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VIVE Reveals Its First Self-Tracking VR Tracker

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

HTC Announces Inside-out Tracker for VR Accessories & Body Tracking

From roadtovr

HTC today announced a new Vive Tracker accessory which is the first in the industry to use inside-out tracking, meaning it doesn’t require any external beacons. The device can be attached to props to bring them into VR or to the user’s body for enhanced body tracking.

HTC’s existing Vive Trackers are a popular accessory for anyone interested in VR full-body tracking, but they use SteamVR Tracking technology which requires external beacons for use.

Now the company has announced a new Vive Tracker, and while it doesn’t yet have a name, HTC confirms it is their first standalone tracker based on inside-out tracking which uses on-board cameras to track its own position in space. That means no external beacons or cameras need to be set up for use.

HTC says that up to five of the new standalone Vive Trackers can be used at once, which could be used for body tracking in VR by attaching two trackers to the elbows, two to the feet, and one to the hips. Combined with the user’s head and hands (which are already tracked by the headset and controllers), the trackers can be used to represent the user’s movements more fully—which allows people to do some pretty incredible things in VR.

Details are slim right now; HTC hasn’t announced the price or battery life, and the release date is far off in Q3 2023. Though the company says the device will support standalone Vive headsets, PC VR, and a fully self-contained mode for those wanting to use the trackers for non-VR uses such as object tracking. The tracker is also based on OpenXR, and HTC says this will make it possible to use the tracker with other headsets from other vendors.

The base of the tracker has a quick-release system for removing it from its mount, as well as a standard camera tripod thread for connecting various standardized mounts and holders. The units are small too, with HTC saying they come in at just half the height of the latest Vive Tracker 3.0.

Developers interested in experimenting with the new tracker can contact HTC here to register their interest.

Although the device will support PC VR, HTC says it recommends that anyone already using SteamVR Tracking should stick with the existing Vive Tracker 3.0 for its precision and compatibility.

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While this is the first dedicated inside-out tracker to be release by a major VR vendor, the device is fundamentally similar to the Quest Pro and Magic Leap 2 controllers which also use on-board cameras to track their position.

Assuming HTC’s new inside-out tracker works well, the company may not be far off from releasing its own inside-out tracked controller.

This Futuristic VR Facemask Tracks Your Expressions

From vrscout

The low-cost device will be available for purchase in the US and Japan later this year.

Say hello to X Mask, a new device described by the manufacturer as a “mask type sensing gadget.” Developed by Japanese startup Dolami, X Mask is capable of tracking your facial expressions in detail thanks to a series of incorporated sensors placed strategically across your face. These sensors are internal; they do not affect your facial skin.

According to Dolami, the device can transmit your expressions to a VR avatar with “over 95% accuracy.” X Mask features a delay speed of 200 milliseconds and takes less than five seconds to pair with a VR headset. The device will cost $90 USD, making it an affordable as well as a convenient option for those looking to enhance their virtual interactions without breaking the bank.

“Your facial expressions are available in VR on your avatar,” says the official website. “You can communicate your emotions, passions, and silent opinions to others just as you would in reality.”

“[X Mask] can be used in any case where communication is needed in the VR world. Business meetings, business negotiations, presentations, enterprise events, talking with friends, communicating with loved ones who live far away, etc.”

Last month the company announced that it had raised around 100 million yen ($730,000 USD) in funding to begin production of the device. According to an official press release, X Mask will be available for purchase in the US and Japan later this year.

It’ll be interesting to see how consumers respond to such a unique approach to facial tracking. For more information visit xmaskproject.com.

Image Credit: Dolami

Incase Carry Case For Quest Pro Brings Peace Of Mind

From vrscout

The premium travel case will keep your fancy headset looking shiny and new.

This past October we saw the launch of Meta Quest Pro, the first in a new line of high-end devices from Meta. The next-gen VR device features full-color passthrough for immersive mixed reality, eye and face tracking, as well as new-and-improved Touch controllers, offering a premium experience for an equally premium price tag.



To help keep your $1,500 headset looking shiny and new, Meta partnered with Incase Designs Corp. to develop a premium-level hard shell carrying case, which is available for purchase now via the Meta Store, Incase, and additional retailers such as Amazon.

The outside of the Incase Carry Case for Quest Pro features a compression-molded EVA exterior shell that can help protect your precious hardware from accidental fall damage. Inside you’ll find a custom-formed interior with a scratch-resistant lining designed to hold the Quest Pro headset, Touch Pro controllers, and power adapter. There are also a few additional pockets located along the interior designed to store additional cables and accessories.

Here’s a full list of the features (as provided by Incase):

  • Protective, compression-molded EVA exterior shell
  • Reliable YKK RC zipper for easy access
  • Padded grab handle
  • Durable 840D nylon-covered top and bottom shells
  • Custom formed interior
  • Soft, scratch-resistant lining
  • Controller cradle with power adapter storage
  • Interior pockets for all included accessories

After testing the product these past few weeks, we were left thoroughly impressed by its overall quality. The Incase Carry Case feels incredibly sturdy thanks to its hard shell design and padded grab handle. The Meta Quest Pro sits snug inside the custom interior, as do the Touch Pro controllers in the dedicated controller cradle.

I also found the interior pockets helpful in storing additional accessories such as my USB Type-C cable, Touch Pro stylus tips, microfiber cloth, and earbuds. Other than that, however, the case does not offer room for much else. That said, you are able to store the device with certain accessories attached, such as the side and full light blockers or specific third-party battery packs, which definitely adds to the convenience.

Overall, the Incase Carry Case is a great accessory for Quest Pro owners constantly on the go. You might need a few tries to adjust the rear wheel so the headset can fit properly, but once secure you can rest easy knowing your device is safe from scratching and fall damage. In terms of improvements, I would have liked some additional padding on the top shell of the case, but other than that there’s not much to critique; Incase has once again delivered a quality carrying solution.

The Incase Carry Case for Meta Quest Pro is available now for $119.95 via the Meta Store, Incase, and Amazon.

Feature Image Credit: VRScout

Turtle Beach Expands into VR Accessories with Quest 2 Charging Dock for Headset & Controllers

From roadtovr

Turtle Beach, the gaming headphone and accessories maker, is bringing out its own Quest 2 charging dock that should keep your headset and controllers always ready for action.

The device, called the Turtle Beach Fuel Compact VR Charging Station, provides power and storage for Meta Quest 2 and Touch controllers by replacing a few bits and bobs on your stock device.

Rechargeable batteries pair with replacement magnetic battery doors on both Touch controllers, letting you dock and charge both controllers without having to manually replace batteries ever again—or at least for a really long time. Turtle Beach says its batteries provide 20 hours of continuous play.

Image courtesy Turtle Beach

As for the headset, the Fuel Compact VR Charging Station uses a detachable USB-C to magnetic pin dongle, providing a full charge in around 2.5 hours.

If you don’t find yourself plugging in for a wired PC VR gaming session via Link, you could technically leave the magnetic USB-C nib in your headset’s charging port indefinitely.

Image courtesy Turtle Beach

Still, it seems the detachable bit has enough of surface to make it easy to grab and remove if you need to plug in another cable for some reason or another since the magnetic USB-C dongle is only capable of charging the headset.

The Fuel Compact VR Charging Station for Meta Quest 2 is available for pre-order direct from Turtle Beach and retailers such as Amazon. It’s priced at $80 and launches November 21st, 2022.

Turtle Beach is a leader in headphones and other gaming accessories, such as flight sim equipment, controllers, and microphones—making the Quest 2 charging dock its first foray into VR accessories. The company is actually known for pretty great build quality across its various products, so we’re hoping the Quest 2 charging dock can provide the sort of robust and seamless user experience as the rest of its non-VR lineup.

VR Wine Tasting Experiment Lets Users Guess Aromas

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.”

Credit: SCI LAB

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