pc vr

VIVE Reveals Its First Self-Tracking VR Tracker

March 20, 2023 From vrscout

Full-body VR tracking just got a whole lot easier.

HTC VIVE today unveiled the latest addition to its growing lineup of VR tracking devices, a yet-to-be-named self-tracking tracker. The device features two high field-of-view cameras, an onboard processor, and the same high-precision positional tracking algorithm used in the HTC VIVE Focus 3 and HTC VIVE XR Elite, meaning no additional base stations are required in order to operate.

According to HTC, the device weighs under 100 grams and is approximately 50% smaller in size compared to the VIVE Tracker 3.0. There’s also a new quick-release mechanism that allows you to swap the device within seconds. That said the device can still be mounted to conventional speaker and camera peripherals. The company has even released 3D CAD files so you can print your own mounts.

While the tracker is designed for VIVE Focus 3 and XR Elite, it can be used with non-VIVE headsets thanks to compatibility with OpenXR. Standalone use is also supported for those not interested in R functionality. Details regarding these features will be released soon, according to the company.

Credit: HTC VIVE

“The new tracker is able to perfectly track its location rather than rely on external sensors or the headset cameras. Just like our headsets, it’ll be able to track large scale play spaces as well,” said Shen Ye, global head of product at HTC VIVE. “It’s not just for object tracking; you can use it combined with controllers to get full-body tracking. You can connect up to five trackers at a time to our upcoming USBC dongle, so you can track your entire body, including elbows, legs and feet.”

VIVE’s self-tracking tracker is scheduled to launch later this year. Those interested in learning more can contact the company here. The company states that VIVE Tracking 3.0 is still recommended to Lighthouse users.

Feature Image Credit: HTC VIVE

Ristband Returns To SXSW With Its Music Metaverse

March 8, 2023 From vrscout

The party returns on March 12th live via the metaverse.

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festival draws everything from up-and-coming music artists and interactive media companies to forward-thinking startups and various other cutting-edge technologies.

One of the companies featured this year is Ristband which will once again be hosting its Music Metaverse, a virtual event that combines the energy of live music with VR technology. Performing at the event will be the UK-based “collective,” Miro Shot.

Credit: Ristband

During SXSW 2022, I talked with Roman Rappak, CEO of Ristband and singer for Miro Shot, who told me how he was influenced by bands such as Kraftwerk and how they embraced “weird technology that was broken and hard to use and made music with it.”

This year, Miro Shot will be returning to SXW and will be presenting a completely revamped version of their concert, which will feature brand-new music and the latest in XR technology.

“With SXSW’s international reputation as a festival supporting emerging culture and technology under one roof, we are excited to have the opportunity to extend the festival in the metaverse with the true pioneers of this new digital era: the artists who are the driving force of this movement,” said Anne McKinnon, CEO of Ristband.

This year’s Music Metaverse showcase promises attendees an unforgettable experience that will expand the magic of SXSW. Ristband’s official Music Metaverse event will answer questions such as how the metaverse will impact the live music industry and how contemporary artists are using AR/VR as well as the metaverse to reach new audiences. Along with the performance, Ristband’s event will feature a variety of discussions about how the metaverse will affect the industry.

Last year, Miro Shot used older Android devices to drop attendees into a VR environment that reacted with the band’s instruments as they played live. This year, Miro Shot partnered with HTC VIVE to immerse their audiences in a virtual world using HTC’s new all-in-one headset, the VIVE XR Elite.

“Live music and physical events are at the heart of music culture, while at the same time, exciting new tools that can extend our concert into VR and a gaming platform like Ristband have had an incredibly powerful effect on the reach of our band,” said Rappak.

To attend the event, individuals must be 21+ and have an SXSW festival pass. The event will be held at The Venue ATX, which is a 5-minute walk away from the Convention Center. Oh, and you’ll have to RSVP!

Feature Image Credit: Ristband

How VR Is Being Used To Prepare For Mass Casualty Events

March 6, 2023 From vrscout

Immersive technology is for more than just gaming.

Researchers based out of the Ohio State University College of Medicine have created a disaster response training program that uses VR technology to prepare first responders for various mass casualty emergencies, according to an official release.

Developed in collaboration with the Ohio State University Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design, the program immerses users in an underground subway complex after a bomb detonation has resulted in a number of severe casualties. Trainers can customize the program to change the number of victims and the injuries they’ve sustained as well as various environmental factors, such as smoke and noise, to provide a more challenging experience.

According to the research team, the program can effectively train a first responder SALT (sort, assess, life-saving interventions, treatment and/or transport) Triage, a standardized triage method developed in collaboration with the CDC. After completing the training program, users are immediately provided with a real-time assessment detailing their overall performance.

“It’s very important for first responders, law enforcement, and physicians to be able to go into a scene, do hemorrhage control, and triage victims to determine who needs medical care first,” said Dr. Nicholas Kman, professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State College of Medicine, in an official release. “Our high-fidelity program is designed to look very realistic, and once you put that headset on you are immersed into a scenario where you can move around, interact with victims, and make life-saving decisions.”

“Our virtual reality platform allows us to make an unlimited number of scenarios with an unlimited number of victims,” he added. “We can run learners through as many as times as it takes for them to get good at this process.”

Credit: Ohio State University College of Medicine

“We want to train our EMS clinicians to function at an optimal level in high-risk and high-stress environments,” said Dr. Ashish Panchal, professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State College of Medicine and medical director of Delaware County EMS. “Virtual reality gives us a safe way to optimize training so our professionals are prepared and can confront these challenges the best they possibly can.”

For more information check out the full press release here.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen immersive technology used for emergency services training. Back in 2020 we talked about police officers in one department having begun using VR technology as part of their de-escalation training. Another company has developed a VR training program designed to teach proper COVID-19 preparedness and prevention.

Feature Image Credit: Ohio State University College of Medicine

VR Veteran Studio Behind ‘Bigscreen’ Unveils Thin & Light PC VR Headset ‘Beyond’

February 13, 2023 From roadtovr

The team behind social VR viewing app Bigscreen today unveiled a thin and light PC VR headset that not only promises a few intriguing enthusiast-grade specs, but also a custom-made fit based on a 3D scan of your face. In short, it’s a big first for the VR veterans, who are responsible for one of the most beloved VR content viewing platforms.

Called Bigscreen Beyond, the $999 headset presents an interesting set of features which are squarely aimed at PC VR enthusiasts: dual OLED microdisplays offering 2,560 × 2,560 per-eye resolution, pancake optics, and 6DOF SteamVR tracking support.

The company is billing the tethered PC VR headset as the smallest and lightest of its kind, weighing in at just 127 grams and measuring less than 1-inch at its thinnest point.

Bigscreen Beyond starts pre-orders today, priced at $999. Ostenibly, Beyond is targeting PC VR users who likely already in the SteamVR ecosystem but want something thinner and lighter than the last generation of headsets, such as Valve Index. Notably, the headset doesn’t include the requiste SteamVR tracking base stations or SteamVR-compatible controllers like the Valve Index controller or HTC Vive wand—you’ll have to purchase those separately.

The reasoning: Bigscreen founder and CEO Darshan Shankar says the VR software studio wanted to build “the VR headset we wanted for ourselves.”

“Today’s leading VR headsets have doubled in weight compared to headsets from 2016. We built Beyond because we felt VR was too heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable,” Shankar says. “We invented new technologies to increase comfort, and developed ultra-high-end components like OLED microdisplays and pancake optics to increase immersion. To deliver the best software experience for watching movies in Bigscreen, we also had to build the best hardware with Bigscreen Beyond.”

Like many forthcoming VR headsets, Beyond is able to slim down thanks to the inclusion of pancake lenses, which Bigscreen says are a three-element optical design composed of glass, plastic polymers, films, and coatings.

Paired with two OLED microdisplays, each with a resolution of 2,560 × 2,560 pixels, Beyond boasts a high fill-factor with its 7.2-μm wide pixels and RGB stripe subpixels, resulting in what the company says eliminates the screen door effect—when the non-illuminated spaces between pixels make it seem like you’re viewing VR content through a screen door.

Resolution alone doesn’t tell the whole story, although for reference Valve Index is 1,440 × 1,600 per-eye, Meta Quest Pro is 1,920 × 1,800 pixels per-eye, and Pico 4 is 2,160 × 2,160 pixels per-eye.

Another one of Beyond’s big enthusiast-grade features is owed to Bigscreen’s ability to customize the fit of the headset to each user, which will be done by doing a one-time scan of the user’s face using an iPhone XR or more recent Apple mobile device. The dedicated Bigscreen scanning app is said to measure the shape of the user’s face and the position of their eyes, which allows the company to form a facial interface a unique to the individual and determine interpupillar distance.

The hand-washable facial interface is said to provide “even weight distribution, zero light leakage, and aligns the eyes and optics correctly.” Additionally, glasses wearers will have to spring for custom prescription lenses that magnetically fit into Beyond, as glasses do not fit inside the small form factor.

Although it ships with a soft strap, users can also spring for the optional audiostrap. We haven’t confirmed pricing for that yet, however we’ll update once we do.

Granted, some things we’d consider ‘nex-gen’ are notably missing from Beyond, such as eye-tracking, face-tracking, optical 6DOF tracking, and the ability to use it wirelessly. As the first VR headset from a long-time VR veteran though, Beyond does check a lot of boxes for users such as simulator fans, and anyone looking for a better long-term VR media viewer.

Bigscren Beyond is slate to ship in waves based on region. Preorders, which are fully cancellable and refundable up until shipping, are set to ship in the United States sometime in Q3 2023.

Second wave shipments will begin in Q4 2023 in Canada and Europe including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium. A third wave of will come sometime in late 2023, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand. The company says Beyond will be available in more countries and regions in 2024.

Check out the spec sheet below:

Bigscreen Beyond Specs

Display Resolution	5120 x 2560 pixels (2560 x 2560 per eye) cloed at max 90Hz
Field Of View (FOV)	93° HFOV x 90° VFOV
Pixels Per Degree (PPD)	28°
Interpupillary Distance (IPD)	56mm-74mm accommodated (fixed IPD per device, 58mm-72mm)
Optics Type	Custom Pancake Optics
6DOF Tracking	SteamVR Tracking (aka Lighthouse)
Version	V1.0 or V2.0 Base Stations. Not included.
Controllers	SteamVR controllers (ex. Valve Index, HTC Vive). Not included.
Full-Body Tracking	SteamVR trackers (ex. HTC Vive Tracker, Tundra Tracker). Not included.
Audio	Not built-in (USB C port for Audio), or optional Audio Strap
Ports	USB-C accessory port (USB 2.0)
Microphone Input	Stereo microphones
PC Connection	DisplayPort 1.4 (video) and dual USB 3.0 ports (power, data)
Accessory ports	USB-C (USB 2.0 speed)
Cable	5-meter custom fiber optic cable and Link Box
PC Requirements
CPU	Quad Core Intel or AMD
GPU	Nvidia RTX 2070 or AMD RX 5700 XT or newer (DisplayPort 1.4 and DSC required)
Ports	1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2 x USB 3.0 ports

HTC Vive Offering Black Friday Discounts Up To $100

November 25, 2022 From vrscout

Pick up the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap at its lowest price ever.

This year HTC is celebrating the holidays with $100 off on select Vive VR hardware over on the Vive website, along with other HTC Vive distributors such as Amazon, Micro Center, Dell, Lenovo, and Adorama.

Looking for suggestions on what to buy? HTC’s Vive Flow is a lightweight VR headset perfect for friends and family members interested in physical and mental wellness.

“Meditation, gentle stretches, brain training, streaming our favorite shows, or even meeting friends or coworkers in VR with VIVE Sync can all be enhanced by a device light and compact enough to fit in our pocket,” said Cher Wang, chairwoman and CEO of HTC, adding, “VIVE Flow represents the next evolution of technology, as we take a more holistic view of how we can make life better.”

Credit: HTC

Or maybe you need something with a little more power for gaming or work? If that’s the case, you should check out HTC’s Cosmos Elite Full System. Not only do you get an awesome PC VR headset with a sweet flip-up design and awesome visuals, but you’ll also get two months of Viveport Infinity for free!

You can also take advantage of HTC’s Black Friday sale to pick up the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap at its lowest price ever. Check out a full list of HTC’s Black Friday discounts below.

HTC Vive Pro 2 Full System – $1,299 ($100 in savings plus 12 months VIVEPORT Infinity).
HTC Vive Pro 2 headset – $724 ($75 in savings)
HTC Vive Cosmos Elite headset – $399 ($50 in savings)
HTC Vive Cosmos Elite Full System – $649 ($100 in savings)
HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap – $59.99 ($20 in savings)
HTC Vive Flow – $449.99 ($50 in savings)

All deals are valid now until November 28th at 11:59 pm PT.

Image Credit: HTC

VRChat Entertainment Network Coming This New Years

November 9, 2022 From vrscout

The developer is looking for video submissions from the VRChat community.

The popular VR social platform VRChat is launching the VRChat Entertainment Network in celebration of New Year’s 2023. The fully managed video stream will feature a combination of live music video content as well as pre-recorded content made by the community for the community.

Beginning this week, VRChat users from all corners of the metaverse can submit VRChat-related video content for potential inclusion in the official video stream. This could be anything from a showcase of various VRChat worlds and a fake commercial for a fictional product to a short comedy skit or instructional how-to video.

VRChat offers a list of requirements on its website. You’ll want to keep the video length somewhere between 10 seconds and 10 minutes and aim for “family-friendly content,” which means ease up on the swearing and controversial topics.

You’ll also want to avoid promoting any real products or using especially small text. VRChat says it will do its best to notify you whether or not you’re submission has been selected, but isn’t making any promises, so you’ll want to watch the video stream just to make sure.

Your video should be recorded at a resolution of 1080p at 30 frames per second. The final version of your project must be submitted via Google Drive. You can find more information on technical guidelines here.

You have until December 5th at 12pm PT to submit your content.

Image Credit: VRChat

VR Wine Tasting Experiment Lets Users Guess Aromas

October 27, 2022 From vrscout

Scent-based VR technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace.

A team of psychologists based out of Stockholm University has developed a piece of technology that allows players to smell the virtual world. According to a paper published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, the Nosewise Handheld Olfactometer (NHO) can discretely house a variety of liquid scents that can be triggered at certain moments during a VR experience.

Credit: Simon Niedenthal, William Fredborg, PeterLundén, MarieEhrndal, Jonas K.Olofsson

“Our olfactometer allows for concealed (i.e., unknown to the user) combinations of odors with virtual objects and contexts, making it well suited to applications involving active sniffing and interrogation of objects in virtual space for recreational, scientific, or therapeutic functions,” says the team in the paper.

Unlike other scent-based VR devices that attach to the headset itself, the NHO is designed to attach to the HTC Vive’s motion controller to “output scent at the hand, linking physical smells to a synthetic VR environment.”

In order to demonstrate the technology, the team developed a VR wine-tasting experience that tasked test subjects with guessing different wines based on eight unique aromas. Participants released the smells by pressing the trigger on their HTC Vive controllers, after which they could submit their answers via four virtual circles floating above the table.

Before each session, developers vented clean air through the device for 10 minutes in order to avoid any potential odor cross-contamination. The wine-tasting experience featured four difficulty levels in total; the higher the difficulty the more complex the odor mixture. Participants were exposed to eight unique scents in total: clove, blackcurrant, raspberry, chocolate, pineapple, almond, grapefruit, and pear.

**Credit: Simon Niedenthal, William Fredborg, PeterLundén, MarieEhrndal, Jonas K.Olofsson**

“By developing new technologies that enable enactive smelling, and simultaneously articulating the potentials of smell training for recreational, scientific, or therapeutic uses, we hope to sketch new, more natural interactions that can enhance human olfactory experience,” added the team.

For more information check out the full paper in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies.

Image Credit: Jens Lasthein / Simon Niedenthal, William Fredborg, PeterLundén, MarieEhrndal, Jonas K.Olofsson

The HIG-M4 VR Gunstock Looks EXTREMELY Realistic

September 28, 2022 From vrscout

If looks could kill…

When it comes to VR shooters, having the right accessories can often mean the difference between life and death… Literally. Over the past few years, we’ve seen various manufacturers try their hands at creating their own VR-compatible gunstocks, but we haven’t seen anything quite like the HIG-M4 Simulation VR Gunstock.

Based on the M4 Carbine, the HIG-M4 is easily one of the most realistic-looking VR gunstocks we’ve seen to date. The device itself is composed of five primary components designed to replace your right controller: a Grip Controller, Hand Holder, Controller Fixture, Shoulder Stock, and Magazine Battery. Meanwhile, your left controller rests beneath a dedicated Hand Holder. You can also pick up a HIGVR Data Glove for a more immersive experience, but more on that later.

Grip Controller – The HIG-M4 features a built-in controller attached to the primary grip featuring all the necessary inputs, including an A button, B button, side button, joystick, and trigger.
Hand Holder – As previously mentioned, the HIG-M4 is designed to replace your right controller. An adjustable hand holder located beneath the barrel of the “gun” offers support for your left hand while offering you the freedom to operate your virtual weaponry without restriction.
Controller Fixture – The HIG-M4 works by attaching your right controller to a fixture located atop the device. HIGVR software then automatically calibrates the distance between the handle and the headset and modifies the offset. HIGVR offers a variety of fixtures compatible with popular VR headsets such as the Meta Quest 2 and Valve Index.

Shoulder Stock – The HIG-M4 offers an adjustable shoulder stock complete with force feedback. This effect can be turned off via a switch located on the body of the gun.
Magazine Battery – Arguably the coolest feature is the removable battery cartridge which looks and functions like an actual gun magazine. Each 5v and 6600mA battery lasts about five hours and can be ejected using a switch button located on the side.

As previously mentioned, HIGVR also offers the HIGVE Data Glove, which can be used in tandem with the HIG-M4 gunstock for an even more realistic in-headset experience. A controller fixture allows you to go hands-free, removing the need for the HIG-M4’s Hand Holder. The device is compatible with popular motion controllers as well as trackers such as the HTC Vive Tracker 3.0.

The HIG-M4 is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter. With 14 days left to go in the campaign, the company has already blown past its original goal of $10,573. At the time of this writing, the company has already received an impressive $54,819 in funding.

The HIG-M4 will begin shipping to early backers this November. While the Super Early Brid package is no longer available, you can still pick up the Early Brid package for a minimum of $1,600. This includes the HIG-M4, VR Controller Fixture, and HIGVR software. The company is also offering an alternative model for left-handed users.

For more information visit higvr.com.

Image Credit: HIGVR

Tickets For The 2022 VR Awards Are Currently Available

September 6, 2022 From vrscout

Tickets are still available for this year’s in-person event in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The International AIXR VR Awards are only a few months away and things are already heating up with some big announcements. Not only was it announced that the premier awards show would be returning to a live in-person event, but they also announced that they are moving the ceremonies to Rotterdam, Netherlands as part of a collaboration with Immersive Tech Week (formally VRDays Europe).

This partnership between ITW and The VR Awards will play a significant role in connecting with a much larger audience of VR enthusiasts and professionals as we see an increase in metaverse adoption.

Starting in 2015 as VRDays, the event has since been renamed Immersive Tech Week in 2021 due to the rapid developments in the industry and growth of the audience as multiple industries pushed for more development and application of XR technologies. Their primary focus is to harness and expand the potential of the European immersive technology industry at a global level by uniting the XR community, inspiring creative minds, and driving the business forward to make a positive difference in the near future.

Benjamin de Wit, co-founder and Festival Director of VRDays Europe said, “This cooperation to bring the VR Awards to Immersive Tech Week in Rotterdam, adds a wonderful independent global celebration of excellence in VR to a week where industry leaders, academics, artists, professionals and XR enthusiasts come together to connect, share ideas and get inspired on immersive technology.”

With a judging panel of 70 industry leaders in VR currently going through multiple categories of finalists to choose the experience that they feel is a highlight of 2022, there is already some big buzz on who could walk away winners. As you would guess there are some big names in the running but also a few new startups as well; all with amazing VR achievements worthy of a win. You can check out the list of nominees here.

Like the previous events before COVID, this year’s VR Awards is going all-out with their live black-tie event. And, as mentioned earlier, the award ceremony is moving from London to Rotterdam, Netherlands, and will be hosted in the prestigious de Doelen venue. You can purchase a Full Ticket, Full Table, or a Full VIP Table. All three options include a 3-course dinner and drinks. That said, you get bigger perks with the Full VIP Table, which offers a premier award experience that includes:

10 VIP After Party Tickets
5 bottles of extra wine
Premium table placement
2 complimentary champagne bottles
Branding on table

Full pass-holders to ITM will be able to attend a special private 3-course dinner and a VIP party, and you will be able to watch the ceremonies from the de Doelen upper circle and gallery seating alongside the VR Award finalists and attendees.

If you are looking to attend The VR Awards and would like to get tickets to the full ITW program, which includes the exclusive dinner, you will need to act quickly as tickets tend to sell out quickly.

The 6th International VR Awards happen on December 1st in Rotterdam, the Netherlands at the de Doelen venue. Tickets and more information on the award ceremony can be found here.

VRScout is an official media partner of this year’s VR Awards.

Image Credit: AIXR

This $5M Bugatti Was Designed Using VR Technology

August 29, 2022 From vrscout

The days of old-school clay models are coming to an end.

During an interview with The Drive, Bugatti Design Director Achim Anscheidt sat down with Editor-in-Chief Kyle Cheromcha to discuss how the team used conventional 3D modeling software and VR technology to create a $5,000,000 car in just nine months.

According to Anscheidt, the team used the popular CAD software Blender as well as a more advanced program called Alias to create a complex 3D model of the W16 Mistral roadster which could then be viewed in full-scale using a VR headset.

This design method removes the need for physical clay models, allowing car manufacturers to expedite the car development process while retaining the quality of the product. Designers can adjust the model at any time and view the alterations instantaneously.

“We are so VR-based now,” said Anscheidt to The Drive. “I also like clay and my hands-on, but our virtual glasses these days are so good that we’re getting very close to the final product.”

“I would probably say now we save 40 percent of the time compared to 15 years ago and 20 percent from five years ago.”

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

Image Credit: Bugatti

pc vr

Bigscreen Beyond Specs

PC Requirements