Virtual & Augmented Reality and 3D News - Page 2

The recent release of the PSVR 2 or PlayStation VR2 brought the latest generation of VR hardware to the PlayStation 5 in an affordable package bolstered by impressive specifications. OLED technology for the panel alongside a per-eye resolution of 2000 x 2040 pixels with a refresh rate of either 90Hz or 120Hz.

PlayStation VR 2 for PS5, image credit: Sony.

Throw in touch controllers, full inside-out tracking, and a single USB-C connection and you can see why this massive upgrade over the original PSVR for the PlayStation 4 became something VR enthusiasts everywhere were looking at. Of course, the PSVR 2 was designed exclusively for the PS5, with official or unofficial PC connectivity unavailable at launch.

Until now, with a new post over on the NeoGAF forums highlighting that PSVR 2 hardware authentication has been cracked for PC. The post from iVRy shows precisely that. What makes this exciting is that iVRy Driver for SteamVR is an application designed to use "iPhone, Android, GearVR, Oculus Mobile or a Sony PSVR headset as a Virtual Reality Headset for your PC."

Apple's unannounced but heavily rumored mixed reality headset has reportedly seen a change of supplier as the company gets ready for its big unveiling.

Thought to be called Reality Pro, the headset is now expected to be announced during the WWCDC event in June. While the product isn't expected to be made available to buy any time soon, it now sounds like Apple has already made a change to its supply chain, ditching one company in favor of another.

That's according to a paywalled DigiTimes report seen by MacRumors, with the report suggesting that Taiwanese outfit Pegatron will no longer be the company responsible for assembling the Reality Pro headset. Instead, it's claimed that Apple has asked Pegatron to hand over production to Luxshare - a company that it already uses for other accessories like AirPods. The company is also responsible for assembling some iPhone and Apple Watch models, while it's also thought to be the one that will build the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple is widely expected to announce its first mixed reality headset this June, but that product doesn't only carry the weight of expectation in Cupertino. It could also be the last hope for the AR/VR market as a whole.

That's the claim by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who posted on Medium that other companies are not doing well in a space that seems set to receive Apple within weeks.

According to Kuo, Sony has already cut its 2023 production plan for the PlayStation VR2 following lackluster sales. Kuo says that Sony's headset plans have seen it slash production by as much as 20%.

Apple is still expected to announce the Reality Pro mixed reality headset during the WWDC23 event on June 5, according to a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Writing in the weekly Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple is still on track to announce the new headset despite previous reports suggesting that the launch could be pushed back.

It was thought that Apple employees were concerned that the headset could suffer a false start thanks to a high price - around $3,000 - and technical specification challenges including just two hours of battery life and heavy construction. But Gurman says that Apple is still good to go.

Apple had been expected to announce its first AR/VR headset during the WWDC event that will take place in June. But a new report now suggests that might not happen after all.

The headset, dubbed Reality Pro by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, has been heavily rumored for months with some suggesting that Apple could unveil it at the Worldwide Developers Conference so as to give developers a chance to take a look at what they'll be building apps for. It was never clear whether the device would go on sale at the same time, or if it would launch months later as Apple previously did with the Apple Watch.

However, a new report by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now suggests that might not happen. In a post to Twitter, Kuo said that Apple "isn't very optimistic" about its product, adding that it might instead choose to delay the announcement.

VR is one of those things where immersion doesn't end with putting on a headset. Touch controllers, room-scale tracking, tactile interactivity, and software and games tap into all that.

Omni One complete VR entertainment system with treadmill, image credit: Virtuix

With the Meta Quest 2 and the recently released PlayStation VR2, there's a definite market for what VR brings to immersive digital spaces, and it's one of those things where after you try it, you're likely to become a convert.

This makes the debut of the Omni One, which is now shipping units to its investor community with a planned launch slated for later this year, a very cool proposition. It's an all-in-one VR solution with an omnidirectional treadmill that allows complete movement in VR games and software.

Meta is reportedly readying its subscription service for virtual reality games called Meta Quest Pass.

Meta may create its own Quest Pass subscription for VR apps and games. Twitter user Shiny Quagsire spilled the beans with a recent discovery of Project Apollo, which is the codename for the Quest Pass subscription.

The service would function similar to PlayStation Plus Essential and Xbox LIVE by giving out two free VR games/apps every month. Users would also have to keep their subscription active in order to access and play the games they have unlocked. Meta Quest Pass is very different from the competing Viveport VR games subscription which offers all-you-can-play access to a pool of games, similar to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

The metaverse is still a strange concept to wrap your head around, but in terms of working in an office, devices like the Meta Quest 2 and Meta's application suite point to a potential scenario where meetings and even design sessions can happen in a virtual space.

A new report by Slate featuring first-hand accounts from people working at tech-consulting firm Accenture outlines some of the issues and frustrations born from working virtual and in the metaverse.

"I am totally immersed in the metaverse, have a big headset on, and then I need to take off the Oculus, look on my phone for the two-factor authentication code that's been sent to my phone, then memorize the number, put my headset back on, and try to key it in," an anonymous spokesperson said. And when the headset goes into sleep mode when it's taken off, that adds another wrinkle to the process.

Apple has been working on a mixed-reality VR/AR headset for many years, and reports are emerging that it will finally be released sometime in 2023. The word is that it will support both VR and AR and be able to toggle between the two modes, the former being a sort of extended display for Mac - and even a virtual big-screen cinema that will pair with Apple TV+.

The headset will be a familiar experience for those in the Apple ecosystem, with a UI and presentation described as "IOS-like," with a home screen and app icons similar to what's found on an iPhone and iPad.

Unlike other VR headsets, it won't ship with a controller but instead use a mix of eye and hand-tracking (via external cameras) alongside supporting traditional mouse and keyboard input on the Mac. With eye tracking, you'll be able to look at something on-screen and then use a gesture to interact with it. The headset can switch between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), so the former will overlay virtual objects onto the wearer's surroundings.

Like looking at a dream of playing 16-bit SNES games back in the 1990s come true, Super Nintendo World is officially opening its doors and warp pipes at Universal Studios Hollywood on February 17.

And the main attraction will be Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge, a recreation of the classic Mario Kart using physical vehicles and augmented reality (AR) helmets that riders will put on. The track will feature several moving pieces but adding AR will push the immersion to the next level.

As a real-world version of Mario Kart, "the creative use and integration of head-mounted AR goggles" does sound like riders will be able to collect and use items and interact with the course. Very cool.