meta quest 2

Pavlov Shack Drops Quest 1 Support, Preparing For QA Submission

May 16, 2022 From uploadvr

An update from Pavlov developer davevillz shed some light on the progress of Pavlov Shack.

Pavlov Shack is a new version of the popular multiplayer VR shooter, and has been in development for Quest for quite a while now. But it might finally be making its way over to the official Oculus Store soon. Over a year ago, Shack made its App Lab debut, bringing a sudden rise in players.

As we prepare shack for release on the oculus store, We’ve made the decision to drop Quest1 support as we encountered performance regression/issues on the new engine; this forced our hand to focus on Quest2. We’ll be releasing a final beta soon and submit to oculus qa for release

— davevillz (@davevillz) May 13, 2022

However, a new update from developer davevillz indicates that the team will soon release a final beta of Shack, which will be sent to Meta’s QA team in submission for an official full release on the Oculus Store for Quest.

In the same tweet, davevillz also revealed that Shack will be dropping support for the original Quest headset. This is because the team “encountered performance regression/issues on the new engine” on Quest 1, which “forced [their] hand to focus on Quest 2.”

Pavlov started its life as a competitive shooter for PC VR, heavily inspired by the Counter-Strike franchise. Pavlov Shack is the Quest spin-off of the original, scaled-down for Quest’s standalone hardware and currently available for free in beta on App Lab.

The official Oculus Store release for Shack has been a long time coming, initially scheduled for last year. It will hopefully release soon after being approved through the Quest QA process. The full release on Quest will cost $24.

A version of Shack is also planned for release on PSVR 2, once the headset is available. Both versions of Shack, on Quest and PSVR 2, will support cross-play with each other, but not with the original PC VR version of Pavlov.

This Bizarre VR Gas Mask Makes Breathing In VR More Difficult

May 13, 2022 From vrscout

The AirRes Mask can be used to simulate a variety of stressful and high-risk scenarios.

A research team working out of the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences in Austria has developed a unique accessory for the Meta Quest 2 VR headset that allows users to interact with the virtual world by simply breathing. The bizarre-looking peripheral can also be used to hinder the user’s breathing in order to simulate “adverse” environmental conditions, such as smoke caused by fire.

The AirRes Mask, as it’s referred to by the team, is composed of a standard half-face respirator equipped with a sensor and resistance disk. The device works by measuring the user’s breathing, allowing them to engage with the virtual world in a variety of unique ways.

In a video provided by the team, we catch a glimpse of the device being used to play the harmonica. Depending on the position of the virtual instrument and the force of the breathing, the user is able to trigger different notes. Later on, we see the user operating a virtual blowgun and blowing up balloons by carefully breathing into the apparatus.

As previously mentioned, the AirRes Mask can also be used to simulate breathing resistance in VR, allowing developers to safely immerse user’s in a variety of harsh environments. This is demonstrated with a firefighter simulator in which the user battles a raging inferno from within a confined space.

As the smoke begins to fill the room, the resistance disk restricts airflow through the mask to simulate smoke inhalation and a decrease in stamina. According to the research team, hindering a user’s breathing can increase their stress levels, further immersing the user in a variety of high-risk scenarios.

“Breathing resistance can provide feedback for simple actions such as blowing into wind instruments, or for more complex contextual information about environmental conditions or the state of the user’s virtual avatar,” said the research team in their full research paper.

“For instance, effects of virtual smoke or low stamina of the avatar can be expressed by the system as an increase in breathing resistance. We explore such action-based and context-based mappings of breathing interaction in a user study and investigate the system’s ability to precisely map a user’s breathing force to actions as well as its ability to provide noticeable variations in breathing resistance.”

We’ve seen our fair share of bizarre multi-sensory technology in the past, from a haptic feedback device that utilizes ultrasonic transducers to simulate the feeling of spiders crawling on your face to a location-based experience that lets you smell the inside of a tree. The AirRes Mask offers yet another way for developers to immerse VR users in their experiences via multi-sensory technology.

In addition to entertainment, the device could prove immensely useful for training purposes. The technology offers companies and organizations a way to efficiently simulate stressful and even potentially dangerous scenarios without risk to the trainee.

For more information on the project, read the team’s full research paper, AirRes Mask: A Precise and Robust Virtual Reality Breathing Interface Utilizing Breathing Resistance as Output Modality.

Image Credit: Salzburg University of Applied Sciences

Kiwi Announces Battery Strap For Quest 2, Coming Soon

May 11, 2022 From uploadvr

Accessory company Kiwi announced its take on a Quest 2 battery strap, available soon.

Since the launch of the original Quest, we’ve seen a bunch of official and third party takes on battery straps that extend the playing time of standalone headsets in various ways.

This week, accessory company Kiwi announced its version of a Quest 2 battery strap, pitched as featuring a 6400mah battery built into the back of an Elite-style strap for the headset.

Just like other options, this strap from Kiwi will not only extend the time you can spend in Quest 2 in one session, but should also act as a counter-weight to balance the weight of the headset more effectively.

Finally, KIWI design gets the Battery Elite strap for #Metaverse #oculus #quest2. With #Amprius 6400mah, you can play for more 4-5hours. Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/oGaSoeSOHZ

— KIWIdesign (@kiwidesign02) May 10, 2022

Kiwi says it is using a battery from Amprius, a California-based company that claims to ship batteries that are “the industry’s highest energy density cells”. Looking at the tweet above, it seems this 6400MAh Amprius battery will be located right at the back of the strap, similar to Meta’s official battery-clad Elite Strap option. In our testing, Meta’s Elite Strap provided about “double” the playtime to Quest 2.

The VR Power 2 — a pack which connects to the standard or Elite Quest 2 straps — features a 10,000MAh battery, roughly 3500MAh less than Kiwi’s option. In our testing, we found VR Power 2 added 6 hours and 10 minutes onto the standard Quest 2 battery.

There’s no exact release date for Kiwi’s battery strap, but keep an eye out for further details soon.

Meta Is Reportedly Launching Multiple VR Headsets By 2024

May 3, 2022 From vrscout

Project Cambria will supposedly release this September followed by a new Quest in 2023.

A new report by The Information states that Meta (formerly Facebook) is currently in the development of four new headsets that will release by 2024. The website claims to have seen an internal roadmap outlining the company’s next steps, revealing an ambitious plan to dominate the VR/AR space.

According to the report, this lineup of new hardware will begin the release of Project Cambria this September. Designed specifically for use in the workplace, this VR/AR device will supposedly feature both eye and face tracking as well as high-resolution colored Passthrough technology, allowing for more realistic mixed reality experiences. The visuals are so clear that you’re able to pick up a pen and start writing comfortably without removing the headset, a major improvement over the original Quest and Quest 2 if accurate.

While The Information originally reported that Project Cambria will cost around $800, a Meta spokesperson has since reached out to the publication clarifying that the cost will cost “significantly higher.” An updated version of Cambria, codenamed “Funston”, will supposedly launch in 2024. Before that Meta will launch two additional Quest headsets, “Stinson” and “Cardiff,” in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

The report also offered several updates on Meta’s long-awaited AR device. Codenamed “Nazare,” these AR glasses will supposedly launch in 2024. The company is also working on a pair of cheaper smartglasses called “Hypernova” powered by an electromyography wrist band that will allow you to control the device using only your thoughts. Unlike Nazare, which is supposedly a standalone device, Hypernova will pair with the user’s smartphone.

Moving forward, the company could release a lighter, more advanced pair of AR glasses in 2026 followed by another iteration in 2028, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to see just how Meta’s Narare AR glasses fair in 2024.

For more information check out The Information’s full report here.

Image Credit: Meta

The Information: New Quest Headsets Slated For 2023 & 2024 Release

May 3, 2022 From uploadvr

Meta is planning to release new versions of its Quest headset in 2023 and 2024, The Information reports.

A Four-Headset Roadmap

Meta plans to release four virtual reality headsets between now and 2024, according to an internal road map seen by The Information (subscription required), including two new Quest headsets.

According to The Information, the Quest headsets are code-named Stinson and Cardiff — both names that take after locations in California. This internal naming trend is one that Meta (formerly Facebook) have followed since 2014. Crystal Cove was the code name for what would become the Oculus Rift DK2, for example, and Monterey for the original Quest headset.

Meta also plans to ship its higher-end Project Cambria headset later this year, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg said will be more focused on remote work use cases. While The Information’s report suggested Cambria could retail for $799 or higher, Meta confirmed to UploadVR that the final price point will be “significantly” above $799.

The road map rounds out its four-headset plan with code-name Funston, a second version of Cambria, set for release in 2024.

All in all, that’s two new Quest headsets and two versions of the higher-end Cambria line releasing between now and the end of 2024. As noted in the report, these dates are all subject to change. The nature of developing such complex hardware, along with now-common pandemic and supply chain delays, means that targeted ship dates will often slip.

Quest 3 and 4?

In a March 2021 interview with The Information, Zuckerberg said Meta was already “working on the next few generations of virtual reality and what Quest 3 and 4 are gonna look like.”

It’s unknown whether Stinson and Cardiff are the Quest 3 and 4 that Zuckerberg referred to last year. While Quest 2 followed this numbered naming convention, releasing as the second generation of the Quest product line, Stinson and Cardiff may not be full generational leaps. There’s a chance either headset releases as a mid-generation refresh or as a variation of an existing Quest headset at a higher or lower price point, with different features.

Eye & Face Tracking On Quest

Cambria (which, at one point, was referred to as ‘Quest Pro’ internally) is targeting launch this year and will ship with both face and eye tracking capabilities, alongside color passthrough for mixed reality. Zuckerberg previusly noted that his excitement to bring this eye and face tracking technology to future Quest headsets, when possible. Given Quest’s standalone hardware optimizes for low cost and currently starts at $299, Meta will face significant technological and financial challenges in bringing this technology to Stinson and Cardiff.

Leaked photos suggest that Cambria will feature controllers that ditch the traditional tracking rings, instead using built-in tracking cameras on controllers themselves. This would alleviate headsets of some tracking responsibility, allowing the controllers to track themselves using IR cameras instead.

Zuckerberg told investors at his Q1 2022 earnings call that Meta will “share more details about Project Cambria in the months ahead as we get ready to launch it.” The headset will not replace Quest 2, which Meta reiterated will have a “long life” just a few months ago.

According to The Verge, Meta also plans to ship its first generation of true AR glasses, Nazare, in 2024, following by more advanced second and third generation models in 2026 and 2028 respectively.

Meta confirmed it will “share the latest on our VR, AR, and metaverse platform offerings” later this year at its annual Connect conference, which usually takes place around September.

Mouth Haptics Let You Kiss, Smoke, And Eat Spiders In VR

April 30, 2022 From vrscout

Has technology gone too far?

Researchers working for Carnegie Melon University’s Future Interfaces Group have developed a new haptic feedback device that utilizes ultrasonic transducers to simulate a realistic sense of touch on your mouth, allowing for more realistic VR experiences. The team recently posted a video showcasing a variety of interesting simulations, from eating and smoking to giant spider attacks.

The aforementioned ultrasonic transducers can be used to simulate various real-world sensations by focusing acoustic energy on the user’s mouth. By combining subtle pulsations, researchers can replicate everything from drinking hot coffee to smoking a cigarette. The same technology can also be applied to your teeth, as shown in the tooth brushing demo.

In addition to the above-mentioned uses-cases, researchers went into surprising detail explaining how the system could be used to recreate various spider-based interactions. Using a combination of effects including single impulse, pulse trains, swipes in the x, y, and z directions, and persistent vibrations, users feel sticky cobwebs, jumping spiders, spider goo, and venom interact with their mouths in noticeably different ways.

In the video we see the technology being used in combination with a Meta Quest 2 VR headset. According to the team, the system can be integrated into any VR headset as an attachment, opening the doors for even more possibilities. Needless to say, the team’s ultrasonic transducers attachment is very much a prototype and there are currently no plans for a commercial release. That said, as haptic technology continues to improve we’ll no doubt begin to see the conversation around mouth haptics begin to grow as well.

“The mouth has been largely overlooked as a haptic target in VR/AR, despite being second in terms of sensitivity and density of mechanoreceptors, only behind the fingertips,” said Future Interfaces Group in their paper. “Equally important, the proximity of the mouth to the headset offers a significant opportunity to enable on- and in-mouth haptic effects, without needing to run wires or wear an extra accessory.”

“However, consumers do not want to cover their entire face, let alone put something up against (or into) their mouth. For AR, the industry is trending towards glasses-like form factors, so as to preserve as much facial expression as possible for human-human communication. Even in VR, smaller headsets are the consumer trend, with the mouth exposed and unencumbered.”

As for how this technology will end up being used, we’ll just have to wait and see. While Future Interfaces Group’s video features a heavy amount of spider-based interactions, we could easily see this technology taking off within the social and adult VR spaces. The technology could also prove interesting among food and beverage companies looking for new ways to capitalize on immersive technology and the growing metaverse trend. After all, big-name companies like Wendy’s and McDonald’s have already expressed their interest.

For more information on Future Interfaces Group’s mouth haptics technology read their full paper Mouth Haptics in VR using a Headset Ultrasound Phased Array via the official FIG website.

Image Credit: Carnegie Melon University’s Future Interfaces Group

Wallace and Gromit VR Experience Announced For Quest

April 29, 2022 From uploadvr

Aardman Animations announced a new collaboration with Atlas V and Meta to bring a new Wallace and Gromit VR experience to Quest 2.

Wallace and Gromit: The Grand Getaway will release for Meta Quest 2 in 2023, which Aardman says will be the “next step” for the pair’s adventures in immersive media after the mobile AR experience ‘The Big Fix Up’, which released last year for iPhone and Android.

Here’s a description of The Grand Getaway, direct from Aardman:

In ‘The Grand Getaway’, holidays are in the offing for Wallace and Gromit. Sun, sand, and the chance to test out their latest contraption, Auto-Caddy. But Wallace has his dates mixed up – they have to be on the other side of the country in just half an hour! There’s only one thing for it… they’ll take the Rocket. But a mishap with the controls sends Wallace, Gromit and Auto-Caddy hurtling off course. Will this be a holiday to remember?

Funded by Meta, The Grand Getaway will be a co-production between Aardman and Atlas V, allowing players to “walk around, explore and get hands-on (or paws-on!) within the world of Wallace & Gromit.”

Aardman is an animation studio known for a myriad of successful animation properties, movies and shorts, including Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, Shawn the Sheep and more. Atlas V, meanwhile, is a production studio that has also worked on animated movies, but focused around immersive VR experiences and narratives, such as Gloomy Eyes, Battlescar and Madrid Noir. It will work on this new Wallace and Gromit experience in association with studios No Ghost and Albyon.

I was a big fan of Madrid Noir – it made some interesting stylistic choices with how it framed narrative in an immersive medium. There were sections where the animated characters were staged like a stage play occurring around you, with dramatic lighting and environments that almost looked like a movie set. The history of strong stylistic presentation makes me excited to see what a Wallace and Gromit collaboration with Aardman will look like. On paper, it’s a match made in heaven.

Meta’s Next VR/AR Headset Will ‘Replace Your Laptop’

April 28, 2022 From vrscout

Zuckerberg shares more information on the company’s upcoming XR headset ‘Project Cambria.’

During a Q1 2022 earnings call, Meta (formerly Facebook) co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared new information with investors regarding its next headset which is scheduled to launch sometime this year.

During the meeting, Zuckerberg confirmed that the device, codenamed ‘Project Cambria,’ is designed primarily for “work use cases” as opposed to gaming and entertainment. This lines up with past statements in which Meta confirmed that the upcoming XR device is by no means a successor to the Quest 2.

Zuckerberg hopes this XR device will one day replace your laptop or conventional work setup by offering a more attractive mixed reality workspace powered by VR/AR. In addition to these XR tools, the previously-mentioned face and eye-tracking will offer more realistic and expressive avatars, allowing for more natural interactions during virtual meetings.

Originally announced at the Facebook Connect event in 2021, Project Cambria promises a higher-end experience compared to that of the Meta Quest 2. This includes eye and face tracking, improved ergonomics, and enhanced mixed reality capabilities such as high-res colored Passthrough.

With Meta Quest 2 sales through the roof, it makes sense that Meta is looking to mix things up with its next device rather than cannibalize its own hardware lineup. Thanks to robust VR coworking apps like Horizon Workrooms, we’ve seen just how powerful Meta’s Passthrough technology can be as a productivity tool. We can only imagine how Project Cambria’s improved colored passthrough and face tracking capabilities will impact the future virtual coworking.

During the call, Zuckerberg also revealed that Meta’s VR/AR revenue is up 31%, driven largely by the massive success of the Quest 2. For more information on Project Cambria check out our previous coverage here. You can also check out the full earnings call here.

Image Credit: Meta

Grandpa Creates Hologram Twin For Future Grandkids Using VR

April 27, 2022 From vrscout

Not even death will stop this tech-savvy grandfather from meeting his great-grandchildren.

Jerry Terrance, an 85-year-old grandfather from Los Angeles, California, has turned himself into a 3D hologram that will serve as a humanoid time capsule for future generations. According to the Daily Mail, Jerry’s ‘hologram twin’ will guide his two children and four grandchildren, as well as future great-grandchildren, through his family’s history, even after his death.

“I think it is a wonderful way to preserve my family’s history for future generations,” said Jerry while speaking to Jam Press. “To see myself like that, is just mind-blowing — it feels like watching a movie. By not just reading the words as in my memoir but to actually get the chance to see and hear me recalling the stories is just magical.”

Developed by StoryTerrace in partnership with 8i, the 3D hologram was captured in a custom green screen studio using 30 individual cameras. As Jerry thoughtfully recites his family history, accompanying home videos and photos are projected on the wall behind him. While explaining his creation of the Carpet Bag handbag in the 1960s, for example, we see some of the original promotional material for the item displayed throughout his virtual environment.

Using a headset such as the Meta Quest 2, Jerry’s family can then view the final product in immersive VR. They can even walk around Jerry’s 3D hologram and view the experience from multiple angles. For Jerry, the project is a way to preserve not only his family’s history but his own personal legacy by allowing him to “interact” with future Terrance family members even after his death.

“My daughter did try the headset on and said how it brings back such great memories,” he added. “She said she found out things about me that she didn’t know before and it made her history come to life. In fact, I think this has brought them closer to me and will keep me alive, in some form, for my grandchildren. It was an emotional time!”

“The book is a unique medium to tell someone’s life stories because you can really reflect on life, look at turning points and go incredibly deep into that story,” said Rutger Bruining, CEO and founder of StoryTerrace. “What makes VR so unique is that you can immerse yourself in someone else’s life who you are close to and actually hear their voice. We believe that combining these two mediums will be extremely powerful.”

For more information on Jerry’s hologram twin visit here.

Image Credit: Jam Press Vid / Story Terrace / 8i

Grandpa Creates Hologram Twin For Future Grandkids Using VR Tech

April 27, 2022 From vrscout

Not even death will stop this tech-savvy grandfather from meeting his great-grandchildren.

Jerry Terrance, an 85-year-old grandfather from Los Angeles, California, has turned himself into a 3D hologram which will serve as a humanoid time capsule for future generations. According to the Daily Mail, Jerry’s ‘hologram twin’ will guide his two children and four grandchildren, as well as future great-grandchildren, through his families history, even after his death.

Using a headset such as the Meta Quest 2, Jerry’s family can then view the final product in immersive VR. They can even walk around Jerry’s 3D hologram and view the experience from multiple angles. For Jerry, the project is a way to preserve not only his families history, but his own personal legacy by allowing him to “interact” with future Terrance family members even after his death.

For more information on Jerry’s hologram twin visit here.

Image Credit: Jam Press Vid / Story Terrace / 8i