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Synth Riders Coming To PSVR On July 27

From uploadvr.com

One of the most popular and longstanding VR rhythm games, Synth Riders, is coming to PlayStation VR on July 27.

Synth Riders is a rhythm VR game that released in 2018 for PC VR, before making it’s over to Oculus Quest at the headset’s launch in mid-2019. Since then, developer Kluge Interactive has significantly expanded and updated the game with new features and content across all platforms, including multiplayer game modes, fitness-focused tracks and collaborations with other rhythm games like OhShape.

The PSVR version of the game will benefit from the past three years of content updates and DLC releases. Everything that’s been released progressively on other platforms since the game’s launch will be available immediately on PSVR, including 55 free tracks and 20 available for purchase. This includes the DLC tracks from artists like Muse and The Offspring — the latest in a string of new DLC packs that aim to bring more well-known artists to Synth Riders, no doubt to compete with rival rhythm game Beat Saber’s artist-led release strategy.

It’s been a big week for Synth Riders, with the news arriving just a few days ago that the game would receive 120Hz support on Oculus Quest 2, making it the latest game to join a growing list of titles that support the high refresh rate on Facebook’s standalone headset.

Kluge Interactive is also running a competition ahead of the PSVR launch — users that sign up to receive a one-time only launch reminder will also go into the draw to win the “Complete Music Pack” DLC bundle for the game on release.

Synth Riders launches July 27 on PSVR and is available now on PC VR via the Oculus Store and Steam and Oculus Quest via the Oculus Store.

Report: PlayStation VR 2 Will Launch Next Holiday Season

From vrscout.com

The follow-up to Sony’s 2016 console VR headset will feature Samsung Display OLED panels.

Yesterday afternoon, Bloomberg released a report regarding Tokyo-based LCD specialist Japan Display Inc, in the process revealing potential information regarding the highly-anticipated follow-up to Sony’s PlayStation VR headset.

According to Bloomberg’s report, Sony will be launching its next-generation VR headset, the PlayStation VR 2, late next year as part of the 2022 holiday season, citing sources “with knowledge of the matter.” Not only that, but the headset will feature OLED panels from Samsung Display.

With the popularity of LCD displays on the rise within the smartphone and VR industries, researchers speculate that the technology will steadily replace conventional OLED displays within the next five years, the PlayStation VR 2 being the supposed exception.

“One important holdout remains: Sony Group Corp. plans to use Samsung Display Co. OLED panels in its next-generation PlayStation VR goggles, according to people with knowledge of the matter,” states the report. “The Japanese console giant sold more than 5 million units of the original PS VR, launched in 2016, and is aiming to release the successor in the holiday period next year, the people said, asking not to be named discussing internal plans.”

Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony first revealed the existence of its next-gen console VR headset this past February as part of a surprise announcement, during which the company teased an improved resolution, better tracking and input, a larger field-of-view, and a simplified setup process consisting of a single cable that connects directly to the PS5; no dedicated processing unit required.

That following month we received our first look at the all-new motion controllers designed specifically for the PS VR 2. These orb-shaped peripherals will supposedly offer improved ergonomics and weight distribution, resulting in more comfortable interactions while in VR. Each device will also feature “adaptive” triggers that deliver a sense of palpable tension, finger touch detection, and improved haptic feedback using the same technology used in Sony’s Dualsense controllers for PS5.

Image Credit: Sony PlayStation

Other than that, we still know very little about the next-generation console VR headset.

According to a previous report by UploadVR, the PS VR 2 may feature a 4K resolution, foveated rendering powered by eye-tracking, and haptic feedback technology built directly into the headset itself, though this information has yet to be confirmed by Sony.

Feature Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

PS5 VR Headset To Launch Holiday 2022 With OLED Display – Report

From uploadvr.com

A new report from Bloomberg claims that the PS5 VR headset will launch in the holiday 2022 period with an OLED display.

The article, which largely covers Japan Display Inc’s shift to making LCD VR displays, cites “people with knowledge of the matter” in saying the device will launch later next year and feature OLED panels from Samsung.

The original PSVR also uses an OLED display, as did the original Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. But Facebook & HTC now use cheaper, higher resolution LCD panels. Bloomberg’s report suggests this shift to LCD will continue in VR, with Sony as the exception to the rule.

Sony confirmed it was working on a new VR headset for the PS5 earlier this year, but stated it would not be released in 2021. A holiday 2022 window isn’t too surprising; developer kits for the device are being sent out around now, giving studios a decent window to prepare software for the device. The original PSVR launched in October of 2016, too.

That said, the window between now and late 2022 leaves plenty of room for Facebook to grow in the VR space. The company’s Oculus Quest 2 standalone headset has already outsold every other Oculus headset combined and the company has acknowledged a possible ‘Pro’ version of the device that could well also launch in 2022.

Last month we reported that the PS5 VR headset — which doesn’t have an official name — featured a resolution of 4000×2040 pixels (2000×2040 per eye), a lens separation adjustment dial, and gaze tracking capable of foveated rendering.

What do you think of the new PS5 VR headset potentially launching in late 2022? Let us know in the comments below.

Our Favorite VR Game Announcements From E3 2021

From vrscout.com

The Upload VR Showcase returns with new information on 18 killer VR games.

Yesterday, Upload hosted its third annual E3 VR Showcase as part of IGN’s Summer of Gaming event, revealing a generous amount of new information for 18 VR games on Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, and SteamVR headsets. This includes everything from new gameplay trailers for highly-anticipated titles such as Larcenauts and Green Hell VR to long-awaited updates for popular experiences like Demeo and Blaston.

For those who missed out on yesterday’s event, we’ve put together a small recap of our favorite announcements for your viewing pleasure. For a full list of yesterday’s reveals, check out Upload’s full recap here.



Green Hell VR – PCVR Gameplay Trailer

We were over the moon when we heard that developer Incuvo Games was developing a VR port of Creep Jar’s brutally realistic survival crafting game Green Hell for PCVR headsets.

For those unfamiliar with Green Hell, this psychological survival-horror experience drops you in the center of the Amazon rainforest where you’re tasked with surviving everything from tropical diseases to deadly wildlife using only your wits and whatever tools you can craft using the natural environment.

This latest trailer showcases even more of Incuovo’s upcoming VR jungle simulator, including the ability to craft temporary shelter using various resources scattered throughout the environment as well as the games crafting and backpack storage systems.

Green Hell VR is scheduled to launch later this year on Oculus Quest and PCVR headsets. According to the developer, the Quest version of the game will differ from the PCVR release due to technical limitations, though details are sparse at the moment.



Blaston & Demeo – New Updates

In addition to new details regarding unreleased games, the Upload VR Showcase also shined a light on several exciting updates coming to existing VR titles, including Resolution Games’ Blaston and Demeo.

Originally released on Oculus Quest and PCVR headsets this past October, Blaston will be receiving a new update on June 21st that will introduce a slew of new content to the multiplayer slow-motion bullet hell game. This includes a brand new single-player mode, token system, and arena just to name a few. The update, referred to as “Crackdown,” will also expand the Blaston universe with the introduction of Scrapper Street, a new location complete with robots, flying cars, and other lore-expanding elements.

We also received fresh updates on “Realm of the Rat King,” a brand new campaign heading to Resolution’s smash-hit VR dungeon crawler, Demeo. While we still know very little about the highly-anticipated expansion, this latest trailer confirmed an official release date of June 28th.



Rhythm Of The Universe: Ionia – Release Date Trailer

Brought to us by ROTU Entertainment, Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia is an upcoming VR puzzle game with an environmental twist.

According to the developers, Ionia will be the first of seven upcoming chapters designed to immerse players in a captivating experience that combines environmental conservation with musical theory. We still know very little about this mysterious game at the moment, other than the fact that part of its proceeds will go directly to Wildlife Warriors, a non-profit conservation organization founded by the late great Steve Irwin.

It looks like we’ll have to wait until the games launch in Q3 2021 to find out more.



Township Tale – Oculus Quest Announcement Trailer

Available now on PCVR headsets via the Alta game launcher, Township Tale is an ambitious RPG experience built from the ground up for VR headsets.

In this uniquely crafted VR role-playing adventure, players are tasked with revitalizing an abandoned village by swapping between various jobs, each of which featuring their own unique interactions designed to immerse you in said role. As a blacksmith, for example, you’ll mine valuable resources and craft powerful weaponry. As a warrior, you’ll defend the village from various threats. Other professions include archer, cook, woodcutter, etc. As you progress, you’ll unlock the ability to customize your character, collect new inventory, and craft unique equipment; all of which can be taken with you between servers.

The latest trailer offers new information on the long-awaited Oculus Quest release. Township Tale will arrive on standalone VR headsets on July 15th for $9.99 with optional in-game purchases.



Larcenauts – VOD Gameplay & Roadmap Trailer

Revealed this past May, Larcenauts is an upcoming team-based PvP game coming soon to the Oculus Quest. Similar to class-based multiplayer titles such as Overwatch and Apex Legends, this fast-paced VR shooter lets you select from a roster of diverse characters, each with their own unique pros and cons, as you battle a team of six other players throughout a series of objective-based game modes using customizable weapons and powerful abilities.

This latest trailer shows off one of the more unique characters featured in the game, VOD, a brawler-class specialist armed with two incredibly powerful fists capable of dealing massive amounts of close-quarters damage. In addition to its elastic arms, VOD also features several ranged attacks, making it one of the more deadly specialists in the game; when used correctly that is.

Yesterday’s trailer also teased a series of exciting updates scheduled as part of the developers’ official roadmap, including two-handed aiming, manual reload, private lobbies, new maps and game modes, and immersive playlists just to name a few.

Larcenauts is scheduled to launch on Oculus Quest and PCVR headsets later this summer.

As stated previously, the announcements listed above are just a small handful of the total number of reveals made during Upload’s VR Showcase event. For more information on all of yesterday’s announcements, visit here.

Feature Image Credit: Impulse Gear

Kuo Claims 2022 Oculus Headset Will Have New Lenses

From uploadvr.com

Android Central says it viewed a note from Ming-Chi Kuo claiming Facebook & Sony have ordered high quantities of new, more expensive VR lenses for 2022.

Kuo is a TF International Securities analyst mostly known for predicting Apple products & moves over a year in advance. Apple Track gives him a 77% accuracy rating.

oculus rift s display lenses
Facebook announced its current lens design in late 2017

Facebook last shipped a new lens design in May 2018 with the launch of Oculus Go (now discontinued). That same ‘Super Libra G’ lens was used in Quest and Rift S, and is still used in Quest 2.

The PlayStation VR headset launched back in late 2016, and had been shown at trade conferences since 2014. Sources tell us Sony’s next-generation headset for PlayStation 5 has significantly higher resolution, inside-out tracking, a vibration motor, and even foveated rendering – so new lenses wouldn’t exactly be a surprise.

HTC recently introduced new, wider field of view lenses in Vive Focus 3 & Vive Pro 2

Current VR lenses have a field of view roughly around 100 degrees wide. New lenses could allow Facebook & Sony to increase the field of view, the area of clarity, or both. In an Instagram AMA back in March, Facebook’s VP of AR/VR Andrew Bosworth said he likes the idea of a taller field of view, which he claimed could be more impactful than wider.

Android Central’s headline names the 2022 Oculus headset as ‘Oculus Quest 3’, but the article notes the source isn’t actually claiming that. In a public Q&A session in April, Bosworth said Quest 3 “doesn’t exist yet” and claimed “Quest 2 is going to be in the market for a while – for a long while”.

In that same April Q&A session Bosworth did, however, discuss the idea of a ‘Quest Pro’, suggesting it could add new features but won’t launch in 2021. It’s possible Facebook plans to introduce new lenses in a Pro model – unlike Sony, Facebook also has to include a mobile processor and battery. As the cost comes down over time, it could then bring these lenses to a mainstream Quest 3 – but of course that’s just our speculation based on Kuo’s claim & Bosworth’s statements.

Report: PSVR 2 May Feature 4K Visuals, Eye-Tracking, Haptics

From vrscout.com

A new report from UploadVR teases some pretty impressive specs for Sony’s upcoming PlayStation VR 2 headset

According to a report by UploadVR, Sony’s upcoming next-gen VR headset, the PlayStation VR 2, will feature a 4k improved resolution, built-in haptic technology, and a bevy of other impressive features that promise to take console VR to the next level.

Citing “multiple sources,” UploadVR reports that the PSVR 2 will feature a 4000×2040 — 2000×2040 per eye resolution, slightly less than that of the HP Reverb G2, but a dramatic upgrade from the original PSVR’s 960×1080 per-eye resolution. In addition to 4k visuals, the PSVR 2 will supposedly make use of foveated rendering, a technique in which the visuals displayed outside the users’ peripheral vision are downgraded in order to better manage the rendering workload. Foveated rendering would be powered by built-in eye-tracking technology, which could have a significant impact on social VR experiences by allowing for more natural interactions between players.

Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

The report also indicates the potential inclusion of haptic feedback technology. According to UploadVR, the PSVR 2 will feature a dedicated motor built directly into the headset, delivering immersive haptic feedback to your noggin; a first for any VR headset—PC, standalone, or otherwise.

Then there’s the mention of inside-out tracking. Whereas the original PSVR requires the PlayStation 4 motion camera in order to track the position of both the headset as well as the controllers, the PSVR 2 will feature an onboard camera, removing the need for any external sensors. The report also claims that the headset will feature a simplified cable system consisting of a single USB-C cable. This information lines up with details shared by Sony during the initial reveal of its follow-up VR headset, during which it teased an improved resolution, better tracking, and an easier setup process.

Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

This past March, the company offered us our first look at the new and improved “Orb” VR controllers, which promise comfortable ergonomics, improved weight balance, adaptive triggers capable of simulating resistance, and more accurate tracking when compared to the standard PlayStation Move controllers.

Of course, the above-mentioned information has yet to be confirmed and we still have no official release date as of yet. That being said, the company has wasted no time filing a series of interesting patents ranging from a non-VR spectator mode to a new shadow banning system designed specifically for VR.

For more information check out UploadVR’s full report here.

Feature Image Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony Teases Shadow Banning System For PSVR In New Patent

From vrscout.com

The new system would allow the company to shadow ban VR players based on their gestures and language.

According to a patent submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier this month, Sony is working on a new system that would allow the company to shadow ban players on the PlayStation VR platform.

Shadow banning, aka “stealth banning” or “ghost banning,” is a method used by developers to immediately and discretely ban players from online communities without notification or warning. Oftentimes, affected players aren’t immediately aware they’ve been banned, hence the term “shadow banning.”

Image Credit: Sony PlayStation

First discovered by Game Rant, the patent, “Shadow banning in social VR setting,” would allow Sony to drop the ban hammer on “griefers” based on their in-game actions. Whereas conventional video game developers may ban players based on their language, whether it be via text or voice chat, banning players in VR is a far more complex process due to the inherent physicality afforded by immersive technologies.

This system would allow Sony to track inappropriate actions made by players and ban them based on their in-game gestures, such as their specific movements and proximity to other players, as well as their comments. For each infraction made, a players’ “safety rating” increases. Once said player has reached the designated safety threshold, the system automatically shadow bans the offending party.

Image Credit: United States Patent & Trademark Office

The Abstract states: “Shadow banning a participant within a social VR system includes: receiving and forwarding an identity of the participant, who may be shadow banned; recognizing and tracking inappropriate behaviors including inappropriate language and comments, inappropriate gestures, and inappropriate movements; receiving and processing the recognized and tracked inappropriate behaviors of the participant; generating a safety rating based on the processed inappropriate behaviors; comparing the safety rating to a threshold value; and outputting a signal to label the participant as a griefer and shadow ban the griefer when the safety rating is greater than the threshold value.”

For more information you can check out the full patent listing here.

Feature Image Credit: Sony PlayStation

Epic Offered To Make A VR Game For New PS5 Headset In Cross-Play Dispute – Report

From uploadvr.com

Fortnite developer Epic Games offered to make a new game for the launch of Sony’s PS5 VR headset in a bid to enable cross-play, according to a recent report.

Yesterday The Verge posted alleged email exchanges between Epic Games Vice President of Business Development, Joe Kreiner, and Sony’s Senior Director of Developer Relations, Gio Corsi, from around 2018. In the emails, Kreiner attempts to persuade Corsi and the wider PlayStation brand to enable cross-play support in multiplayer megaton, Fortnite. As we all know, cross-play was eventually implemented on PS4 but Sony was infamously slow to support the feature – it didn’t arrive until long after it was enabled on Xbox, PC and Switch.

In the first email, Kreiner lists out potential perks to sweeten the deal, including PS Plus extras and E3 branding. But, interestingly, he also floats the idea of a new game for the launch of Sony’s then-unannounced PS5 VR headset.

“Epic’s willing to explore more items,” the email reads, “maybe we commit to a game at the launch of your next VR platform?”

The article doesn’t elaborate on that suggestion, nor if it might have gone any further than that email. Epic was once heavily involved in VR development, working on multiple tech demos for the Oculus Rift before launching a full VR game, Robo Recall, as a Rift exclusive in 2017 (which was eventually ported to Quest by a different studio). Since then, however, the company hasn’t been very loud in the VR space, save for updates and integration to its Unreal Engine developer kit.

Since the article was posted The Verge claims that Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has in-part corroborated the story, specifically that Epic agreed to a cross-platform revenue share scheme put forward by Sony that compensates it for any potential loss of revenue to other platforms.

Sony’s PS5 VR headset (which still doesn’t have a name) wasn’t announced until earlier this year, but we still don’t know too much about the device. We’ve seen its controllers but the headset itself remains under wraps, and it won’t launch until 2022 at the earliest. It will be some time before we start to see a content line-up for the device and have any idea on if this deal went ahead, then.

Would you have wanted to see a new VR game from Epic on the PS5 VR headset? What do you think it could have been? Let us know in the comments below!

Editorial: Sony’s Risky Edge Lives On In VR

From uploadvr.com

April has been a funny sort of month for Sony Interactive Entertainment and the PlayStation brand, bookended by contradictory events.

At the beginning of the month, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported on a shift in strategy for the gaming giant that would see it moving away from riskier game pitches and doubling down on the tentpole franchises that earned their keep in the PS4 era. More of the proven staples like The Last Of Us and less of the quirkier, oddball games put out by teams like Sony Japan, which just underwent dramatic restructuring and bled a lot of key staff, supporting the report’s claims.

Paradoxically, last week Sony published one of its riskiest games in years, a punishing bullet-hell rougelite called Returnal. The very existence of the game — no doubt greenlit and developed long before these changes would have begun to take shape — serves as a strong reminder of the gems PlayStation’s publishing arm can produce when it defies convention. But, strangely, much of the conversation around whether or not Sony will take the kind of creative risks we want to see in the PS5 generation seems to forget the company is taking another significant gamble in a still-unproven area – VR.

True, the story around VR is changing by the day. The Oculus Quest 2 managed to outsell five years’ worth of Facebook headsets — Rift, Rift S, Go and Quest 1 — in five months, and some developers are now making healthy revenue as a result. But, even now, the technology’s fabled mainstream moment doesn’t feel fully realized, and there’s still varying interest between the game’s industry’s biggest names, where PlayStation is squarely focused. Most have perhaps a few experiments to their name (remember Activision’s Call of Duty: Jackal Assault?), but few are, at this point, publicly committing to ambitious new projects. And, if they are, they seem to be funded by Facebook exclusivity deals.

VR is still yet to reach a self-sustaining ecosystem in gaming; Sony sold five million PSVR’s in four years and, at the time of that announcement, that was considered to be probably the best performance of any VR headset to date. PSVR sales may have possibly climbed to six million or beyond in the following year (Sony hasn’t confirmed) but, whichever way you cut it, it’s the tiniest slice of the 115.9 million-strong install base for the PS4 itself. The numbers are small enough that even competitor Xbox — now controlling the narrative for consumer-friendly strategies and bets on risky games — seems disinterested in VR’s potential in its current form.

blood and truth building shootout

Not to mention that Sony’s next VR headset doesn’t sound like it will be a standalone like Quest 2 – we already know it connects to the PS5 via a single cord and Sony is unlikely to raise cost by implementing powerful onboard compute too. This will still very likely be an expensive headset tied to an expensive console, and a comparatively harder sell to the ease of all-in-one VR.

There is little to say, right now at least, that Sony’s follow-up VR headset will become a trail-blazing success that elevates it from niche status, even with a promised leap in tech specs and the improved performance of the PS5. But the company seems to have made its peace with that, anticipates that the ceiling for PSVR 2 might simply be “good business” and accepted that it’s a risk it wants to take all the same.

And that’s just hardware – if you want to sell it you need to invest in software too. And there’s nothing riskier in games development right now than going all-in on VR. Every VR game is a risk; a gamble on what type of content will resonate with enough players inside a niche medium to create something profitable. Precious few have cracked that equation, and VR games are still incredibly hard and confusing to make. Blood & Truth is an exhaustive exercise in scenario design and high interactivity, and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission uses the DualShock 4 in ways no other game has thought of. There’s little in the way of standards, and some like to pretend that comfort issues have disappeared when, in reality, they’re very much alive.

When developers get it right, though, VR is absolute magic and the most refreshing experience you can find in gaming today. PS4 saw some incredibly creative titles, but few could match the sheer innovation of PSVR’s Tilt Brush, the unbridled connection of interactingng with animals in Paper Beast, or even the evolutionary satisfaction of a melee kill in The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. There’s just nothing else like it.

However you look at it and even with recent prospects considered, VR is still a very big and very expensive risk, both creatively and technologically. I hope we’ll see plenty more gambles extend from its arrival on PS5. The truth, I suspect, is that a new PSVR just isn’t the risk some actually want Sony to take, and that’s more than understandable. It means fewer resources for the types of experiences they love and more developers working on games they don’t want to play. But you can’t deny that, in going another round with VR, PlayStation is surviving its riskier edge.