssey+ is undoubtedly its new “anti-SDE” display treatment that’s said to visibly reduce screen door effect (SDE) on its dual 3.5″ AMOLED 1,440 × 1,600 panels. SDE is a result of magnifying both the display’s pixels and the unlit spaces between those pixels, which at times can feel like looking through a fine screen door-style mesh.
There’s also been a number of minor ergonomic changes to the headset though that should render it more comfortable to a wider set of users. Because the first Odyssey headset wasn’t incredible in the ergonomics department, the Odyssey+ now features a larger nose cavity and wider face interface, and a new foam material that the company says should improve comfort and reduce lens fogging. The weight of the headset has also been slightly reduced, from 820 grams to 798 grams, cable included. Check out our analysis of the differences between the new and old here.
An important distinction: Samsung Odyssey+ boasts the same resolution as HTC Vive Pro, but at a remarkably lower price—HTC Vive Pro costs $800 for just the headset, no basestations or controllers included. Windows VR optical tracking isn’t nearly as robust as Valve’s SteamVR tracking system, although it’s certainly good enough to play Beat Saber (2018), making it a strong PC VR contender against Oculus Rift this holiday season.
