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HP Releasing Upgraded Reverb G2 With Better Tracking

From uploadvr

HP is set to release a new version of its Reverb G2 PC VR headset, taking on community feedback and making improvements to the headset’s tracking, design and compatibility.

The Reverb G2 launched almost a year ago, with a display that beat the Quest 2 and Valve Index, along with two additional cameras compared to the original Reverb and improved lenses and audio, produced in partnership with Valve. In our review, we noted that the headset itself had an incredible display, but was let down by less-than-ideal controllers and fairly consistent tracking issues.

A year on, HP is looking to address some of those concerns with an updated G2 model that makes a few hardware and software changes that it hopes should bring the headset back into the limelight. In the press release, HP admitted that “when it comes to controller tracking, good isn’t good enough” and therefore have “refined” its tracking capabilities with an upgrade that increases tracking volume “by 30% compared to our original headset and resolving blind spots above and below the waist.” This change will also apply to the Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition.

There’s no more specific details on exactly how this change has come about — given it’s a new model being released and there’s been an increase in vertical tracking capabilities, it seems like a physical hardware adjustment to the tracking camera, but the release doesn’t confirm that specifically.

One confirmed physical change to the new headset model is an “all-new facemask design that enables users to adjust their eye relief distance to ensure they can better dial into their visual ‘sweet spot’.” It also now includes a spacer that can be removed, which wasn’t previously an option on the original model — with the spacer in, eye relief distance is 15mm (the same as the fixed amount on the original G2), with it out, that comes down to 9mm.

In terms of compatibility, HP says it worked with AMD and “developed a solution that has resolved connection issues that some users experienced” with a redesign version of the 6m connection cable. This will be included with all new G2 models, but is also available to purchase independently for existing G2 owners.

In terms of software, HP outlined changes that Microsoft has made to the Windows Mixed Reality platform, with the new settings and features in Windows 11, such as a new virtual home environment that is less resource-intensive and better for performance. Three’s also a setting that lets you bypass the Windows Mixed Reality home environment on startup and launch straight into SteamVR, which goes a long way to fixing our frustrations with the headset’s attachment to the stagnant WMR platform from last year.

You can read the full release with further details on the new G2 changes here. HP says that new G2 purchases should include all of the upgrades listed above.

Varjo Teases ‘Varjo For All’ Message Ahead Of New Reveal

From uploadvr

Ahead of an announcement this Thursday, high-end headset maker Varjo is teasing the message ‘Varjo For All’.

That phrase was hidden in a teaser video the company posted on its Twitter account this week. Reddit user r448191 spotted the message (thanks to Max Larsson for the tip) amongst a stream of jumbled letters, and we’ve since found it too. It’s at the 00:06:01 mark if you want to see for yourself.

Traditionally, Varjo has made high-spec headsets that push the boundaries of resolution and mixed reality integration but are high cost come with mandatory, expensive subscription software for the B2B market. Is it possible that this tease indicates Varjo is releasing a new device that isn’t just sold to businesses? Last week the company confirmed it would be announcing a “highly anticipated product” at the reveal event.

It would definitely be interesting to see Varjo enter the consumer market to potentially compete with the likes of the HTC Vive Pro 2 and HP Reverb G2, though how much could the company realistically price its own consumer device at? What would have to change from its VR-3 and XR-3 products, and what kind of PC would a consumer have to have to run the kit?

We’ll have to wait until Thursday to find out. The Varjo reveal event is taking place at 12pm ET/9am PT and we’ll be here to report on whatever the company has to announce. For now let us know what you’re hoping to see from Varjo’s announcement later this week!

Voices of Inspiration Is A New Oculus Quest Experience From Lucas Rizzotto, SpaceX And St. Jude Hospital

From uploadvr

A new VR experience features patients at St. Jude Hospital offering up words of encouragement to the crew of the Inspiration4 SpaceX mission.

Voices of Inspiration launches today on Oculus Quest via App Lab and was created by Z3VR and Lucas Rizzotto. If you’ve experienced Rizzotto’s past VR work, namely Where Thoughts Go, then this will likely look quite familiar to you. Check it out in the trailer below.

The experience sees players ascend to the stars to explore a seires of themed environments. As you explore, you’ll encounter questions posed by the astronauts of Inspiration4, the first all-civilian space flight crew. They ask for words of advice and encouragement from St. Jude patients that are in various stages of battling cancer. Touching orbs lets you hear what the patients had to say, which is the element you’ll likely recognize from Where Thoughts Go. Artwork for the patients can also be found inside the experience.

It’s another great example of the positive impact VR can make that we’ve seen this week. Earlier today we also reported that Help for Haiti was also turning to the platform for its latest fundraising event.

Are you going to check out Voices of Inspiration? Let us know in the comments below!

Facebook To Hire 10,000 Across The EU In Metaverse Push

From uploadvr

Facebook today announced plans to hire 10,000 people across the European Union over the next five years to work on its take on the metaverse.

The social networking giant announced as much in a new blog post authored by Nick Clegg, VP Global Affairs, and Javier Olivan, VP Central Products. New details about exactly what Facebook’s interpretation of the metaverse will be were not revealed, but the company said it would work with governments to “find the right people and the right markets” for the recruitment drive.

Facebook’s Metaverse Team Expanding

The metaverse is a broad term used to describe a virtual online environment where people could meet up as digital reflections of themselves and interact with others.

Currently, Facebook has several such experiences on its Oculus Quest platform. In August it launched Horizon Workrooms, allowing VR and non-VR users to meet in virtual offices to collaborate. Work also continues of the recently rebranded Horizon Worlds, which lets users make their own VR experiences with others.

In July, Facebook announced it was setting up a “Metaverse product group”. We speculated on what exactly that means right here. Around the same time, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook would be a “metaverse company” in the next five years.

“No one company will own and operate the metaverse,” today’s blog post reads. “Like the internet, its key feature will be its openness and interoperability. Bringing this to life will take collaboration and cooperation across companies, developers, creators and policymakers.”

Next week sees Facebook host its annual Connect developer conference for VR and AR technologies. We’ll be bringing you all the latest on the company’s announcements at the show.

Facebook Connect 2021 Schedule: Zuckerberg Keynote, Carmack Unscripted & More

From uploadvr

The full line-up and schedule for this year’s Facebook Connect is now available, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote speech and John Carmack’s unscripted talk.

This year, it looks like events and sessions will “unlock” across the Connect schedule– some sessions unlock at specific times, while others simply become available “after the keynote.”

The keynote speech itself unlocks at 10am Pacific on October 28, which will see Mark Zuckerberg and “other Facebook executives” deliver the annual keynote address and “share the vision for the metaverse — a place of new immersive experiences and the next evolution of social technology, built by people like you.” There’s also a Facebook event and Oculus Venues event for the keynote, both of which reveal the keynote title to be “Infinite Horizons” — a nod to the Horizon branding that’s now being used as the moniker for the different branches of Facebook’s social VR platform.

The next biggest event is Consulting CTO John Carmack’s notoriously-unscripted annual speech and Q&A session, which unlocks at 2pm Pacific on October 28, a few hours after the keynote. Last year, Carmack spoke for more than an hour, packing a huge swath of topics into a dense, unscripted talk about the keynote announcements and Facebook’s wider VR strategy.

Here’s a few, but not nearly all, of the other Connect events:

– Developer State of the Union with Chris Pruett, Tom Langan, Allison Lee, and Mari Kyle, available from 11:45pm Pacific, October 28.

– Best Practices and Tips for App Lab Success with Chris Lang, available after the keynote

– Introduction to Mixed Reality with Britta Hummel and more, available after the keynote

– Do You Really Know App Lab? Tales Of Success From Devs with Rita Turkowski, Daniel Sproll (Realities.io), Julien Pecenicic (Smash Drums), Tommy Maloteaux (Deisim), available after the keynote

– Building for the Future: Social and World AR Experiences with Matthew Roberts and more, available after the keynote

– Bringing Diversity To Your App with Daniel Kamerling, available after the keynote

– Build Mixed Reality Experiences with Wei Lyu and more, available after the keynote

– Building Diverse Communities in Horizon Worlds with Lisa Kotecki and more, available after the keynote

Facebook Connect begins on October 28 — you can view the full schedule of talks and register for the event here.

HTC ‘Looking Into’ Iphone And Laptop Support For Vive Flow

From uploadvr

HTC is “looking into” iPhone and laptop support for its upcoming VR headset, the Vive Flow, but they won’t be included at launch.

Currently, you need to connect an Android smartphone to the Flow via a native app. This allows you not only to control experiences by using your handset as a motion controller similar to those for the Gear VR or Oculus Go but also to use Miracast to bring your phone’s screen and features into VR. From there you can watch media apps like YouTube and Netflix.

HTC Vive Flow iPhone Support Under Investigation

But HTC explained to UploadVR that iPhone doesn’t support Miracast, and thus a crucial feature of the device would be missing. Finding a way around this issue would be tough.

That said, even without Miracast and simply using the iPhone as a controller, you could still access the library of native apps HTC is preparing for the Vive Flow. That includes meditative experiences like Nature Treks VR and some simpler gaming content too. Hopefully we might see at least that basic functionality come to the iPhone in the future.

The company also told us it was also exploring potential connections to a PC or laptop though, again, it isn’t a focus for launch.

We tried Vive Flow for ourselves this week and came away optimistic. The device weighs just 189g and is comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Pre-orders launched yesterday and the kit is set to start shipping in early November.

Are you an iPhone user hoping to pick up the HTC Vive Flow? Let us know in the comments below!

HTC Vive Flow Announced: Compact $499 6DOF VR Headset

From uploadvr

After two weeks of teases, the HTC Vive Flow has been officially announced.

As was previously speculated, Vive Flow is based on HTC’s super-slim concept for a VR headset, Project Proton. The device resembles a pair of glasses with very thick lenses and weighs just 189g. The frames feature two hinges, one to help shift the device to fit a range of head sizes and the other so they can be folded up like a normal pair of glasses. It’s technically not a standalone headset, as the kit must be tethered to an external power source like a battery pack for long-term use. The device has a small onboard battery but HTC stresses this is only intended to power it so you have time to plug it back in to another source. Two cameras on the front provide 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF) positional tracking.

HTC Vive Flow Announced

HTC envisions Vive Flow as less of a gaming device and more a headset for media consumption and experiential content. To that end, you connect the device to an Android smartphone to use as a 3DOF controller and also mirror content to view inside VR. There are also native apps, and the company highlighted meditative experiences like TRIPP and Nature Treks VR. HTC also plans to bring hand-tracking support to the device in the future, though this won’t be available at launch. iPhones aren’t supported.

Specs-wise, Flow features 1.6K per-eye resolution, a 100-degree field of view and a 75Hz refresh rate. HTC declined to reveal exactly what processor the device was using, although you definitely shouldn’t expect the same performance as the Oculus Quest 2. The lenses employ diopter dials so you can twist them to find the best visual clarity. The frames feature a built-in audio solution and dual microphones, plus there’s active cooling at the front of the device.

Pre-orders for the Vive Flow go live today on the official site and the device costs $499/€549. Units will start shipping in early November and those that pre-order will also get the protective carry case HTC has been teasing thrown in for free along with seven pieces of content, though exactly what those are hasn’t been revealed.

What do you make of the HTC Vive Flow? Let us know in the comments below.

Mark Zuckerberg Teases ‘Retina Resolution’ Prototype VR Headset From Facebook

From uploadvr

It seems like Facebook executives are teasing prototype VR headset designs today. The latest is from CEO Mark Zuckerberg with a “retina resolution” device.

Zuckerberg posted an image of himself trying the headset on his Facebook page with the message: “I spent the day with the Facebook Reality Labs research team in Redmond to demo our next-generation virtual reality, augmented reality and artifical [sic] intelligence tech. This one is an early retina resolution prototype. The future is going to be awesome.”

While the picture itself doesn’t reveal have any notable features, a retina resolution refers to the point at which a higher resolution would look no different to a person with 20/20 vision. In other words, Zuckerberg is suggesting that the display used in the headset presents a virtual world just as clearly as how we perceive the real world. Current consumer VR headsets are much more detailed than they were five years ago, but even those with the highest resolution displays distort your view to at least some degree.

The generally accepted threshold for retinal resolution is 60 pixels per degree. No consumer VR headset yet comes close to this. Finland-based Varjo’s multi-thousand-dollar business-focused headsets surpass it, but only in a small area in the center of your view.

This is the second prototype Facebook’s shown today. The first was from the current head of virtual reality, Andrew Bosworth, who tweeted an image of a super-slim VR headset that doesn’t look too different from recent leaks for the HTC Vive Flow. Varjo is also teasing a reveal next week. Are today’s Facebook teases a response to incoming competitors?

Supposed HTC Vive Flow Leaks Show Ultra-Slim $499 VR Headset

From uploadvr

Possible HTC Vive Flow leaks may have revealed an early look at the product ahead of tomorrow’s official reveal.

Twitter leakster evleaks posted a number of images of what could be promotional materials for the device online today. The images note that the device costs $499 and launches in early November. HTC hasn’t confirmed their legitimacy so take them with a pinch of salt for now, though the images were also shared by The Verge.

HTC Vive Flow Leaks?

If they are real, though, Flow indeed looks to be the evolution of HTC’s Project Proton concept it showed off in early 2020. It’s an ultra-slim VR headset that looks a little like a mix between glasses and ski goggles, with frames that rest on your ears rather than a full-on strap to fit to your head.

Some images show a user’s phone being used as a controller for the device, too.

Various other images hint at details like built-in audio and an active cooling system. Some also show the device with a wire running from the frames, but it’s unclear what it’s connected to.

If these images are indeed real then it’s possible that Flow is similar to older, 3DOF headsets like the Oculus Go in terms of functionality, just with a dramatically reduced form factor. Your phone could replicate a 3DOF controller with ease and many of the apps spotted in the leaks are also on Go and Gear VR (though these could all be placeholders). HTC Vive China President Alvin Wang Graylin also seemed the acknowledge the leaks in a recent tweet.

We’ll have to wait and see if there’s any validity to the leaks when HTC reveals the device tomorrow. What do you make of these possible HTC Vive Flow leaks? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch: VRWorkout Devs Share Foot Tracking Test Using Quest And Mobile Phone

From uploadvr

The developers behind VRWorkout, the hand tracking workout experience that released on Quest last year, shared a new video showing progress on providing foot tracking on Quest using just the headset and a mobile phone.

The demonstration points to how the devs could expand VRWorkout beyond just hand tracking to include different types of workout routines that can incorporate and track more parts of your body.

The video shows the user completing a workout in a beta version of the app on Quest, where hand exercises are supplemented with a section that requires the user to stand on one foot and move the other to hit the approaching marks. It’s a bit like Beat Saber, but without the techno music and you’re using your feet.

It’s worth noting that the exercise shown in the video is purely a test and not indicative of what a finalized version would look like that. For now, this is just a proof-of-concept to show how the concept could function. Of course, it’s still an interesting demo because it’s all done with equipment you should already have, provided you own a Quest. There’s no PC required — it just uses the Quest headset and a phone set up across the room, which communicates with the app and is used for the feet tracking data using the phone’s cameras to track the feet as they move. The phone uses purely the on-board cameras too — there’s no iPhone Pro LiDAR or similar at work here.

So while this is just a concept for now — and we’ve seen some other interesting uses for feet-tracking — we’ll be curious to see how quickly this kind of system might evolve.

You can read more about VRWorkout here or download the app (without foot tracking, for now) via App Lab for Quest. A PC VR version is also available on Steam, but will require either a hand tracking-enabled headset or attaching the controllers to your wrists.