Category: VR Headsets

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Hands-On at CES With Intel’s Project Alloy Standalone VR Headset

Hands-On at CES With Intel’s Project Alloy Standalone VR Headset

Project Alloy from Intel is a prototype VR headset with important new features from one of the world’s most influential tech companies, and we’ve just tried the first hands-on demo of the hardware at CES.

Alloy sits in the same standalone category as the Santa Cruz prototype from Facebook’s Oculus, meaning the hardware you wear on your head includes not just the display, but the rendering and positional tracking technologies that are fundamental parts of making VR work. Unlike the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, no outside hardware, sensors, or cameras are needed.

Developer kits for Alloy are already in the hands of Intel’s partners and the company expects it to be turned into a consumer product by the end of the year. It is a bit of a heated race for Intel, because Microsoft already announced partners working with the tracking technology it developed for HoloLens. This critical technology is a prize for Microsoft, developed over a number of years, and both Facebook and Google (along with many others) are racing to match it. Heading into an era of mixed reality, if Intel is to retain its position as a supplier of fundamental technology for a wide range of manufacturers, it needs Project Alloy and its tracking technology to be a solid platform upon which partners can build.

So how did it work? I am one of the only people in the world to have tried both Facebook’s prototype and Intel’s, so I have some perspective others don’t. That said, my time in each headset was extremely limited, the prototypes is in ongoing development, and my impressions are totally subjective. So keep that in mind as you read on.

Intel Merged Reality

I can’t make too many conclusive statements about Intel’s technology, except to say that it won’t deliver an experience that feels anything like the one depicted in the “merged reality” video below anytime soon.

Instead, the Project Alloy demo I experienced “drifted” considerably. If it had been me wearing the Project Alloy prototype in the video above, I would’ve walked into a door.

Intel said it has the technology to scan a room while the headset is on, but in my demo it had been scanned beforehand. This scanning process should allow software to dynamically mold itself to the physical geometry of the room.

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The Pico Neo CV Is A Fully Untethered, Positionally Tracked VR Headset

The Pico Neo CV Is A Fully Untethered, Positionally Tracked VR Headset

HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PS VR, Samsung Gear VR, and Google’s Cardboard and Daydream platforms are all the most recognized names when it comes to virtual reality across the powerful home units and mobile markets, but there are still a handful that keep the industry competitive and honest. CES 2017, to no one’s surprise, has been the home of announcements and debuts of new challengers to the VR arena and Pico has stepped up to the plate. Founded in 2015, Pico has built up their team to about 300 people and have revealed their primary flagship headset: The Pico Neo CV.

Previously, we wrote about the Pico Neo DK which is, in some ways, the little brother to the newly unveiled Pico Neo CV.

The Pico Neo CV is packing two 1.5k displays at 90Hz, built-in speakers with an AM3D spatial rendering engine, and more. But the real hook here is its untethered design.

With the Pico Neo CV, users have a full 6DOF (degrees of freedom) with complete positional tracking and no tether to a cell phone, PC, or video game console. “Our talented Pico Technology team designed the Pico Neo CV with a consumer-first approach so that users can simply put it on and go without being tied to a computer, console or mobile phone,” said Pico’s VP of business development Paul Viglienzone in a prepared statement. “As the premiere global center of innovation and technology, CES is the perfect place for us to debut the Pico Neo CV, as well as showcase our entire suite of Pico VR products, as the breakthrough headset prepares for launch in 2017.”

Untethered headsets are all the rage now, on the heels of Facebook’s Santa Cruz prototype, the wireless Vive accessory from TPCast, and Intel’s Project Alloy. At CES 2017, Pico will showcase their tracking kit and the Pico Neo DK along with the new CV. Visitors to their booth can get hands-on with the CV and see demos for the DK in action. The CV is a sleek looking headset that looks like a blend of Daydream’s visual unit and PS VR’s headstrap.

The Pico Neo CV is expected to launch this year. Stay tuned to UploadVR for more reveals throughout the end of the week, including our hands-on impressions.

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HTC Vive Integrates Audio With New Deluxe Headstrap Similar To Rift’s

HTC Vive Integrates Audio With New Deluxe Headstrap Similar To Rift’s

Instead of revealing a brand new Vive 2.0 of some kind, which HTC already told us wouldn’t be happening, the Taiwan-based company is using CES 2017 to unveil a slew of new accessories consumers can integrate into their already purchased HTC Vive VR headsets. One of the most surprising new additions is the “Deluxe Audio Strap.”

If you’ve ever seen or used the Oculus Rift then there’s a good chance you recognize the design. One of the biggest differentiating features between the Rift and Vive is that, from the very start, Oculus’ debut headset included integrated audio, while the Vive required plugging in your own headphones. Now, the Deluxe Audio Strap lets you replace your stock headstrap with on-ear devices that look essentially just like the Rift’s.

According to a press kit briefing from HTC, the Deluxe Audio Strap features “interior padding, a new 3-in-1 cable path and an easy-to-adjust sizing dial”. Installation of the new headstrap looks simple and the form factor and fit are similar to the existing headset’s design, albeit much more structured and less reliant on velcro straps.

High-quality sound is an incredibly important piece of a VR experience — perhaps just as much as the visual stimulation itself — putting you into digital worlds with a believable sense of immersion and presence as the sound surrounds you.

We asked HTC Vive’s general manger Daniel O’Brien about the deluxe headstrap and why it wasn’t a feature for the headset at launch. He responded by saying that it “wasn’t ready at launch” and that his company didn’t want to release something unless it was up to snuff. He also spoke to the eventual commercial launch stating that Vive is currently “working with retailers now to determine whether it makes more sense to sell the new strap as a new SKU. Right now it’s just an accessory and we may leave it that way so as not to force anyone to use only our audio.”

O’Brien stated during the announcement press conference that the Deluxe Audio Strap would be shipping in “Q2 2017” and that they would be announcing a price closer to that date.

With this new headstrap, the wireless Vive accessory from TPCAST and the new Vive tracker accessories shown today as well at CES, there are more ways than ever to iterate and improve on the base model of the HTC Vive without the need for a brand new iteration just yet.

We’ll continue updating you on all of the HTC Vive announcements from CES 2017 as they come in. What are your questions about the Vive’s Deluxe Audio Strap?

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Audeze and JBL Unveil Headphone Solutions Specifically Developed for VR

Audeze and JBL Unveil Headphone Solutions Specifically Developed for VR

No matter the fidelity, visuals in VR do a solid job of immersing users in their virtual worlds but audio is the way a good experience turns into a truly incredible one. Even with pure darkness, well designed audio can be as or even more impactful than what’s seen in these digital spaces. Sony recently unveiled a headset that brings the 3D audio of PS VR games to their other content and projects like DearVR are enhancing efficiency with audio driven tools. Announced at CES 2017, we have a couple new headphone solutions on the market that are specifically geared toward VR: iSINE from Audeze and in-ear or on-ear options from JBL.

Audeze was started in 2008 and is considered a leader in premium audio that’s responsible for a couple award winning headsets. The iSINE is a pointed effort for VR gaming and Audeze CEO Sankar Thiagasamudram, via a press release, notes that the new headphones mean “more realistic battlefield play, longer playing time without listener fatigue, and a more realistic VR experience overall” for gamers. The headset was tested and built using the HTC Vive, but will come with connectors for Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and StarVR headsets and will be available later this month for $399.

Similarly, the Oculus Rift compatible JBL OR300 (on-ear) and OR100 (in-ear) headsets were built “to deliver immersive sound to consumers seeking an unparalleled virtual reality experience” as so put by HARMAN’s SVP of consumer audio Dave Rodgers in their press release. The OR300 will be priced at $149.99  with the OR100 at $79.99 and both will feature JBL’s Pure Bass and sealing ear tips and cushion design to immerse users as much as possible.  Both will be available for purchase in March of this year. Hopefully this is only the beginning of major companies creating high-quality accessories for the VR market.

We’ll keep you updated on all of the latest news and announcements from CES 2017 in Las Vegas.

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Pimax to Unveil 4K Per Eye, 200-degree Field of View VR Headset at CES 2017

Pimax to Unveil 4K Per Eye, 200-degree Field of View VR Headset at CES 2017

Being told that something is impossible often is the best motivation to make it so, and that seems to be exactly what is happening with the VR and AR industry.

Earlier this year at Oculus’ developer conference, Oculus Connect, the company’s Chief Scientist, Michael Abrash, stepped on stage to present his predictions for the near term future of VR and AR. Things like eye tracking, wireless desktop hardware, and more he says are still many months to a number of years away – but that sure isn’t stopping folks from trying hard to prove them wrong. The team at Pimax are some of those folks.

Previously, Pimax released a 4K-mobile based VR headset solution but next week at CES, the company will unveil a headset that it claims has 4k per-eye resolution (2x 3840*2160) and a 200-degree field of view – something that Abrash stated wouldn’t be around until 2021. The headset is said to hit sub 18-millisecond latency, and it appears it will also feature positional tracking and hand tracked controllers with what appears to be an amalgamation of Valve’s light house tracking technology and Oculus’ camera based solution.

Now, stats are great and all, but this is CES – land of the vaporware – so we aren’t planning to hold our breath that this new contender will accomplish this feat in a way that provides an excellent experience.

According to the company the headset will use two 4K LCD screens to achieve this resolution, a possible red flag for those who follow the industry closely. Each of the major VR headsets currently use an OLED screen for a number of reasons, including higher speed pixel switching times which help prevent ghosting in the display, deeper black levels, and low persistence which reduces motion blur. In a lot of ways OLED displays are better optimized for a VR experience, though Pimax claims to have made a “breakthrough” in LCD display tech that will improve its response time. We will be sure to report back on this when we get our hands on with it next week.

Low persistence vs Full persistence (Source: ExtremeTech)

As for the field of view (FOV), we look forward to seeing how well executed the optics are. Typically there are sacrifices that come in the optics world when you want to achieve clarity and wide field of view in harmony, want to make it extra wide? Be prepared to see some deep circular reflections in the fresnel lens. That is something we saw in early prototypes of another wide field of view headset – Star VR. If Pimax has managed a lens solution that brings wide FOV with clarity and without artifacts – that would be a massive improvement in immersion, bringing more of the peripheral view in which can be very important for the brain’s ability to recognize things like speed.

Finally, running a VR headset at the current resolution at the required 90 frames per second is tough enough on modern hardware as is – 4k per eye? You’re going to need some kind of super computer. The price point on the hardware to run this headset will likely keep it off consumer shelves for a while unless the team has something miraculous up their sleeve.

So, its not to say that we aren’t excited for this product, just that we cautious about letting the hype go too far on this headset, sight unseen.

Last month it was revealed that TPCast will be releasing an accessory that could make VR headsets wireless, and then earlier this month we were able to assuage our own doubts about the product in an impressive hands on test. And TPCast isn’t the only product vying to cut the cord, a small YC-backed startup Rivvr also is planning to show off a solution at CES this year. It appears we are on the cusp of the next stage of technological innovation in the VR and AR field in 2017, potentially leading up to generation two headsets in 2018 – things are about to get (if you can believe it) even more interesting in the VR and AR industry in the next twelve months.

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VR stocking stuffers you still have time to get

It’s not too late to order virtual reality presents for the holidays — and they don’t have to cost a lot of money, either!

Once you get your headset, click here for instructions on what to do next.

Here are some of my favorites — and I’ve personally tried these, and have had other people try them, and can confirm that they’re great for watching 360-degree videos and playing casual games, and aren’t overpriced. (Please note that affiliate shopping links are included where available.)

Goggle Tech C1-Glass

GoggleTech square

This is the headset that I carry with me in my purse and pull out whenever I want to demonstrate virtual reality to anyone. It’s super easy to use, comes in four colors, and even has a nice carrying case. It also works with any smartphone.

As with the other open-sided headsets on this list, it does let in light from the open sides, so it’s not super immersive. And you do have to hold it up to your face, so you’re not going to be watching long movies on it. You don’t need a button or controller with this or any other open-sided headset since a tap on the screen works just as well as hitting a button, and these kinds of headsets offer easy access to the screen.

Get it for $25 on Amazon.

Read my full review here.

VR Fold

VR Fold

This headset is just $6 on Amazon. and works on any late-model smartphone, both Androids and iPhones.

It has a very decent 95-degree field of view, adjustable lenses, is available in black, purple and red, and folds in half to fit into even the smallest stocking. You use it by snapping it onto your phone, holding it in your hands, and looking through the lenses. It’s not for watching long movies — your arms will get tired holding it up — or playing complex, interactive games. But it’s great for short 360-degree videos and quick casual games.

Read my review here.

Mattel View-Master VR

Mattel View-Master Deluxe VR. (Image courtesy VR.)The Mattel View-Master may be a toy, but it is a fully-functional Google Cardboard headset. You can pick up the latest version, which has adjustable focus, in person at Target, Walmart or Toys R Us. Buy it for $14 at Amazon for the older one, or $30 on Amazon for the new one.

There are no straps, but it is very easy to use and is great for kids. I bring mine with me when I do VR headset demos and people love it.  It’s has a nice built-in button, so this is a great headset for users with iPhones, who can’t use a Bluetooth remote since Apple doesn’t support them.

Read my review here.

VR Case

This VR headset,actually doubles as an iPhone case and phone stand. It folds flat and comes in several different color combinations.

You can get the black one with the rose gold accent for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and iPhones 6s for just $4 on Amazon because it’s currently on sale. There one that’s all rose gold, all regular gold, all silver and all black for $6 on Amazon and a silver one for $8 on Amazon.

For the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 and 6S Plus you can get a black-and-silver case for $5 on Amazon.

I haven’t written a full review of one these, but I’ve tried it out, and gave it as a gift to a friend with an iPhone. It’s nice if you’re a VR fan and don’t already have a phone case, but not so nice if you do have a case and have to take it off in order to use this viewer.

Leji VR

I love the Leji headset and it was my favorite for much of the past year.

It’s small, lightweight, easy to use, and comes with straps. That means that you can actually use it to watch movies with your headset. It fits both Androids and iPhones, but it doesn’t have a built-in button, so if you’re an iPhone user, you’ll be limited to applications that don’t require a button. Fortunately, most of the popular ones don’t and are either passive experiences that you just watch, or use a look-to-activate functionality where you just look at a lever or other object inside the virtual reality experience to make it do something.

If you search for “Leji VR” on Amazon you’ll also find sellers that bundle it with a little Bluetooth controller, but these will only work on Android phones.

Get the white one for $10 on Amazon. Get a blue one for $10 on Amazon. Get a yellow one for $13 on Amazon. Get a pink for for $12 on Amazon.

Read my review here.

Cobra VR

This is a very cool-looking folding headset. It’s $17 on Amazon, fits any smartphone, and folds flat.

This one of the sturdier folding headsets, but is still pretty small and light, so it fits nicely in a stocking.

Read my review here.

Powis VR

Powis virtual reality headsets.People love this headset when I bring it to conferences, because it’s nice to hold and is extremely easy to use. The built-in button makes it a nice choice for iPhone owners. But the basic material it’s made of is cardboard, so it might not be the most durable headset, the lenses are not adjustable, and it is one of the most expensive headsets on this list. It might also be a little big to fit in a stocking. But look how cute it is!

Buy it for $30 directly from Powis or for $25 from Amazon.

Read my review here.

Dscvr

This is a brightly-colored, easy-to use headset. It’s also sturdy, comes in five different colors, and has a nice button. It works with all smartphones, including iPhones. You do have to hold it in place, though, since it doesn’t have any straps.

Buy it for $25 from Amazon or for $25 directly from the manufacturer, I Am Cardboard.

Read my review here.

Samsung Gear VR

If you have a late-model Samsung phone that hasn’t exploded yet, the Gear VR is the best mobile headset you can get. Samsung has partnered with Oculus, one of the biggest names in virtual reality, to get some great developers on board and there’s a very large selection of video apps, including Netflix and Hulu.

Buy it for $85 on Amazon, or directly from Samsung for $100, or pick it up in person at Best Buy and other retailers. Call ahead first, though, to check for availability. Some stores will also do free demos.

Read my review here.

Daydream View

The Gear VR isn’t the best mobile VR headset on the market, however. That prize goes to Google’s Daydream View, which just came out.

I got this headset in late November, and stopped using all the other headsets I own. This headset is immersive, light-weight, and extremely easy to use. It’s got a great catalog of applications, including all the top video apps — Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, YouTube VR  — and a nice and growing selection of games. Plus, unlike the Samsung Gear VR, you can run all the thousands of apps already created for the Cardboard platform. Just search for the “VR” in the app store.

What’s the catch? It’s only works with the very latest Android phones. Right now, those are the Pixel, Pixel XL, Moto Z, Moto Z Droid, and Moto Z Force Droid.

I love this headset. And I really love the controller, which senses motion so that you can use it as a wand or a sword or a golf club.

If you have someone in your family with one of the supported phones, this is the headset to get. Mine came free with my Pixel XL, too — so check with your provider before you buy your new phone to see if you can get one for free as well.

Can you still get it in time?

The BestBuy website — which lists it for $79 — says that they can ship it to you by Dec. 22 if you order today, and it’s also available in some stores.

Verizon offers it for $80 in three different colors with two-day shipping available. You can also buy it directly from Google for $79 and the website tells me that if I order it now, I can get it by Dec. 22.

Read my review here.

 

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Best VR headsets for iPhones

Do want to give a VR headset as a gift to someone with an iPhone — or buy one for yourself? You can. You won’t get the best possible mobile experience, however, since the...
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HTC Vive Is $700 From Black Friday Through Cyber Monday

HTC Vive Is $700 From Black Friday Through Cyber Monday

Since it was first available, the HTC Vive room-scale VR system has been priced at $800. For comparison, the Oculus Rift and its Touch controllers will hit that same price when they start shipping in December. You might even need to add $80 to get a third camera that is said to offer full room-scale tracking support with Rift.

But starting at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on November 24 and ending at 11:59 p.m. on November 28 “wherever Vive is sold, purchasers can receive $100 off their Vive purchase (while supplies last).” That means at Microsoft Stores, Amazon.com, Gamestop, Newegg.com, Micro-center, and Vive.com the system should ring in at around $700 plus tax. For the first time, the Vive will also be available at 34 Fry’s locations, as well as online.

This puts the price of a Vive far under the Rift with comparable functionality, though it is possible retailers could also have Oculus deals planned as well. Individual HTC Vive retailers might also have additional discounts, deals or bundles beyond this one too.

HTC will also be holding a sale for software purchased through Viveport, its VR software store. According to HTC, here’s how that promotion will work:

Customers who spend $30 USD equivalent or more between Black Friday and Cyber Monday get $10 USD equivalent back in their wallets. You can also build your library with a $5 bundle deal on three of the most popular VR apps: Soundstage, Arcade Artist, and Lumen.

A number of individual titles will be discounted on Viveport as well.

This is likely just the first of many VR deals announced heading into the busiest shopping season of the year. Check back with UploadVR.com this week for more information about sales and discounts.

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Stereo Labs Unveils ‘Linq’ – A Mixed Reality Headset For The Living Room

Stereo Labs Unveils ‘Linq’ – A Mixed Reality Headset For The Living Room

Most high-end virtual reality headsets today use what’s called outside-in positional tracking. This means that they require some sort of outside camera, sensor or other location sensing aid in order to determine their location in 3D space. This system makes the headset dependent on static hardware, however, and so top engineers at Oculus, HTC and Google are all racing to crack the inside-out code first.

Amidst this clash of titans is Stereo Labs, a little-engine-that’s-trying to enable inside-out tracking on mobile VR headsets using simple, depth sensing peripherals. Today, Stereo Labs is announcing a new developer kit for a product called “Linq.” It’s goal is to bring entertaining mixed reality experiences into your living room.

According to Stereo Labs, “Through high definition stereo cameras, the headset blends the virtual and real worlds together in an immersive and photorealistic way. Linq understands the world around it and perceives people and objects in space up to 20m away.”

In a launch day release, the company further explained how its system works:

The magic comes from Linq’s front-mounted sensor, a special version of Stereolabs’ ZED stereo camera that replicates the way human vision works and perceives the world. Linq’s built-in camera scans the environment in real-time and provides 6DoF inside-out world-scale positional tracking without the need for any external sensor. Users can walk, jump, crouch and even dodge projectiles, with every movement captured in the MR experience itself. They don’t need to map out the entire playing field first in order to play.

This take on AR is what Oculus’ chief scientist, Michael Abrash called “Augmented Virtual Reality.” Rather than using transparent images and complex computerized lenses to change the world around you, Linq simply beams the real world inside a VR headset where the physical realm can be manipulated on the onboard digital screens.

This could be a major breakthrough for the immersive tech industry but that depends on how well Linq actually works. UploadVR had the chance to try an prototype of the Linq at our offices in San Francisco and we found the hardware to an impressive proof-of-concept.

The inside-out positional tracking on the Linq prototype worked better than their previous Gear VR + ZED camera combination. The tracking was accomplished using 2 RGB cameras, unlike most inside-out SLAM systems using infrared band. The dual camera depth mapping works by stereoscopic vision, similar to how Human depth perception works.

You could walk around a AR space, place virtual windows and videos in the room around you, have everything stay put without much drift. However, we did notice more motion-to-photon latency than any of the consumer headsets, but we were told that that’s to be expected for using combining 3rd party components to create a proof-of-concept device.

Linq’s system for hand tracking is also unique. It does not use infrared finger tracking a-la Leap motion but instead opts for a more blunt limb-tracking technique that simply clocks the relative positions between physical and digital objects in order to determine interactions.

Addressing the latency issue is Stereo Labs main goal as they move from the prototype and begin to release dev kits. To sign up for one of your own check out the Linq website.

Additional reporting by Az Balabanian. 

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Disclaimer: Stereo Labs rents an office at the Upload Collective – a co-working office in San Francisco. This story was run solely because of its merits and relevance to the wider VR community. No money was exchanged between either company for this article. 

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