Virtual Reality

[MartyG]

Different outlets are saying it is becoming the Meta Quest now, but Zuckberg definitely said they were keeping the brand names in the keynote. The presentation was all a bit woolly, so maybe that was clarified later on in a press release.

[Brad]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h40OQcbtHa8

Aparo, 5k Micro OLED, 200 grams, comparatively tiny headset. No built in tracking yet but gonna have Steam Lighthouse and inside out options. Screen door is gone. Things are moving fast in VR now it seems.

[MartyG]

Tech looks good - not sure I'd pick that particular unit up, but really hoping we're going to see an Index 2 from Valve going a similar route at some point. Less bulky lighter headsets are definitely good progress (just not the disappointing HTC Vive Flow - you can still order those, so I'm guessing even the eBay scalpers didn't see the point).

[Asura]

Hey [MENTION=9465]Brad[/MENTION], I take back some of what I said a few days ago about camera hand tracking:

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/qrsfd8/the_new_gemini_version_of_ultraleap_hand_tracking/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

There's some really exciting stuff going on.

[Brad]

Hey @Brad, I take back some of what I said a few days ago about camera hand tracking:

https://www.reddit.com/r/virtualreality/comments/qrsfd8/the_new_gemini_version_of_ultraleap_hand_tracking/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

There's some really exciting stuff going on.

I NEED THAT!

[Neon Ignition]

https://uploadvr.com/meta-quest-2-10-million-oculus

Oculus Quest 2 sales have now surpassed 10m

[Asura]

https://uploadvr.com/meta-quest-2-10-million-oculus
Oculus Quest 2 sales have now surpassed 10m

It's been a great 18 months for them; I think it goes hand-in-hand with Nintendo's success on Animal Crossing. This is a great situation for VR companies.

[QualityChimp]

Going out out with mates tonight to "In A Box":

https://www.inabox3.com/

https://secretbirmingham.com/in-a-box-virtual-reality/

It's kind of like a VR escape room with puzzles to solve as you try to escape Chernobyl Reactor 4.

It's supposed to be really interactive with things like heat, smells and shaking floors to heighten the effect.

Chernobyl: Hidden Depths is written by Hollywood screenwriter Jeremy Drysdale whose credits include Line of Duty, The Game and Battlefield 2.

I'll let you know tomorrow how we got on - if we escape!

[Neon Ignition]

"Man, this Escape Room is so realistic!"

[QualityChimp]

"Final result: 2 of you escaped, but two of you remain forever trapped in the reactor."

[MartyG]

Release date for After the Fall now of 9th of Dec. Looking forward to this one, from the makers of Arizona Sunshine, which was a fun co-op experience.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/751630/After_the_Fall__Launch_Edition/

[wakka]

That looks cool QC. I did 'The Void' a couple of years back, their Star Wars experience. It was a similar concept - you wear VR headsets and backpacks (presumably containing PCs), and are given plastic guns. You then go through what is effectively a physical maze. It was brilliant, actually. I was really impressed and would totally do something similar again. Curious to hear how you get on with this one.

[Asura]

That looks cool QC. I did 'The Void' a couple of years back, their Star Wars experience. It was a similar concept - you wear VR headsets and backpacks (presumably containing PCs), and are given plastic guns. You then go through what is effectively a physical maze. It was brilliant, actually. I was really impressed and would totally do something similar again. Curious to hear how you get on with this one.

Sadly they went bankrupt during COVID.

[wakka]

Ahhh, that sucks I didn’t know that. Glad I got to experience the Star Wars adventure they did at least. It was really well done.

[Atticus]

My son bought an Oculus Quest 2 after Christmas and I’m super impressed by it.

For starters, I had no idea you could buy a vr unit that does not require a pc or any kind of base unit. You get the headset and controllers and that’s all you need. No wires or fuss.

I played Beat Sabre on it and a) it’s a brilliant game, and b) the visuals are pretty sharp. The tracking was super solid too.

It’s deffo a gen ahead of psvr but my only issue with it is you need a Facebook account to use it. Other than that is pretty amazing.