The XPS 15 builds on the success of the XPS 13 by offering a slightly larger display in a very similar chassis, but can it surpass its smaller sibling?
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What Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality developers are talking about
The XPS 15 builds on the success of the XPS 13 by offering a slightly larger display in a very similar chassis, but can it surpass its smaller sibling?
The post Dell XPS 15 9560 review appeared first on Digital Trends.
Even a relatively slow week for the VR industry as a whole is stacked full of new releases and announcements. Until we’ve got the definitive VR multi-tasking app it’s going to be hard to keep up with everything that’s going on, so let us help you out with a weekly wrap-up of the latest news, reviews, previews and releases for VR games.
We’ve had some release dates for significant new releases this week across all three major headsets. Personally, we’re most excited about Statik, an enticing new puzzler for PSVR. That’s set to hit on April 12th. We also learned that long in-development first-person horror game Narcosis will finally grace our Rift and Vives in just a few weeks’ time on March 28th. Another PSVR game, Korix, also arrives on the same day.
Oculus gave us another look at its slate of 2017 games earlier this month, and we’ve got a few impressions for you. Lone Echo is proving to be a fascinating experience in unintended ways, while Rock Band VR is excelling in its promise to make you a rock god. We also got a fresh look at a very promising new co-op action RPG, Karnage Chronicles, and a charming childhood tale in Along Together. Finally, we went hands-on with one of PSVR’s biggest games of April, Starblood Arena.
If you’re looking for our impressions on one of PSVR’s biggest releases of late, Unearthing Mars, you’ll find them here. Spoilers: We weren’t so keen on it, sadly.
It’s not the biggest week for new VR releases, but horror fans definitely shouldn’t pass on Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul, which arrives on Vive and Rift in early access. It promises not to scare you in the same way twice. Rift owners should definitely dive into the long-awaited Oculus Home version of Raw Data, too. If you’re in the EU with a PSVR, you’ve sadly got squat.
As always, for all releases you can check out our full Rift, Vive and PSVR lists.
Tagged with: lone echo, paranormal activity, PlayStation VR, Unearthing Mars
Stirfire Studios revealed the release date for their narrative puzzle game Symphony of the Machine this week, and now the developer has released some new screenshots to give people a closer look at the world the title is set in.
Symphony of the Machine will get a European and Australasian release on 12th April, with North America getting it one day earlier on the 11th April. It is currently set to be available for HTC Vive and PlayStation VR.
The videogame is an atmospheric puzzle videogame with a strong story element. The player has to figure out the mysteries of a huge tower in the middle of a post-apocalyptic landscape and solve puzzles to unlock its powers and bring life back to the world.
Players who explore the world carefully will find clues as to the history of the setting, including the story that led up to the devastation that is present at the start of the story. Symphony of the Machine doesn’t use narration or text, instead using its visuals paired with music designed to present the story and atmosphere for a more immersive experience.
You can see the newly released screenshots below.
VRFocus will keep you up to date on Symphony of the Machine and other titles.
The immersion of virtual reality experiences can be harnessed to educate, terrify, inspire, or entertain. Some experiences eschew the entertainment aspect, instead shooting for something impactful that may even change your real life routine once you step out of the virtual space. iAnimal is one such experience that gives an immersive look into farms and factories with the goal of eliminating cruel conditions for animals.
At their SXSW booth, passersby are given the choice of chicken or pig for their virtual experience. I chose the pig and was transported into a claustrophobic pen with a fellow pig the next pen over trying to interact. After that, you’re taken through a handful of scenes that make it tougher and tougher to sit through the roughly 5-minute video as you witness mother pigs rendered motionless to be fed on, a grown pig shaking itself loose after having its neck cut open, and a couple pigs being euthanized via electrocution. The hosts were there to inform and comfort those that watched iAnimal, hoping that they’d leave an impression on at least some of those that stopped at their booth.
It doesn’t take a lot of thought to figure out what path an animal takes before it gets to your plate, but iAnimal was still an eye opener. Pictures of such conditions are heartbreaking but don’t show the situation in the same way this immersive experience set out to do. You’re isolated beneath the VR headset and headphones, basically watching from the perspective of an animal as the typical day-to-day horrors transpire in these environments. When you look around the 360-degree video you’ll often catch other gruesome activities taking place. The team behind the project has already reached over 22,000 people with the iAnimal experience ,and it joins a long list of VR experiences attempting to leave such a deep impression that people seek change afterward.
UK retailers have been slowly getting into the virtual reality (VR) field, offering a range of head-mounted displays (HMDs), demos, and other related peripherals. GAME, one of the largest specialist companies on the high street is making an even bigger push, with a recent mailshot detailing massive range of hardware and promotions.
The retailer is looking to cover all possible avenues into VR for consumers, from high-end headsets like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, all the down to mobile units like Merge VR. For customers heading to one of GAME’s stores there’s 0% finance available, and the PlayStation VR is now back in stock.
If you’re looking for a PC to run a VR HMD, GAME also want’s to be your one stop shop. Everything comes from ASUS with three towers available. These start at £1099.99 GBP for the ASUS Oculus Ready G11CD-UK037T, £1499.99 for the ASUS Oculus Ready G20CB-UK041T and the ASUS Oculus Ready G20CB-UK042T at £1799.99. The G11CD-UK037T also comes in two bundles, one with Oculus Rift and the other with Oculus Rift and Touch.
For those that would prefer a laptop over and desktop PC there’s also ASUS Strix GL702VM Gaming Laptop for £1249.99 or the ASUS ROG G752VS at a hefty £2199.99. The former has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 while the latter comes with a GeForce GTX 1070.
At the budget end of the spectrum and keeping things mobile there’s the Merge VR headset in its distinctive purple attire at £49.99, the Visor Pro for £29.99, or the cheap and cheerful Piranha ZEE Cardboard VR at £9.99, all of which are a great way to see what VR is all about without breaking the bank.
For the latest VR news from around the world, keep reading VRFocus.
DMG Entertainment, the Hollywood Studio that made Iron Man 3, is moving into virtual reality.
Dan Mintz, cofounder of the Beverly Hills, Calif.-based company, announced the launch of DMG VR, which is dedicated to entertainment that mixes storytelling with the new medium of VR.
Arcturus, the first incubated company under the DMG VR umbrella, will focus on developing interactive narrative experiences and next-gen technology across all VR platforms.
“The creative canvas of VR gives us new ways to experience stories and express creativity,” said Mintz, in a statement. “We’re partnering with a team of trailblazing leaders in this rapidly growing industry to push new boundaries and bring mind-blowing VR experiences to the world.”
The Arcturus team is led by key industry pioneers with decades of combined experience in the interactive and storytelling space. Ewan Johnson led production teams at Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, Devin Horsman is well-known in the industry as a leader in VR gaming, and Andy Stack was content and product pioneer for 360/VR Tech at YouTube/Google.
“We’re developing advanced technology to push storytelling in VR to new heights and combining it with original content, plus original content based on our world-class IP,” said Mintz. “When you add the Arcturus team to the mix, it sets a bold new standard for immersive VR experiences.”
According to Mintz, DMG VR will target funding, acquiring, and partnering with top entities in the high-growth space, particularly those with the acumen to succeed in the U.S. and globally.
“DMG’s track record of global success, considerable resources, and Dan’s creative vision will be instrumental as we elevate interactive VR experiences far beyond what is possible today, both technically and creatively,” said Andy Stack, chief operations officer at Arcturus. “We’re excited to join DMG and open the door to the future of the VR experience.”
This post by Dean Takahashi originally appeared on VentureBeat.
Tagged with: DMG Entertainment
Put aside Ready Player One for a second, I’ve got something else to add to the VR Recommended Reading/Watching list: Robot & Frank. This short, sweet little movie from 2012, directed by Jake Schreier, doesn’t depict a dystopian future in which VR ruins our lives but instead a more plausible vision of years not too far from now in which A.I.-controlled domestic robots assist the elderly with every day care.
The movie is largely unconcerned with the prospect of VR, but there are a fleeting few seconds in which it does address the topic. Frank, an aging burglar, is surveying a house belonging to Jake, a young, successful developer that has embraced the technologies of the near-future. Jake is essentially the living embodiment of the so-called millennial, grown up and living in a brave new world. Through a pair of binoculars, Frank finds him sitting alone in a room with what’s presumably a VR or AR headset on, drumming away. Our protagonist disapprovingly chuckles and proclaims “Unbelievable!” as Jake quickly tucks the device away when a girl walks into the room, suggesting some form of embarrassment.
I first saw Robot & Frank around the time I started writing about VR, and this is a scene that has stayed with me as long as I’ve been reporting on it. That’s not because I necessarily agree with Schreier’s supposed skepticism about the technology, but instead because I take it as a warning. It reminds me that, no matter how incredible a virtual experience can be, you should never fully replace it with the real thing if you’re able. You shouldn’t let an immersive diving reality rob you of actually going diving at least once in your lifetime, or consider standing on top of the virtual Mount Everest to be a comparable achievement to getting there with your own two feet.
Recently I’ve been finding myself thinking about this a lot, and it comes from a conflict that relates directly back to Robot & Frank. Rock Band VR is nearly here and Rift owners are about to become Jake, sitting in that room pretending to be something they’re not.
I played Harmonix’s imminent rock god simulator for the third time last week and, as I wrote about, this was the time it finally clicked with me. Standing in front of hundreds of screaming fans and strumming along to Everlong like I was Dave Grohl himself was quite simply one of the most empowering experiences I’ve had in VR to date. It’s that rare reality in which you’re not restricted by the limits of the technology; you don’t need to worry about locomotion or haptic feedback, you have everything you need right there in your hands.
But maybe Rock Band VR feels a little too good?
Hear me out before you hit the comments with a vengeance. Based on what I’ve played, Harmonix has fully achieved its vision with this iteration of the franchise, perhaps more so than any other VR developer to date. They turn you into someone else and give you an experience that just a handful of people will ever really have in their lifetime, and it’s done in a way that feels real.
Once you take the headset off, though, it means nothing.
True, Rock Band VR is going to have modes that will challenge you and give you a sense of progression as you play through setlists with your fictional band, but all of that is in service of a core thrill. It allows you to be a rock star without the hours of dedication and practice needed to develop the skills or even the worthiness to actually become a rock star. To be frank, I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty and hollow for enjoying myself so much.
As I was playing, I was reminded of that scene from Robot & Frank and I realized this was the first time I was coming up against that warning that I’d thought about so often these past few years.
But, no matter my reservations about truly embracing VR imitation, I refuse to accept that Rock Band VR is the first step toward us becoming the generation of disconnected, corporation-championing youths that Schreier depicts in his film. No one should be shamed for seeking out as immersive and convincing an entertainment medium as this.
I personally see Rock Band VR as the stepping stone to something bigger, anyway. I envision a day when Harmonix’s series or something similar could actually be a tool for acts that could have band practice sessions from around the world without having to shift expensive gear around. I see one of VR and AR’s biggest services being virtual music lessons that teach you how to play much better than any internet page or video ever could.
And if those apps also let anyone have fun pretending to be the biggest star on the planet or, more importantly, let people with disabilities do the same then, you know what? That’s wonderful.
So, no, I’m not telling you not to play Rock Band VR and I’m certainly not telling you to feel bad about playing it, either. In fact I’m pretty sure early next week we’ll absolutely be recommending you pick up a copy for yourself and I’ll be digging through my cupboard to find my old guitar. But I do think now is as good as time as ever to share that warning and hopefully instill some of that precaution. As VR becomes more immersive and more convincing than ever it’s increasingly important that we don’t let skeptic’s views turn true that it will consume us and rob us of the big wide world around us.
Because, at the end of the day, I want to show Schreier that his vision of the future was wrong. I want us to prove that VR is going to make us better humans because it really does, more than anything else.
Tagged with: Robot & Frank, Rock Band VR, VR
For VRFocus’ weekly roundup of virtual reality (VR) related sporting goodness the NHL is celebrating 125th anniversary of the Stanley Cup and the recent Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2017 saw VR broadcast popularity and engagement growing by 200 percent.
Intel and ESL Welcome 173,000 Fans to the Extreme Masters Katowice 2017
Last month VRFocus reported on ESL and SLIVER.tv collaborating on a virtual esports stadium experience for fans watching the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice 2017 event.
The entire competition turned out to be a huge success, 173,000 fans attended the stadium event and surrounding festival over the course of two weekends, with more than 46 million unique online viewers, a 35% growth from last year’s event.
Intel and ESL partnered with SLIVER.tv and WonderWorld VR for the VR experience, delivering an immersive 360-degree space that included live stats, replays, and scores in real-time. The VR stream featured a 200 percent growth in peak concurrent viewers compared to IEM’s first VR livestream in Oakland, with 340,000 unique viewers tuning into the VR broadcast reports ESL
“Intel Extreme Masters Katowice shattered all expectations with record breaking attendance and viewership,” said Frank Soqui, General Manager of the Virtual Reality and Gaming Group at Intel. “The gaming community’s passion for esports was on display and Intel is proud to continue delivering the best gaming experiences to fans around the world, whether that’s with IEM tournaments, driving growth in VR content, or improving how people play with Intel processors and technology.”
The IEM Expo also included VR Games Festival and VR tournament, interactive demos including Intel’s Project Alloy merged reality headset, and VR viewing stations from SLIVER.tv.
NHL Fans Experience The Moment Of A Lifetime With The Stanley Cup
To celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Stanley Cup, the National Hockey League (NHL) teamed up with advertising agency R&R Partners, creating two ad spots voiced over by Liev Schrieber, highlighting the iconic trophy and a VR experience that allowed fans to get up close to the cup.
Housed inside a 20-foot shipping container at PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins and current holder of the Cup, the experience transported fans to a VR world compiled of historic Stanley Cup wins, clips of the Cup being hoisted by famous players and teams and a final moment with the infamous ‘Keeper of the Cup’ Phil Pritchard and an opportunity to virtually reach out and grab the Cup.
What the fans didn’t realise, the actual cup had been placed in front of them whilst in VR so when they removed the headset there it was in all its glory.
British developer Tammeka will be offering attendees at the VR World Congress (VRWC) in April the chance to try out the PlayStation VR (PSVR) version of racing game Radial G. This will be the first time this version of the videogame will be demonstrated for the public, the studio confirmed on Twitter.
Radial G: Racing Revolved was designed specifically with virtual reality (VR) in mind and has previously been available for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Tammeka announced last October that the title was to be ported to the PSVR, but as of yet there has been no firm release date.
The PSVR version of the videogame will feature some updates and improvements. Three new unlockable ships will be available. Tammeka will also be adding new weapons such as Mines, Auto Cannon and Homing Missiles. Two new race modes are also being added in; Race Combat and Combat Championship.
Tammeka is joining a large range of VR industry figures at VRWC, including the likes of Microsoft, who are demonstrating the HoloLens, Oculus Story Studio co-founder Edward Saatchi, who will be delivering a talk on making VR movies. Unity will also be present, showing off several VR titles made with the Unity Engine.
The VR World Congress is taking place on 11th-13th April at Millennium Square in Bristol, UK. You can find out more details about the event at the official VRWC website.
For those concerned about missing this even, VRFocus are have a special offer of 20% off any VRWC tickets.
As always, VRFocus will bring you any updates on VRWC
Set to arrive in April is the More than just a Game conference, an international academic conference dedicated to interactive entertainment and intellectual property law. Now in its third year, the conference is choosing as its focus subject for 2017, Virtual and Augmented reality.
The conference is a two-day event held at Stationers Hall in London from 6th-7th April. The conference is organised by the Queen Mary University of London. The draft programme has listed a number of discussions and panels surrounding subjects such as Augmented Reality and Intellectual Propety Law, Digital Storytelling through Immersive Technologies, How the Brain Works in VR and Technological Convergence and Crossover.
Speaking at the event will be senior academics such as David Greenspan and Professor Uma Suthersanen, lawyers and legal experts like Professor Jon Festinger, QC and figures from the technological side of the VR industry, like Dr Kimberly Voll of Riot Games.
This year will be the first time that the conference is open to members of the press and public in addition to the usual 120 invited delegates.
Academics and Partners of the event can get a ticket for £100 (GBP), while standard registration will cost £250. The last date for registration is 7th April 2017.
Here is a full list of all the confirmed items on the programme:
VRFocus will keep you informed on this event and other conference related to VR.