This afternoon it was announced that the co-creator of the classic video game DOOM has left the proverbial gaming building. John Carmack let it be known that he’s leaving (resigning, as it were) from id Software and Bethesda Softworks in favor of working with Oculus VR full-time on the device known as Oculus Rift. A […]
We’ve been covering the Oculus Rift for some time now, making sure to report what cool things developers of the device have come up with along the way. In the past, we’ve seen tech demos and modifications which introduce new ways only Oculus Rift owners can experience. Now it looks like Oculus Rift is getting another first as Condition One has just created a film specifically created for the device. (more…)
Oculus Rift Gets Its First 3D 360 Degree Film original content from Ubergizmo. 
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People have been working on video and explorable environments for the Oculus Rift, but Condition One, the immersive videography group, is upping the ante with a complete 20-30 minute movie all in 3D.
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The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset started off as a Kickstarter project but has since managed to gain a fair amount of momentum on its own, thanks to gamers and developers who have attempted to play a variety of games using the headset. There has been talk about the Oculus Rift eventually making its way onto mobile devices in the future and sure enough this has been confirmed by its CEO, Brendan Iribe, during GamesBeat 2013. The company has announced that they would be bringing the headset onto mobile devices although at this point in time, the headset will only support the Android operating system and not iOS. We’re not sure why iOS has been excluded, but presumably it has to do with the restrictions that Apple places when it comes to third-party software and hardware for its products.
According to Iribe, “We have some exciting plans on the mobile VR side as the PC VR side,” Iribe said. “We’re really looking at hitting the consumer market. We’re very excited about what we’re seeing. Skeptical about how good mobile VR could be on such a small platform. It’s pretty incredible what [John Carmack has] been able to do.” The mobile version of the headset is expected to be a light version that will rely on the phone’s processor, meaning that your mileage might vary depending on your phone and it could very well be that some devices will not be supported. While no specific launch date has been mentioned, the company plans to launch the mobile version of the Oculus Rift around the same time (give or take a few) the PC version of the headset launches.
Oculus Rift To Make Its Way Onto Android Devices original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Oculus Rift seems like it’ll be the jaw-dropping
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The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset has been described to be unreal, transformative and amazing by different people at different times. Of course, we have also taken the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset for a ride at CES earlier this year, but apart from the highly immersive way that VR headsets of yore could not deliver, the relatively low resolution display continues to be a bane, as it happens to lessen the virtual reality experience by a mile. Right now, existing developer kits rely on a 720p resolution display, with an Oculus Rift with an 1080p HD display being in development to boot. Needless to say, the higher resolution Oculus Rift would be better, but there are still distracting pixels around.
Polygon claims that Brandon Iribe, CEO of Oculus VR, has shared of a spanking new version of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset that will arrive with a 4K display, or at least this particular idea has already made its way to the drawing board and should be fleshed out in due time. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the retail version that ships will eventually be this 4K model or not, but one can always hold out in hope and anticipation, can one not?
Oculus Rift VR With 4K Resolution Display In The Pipeline original content from Ubergizmo. 
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New videogame systems all have one weakness: there are barely any games that come out at the same time as the hardware. The PS Vita and the Wii U are the most recent victims of this dilemma. Even though the Oculus Rift is a head-mounted display and not a console, it’s so different from other monitors that it’s going to have the same problem. But not if VorpX can help it.
The VorpX stereoscopic 3D driver converts Windows games that make use of DirectX 9, 10 and 11 so that they’ll be compatible with the Oculus Rift. It currently works with 90 games, including Bioshock Infinite, Fallout 3 and Mirror’s Edge, all of which you’ll see in the demo below. You can read the full list of compatible games here.
Aside from converting games, the driver also has a number of features to make it easier to play today’s games with the next-generation display. Users can make a virtual keyboard pop up on the screen, which I assume they can then operate with a mouse, negating the need to see the keyboard that they’re using. Users can customize the virtual keyboard as they see fit. VorpX also has a feature called Edge Peek. Activated by pressing the mouse scroll wheel, Edge Peek lets you look at the edge of the screen.
Edge Peek may not be needed in future Oculus Rift-ready games, but it might be a requirement for games from the current generation or earlier. That’s because the headset crops what you’d normally see on a traditional display, which means anything that’s on the far edges of the screen won’t be visible. But many games place critical information like radar or items on the edges of the screen, hence the need for Edge Peek. It’s not an optimal solution, but it’s better than nothing. Another feature related to Edge Peek is the option to zoom out the view, which should come in handy for viewing cinematics.
VorpX also supports two 3D modes, one of which results in better graphics but is more resource-intensive than the other option.
The driver is currently in beta, but VorpX is already charging for it. If you want to take the plunge, head to Road to VR to order the software; $40 (USD) gets you two licenses. Check out Road to VR’s article to find out more about the driver.
We’ve seen the memorable ending scene of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope recreated with LEGO and in Minecraft, but YouTuber Boone Calhoun is working on a way to not just recreate but to experience the scene through Luke’s point of view as well: a 3D videogame version that’s meant to be played using the Oculus Rift.
Boone hasn’t released the game yet, but if you have the Oculus Rift you can check out how it will look in the video below:
I wonder if Desert Bus will be more fun or more excruciating with the Oculus Rift.
[via I Heart Chaos]
A few months ago we found out about the Durovis Dive, a virtual reality gaming headset for Android smartphones. A similar device called vrAse is now looking for funding on Kickstarter. The company behind it claims that future versions will be compatible with all smartphones.
Like the Dive, vrAse uses your smartphone to display 3D content. vrAse is also highly customizable. For instance, you can change its case or its optics to fit your needs. In its default state, its optics can emulate a 200-inch movie screen, though they don’t specify what distance that would be viewed at. Most of all, you can easily upgrade its “hardware.” All it takes is to swap in a better phone.
Pledge at least £48 (~$74 USD) on Kickstarter to get a vrAse case as a reward. But before you pledge know that the Kickstarter release of vrAse will only be compatible with six smartphones: the iPhone 5, the HTC One, the Sony Xperia Z, the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
I’m excited to see 3D gaming being more and more affordable, but I don’t think we can compare vrAse to the Rift. First off, the vrAse is only compatible with media and games that are in Side by Side (SbS) format. Second, it doesn’t seem to have its own head-tracking software, which is a big part of what makes the Rift so immersive. Perhaps developers can integrate head-tracking into their games or apps if vrAse takes off. Finally, the Rift has a distinct advantage in terms of hardware, because PCs are more powerful than even the latest smartphones. Still, I think many people would love to enjoy immersive 3D video or mobile games for the right price. Perhaps Dive and vrAse are on to something here.
[via DVICE]
The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset isn’t even available for consumers to buy yet but here comes the cut-price competition… While the Rift development kit will set you back $300 — and still requires a PC to do the gaming horse-work — vrAse, a soon-to-be-launched-on-Kickstarter project, is approaching virtual reality from another direction. It wants to turn your existing smartphone into a pair of wearable virtual reality/3D specs. And do so for as little as £48/$75.
Since high-end smartphones are powerful computers in their own right, and come furnished with cameras front and back, why not just stick your phone right on your face, right? Provided you don’t mind looking like Mr Phone Face, of course. vrAse is one part Oculus Rift, one part Google Glass, one part sci-fi ski goggles — with gaming, 3D movie-watching and augmented reality use-cases envisaged by its creators, assuming they can get developers to make the apps to go with their goggles.
At launch there’s clearly not going to be a lot of ready to rock apps but they say they will offer demo content to show off vrAse’s AR and 3D gaming capabilities. Plus, any movies already made for 3D can also be downloaded or streamed in Side by Side format (SBS) for viewing on vrAse. And films and games can also apparently be converted to SBS for viewing on the device.
vrAse is effectively a toughened smartphone case, attached to a pair of wearable goggles. Your existing smartphone slides inside the case so you’re looking directly at its screen through vrAse’s dual lenses — which generate the 3D/immersion effect. And that’s pretty much it. Compatible smartphones at launch are the iPhone 5, HTC One, Xperia Z, Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 2. In future the creators say they will make it compatible with any smartphone.
How immersive will vrAse be? That’s the key question. And the answer will depend (in part) on the smartphone screen you’re pairing it with. The higher the screen res, the better looking the picture will presumably be. Beyond that, vrAse’s creators aren’t going into detail about what sort of field of vision to expect from vrAse so it’s hard to say how it will stack up against the likes of Oculus Rift. It is looking considerably cheaper to buy, however, so set your expectations accordingly. Update: vrAse says the range of vision is configurable but currently the device offers more than 105 degrees of binocular vision field.
vrAse’s makers are hoping to raise £55,000 via Kickstarter. If they hit their target they’re aiming to ship to backers in February. Their crowdfunding campaign kicks off on Saturday.
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