Google Daydream View VR headset unveiled

Google just pulled the wraps off its brand new VR headset as part of the Daydream project - the Daydream View. The headset is a lot like already available devices like Samsung's Gear VR, and then it isn't.

For starters, the View team put a lot of effort into the design, focusing on both comfort and looks. Materials are soft, flexible and breathable, and the headset can even be used over glasses, for those with less than perfect vision. Other than that the concept is familiar, though a little reimagined - you pop open the lid, stick the phone in, close the lid (and latch it).

   
Google Daydream View VR headset

Google's headset will also be available in a number of colors - initially launching in Slate attire, with Snow and Crimson to follow. Continuing the customize-ability theme, Daydream View will be able to work with phones from other manufacturers, though the Pixels are the first (and so far only) Daydream-ready phones.

Another key point in the hardware is the controller. It features a clickable touchpad and a couple of buttons for interaction, but is also packed with sensors so you can not only point and swipe, but also do precision stuff like drawing. And when you're done Daydreaming, you take the phone out of the headset and it frees up room for stowing away the controller.

   
Daydream View Controller

The Daydream View launches with a few headline experiences, including Fantastic Beasts, which puts you in J.K Rowling' Wizarding World where you get to cast spells using your magic wand, uhm, controller. Virtually mapping and exploring the night sky with Star chart is on the educational side of things, but you can always go the less serious route and blast lasers away in a space battle in Gunjack 2.

There's always the entire libraries of Netflix, Hulu and HBO, too. Google Play Movies, Google Photos, Street View and YouTube also get a new life inside Daydream View.

The Daydream View headset will launch in November at $79/£69/€69 but with all such products we won't be surprised if it comes in bundles with the Pixels, or gets discounts every now and then.

All you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Gear VR

For many people, the very first taste of “modern day” VR will come from Google Cardboard. The reason for this is that Google Cardboard has a low price barrier for entry, with Google and even cellular carriers often giving away headsets in order to get people to give VR a try. But what if you’re looking for something a bit more advanced?

The best experiences in VR will come from the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, with the upcoming Sony Playstation VR coming in at a very close third. That said, not everyone can afford, is are willing to spend, the $900 to $1600 that are required to dive into these ecosystems. That’s where the Samsung Gear VR comes in.

What is Samsung Gear VR?

Breaking it down into its simplest form, the Gear VR is a VR unit that connects to your phone, as opposed to a computer or game system. While not as advanced as recent PC-powered VR solutions, the Gear VR was built in partnership with Oculus – the same guys behind the PC-centric Oculus Rift. That means you get Oculus Home as a storefront, and many of the same games — though obviously with considerably lower performance than you’d get with the Rift.

The Samsung Gear VR first debuted in 2014, alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. In its original iteration, it was known as a ‘innovator’s edition’ and was primarily aimed at developers and early adopters. It was a bit on the clunky side and had when it came to apps and games, there wasn’t much there.

That said, Gear VR had a lot of potential. Unlike Cardboard, it’s sturdy plastic construction made it less of just a novelty item. It also differed from Google’s budget VR headsets in that it didn’t just rely on the sensors inside of the phone it was paired with, but instead came with a few of its own sensors for improved head tracking. The result was a richer, more immersive experience that was a little bit better suited for those who were prone to VR sickness.

In a second iteration in early 2015, Samsung brought a lighter design and plenty of improvements to its app store and UI that made it a much more compelling offer. This second version was still considered an “innovator’s” model, though this time it was designed with the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in mind.

By the year’s end, the commercial version of the Gear VR would finally arrive, right along with the new Note 5. This version would support all 2015 flagships, and in early 2016 would also add support for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. And now more recently, Samsung introduced an updated 2016 model alongside the Note 7 (seen above). The newer model is all black, has some differences in the design of the built-in buttons, and goes from 96-degree FOV to 110-degrees. The same ecosystem of games and apps still applies to this updated model, however.

Bottom-line, the Gear VR has the distinction of being the first true VR platform available to the masses. Yes, we realize there is Google Cardboard, but calling it an organized platform isn’t exactly true. The Gear VR actually feels like a cohesive experience, making it the first compelling mainstream VR option.

What’s the catch?

There’s a lot like about the Samsung Gear VR, but it’s not without its drawbacks. First, it only works with a small handful of flagship class Samsung flagships. While the Galaxy S6/Edge, S7 series, and Note 5 are all really popular devices, Samsung is certainly leaving out a lot of users by keeping brands like LG, HTC, and Sony out of the mix.

Second, it’s really not ideal for long play sessions, and this is for two reasons. One reason is that its lower framerates means that you start to get a bit sick feeling after long stretches of Gear VR use. How long it takes to get to that point depends on the user, and even the game/app being used. It’s also not great for play sessions because extended use taxes the phone inside pretty heavily, and it can potentially overheat. This is less true with the Galaxy S7 family, but still worth of consideration.

Overall, if you’re looking for something to show off to friends and family, to view VR media, to play some occasional VR games, and don’t mind keeping play sessions to the 30 to 90 minute mark — you’ll love the Gear VR. Just don’t expect something totally flawless at its price range.

What are some of the key games?

There a number of great games out there for the Gear VR including:

• Land’s End
• Eve Gunjack
• Dreadhalls
• Minecraft
• Herobound : Spirit Champion

That’s just a small hint a what’s out there, but the bottom-line is that there are plenty of quality games, unlike Google Cardboard which mostly has nothing more than tech demos.

Is Samsung Gear VR worth buying?

When we originally posed the question “Is Google Cardboard worth buying” we decided that with an investment as little as free to $20, yes, it was worth taking the plunge just to get to know what VR is like. At $99, providing you have a compatible Samsung phone, the Gear VR is a slightly bigger investment, so is it still worth it?

Absolutely. Just remember that Samsung Gear VR isn’t without limitations.

First, its refresh rates and lack of special cameras or sensors means that Gear VR doesn’t offer the same level of immersion as you’ll find with the Vive, Rift, or PS VR. That said, it does have improved capabilities over Cardboard and the existence of the “Oculus” software means you have a centralized app store experience that makes it easy to find great games and apps for your headset.

Once the novelty is worn off, most folks will toss Cardboard to the side and only bring it out when they want to have friends and family try VR for the first time. Will the same thing happen with Gear VR? Yes and no. Oculus and Samsung have done a pretty solid job of attracting developers to the Gear VR and so there’s at least a few new apps popping up every month. And unlike Cardboard, there are games here that actually take hours to complete, instead of just being short tech demos (which is what you’ll mostly find with Cardboard).

At the end of the day though, if you’re looking for long-term support and bigger, more console-quality games, you’ll really need to invest in a more expensive VR device like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or Sony Playstation VR.

Sony Playstation VR: Everything you need to know

Right now, the kings of high-end VR remain Oculus and HTC, but things are getting ready to heat up as Sony’s Playstation VR prepares for its big commercial debut this fall. While the Vive and Rift have made some pretty impressive moves so far, the Playstation VR represents the first time a big console manufacturer has stepped its foot into the game of modern VR.

So what can we expect from the Sony Playstation VR, what are the requirements, and should you be excited? Let’s jump in and take a closer look.

What are the requirements to use it?

Most high-end VR headsets utilize an equally high-end PC in order to render VR, with the only other option being headsets that tether to a mobile phone, providing a much less impressive VR experience. The Sony Playstation VR takes a different approach from either of these methods, utilizing a Playstation 4 or the  new Playstation 4 Pro as the brains. In addition to the PS4, you’ll also need the Playstation VR headset, a PS4 controller, and the Playstation Camera. Several games also utilize the Playstation Move controllers for a more immersive experience.

Considering more than 36 million PS4 units have been sold around the world, the Playstation VR is an accessory with an large and very immediate user base, making it an instantly more accessible VR choice than either the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.

What are its standout features?

• 5.7-inch OLED
• 100° field of view
• 3D audio
• 1080p RGB graphics
• 90-120Hz refresh rate
• 6DOF head-tracking

Much like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, the Playstation VR uses a variety of sensors to tell which way your head is pointing in order to ensure that your physical position is mapped correctly in the virtual world. The PSVR is much more ergonomic than its VR rivals and seems that it was made with the entire family in mind, rather than hardcore gamers with its simple headband and rubber eyepieces that can fit over existing glasses. It has comfortable padding and can be secured and tightened using a dial on the back of the band.

Collaborative Gameplay

In addition to great specs, the Playstation VR also has the ability to render two different images simultaneously for cooperative gameplay. This allows for one display to be shown on the headset and for a completely different image to be shown on the television. The aim of this, according to Sony, is to prevent the virtual reality experience from being a solitary experience and is they way of trying to introduce a social aspect.

Japan Studio has created a new demo game called Monster Escape to demonstrate this feature. In the game, five-players participate in a one versus four scenario. The player on their own wears the Playstation VR and becomes a Monster in the game; the other four people hold the DualShock Playstation 4 controllers and using the TV play the game as if you were playing on the console directly against the Monster. Another game with similar functionality from a third-party developer is “Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes”.

In addition to the collaborative play, you can also use the Playstation VR as a second screen for what is playing on the Playstation 4, just like the remote-play functionality Sony have with their Android app on Xperia devices. What this means is that the PlaystationVR can run any Playstation 4 game on its screen and the controller can be used to play the game as you would normally, even if the game isn’t optimized for virtual reality.

What are the most anticipated games?

Some of the games that are being launched with the Playstation VR are:

• RIGS Mechanized Combat League
• VR Worlds
• Tumble VR
• EVE: Valkyrie
• Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
• Battlezone
• Headmaster 
• Robinson: The journey 
• Wayward sky

Sony have already confirmed 50 games will be launched with the Playstation VR at release date. We’ve already seen some VR demos of the titles launching with the Playstation VR and had the chance to try them for ourselves. Gaming is certainly an area where the PSVR stands above the competition, with more AAA titles coming out of the gate.

What can I do beyond gaming?

Admittedly the Sony Playstation VR is much more limited when it comes to its non-gaming functionality, after all — this is an accessory for a game console. That said, there is till support for 360-degree video from a number of sources. You can also expect social networking experiences and much more. 

What are the controllers like?

The Playstation VR fully supports the Playstation 4 controller and is a requirement to play most games. In addition, the Playstation Move wands can be used in conjunction with the PSVR, as the camera is capable of tracking the blue light emitted from the headset and the wands through the Playstation Camera. The wands can act as virtual hands in-game, giving you the ability to pick up and drop objects as well as fire virtual guns and manipulate various tools around the virtual world.

There’s also some pretty cool accessories, like the gun control seen above.

How much is it?

Sony confirmed the price of the Playstation VR on March 15, 2016, of $399 in the US, €399 in Europe, £349 in the UK, and 44,980 yen in Japan. This is a lot cheaper than the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, but it’s worth highlighting that PS4 requirement and the controllers, camera, and wands that are needed for the full experience with the Playstation VR making the price creep back up towards a price tag of $500. Of course you’ll also need a Playstation 4, which brings the total investment price closer to $850 – $950. Still, that’s a lot cheaper than its PC-powered competitors.

When will it be released?

The Playstation VR is scheduled for release in October 13th, 2016 in Europe, the UK, the US, and Japan. We’ll have more details, and a full review, once that happens.

Make your iPhone videos 3-D with elsewhere VR glass

Though most of the hype over 3D content has all but burned out since its high a couple of years ago, there are still some use cases in which the tech can be used in a pretty cool way. You might be tired of throwing on your 3D glasses every time you want to watch a movie, but what if you could 3-D-ify your own videos on your phone? Enter Elsewhere VR.

The product is not the result of a startup, but more of an idea. Through a strange mixture of an app and a standalone headset, users have the ability transform any video present on their iPhone to include a level of depth not present in the original file. The company is calling this “technomancy”, likely because they don’t want to tell you exactly how it works.

The company says the app”can use motion and other data within a video to grab far more information from it than your camera app does”, but we are a bit doubtful. However it works, it works pretty well, and should be an enticing experience for many.

You can purchase the headset / clamp / goggles for $50, which isn’t the most expensive option when all is said and done. When you make the purchase, you’ll also receive a code to download the application that actually does all the processing magic, so if you want to add that into the cost, it’s not too bad.

Google Daydream VR SDK exits beta version

Google officially set its sights on the virtual reality market with the announcement of its Daydream platform back at Google I/O in May. After a few months in beta, Google’s VR SDK has hit version 1.0 and is now available to download from the company's Daydream developer site. 

The VR SDK is designed to assist developers in the production of high quality, mobile virtual reality content. Version 1.0 offers developers support for integrated asynchronous reprojection, high fidelity spatialized audio, and interactions using the handheld Daydream controller.

To assist game developers, Google has partnered up with Unity and Unreal to offer integration and tools right out of the box. With Unity, there’s specific optimizations for VR rendering, along with head tracking, deep linking, and easy Android manifest configuration. Unreal developers benefit from controller support, a neck model, and new rendering optimizations, just for starters.

Google also mentions that Daydream-ready phones and headsets are due to arrive this fall. So far, the ZTE Axon 7 and the ASUS Zenfone 3 Deluxe are confirmed to support the platform, and the minimum specifications state that a Snapdragon 820 SoC, 4GB of RAM, a 1080p OLED display, and Android 7.0 Nougat are what’s required to qualify for support.

The SDK is available to download right now if you want to start developing apps, and budding developers can also sign up to the Daydream Access Program for closer contact with Google’s engineers. It’s likely that we’ll hear much more about Google’s virtual reality intentions at its upcoming event scheduled for October 4th.