VRExtasy – VR, AR and 360 video

Hooters Girls Dance in 360: Twelve Minutes of Wings, Beer and Twerk

Nova Reyes — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Key takeaways

A 12-minute 360-degree video from VR KINGS: four Hooters Girls, one table, wings, drinks, small talk, and a twerk finale to Sexyy Red's "She's Back".
It is uploaded in 4K, 5K and 8K. Most headsets will actually stream it at 4K or 5K, and that is fine.
The first eight minutes are deliberately boring. That is not a flaw, it is how 360 video builds presence.
Free on YouTube, longer cuts on Patreon: the same "virtual teaser, real product" funnel every smart adult VR studio now runs.

Most 360 videos make the same mistake. They start at the climax. The dancer is already dancing, the roller coaster is already dropping, the shark is already right there, and your brain, which arrived two seconds ago, has not yet agreed that any of it is real. VR KINGS, a studio that has turned "attractive people being near a camera" into a genre with hundreds of thousands of views per upload, understood something the big studios did not. Presence takes time. So they gave it twelve minutes.

The result is a video titled, with great restraint, "HOOTERS GIRLS DANCE in 360 Degrees". Four waitresses in the most recognisable uniform in American hospitality, a table at a Hooters bar, a basket of wings, beer, and a camera sitting exactly where the fifth person at the table would be. For the first two-thirds, nothing happens. Then Sexyy Red's "She's Back" comes on, and quite a lot happens.

The slow build is the trick

Watch the viewer comments on any 360 video and you will find the same complaint: "nothing happens for ages". Watch what those same viewers do, though, and they stay. VR KINGS filmed the boring part on purpose. Four women eating wings, laughing at something off camera, clinking glasses, occasionally glancing at the lens the way you glance at a friend who has gone quiet. It is a bar night with the sound of a bar night.

What that does, in a headset, is quietly convince your nervous system that you are at the table. There is no edit to break the spell, no cut to a new angle, no title card. By the time the music changes, you are not watching a video of a Hooters; you are a regular who has been sitting there for a while. And then the regulars get a show. The twerk finale lands about ten times harder because of the eight minutes of chicken that preceded it. That is pacing, and it is the same thing Melbourne's Men's Gallery understood in its 360 lap dance series, only stretched across a whole evening.

The uniform does half the work

There is a reason this is a Hooters video and not a "four women at a bar" video. The orange shorts and white tank top are one of the few costumes on earth that need no explanation in any country. You know the brand, you know the joke, you know the rules of the room before the first frame loads. In VR, where every second spent working out where you are is a second of lost immersion, that instant recognition is worth more than any amount of resolution.

It also sets the tone, and the tone is cheerful rather than sleazy. Hooters built an entire business on being suggestive and wholesome at the same time, a trick nobody else has managed for fifty years. The video inherits that. It is flirtatious, it is loud, it has wings in it. Nobody is pretending this is art, and nobody needs to.

4K, 5K, 8K: what you will actually see

The title promises 8K, and the file exists. Whether you get to see it depends on your hardware and your patience. A few honest notes:

8K 360 on YouTube is delivered in VP9 or AV1 at very high bitrates. A Quest 3 can decode it, but the YouTube VR app will usually settle on 4K or 5K unless your Wi-Fi is excellent and the headset is cool and charged.
Resolution in 360 is spread across a sphere. An "8K" 360 video gives you roughly 1080p-level sharpness in the part you are actually looking at. 4K gives you something closer to a good DVD. The jump from 4K to 8K in VR is bigger than it sounds for the same reason.
On a phone or desktop, pick 4K and move on. Dragging the view around at 8K on a laptop is an exercise in watching a spinner.
Audio is stereo, not spatial, so the music does not move when you turn your head. Headphones still help.

The regular

Let us invent a man named Marko, who is not real but whose Thursday is. He bought a headset to play a sword game, got bored of the sword game, and now mostly uses it to watch things on a fake cinema screen the size of a wall. He has never been to a Hooters. He has opinions about chicken wings.

He puts this on expecting a dance video and gets, instead, a table. He actually laughs at that. Then the strangest thing happens: he starts listening to the conversation, because it is happening around him and ignoring it feels rude. Eight minutes in he has forgotten the title of the video. Then the song changes, four women stand up at once, and his hands, which have been resting on his knees in the real world, go looking for a glass that is not there. He takes the headset off afterwards and says it was "fine" in the voice of a man who will watch it again on Saturday.

We made up Marko. The reach for the missing glass is a documented reflex in long-form 360 video, and it is the best review this clip could ask for.

How to watch it properly

Sit at a table. A real one, with something on it. The camera is at seated height and your brain will enjoy the match.
Do not skip ahead. The finale only works because of the wait. If you jump to minute nine you have watched a different, worse video.
Use the YouTube VR app on Quest or Pico, or the YouTube mobile app with the Cardboard icon on a phone. Browsers often flatten 360 video into a weird fisheye.
Sign in. It is age-restricted, which is reasonable, and YouTube will not play it otherwise.

The business model, again

Notice what VR KINGS is selling, because it is not the video. The YouTube version is free, a little tame, and ends just as things get interesting. The longer and bolder versions live on Patreon. The company's description says it plainly: more Hooters Girls over there, business enquiries at this address. The free clip is a sample. It is the same funnel the strip clubs use, only run by a camera crew instead of a venue, and it works because 360 video is uniquely good at making you feel that you were somewhere and would like to go back.

Hooters itself, for what it is worth, gets twelve minutes of brand placement in front of 360,000 viewers for the price of some wings. Somebody in a marketing department should get a raise, or at least a plate.

Verdict

It is twelve minutes long, nine of them are chicken, and it is one of the smartest pieces of consumer 360 video on YouTube. The patience is the product. The uniform does the exposition. The twerk is the reward, and it is a good one, delivered by four people who are clearly enjoying the absurdity of being filmed from a chair.

Pick 4K, sit down, eat something while it plays, and let the first eight minutes be boring on purpose. Then tell us you did not reach for the glass.

VR Lap Dance: Honey and Hazel Rose Take The Men's Gallery 360

Nova Reyes — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Key takeaways

The Men's Gallery, a Melbourne strip club, publishes a 360-degree lap dance on YouTube every month. This episode stars Honey and Hazel Rose and runs just under four minutes.
It works on a phone by dragging the view, in Cardboard, or in any headset with the YouTube VR app. Sit down for it. Seriously.
The lap dance is the perfect VR genre because its one golden rule, look but don't touch, is enforced by physics instead of a bouncer.
It is a trailer, not a product: the club uses VR to sell the real chair. That is smarter than most of the metaverse.

Every strip club in the world runs on a single sentence: you can look, but you cannot touch. Entire architectures of velvet rope, dim lighting and large men in black shirts exist to enforce it. Then virtual reality came along and enforced it for free. There is no bouncer in a 360-degree video because there does not need to be one. You can lean in all you like. The pixels do not care.

That is the quietly brilliant idea behind the VR lap dance series from The Men's Gallery, the Melbourne venue that likes to call itself Australia's number one adult entertainment spot. Once a month they put a 360 camera in the chair, invite two of their dancers to do what they do, and upload the result to YouTube, where it sits politely behind an age gate. This month's episode belongs to Honey and Hazel Rose, and it is the one that made us think a little harder than a three-minute clip has any right to.

What you are actually watching

The setup is simple and that is the point. The camera takes the customer's seat. The room is the Gallery's private dance area, all red light and black upholstery, and the two dancers work the space around you for 3 minutes and 47 seconds. On a desktop you click and drag to look around. On a phone you just turn, and the video turns with you. In a headset, whether that is a cardboard viewer with your phone jammed inside or a Quest running the YouTube VR app, you are in the chair.

Honey and Hazel Rose know exactly where the lens is, which matters more than it sounds. Most 360 performance videos are shot for a room; this one is shot for a single point in it, and the choreography keeps circling back to that point. Eye contact in 360 is an odd thing. The dancers are looking at a camera, but you, three months later, in a flat on the other side of the planet, feel looked at. That is the trick the whole genre lives on, and these two sell it without ever breaking the fourth wall. It is suggestive, it is playful, and it stays on the right side of YouTube's rulebook, which means it is a lap dance in the way a trailer is a film.

The video is age-restricted, so YouTube will ask you to sign in before it plays. That is also why the thumbnail above is ours, not theirs.

Why the lap dance was built for VR

Think about what a lap dance actually is as a piece of media. The performer controls the frame: she decides what you see and how close it gets. The audience is fixed in one spot and is not supposed to move. There is one viewer, not a crowd. Distance is the whole language of the thing, from across the room to much closer than that, and the drama comes from the gap closing and opening again.

Now list what 360 video does well. It locks the viewer in one spot. It gives the performer total control of the frame, because the frame is the room. It turns distance into the main effect, since objects in 360 feel exactly as far away as they are and a face at arm's length lands harder than any close-up ever has. It does not handle crowds, movement or editing gracefully, which is why 360 concerts and 360 football never really took off.

Match those two lists and the conclusion writes itself. Sports needed VR to be something it is not. The lap dance needed VR to be exactly what it already is. Of all the things we have strapped to our faces over the years, from roller coasters to Rihanna to meditation apps, this is the rare case where the medium and the message were made for each other, and nobody at a tech conference will ever say so out loud.

The Tuesday test

Picture a man we will call Dario, because that is not his name. It is a Tuesday night, it is raining, and he has a secondhand Quest that mostly runs a beat-matching game and a free app that lets him watch films on a fake cinema screen. He finds the Gallery's video the way everyone finds everything, by accident, and tells himself he is watching it for the technology.

What happens next is the interesting part. The first thirty seconds he does what every VR first-timer does: he looks everywhere except where he is supposed to. Ceiling. Floor. The speaker in the corner. Then Hazel Rose walks into frame from the left, where no screen would ever have let her come from, and he stops looking at the room. By the two-minute mark he has leaned back in his real chair without noticing, because his body has decided someone is standing a little too close. At the end he takes the headset off, blinks at the rain, and says the word "huh" out loud to nobody.

We made Dario up. We did not make up the lean. That instinctive backwards shift is the most honest review a piece of VR can get, and it is the reason this clip is better evidence for the medium than most of the demos that get funded.

How to watch it properly

Sit down first. The camera is at seated height. Standing up puts you a foot above the whole scene and ruins the illusion.
Headset beats phone. The YouTube VR app on Quest plays 360 videos straight from your watch history. On a phone, use the YouTube app, not a browser, and look for the Cardboard icon.
Headphones on. The audio is stereo rather than spatial, but it still does half the work.
Sign in. The age gate is real and YouTube will not play it otherwise.
Check the series. The Gallery uploads a new pairing most months, so if these two are not your type, the next episode is already in the queue.

The business angle nobody talks about

Here is the part we admire most. The Men's Gallery is not selling the video. YouTube's rules would not let them, and the age gate guarantees that nobody is watching this by accident. The video is a trailer, and the product is the chair in Melbourne, a very real ticket price and a very real bar tab. Every clip ends with the same unsubtle invitation to come and see the girls in person.

Compare that with the usual pitch for VR, which asks you to replace something real with something virtual and pay a subscription for the privilege. The Gallery flipped it. The virtual version is free and slightly frustrating on purpose, which is what makes it work as marketing. It is the strip-club equivalent of the smell of bread outside a bakery. Several billion dollars of metaverse spending could learn from a nightclub in Melbourne that figured out VR is better at making you want things than at giving them to you.

Verdict

As a lap dance, it is a tease, and it knows it. As a piece of VR, it is one of the clearest demonstrations of what 360 video is for, made by people who have never read a white paper about presence and do not need to. Honey and Hazel Rose are good at their jobs, the camera is in exactly the right place, and the whole thing costs you nothing except a YouTube login and a small, involuntary lean backwards.

Watch it in a headset, sitting down, with the lights off. Then go outside and look at the rain. You will understand the business model.

Discover 42 VR Demos at Steam Next Fest 2026

Lena Park — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 21:45:26 GMT

Key takeaways

Steam Next Fest 2026 runs from October 20th to 26th.
42 VR demos offer diverse gaming experiences.
Feedback is crucial for developers during the fest.

Steam Next Fest 2026 is just around the corner, and it’s your golden ticket to explore the future of VR gaming. With 42 demos ready to rock your VR headset, this week-long digital festival invites you to dive into worlds both weird and wonderful, from October 20th to 26th. Whether you're into strategy, horror, or sci-fi shooters, Steam's got something up its virtual sleeve for everyone.

But it's not just about playing—Next Fest is a stage where developers get to strut their stuff and gather feedback. If you've ever wanted to help shape a game's future, here's your chance. So grab your controllers and let's explore the demos that are worth your download time.

Overview of Steam Next Fest 2026

Running from October 20th to 26th, 2026, Steam Next Fest is a celebration of gaming innovation and creativity. This annual digital event is where developers showcase their latest projects, giving gamers the first taste of unreleased titles. For gamers, it’s an opportunity to explore a diverse range of genres and experiences, while developers gather valuable feedback to refine their creations.

With 42 VR demos on offer, this year promises to deliver a buffet of virtual reality experiences. Whether you're a seasoned VR enthusiast or a curious newcomer, Next Fest is your playground to discover what’s hot and what’s not in the VR gaming world.

Photo by Remy Gieling on Unsplash

Highlighted Demos You Shouldn't Miss

Among the 42 demos, a few stand out as must-try experiences. PAYDAY: Aces High brings the thrill of heist planning and execution to VR, allowing you and your friends to dive into two adrenaline-pumping heists. The cooperative gameplay is both intense and immersive, promising to test your strategic skills and teamwork. The VR environment adds a layer of realism that makes each heist feel like a blockbuster movie you're starring in.

For those with a sci-fi itch, DRIFTERS: Blackout Crew by Salmi Games is an innovative co-op PvE FPS that blends tactical gameplay with cel-shaded art. Its vibrant universe and cooperative mechanics make it a standout title that’s not to be missed. The game challenges players to strategize and coordinate as they navigate through a futuristic world filled with dynamic challenges.

Then there’s Rustmourne, a survival horror game that adds a chilling sci-fi twist to the genre. Its atmospheric tension and gripping storytelling are bound to keep you at the edge of your seat, or, you know, VR space. The horror elements are cleverly intertwined with a sci-fi narrative, offering a fresh take on the survival horror genre.

Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash

Diverse Genres and Experiences

While the spotlight might shine on a few standout games, the diversity of genres at Steam Next Fest 2026 is impressive. From strategy games like Outlanders VR, where you can build and manage your own virtual town, to challenging puzzle games and even casual experiences, the event showcases the breadth of VR's potential.

Each demo offers unique gameplay elements that push the boundaries of what VR can do. Whether it's the real-time strategy dynamics in Outlanders VR or the pulse-pounding horror of Rustmourne, there's something here to intrigue every type of gamer. The festival is a testament to how VR technology is being used to reimagine traditional gaming genres, offering experiences that are not only immersive but also innovative.

Developer Insights and Game Development

One of the key aspects of Steam Next Fest is the feedback loop between players and developers. This event provides an invaluable platform for developers to gain visibility and gather feedback directly from the gaming community. Salmi Games, for instance, is known for actively engaging with players to refine their titles, ensuring that games evolve based on real-world input.

Developers often release regular updates and improvements based on player feedback from the fest, making this event a crucial step in the game development process. It's a win-win: developers get insights to tweak and polish their games, and players have a hand in shaping the final product. This collaborative approach not only improves the quality of the games but also strengthens the bond between developers and the gaming community.

Practical Guide: How to Make the Most of Next Fest

To get the best out of Steam Next Fest, start by downloading the demos that pique your interest. With 42 options, it’s wise to organize them based on your preferences and gaming style. Use Steam's library and wishlist features to keep track of the demos you want to try.

Participating is easy: play the demos, and if you find a game you love or see potential, don’t hesitate to provide feedback. Developers often look for specific insights, so detailed comments on gameplay mechanics, graphics, and overall experience are highly appreciated. Engaging with developers through forums or social media can also enhance your understanding of the game development process and provide more avenues for feedback.

Verdict: Why Steam Next Fest is a Must-Attend

Steam Next Fest 2026 is an unmissable opportunity for gamers to explore new worlds and genres. It's not just about playing games; it's about supporting developers and being part of a community that shapes the future of VR gaming. By participating, you’re not only indulging your gaming passion but also contributing to the evolution of the industry. So, ready up your VR gear and dive into the next big thing in gaming!

Cage Exo Suit Elevates Titan Isles' VR Co-Op Gameplay

Lena Park — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 21:44:15 GMT

Key takeaways

Titan Isles introduces the Cage exo suit with flight capability.
New campaign encounter: Scrapspine Ridge.
Available on Quest, PC VR, and PS VR2 as a free update.

Titan Isles, the VR sensation, just took a giant leap forward with the introduction of the Cage exo suit. This fifth addition is more than just a sleek piece of metal; it's a full-fledged game-changer, propelling players into the skies with its anti-gravity rotors and laser-guided homing rockets that redefine VR co-op adventures.

But this isn't just about adding wings to your avatar. Cage brings a new level of strategy and excitement, particularly in co-op mode where up to four players can team up. If you've been yearning for a fresh way to tackle those VR battles, your wish has been granted.

The New Arrival: Cage Exo Suit

Say hello to Cage, the latest exo suit from Titan Isles, designed to take your virtual combat to new altitudes. This isn't just another suit; it's a revolution in VR gameplay. With its anti-gravity rotors, Cage allows you to fly, giving players a literal aerial advantage over ground-based opponents.

Equipped with laser-guided homing rockets and charged power shots, Cage offers a new layer of tactical depth. This is the first addition by developer Psytec Games since the game's launch, marking a significant milestone and showcasing their commitment to evolving gameplay. The ability to hover over the battlefield provides a strategic edge, allowing players to pick off enemies from a distance or swoop down for a surprise attack.

Photo by Jessica Lewis 🦋 thepaintedsquare on Unsplash

Gameplay Enhancements

Cage isn't just about flying high; it's about bringing a new dimension to your Titan Isles experience. The update introduces a new campaign encounter, Scrapspine Ridge, which challenges players with its treacherous terrains and formidable foes. This setting is perfect for Cage to showcase its aerial prowess, providing players a fresh battlefield to conquer.

In addition to the new campaign, the update has enhanced the game’s environment and loot boxes, making every encounter more rewarding. Whether you're teaming up in co-op or going solo, Cage changes the dynamics by offering new strategies and combat styles. Imagine coordinating with your team to control the skies while ground units push forward, creating a two-front assault that overwhelms the enemy.

Photo by XR Expo on Unsplash

Existing Exo Suits Overview

Before Cage soared into the spotlight, Titan Isles was already known for its diverse exo suits. Here's a quick rundown: Storm is your all-rounder with balanced capabilities, Hunter offers precision and stealth, Goliath is your go-to for brute strength, and Blink emphasizes speed and agility. Each suit has carved its niche, but Cage adds a whole new dimension with its flight capabilities.

Storm's versatility makes it a favorite for beginners, while Hunter's ability to blend into the environment is perfect for players who enjoy stealth attacks. Goliath’s raw power is unmatched in close-quarters combat, and Blink is ideal for those who want to zip around the battlefield. Cage complements them by introducing aerial tactics, enhancing both solo play and team dynamics in co-op mode.

Availability and Platforms

Ready to suit up and take flight? Titan Isles, along with the Cage exo suit, is available on Quest, PC VR, and PS VR2. The best part? This thrilling addition comes as a free update, so you won't have to break the bank to enjoy the latest advancements in VR gaming.

Whether you're a seasoned player or new to the Titan Isles universe, now is the perfect time to dive in and experience the game like never before. The update is seamless, ensuring that you can jump right into the action without any hassle.

Practical Insights: Mastering Cage

So, you’ve donned the Cage exo suit—now what? Here are some tips to maximize your aerial prowess: First, use Cage's anti-gravity rotors to gain altitude quickly, giving you a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield. This perspective is invaluable for spotting enemy movements and planning your attack.

When it comes to combat, leverage those laser-guided homing rockets. These are perfect for taking out targets from a distance, allowing you to maintain a strategic advantage. In co-op play, coordinate with ground-based teammates to flush out enemies and keep the aerial assault relentless. Master the art of hovering to stay out of reach of ground-based attacks while raining down destruction from above. Remember, height is might in the world of Titan Isles.

Verdict: The Impact of Cage

The Cage exo suit is more than just a new addition; it’s a transformative experience for Titan Isles players. The community has embraced this update with open arms, praising the new strategic possibilities and the sheer fun of taking to the skies.

Titan Isles continues to solidify its position as a leader in the VR gaming landscape. With Cage, Psytec Games has not only expanded the game’s universe but also enriched the overall gaming experience. Whether you’re in it for the co-op camaraderie or the solo challenges, Cage delivers in spades. Its introduction could very well be the catalyst for a new era of VR gaming, one where the sky is no longer the limit but just the beginning.

Supernatural VR Fitness App's Triumphant Return on Meta Quest

Lena Park — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 21:43:08 GMT

Key takeaways

Supernatural VR fitness app re-launches independently after Meta spin-out.
New subscription plans: $20/month, $200/year, with household support.
New features include a mobile companion app and fresh workout environments.

Supernatural, the beloved VR fitness app, is making waves with its triumphant return to the Meta Quest platform. After spinning out from Meta, this fan-favorite app is back with more features, more content, and a new home environment to keep you coming back for more sweaty sessions.

Community support has been a driving force behind Supernatural's revival. With thousands of workouts and a brand-new mobile app, this re-launch is set to redefine your VR fitness experience. Let's dive into what's new and why you should care.

Supernatural's Comeback Story

Supernatural's journey back to the Meta Quest is a testament to the power of community support and the dedication of its developers. After parting ways with Meta, the app re-emerged as an independent entity, much to the delight of its loyal user base. The re-launch signifies a fresh start, bringing exciting new features and content that have been eagerly anticipated.

James Senior, CEO of Supernatural, expressed his gratitude for the community's role in this revival. He noted, "Our users' passion and feedback have been instrumental in shaping this new chapter for Supernatural." This re-launch is not just about new features; it's about honoring the community that kept the app's heart beating. With thousands of dedicated users rallying behind it, Supernatural's comeback illustrates how a dedicated fanbase can influence the evolution of a product.

Photo by Beatriz Reynolds on Unsplash

Subscription Details and Pricing

Let's talk money! Supernatural's subscription model is straightforward: $20 per month or $200 for an annual plan. This pricing is competitive, considering the breadth of content available. Plus, the app supports up to four household accounts on a single headset, making it a family-friendly option. This means everyone in your home can enjoy their own personalized fitness journey without additional costs.

If you're hesitant to commit, Supernatural offers free trials—both 7-day and 14-day options—so you can get a taste of what the app offers before diving in. It's available in the US and Canada, and you can download it free from the Horizon Store, though you'll need a subscription to unlock its full potential. The trial period is a generous window to explore the variety and depth of workouts, ensuring you know exactly what you're signing up for.

Features and Content Available

With thousands of workouts at your fingertips, boredom is not an option. Supernatural has remastered fan-favorite sessions and introduced new ones, ensuring a dynamic fitness routine. The workouts span various fitness levels and styles, so there's something for everyone, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned athlete.

The new Laguna Torre home environment transports you to a scenic setting, enhancing your immersive experience. Picture yourself breaking a sweat at a stunning virtual location, making workouts feel less like a chore and more like an adventure. If you're a returning user, fear not—your workout history from the legacy edition can be transferred, but be quick; the deadline is December 3rd. This feature ensures continuity in your fitness progress, a thoughtful nod to loyal users who have been with Supernatural from the beginning.

Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash

Enhanced User Experience

The revamped UI and overall user experience elevate Supernatural to new heights. The app is now more intuitive and visually appealing, making it easier for users to navigate through the plethora of available workouts. The sleek design and user-friendly interface mean you spend less time figuring out where to click and more time sweating it out.

Additionally, the introduction of a mobile companion app allows you to track your progress seamlessly. Expect regular updates with new workouts, music, and environments rolled out weekly, keeping the experience fresh and engaging. With this app, you can now monitor your fitness goals on the go, receiving notifications and new content alerts, ensuring you never miss a beat.

Practical Guide to Getting Started

Ready to jump in? Here's how to get started with the new Supernatural app. First, download the app from the Horizon Store. Once installed, set up your account and choose your subscription plan. If you're transferring data from the legacy edition, follow the in-app instructions before December 3rd to ensure your previous workout history is carried over.

To maximize your VR fitness experience, ensure your play area is clear of obstacles and your VR headset is comfortable. Make sure your headset fits snugly and adjust it to avoid any distractions during your workout. Explore different workouts and environments to find what motivates you most. Don't forget to check in with the mobile app to track your progress and celebrate your achievements. Consider setting regular reminders to keep your fitness routine consistent.

Verdict: A New Era for VR Fitness

Supernatural's re-launch marks a significant moment in the VR fitness landscape. Its enhanced features and community-driven approach set a new standard for VR fitness apps, offering users an unparalleled workout experience. It's not just about getting fit—it's about doing so in a way that's engaging and tailored to your lifestyle.

Looking ahead, expect more innovative features and content to keep you hooked. Whether you're a VR fitness veteran or a newbie, Supernatural's new era is a game-changer you won't want to miss. The app's commitment to regular updates and community engagement suggests a bright future, with potential expansions in content variety and interactive features. In the evolving space of VR fitness, Supernatural is setting the pace, and it's a thrilling ride to be on.

Brand new PlayStation VR games

VRExtasy Editorial — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 22:47:38 GMT

Here is the list of newest PSVR games.

Moss

Moss is an absolutely adorable VR game where you help Quill get through every level with some puzzle solving. As you get through the forest with your cute mouse friend, you'll take on puzzles and enemies alike. Pre-order this game now to make sure you'll get it whenever the release date is announced.

Apex Construct 2/20

Apex Construct is a well-made fantasy game, the first Fast Travel Games has made. It takes place in a world overrun by invasive robots, and you have to take them down with your bow and shield. This game isn't available for pre-order, so you'll have to wait for the release date to order it.

Pop Up Pilgrims 2/20

Pop up Pilgrims is a cute 2D game where you have to use your puzzling solving skills to get your pilgrims through each level. With your cloud cursor, you'll click to make them move around and get them to safety. You can pre-order this game now and be ready to save the pilgrims on the 20th!

Virtual reality revolutionizes the real estate industry

VRExtasy Editorial — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 22:42:03 GMT

The application of virtual reality technology in the real estate industry is relatively mature in Western countries, with some well-known companies starting VR model tests in the architectural design field and expecting its use to be commonplace within five years.

Open house visits are a fun way to explore a property, but when you go for a visit, you have to imagine what it might look like with your own furniture, setup and style.

VR products have mainly been used for customer experiences in sales offices. The majority of them have their usefulness underestimated, serving merely as a marketing gimmick. However, if used properly and effectively VR models have the potential to revolutionise promotion and marketing in the real estate industry and facilitate the development of customisation services. It is expected that in the near future when the VR equipment becomes more portable, the house inspection and selection process can be completed online with the use of a mobile device, thus enhancing the customers’ experience and improving industry efficiency.

The 3D and VR Tours are produced by strategically placing specialized cameras throughout a home, resulting in a transformative way for people to view homes online. The 3D and VR Tours add an additional layer of content to a home’s existing property detail page on sothebysrealty.com, which already provides a written description, beautiful high-resolution photography and stunning high-definition videos.

Virtual reality technology is set to emerge as a powerful tool in selling property developments off-the-plan. Start VR is proud to have become the first company to offer a fully immersive, head mounted, virtual reality experience for the Australian real estate industry.

Matterport

Property photos have been a key part of property marketing for decades, but thanks to advances in video and internet technology, there is no need to view properties in only two dimensions.

With new technology from Matterport, real estate listings are livelier. For example, homes listed with Redfin come with a 3-D walkthrough.

“We’re making a digital copy of the inside of the world,” Matterport Director of Commercial Real Estate Marc Rehberger told me when we spoke at Disrupt CRE. “It increases the amount of time spent on an ad between three to six times when there’s a Matterport model on that ad. ... It’s very, very sticky.” Since its founding in 2011, the company has scanned more than 550,000 properties.

Unlike standard real estate websites like realtor.com, zillow.com, cribscan.com, trulia.com and others, here are some solutions that include true immersive virtual reality experience:

roOomy And Google Tango

When you walk into an open house, it is tough to visualize how the property would appear with your unique flair. Many people want their homes to look like the staged version, but unless you are willing to pay for all of that furniture, it is more likely you will bring your own trappings with you when you move.

roOomy is a virtual staging technology company that allows you to visualize any room or space the way you would decorate it yourself. Drawing from a catalog of more than 100,000 furniture and household items, roOomy allows you to upload a picture of a room and virtually decorate it to reflect your personal tastes.

Virtual Xperience

Using 3-D modeling, Virtual Xperience allows VR headset users to access the full walkthrough experience in a property that is in development or under construction. Investors building a new condo or office space can start selling before a shovel hits the dirt with interactive 3-D walkthroughs. Developers are using Real Time Options, which customizes color palettes, materials, furnishing and lighting conditions, to help buyers personalize and visualize the unbuilt spaces, as well as analytics to understand market trends.

Fix and flips

One of the biggest game-changers for real estate investors is the use of VR for fix and flips and renovation projects. Real estate investors are painfully aware of the challenges associated with visualizing an end product and then communicating that with your contractor and renovation team. Investors involved in rehab projects can leverage VR to instruct their renovation contractors on exactly what project should look like at various stages.

Paul Lisanti, a real estate sales representative, notes that by “using VR to superimpose improvements (new furniture, paint, decor, etc.), investors can get a better idea of what proposed renovations will look like, and ultimately cost.” And, as many real estate investors work in joint venture partnerships, VR is a great way to show other investors the progress of a renovation project.

Laing + Simmons Projects

“Start VR has created a truly realistic virtual experience of EDGE 28 by incorporating high quality computer generated architectural and combining these with drone photography allowing buyers to sit in the apartment and see the actual view from the 8th and 11th floors, as well as the rooftop,” Jason said.

“The EDGE 28 Virtual Property Tour is a first for Australia’s real estate industry and we are excited to be exploring the potential of VR technology to give buyers more confidence when purchasing off the plan.

Conclusion

Keeping in mind these limitations, three suggestions on improvements are made for the current VR industry. Firstly, improving image clarity can enhance the VR model’s approximation to reality and avoid undesired side effects related to customer feelings. Secondly, continue lowering the cost because further enrichment in customer experience would mean an increase in the amount of money invested in VR model construction. Lastly, the industry should develop a standardised production process which will shorten production time and facilitate the long-term promotion of VR products in the real estate industry.

Virtual reality, the new reality
As real estate investors, we are always looking to add new tools to our tool-belts. In the near future, VR will be one of those gadgets that will save us time, money, and pain. Touring potential investments, showing prospective tenants our rentals, conducting renovations, advertising, and communicating with tenants are but a few ways VR will improve the lives of real estate investors.

Alex Doubet, CEO of Door Homes, notes that through VR, “Real estate investors will have better information with which to price homes, move quickly, and win great deals.” Much like the advent of the internet and online listings, VR is going to be a game-changer for real estate investors and the industry as a whole.

If you have your google cardbord setup already, here is the video that will help you experience what virtual reality can bring to real estate:

How to play SteamVR through Google Cardboard

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 17:00:44 GMT

Experience VR without spending an entire fortune is the first and best way to get someone introduced to VR.

The HTC Vive is not really portable, and spending around $550 on Oculus Rift with your very expensive high-end gaming PC is not the best buy option.

If you don't have a VR headset and curious about the VR experience, read on about the cheaper and good quality solution With Google Cardboard and a couple of mobile applications, you can dive into the world of Oculus and SteamVR to get a realistic idea of what makes VR gaming so much fun.

Getting started checklist
SteamVR on Google Cardboard
Oculus Rift in Google Cardboard
Adding a Leap Motion controller
Conclusion

Getting started checklist

A VR-capable PC.
- Before you begin you must run The SteamVR Performance Test that measures your system's rendering power using a 2-minute sequence from Valves Aperture Robot Repair VR demo. After collecting the data it determines whether your system is capable of running VR content at 90fps and whether VR content can tune the visual fidelity up to the recommended level. For machines that are not VR Ready the tool can help determine whether capabilities are bound by Graphics Card, CPU, or both. Click here to install SteamVR performance test and test if your pc is capable of playing VR games.
Google Cardboard
- Google Cardboard HMD or a Gear VR set to handle Cardboard apps.
Your newest Android phone even though cardboard can work on iPhone as well
A Leap Motion tracker for better experience.

SteamVR on Google Cardboard

VRidge app enables RiftCat's VRidge technology on Android phone. Transforming your phone to a powerful VR headset screen. All you need is to put it inside a headmount like Google Cardboard and have fun.

Install VRidge on your phone, and install SteamVR on your PC. VRidge will help you to install Riftcat on your PC, and then you will be ready to get started.

Open Riftcat and select your Android phone from the list .
Select Play Steam VR Games from the menu.
Open SteamVR and select a game.

The app basically mirrors your VR screens on the mobile device and, more important, can tell your head position using the phone’s on-board positioning systems. Adding hand paddles or body sensing is a bit harder but VRidge’s robust developer community is working hard to add motion sensing to their product and many have tried to use PS Move or Leap Motion and multiple cameras to create whole-room sensing systems.

Oculus Rift in Google Cardboard

VR systems Oculus Rift are really cool but also really expensive. That’s why RiftCat created a new app, VRidge, that lets you play rich PC-based VR content on small devices like Google Cardboard and Gear VR, giving you the opportunity to try VR games without spending a few hundred dollars.

If you have a compatabile PC for playing Oculus Rift games just, install the Oculus Store on your desktop and VRidge on your Android phone. VRidge will instruct you to install Riftcat on your PC, and you'll be good to go!

Open Riftcat and select your Android phone from the list.
Select Play Oculus Rift Games from the menu.
Place your phone in the headset.

VRidge streams everything happening in the Oculus software, so all you need is an Xbox controller ora reasonable facsimile and you'll be able to play many of the games available.

Because your phone can't detect movement in space, games that rely on leaning or standing at times won't work well in this setup. You still get a great passive VR experience, and can access a ton of apps and games, but not everything will work.

Adding a Leap Motion controller

If you want hand controllers in VR through Google Cardboard, Leap Motion is how you get there. Well, sort of. You aren't connecting Leap Motion to your phone; instead, you're connecting the small tracker to your PC and mounting it on your headset. This means there is a cable tethering you to your PC, so you'll need to be sure it's the right length and doesn't become disconnected.

Install the Orion Beta software from Leap Motion
Run the Orion Tutorial.
Install a Leap supported VR app.
Mount your Leap Motion to your headset.

Orion doesn't work everywhere yet, but developers are working on tools that will make it easier for your hands to become controllers for every aspect of Steam VR; even the home screen! For the apps that do support Leap Motion, like AltSpace VR, you only need to hold your hands out in front of the sensor to see them in VR.

Conclusion

It’s a clever workaround to a tricky problem: how do you get people to try VR gaming when the entire rig is too expensive for entry-level players? By giving you the opportunity to play these games on commodity hardware, even if you just use the mouse and keyboard for interaction, players can learn to love VR gaming and, perhaps, one day drop a few thousand on a real rig.

Girls playing volleyball 360 vr

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 17:57:31 GMT

In this 360 vr video, sexy girls are playing volleyball on the sandy beach.
Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.

Animated short virtual reality movie "Pearl" has oscar nomination

VRExtasy Editorial — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 18:57:55 GMT

Months after its release, Google’s short film Pearl remains the best of its Spotlight Stories series of 360-degree films. The Oscars seem to agree.

Patrick Osborne definitely likes making animated home movie-like experiences as snapshots in time. The Oscar-winning Disney short, “Feast” (2015), offered a series of eating vignettes in a dog’s life. Now he’s competing again with the 2D version of his Google Spotlight Stories VR short, “Pearl,” a musical journey between a father and daughter inside their ’83 Chevy Citation.

The latest short from Google’s experimental filmmaking lab Spotlight Stories—which is composed of alums from Pixar and Dreamworks—Pearl is the story of a little girl growing up with a struggling, traveling musician for a father.

Set inside their home, a beloved hatchback, Pearl follows a girl and her dad as they crisscross the country chasing their dreams. It’s a story about the gifts we hand down and their power to carry love. And finding grace in the unlikeliest of places.

Another version of the project with support for positional tracking was released for the HTC Vive. The Oscars will be held on February 26th, 2017. The big question now is if VR could be in for its first big Academy Award? We’ll find out next month.

“At the end of the day, it’s a curious experiment in the differences that the experiences yield. I wish every movie had that a little bit,” he said. “The other thing is I loved being able to change the camera at the end. Normally, animators don’t animate what’s off screen and this was a luxury.”

"I’m glad it works and doesn't feel cheesy," Osborne says. "We’re always riding a little bit of that line in this realm—too sappy or nostalgic—but it works here. I’m happy with it." He’s wrong, of course. Like so many animated shorts packing a lot of emotion into a little time, Pearl is too sappy. And it is too nostalgic.

But it absolutely still works. The tear-soaked padding on my silly Vive headset is proof of that.

To create the theatrical version, the director watched Pearl in 360-degrees on a mobile phone, effectively serving as a camera operator by recording which direction he wanted the viewer to be looking in a given moment. Says Osborne, “In the VR version, you don’t want the edits to be too fast. But if we let it be that slow in the film version, it was very boring." And so under his direction, additional editing was involved for the cinema version.

Fox Virtual Reality Unit Plans ‘Planet of the Apes’ Experience, Spike Jonze Project

VRExtasy Editorial — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 23:52:53 GMT

Fox is strapping on goggles and diving into virtual reality, launching a new division focused on the technology Wednesday and announcing a content partnership with VR firm Within Thursday that will include a “Planet of the Apes” immersive experience and a VR film with Annapurna Pictures and Spike Jonze.

FoxNext, a brand new division that works across the film and television businesses of 21st Century Fox, and Within will work together on several VR experiences, the first being an immersive project based on “Planet of the Apes” directed and produced by Within founder and CEO Chris Milk.

The “Apes” VR experience will be available on Within’s app and across virtual and augmented reality platforms. Twenty-first Century Fox is an investor in Within. (Fox also teamed with Imaginati on another “Apes”-inspired VR experience that was previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month.)

Youtube supports 4K live-streaming for 360-degree and standard video

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 21:21:01 GMT

YouTube has decided to let users stream both normal aspect ratio and 360 degree video content in ultra HD live even.

YouTube’s biggest competitor in the live streaming landscape right now is an Amazon-owneed company called Twitch. However, least so far, Twitch lacks the bandwidth infrastructure necessary for letting users conduct live 4K video streams since they require far more Mbps than native Full HD video streams. YouTube doesn’t quite have this same infrastructure problem since it’s a child of bandwidth-invested Google and as such it will be allowing live 4K streaming to at least some of its hundreds of millions of users.

The update comes just a few weeks after YouTube added 4K HDR support. Given that standard 4K content is still easier to film and is more accessible than 4K HDR content, it's a great update for both YouTube creators and viewers. Creators can start live-streaming in 4K today.

As more devices with 4K live-streaming support come onto market, here’s hoping it’ll be the new standard for live-streaming just about anything. Puppy cams? Yes, please. Watching butter melt? Hell yeah. Okay, fine, concert festivals are probably the most ideal use case, but a girl can dream.

Google has also live streamed the entire “The Game Awards” show in live 4K with HDR to give a demonstration of what their new 4K live streaming service looks like.

For now, only 4K UHD TVs and a limited range of 4K PC devices can display streamed 4K UHD content and HDR formatting but this will drastically change in 2017 for non-TV display devices, which will increasingly feature 4K resolution.

Girl sucking lollipop candy video 360 vr

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 03:56:49 GMT

Lollipops are a very sensual treat. It’s kind of gnarly because we all loved lollipops as children, but since we’ve gotten older and our minds have trudged into the gutter, we recognize the phallic nature of our beloved sweets on a stick. I don’t hate it. After all, I love me a good lollipop. Why not just address the elephant in the room and say what we’re all thinking?

It looks like you’re sucking something else when you go to town on a lollipop. Therefore, we will be bringing the two together today.

Best cardboard VR games

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 03:25:03 GMT

InMind VR

[Price: Free]

Imagine traveling across neural pathways of the brain, looking for physical abnormalities. Sounds like some kind of doctor game, eh? Nope, this unique arcade shooter has you neutralizing problems in order to make the brain in question nice and healthy, using runner mechanics along the way. Although the title supports Google Cardboard, it’s also worth noting that you don’t need a VR headset in order to enjoy it. Best of all, it’s totally free and yet void of in-app purchases.

BombSquad VR for Cardboard

[Price: $2.99]
BombSquad VR for Cardboard is an arcade game with platformer elements where you must avoid all kinds of bombs, capture flags, and have a good time. You play with up to eight players and you must complete each level competitively. Think of it like Mario Party but with more explosions.

The app costs $2.99 but you’ll also get the regular BombSquad Pro game unlocker included so you can play the non-VR version as well. With this game, you’ll need a second device running as a controller or a separate, third party controller.

Chair in a Room

[Price: Free]

A Chair in a Room takes the limited controls of the Google Cardboard and turns them into something terrifying. You begin the game in a room with a single light and a chair at the table; that’s it. You’ll spend the entire game in this room, but that’s where the true terror begins. As you examine newspaper clippings and follow the story of a young girl who was kidnapped, the light begins to flicker and you’re forced to turn to your not-so-trusty flashlight. However, it requires periods of recharging, during which you’re in the pitch black room. Strange, eerie sounds emanate from all around. A Chair in a Room does a wonderful job of ratcheting up the creep factor with its limited control scheme and ominous setting.

Proton Pulse

[Price: $1.99]

Proton Pulse uses head tracking to control a paddle around the game screen. Sounds like Pong right? Well, the core concept is similar, but this is certainly the most extreme version of Pong ever created! Your objective is to bounce various objects back to where they came from. Certainly a great game for showcasing what Cardboard is capable of, and at only $2, it’s worth picking up and will help fund the studios future game development efforts as well.

BattleZ VR

[Price: Free]

BattleZ VR is a first person zombie shooter, that also happens to have dragons thrown in for some reason that I’m sure makes complete sense — or not. As you’d expect, the story mode is pretty light and the gameplay is pretty basic, with you utilizing the headset in conjunction with a special “realcontrol’ remote, which you can buy or build yourself. In addition to single player shooting, there’s also an online mode too. Aside from the costs of buying/building your controller, the game is absolutely free.

Sisters

[Price: Free]

The game’s tagline says it all: “Be careful where you look, because something doesn’t want you here.” That sets the tone for the entirety of this game — okay, so really it’s more of a tech demo, since it only lasts a few minutes. Nonetheless, if you want to show off Cardboard to friends and family, this is a perfect showcase. Sisters works using binaural sound, so it seems like the noises you hear come from your left or right instead of all around. Combined with the immersion and surprising graphical fidelity the Cardboard puts out, this game is a great way to scare the pants off yourself or anyone who wants to experience it. While there isn’t much ‘gameplay,’ so to speak, Sisters lets you look around and watch supernatural horror unfold right beside you.

Caaaaardboard!

[Price: $1.99]
Caaaaardboard! is a VR game that works perfectly with Google Cardobard. This is a custom made version of the game AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! made specifically for VR headsets. Silly names aside, this is a fun, immersive experience that has you diving off of buildings while performing stunts. The game utilizes tilt controls so it’s totally hands free and one of the more intense gaming experiences you can get on VR. It’s a bit tedious sometimes according to user reviews, but otherwise, this is a great place to start.

Radial G-Infinity

[Price: Free]

Radial-G is an endless runner, think Temple run but futuristic. You’re in a spaceship with enemies hot on your tail. You can collect boast and other goodies to help you stay away from being captured. The fanatics space spin on it is highly addicting, and once you’re in the game, you won’t want to put it down.

Voxel Fly VR

[Price: Free]

This highly addicting game wants you to avoid cars and fly further than any of your friends. The arcade style game isn’t over after a few minutes, but instead can be played for hours on end. It’s a highly competitive game with great physics and decent graphics that keep you entertained.

Cyclops Duck Hunt

[Price: Free]

We’re not going to beat around the bush, this VR reimagining of the NES Duck Hunt classic is strange as hell. That said, it’s quirky humor and visuals are a large part of its charm. Cyclops Duck Hunt takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where alien ducks have come down with one purpose: to wreck havoc. In the title, the player assumes the role of a cyclops who has woken from his slumber to find this brave new world in chaos, and must do everything he can to stop the alien ducks from destroying everything he holds dear.

So that’s just some of our favorites. Did we miss any good ones? Tell us in the comments below what games or apps you enjoyed the most or the ones you think we missed.

Virtual reality soccer games

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 02:46:54 GMT

Soccer or Football has always been the no1 European sport. People can't wait to start seeing live games or playing console games in the virtual reality.

Here is a list of interesting soccer experiences already made in VR

Virtually Live at GDC 2016

To convey that sensation, Virtually Live uses computer-generated imagery of players and stadiums, plus tracking information provided by Stats, which has deals with some of the "top" European football (soccer) teams in the world as well as the NBA. My demo was powered by an HTC Vive and took me into a match between English Premier League rivals Manchester United and Manchester City. I had a few options once I set foot in that world. One of them was to watch the game's broadcast on a screen or hear audio from it, inside a virtual VIP suite. But, if I wanted to do that, I may as well just do so on my big-screen TV, not a VR headset.

Sociable Soccer VR

Sociable Soccer is the game football fans have been waiting for. It's super-fast football fun and will have over a 1000 teams and 10.000 researched players at launch.

We can confirm that VR will be supported when Sociable Soccer is released early next year. That smiling dude in the pic below is Amar Djouad, our art director, and he is smiling because playing a great football game hovering above the pitch like a god feels amazing.

The spiritual successor to Sensible Soccer for PS4, XBox One, PC, iOS & Android. Designed & created by Jon Hare, the godfather of football videogames.

Next week, 12-13 of July, we go to Develop:Brighton where we'll show the latest mobile and PC versions of our game, and we'll also be proudly unveiling the "Play like a God" VR feature for the first time.

VR Soccer Header for Cardboard

Play soccer for real with Google Cardboard !.
Use your phone to score physically accurate soccer headers.Hit the ball with the right timing, and give the ball power and direction with your head / phone movement.

You can play VR Soccer Header using your phone only, without Virtual Reality glasses. The no - VR mode uses the phone gyroscope to track your movements and hit the ball like a real header.

It´s a great virtual reality experience. No tutorial, text or buttons. Just head the ball towards the goal.

The only game control that you need is your own head.

Turn on / off the virtual reality mode with a screen touch.

The closest experience to a real football header, in virtual reality.

Supports any Google Cardboard Virtual Reality device.

Headmaster

Your progression through Headmaster is accompanied with a narrative that’s dripping with Portal influence. Each trial opens with some quick words from the Football Improvement Centre’s Headmaster and wraps up with a hastily written note from Carl, the staff member in charge of designing and setting up every trial and exam. The FIC’s Headmaster certainly shares a bit in common with GlaDOS, but in this case I’d say the game provides a character that’s a little less condescending and far more willing to offer words of encouragement. Between random monologs over the intercom and handwritten messages from Carl, the writing in Headmaster is funny and actually manages to set up a pretty interesting rift between the two FIC staff members. It works well with the general tone of the game and helps to make Headmaster so much more than just an interesting concept for VR head tracking.

No controllers are required to play Headmaster and the game works pretty well whether you’re sitting down or standing up; it’s also perfectly suited for open areas or small spaces. Heading soccer balls doesn’t require too much forward motion and is focused on how you angle your head when making contact. It just works, and it’s a simple enough concept that it should be pretty easy to jump in without much of a learning curve. That said, some of the later challenges do require a certain level of finesse that can make some trials difficult if you’re not using the correct technique. Headmaster does outline the proper head-motion, but I think a proper tutorial for angling shots (both far to the side and high in the air) could help to alleviate some of the difficulty I ran into.

The headmaster is so much more than what it might appear to be, and it’s one of the biggest surprises for me coming out of the PlayStation VR’s launch. It’s creative, funny, and provides a perfect example of what VR could bring to the table, while also being far more than just a VR tech demo.

360 football games

There has been no real game football project so far, but things are about to change.

Here is a sneak peak how virtual reality soccer game will soon look like from your point of view

PlayStation VR technical details and specification

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 23:50:48 GMT

Let's see how the new PSVR stands up to the competition and tear it down

The PSP our headset is a whopping six hundred and ten grams not including the cord that's heavier than any other VR set on the market. We start to take off a little weight by removing the rubber light shield. This shield shuts out the light
for better user experience and bonus. You don't need tools to remove it a set of jay is Cruz holds the front panel together and once they're removed we're able to get the front panel off.

Underneath we find the LED array. This cable array is held in place by clips that are easily disconnected unlike the Rift and five which rely on invisible InfraRed light for position tracking the PSP are used visible light LEDs.
We now have an inside look at how the scope adjustment button works.
I relief is the distance between your eye and the plane of the display. A large adjustment range means that users can pick classes under their headsets with ease.
Since we're sliding it we might as well separated from the headband.

Next to come out is the motherboard which is home to the new Vuitton nuke 123 series arm cortex-m 0 microcontroller and on the other side the Toshiba made HDMI interface bridge.

For the complete list of chips head on over to the end of this article.

After removing the sizable microphone that was mounted under the visor we remove the display.

The PSP VR uses a single 5.7 inch LED display that has a resolution 1920 x 1080.

Last to come out are the lenses unlike the lenses in the vibe in the oculus cb1 these lenses aren't Fornell instead the PSP VR uses large smooth dome-shaped lenses.

Technical details

What's inside the box?

Marvell DE3214-B0 Armada 1500 Pro 4K SoC
Samsung K4B2G1646Q-BCMA 256 MB DDR3 SDRAM (4 chips for 1 GB total)
ADV7626 HDMI 2:2 cross point transceiver (x2)

On the reverse:

Samsung KLM4G1FE3A-F001 4 GB eMMC flash SSD
Marvell 88E8087-NMN2

Motherboard details:

Toshiba TC358870XBG HDMI interfaces bridge
Nuvoton NUC123SD4SN3 NUC123 series ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller
ROHM BD2802 RGB LED driver (x3)
Wolfson WM1801G likely an audio controller, as found on the DualShock 4 controller
8203 A3 U8CUC D9JKA 1609
Texas Instruments S1L 621 APGH likely a power supply module for the AMOLED display

Official Sony details:

Single 5.7-inch AMOLED display with 1920 × 1080 resolution (960 × 1080 per eye)
Approximately 100º field of view
Refresh rate up to 120 Hz
Six-axis inertial measurement system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer)
Headset weight: 610 g

Facebook 360 for publishers and content creators

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 05:04:22 GMT

Interactive & Immersive

As the video plays, watch the scene come alive. Turn your device or drag your finger to move around within the video and explore every angle.

Discovery & Experience

With the widest collection of unique 360 experiences, Facebook is the best place to share, discover and take your content to the next level with 360 Video. Fans can easily discover your content with a special 360 icon indicating interactivity.

Discover More Content

With Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR, step even deeper into a whole new world with Facebook 360. Surf the waves of Tahiti, step inside a blizzard in New York City or walk the catwalk in Milan by casting 360 videos straight from your News Feed to your headset.

Explore Great Content in VR

Stay Connected

Join our Facebook 360 Community Group to be a part of the daily 360 Video and VR conversation.

Carnival Cruise Line has launched its Instant Caribbean Vacation in full 360

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 04:58:10 GMT

Carnival Cruise Line has launched its Instant Caribbean Vacation in full 360º video. Users can experience all the fun of on a Carnival cruise, from screaming down waterslides, to relaxing on the beach or taking in a glorious sunset from the Aft deck.

Welcome to your Caribbean vacation. Today's agenda not a care in the world so relax explore a little then we'll head back to the ship for even more fun.

Oh check this out the island looks even better from up here the great views are endless and just wait till we get back to the ship first things first this water slide is calling your name three you won here we go red frog

Oh, check this out the island looks even better from up here the great views are endless and just wait till we get back to the ship. first things first this water slide is calling your name three you won here we go red frog

First things first this water slide is calling your name three you won here we go red frog rumba red soak up some more of those island vibes.ey grab your drink you don't want to miss the sunset Wow look at that sunset well hope you had fun on your instant Caribbean vacation sorry you have to get back to reality at least for now

Hey grab your drink you don't want to miss the sunset Wow look at that sunset well hope you had fun on your instant Caribbean vacation sorry you have to get back to reality at least for now

Google Tango phone delivers true augmented reality gaming

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 04:51:37 GMT

If it weren’t for Pokémon Go, augmented reality might have stayed another forlorn futurist technology the public paid little attention to.

Lenovo launches the first phone featuring Google's Tango design, offering Google an important test of whether consumers really want the technology.

Tango's 3D sensors enable motion tracking, depth sensing, and the ability to measure areas. The Tango phone, which Lenovo announced in June, launches with 35 apps that utilize these capabilities.

The 6.4-inch QHD display Phab 2 Pro features three rear cameras, including a 16-megapixel main shooter sandwiched between a fingerprint scanner below, and the paired depth sensor and motion-tracking fish-eye camera above.

Instead, the AR mobile game from developer Niantic Labs, a former Google subsidiary, catapulted the technology to hundreds of millions of smartphone owners around the world. Now a few months after the game’s launch, the first fully capable AR smartphone has started shipping. It’s Lenovo’s Phab 2 Pro, and under the hood it contains the hardware and software neccesary to use Google’s Tango AR technology.

Pokémon Go didn’t accelerate Tango’s consumer timeline, which has been in place since the team began discussions with Lenovo last year. "Actually I think Pokémon Go took everyone by surprise, including Niantic," Tango chief Johnny Lee, who spoke to members of the press at a roundtable event last week, says with a laugh. "Pokemon Go certainly made the conversation a lot easier with partners."

Tango apps can be installed via the Tango app or Google Play and there are more than 35 of them available today, Justin Quimby, senior Tango product manager says in a blogpost.

I tried a number of apps, all of which go live today on the Google Play Store, that were designed specifically for Lenovo’s Tango-equipped phone. There’s a Hot Wheels game made by Mattel that creates a virtual test track to send race cars down. Another game, Slingshot Island from developer Sockethead Games, plants a floating landmass in the middle of a room. You’re tasked with toppling structures on the island’s surface using a gyroscope-powered slingshot mechanic, much like Angry Birds.

Jokes aside, Lee thinks the game proved the strength of AR, despite only using a rudimentary version of the tech. (Pokémon Go didn't map your surroundings. It just haphazardly plunked down a virtual creature square in the middle of the screen.) Niantic’s creation showed people how powerful an experience can be when you plant software in the real world and let people interact with one another. "It’s the idea that you can use physical space in a shared context," Lee adds. "The location-tracking capabilities of Tango can be the same vehicle for shared context between people."

With the Phab 2 Pro, which is now selling for $499, Lenovo and Google are trying to prove that AR can and should become an integral component of modern smartphones. Lee thinks of Tango’s technology much like GPS, which transformed the utility of mobile phones and, years later, helped give birth to services like Uber. If AR is equally transformative in letting our devices understand physical spaces and "see" the world, it could help reshape entire industries, from gaming to retail to real estate.

Until there's more devices out there with Tango tech — and thats not happening until next year, at least — this all feels very much like an experimental test phase for AR. But developers don't seem too discouraged. That's both because Pokémon Go proved there's an appetite for these type of mobile experiences, and Google is convinced it's only a matter of time before every phone makes the jump to 3D mapping.

Google sees potential for the Tango design as a platform for all phones in future, and according to Quimby, the Phab 2 Pro will be joined by more Tango-enabled phones in early 2017.

How to transform your iPhone or Android into an awesome HUD for your car

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 04:37:32 GMT

One of the coolest new features in premium cars these days is the head-up display feature or HUD.

HUDWAY Glass is a universal vehicle accessory turning your smartphone into a head-up display (HUD) for any car bringing comfort and safety to drivers.

This feature projects a small display onto your windshield just below your line of sight and shows key information like speed, navigation directions and more. But guess what: HUD features aren’t just for pricey luxury cars anymore. Check out the HUDWAY Glass, which adds a head-up display in any car on the planet for just $64.

There are 600 million people in the world who get behind the wheel of a car every single day. According to the researches, approximately 75% of them get distracted while driving — it could be just drinking coffee, talking to a child in the back seat, reaching for the glove compartment, changing a radio station, and so on... But the worst and most frequent distraction is our phone.

Some key details:

Turns any smartphone into a head-up display (hud) for any car
Vehicle cell phone accessory works with any smartphone and hud apps
Reflects any hud-based app of your cell phone and displays it right in driver’s line of sight
Glass transparency allows for a clear road view so you are not distracted from the actual road
The reflected image is discernible in any visibility (day and night)

Alternative HUD for your smartphone

Here are some cheaper alternatives for the HUD in your car

MyGoFlight Introduces Low-Cost Skydisplay HUD

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 04:30:57 GMT

MyGoFlight

MyGoFlight's SkyDisplay HUD displays a PFD with a synthetic vision view that paints terrain in different colors.

MyGoFlight, known for its growing product line of iPad mounts, screen protectors, flight bags, clothing and more, has introduced a head-up display called Skydisplay. HUDs have been used for decades in military, commercial and business jet aircraft, but so far they have been too large and too expensive to be viable in the light general aviation market.

“Our goal is to improve flight safety by getting pilots to fly with their head up and eyes out during all critical phases of flight,” said MyGoFlight’s CEO Charles Schneider. MyGoFlight’s system will be scalable from single-engine airplanes to business jets. Schneider said the targeted starting price is $10,000.

Skydisplay features a small LCD panel, as small as 1.8 inches, which can mount in various ways above the windshield. LED lights project an image onto a 6- by 3-inch transparent screen, which folds down in front of the pilot. The screen is curved, magnifying the image and making it appear far ahead of the airplane.

MyGoFlight

The LCD panel is mounted above the windshield.

The ability to view flight information on the HUD allows the pilot to keep the head up and eyes outside. The image displays a PFD with a synthetic vision view that paints terrain in different colors. The image is customizable to display whichever data points required by the pilot.

Data from panel-mounted avionics is fed to the HUD to a computer box that transmits it to the LCD panel. The total weight for the system is less than 1 pound, Schneider said. To develop the software required for the HUD systems, MyGoFlight teamed up with Sentinel Applied Technologies, which has been developing terrain avoidance software for more than a decade.

MyGoFlight aims to get FAA approval through the Non-Required Safety Enhancing Equipment (NORSEE) program.

If you want to see Skydisplay in action, go to booth No. 1774 at the NBAA-BACE show floor at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. This new line of HUD products is expected to be available some time next year.

How To Watch VR Videos

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 04:18:44 GMT

There are 4 basic options for viewing virtual reality (VR) content today: An immersive VR headset; a simple VR viewer that uses a mobile phone; a mobile phone on its own; or a web video player. Scroll down to see how they compare…

DeoVR (Windows 7, 8 & 10 + Android) Free
Oculus Rift, Gear VR, HTC Vive (Sept 22), Cardboard (Soon)
Download

Whirligig (Windows 7, 8 & 10) Free
HTC Vive, Oculus Rift
Has a free and paid version, both are identical! If you like this player, support it on Steam.
Download

Virtual Desktop (Windows 8 & 10) $14.99
HTC Vive, Oculus Rift
Does not work on Windows 7, but other than that it's a great app for watching VR Videos.
Download

VirtualRealPlayer (Windows 7, 8 & 10) Free
Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, OSVR
Only works with Virtual Real Porn content, but it's a great player.
Download

MilkVR (Android) Free
Gear VR, Google Cardboard
Primarily for Gear VR but also works fine with Google Cardboard.
Download

Meditation in virtual reality

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 05 Nov 2016 01:19:38 GMT

Guided Meditation VR

Want to jet off to Australia, Hong Kong, New York or Tokyo? Of course, you do. Unfortunately, daily life generally forces us to sit at a desk from 9 to 5. But a few companies are helping to ease the pain by allowing you to escape from the dreariness of your cubicle. Enter virtual reality.

Whether it’s a viewing device strapped on your face transporting you to Australia or a 360-degree on-location video online, taking a mini journey across the globe has never been easier. Companies, resorts, and museums have developed groundbreaking technology that allows you to have totally immersive experiences ranging from birds-eye views of locations to intense intricate closeups of paintings that you can’t see with the naked eye.

For adventurous folks, Hamilton Island in Australia partnered with Samsung Electronics and Rapid VR to provide three-dimensional, 360-degree interactive vision that gives viewers a feeling of immersion. You can swim with turtles in the Great Barrier Reef and take a helicopter tour over the island.

Expand your mind by exploring new enticing surroundings. Virtual reality meditation your way, at your pace, anywhere in the world you choose. Leave your passport behind. Find the perfect environment to relax, without ever leaving the room.
Rest in many lush meditation environments, custom built to refresh the mind.

Whether you’re searching for more energy, more peace of mind, or to be still in nature, there’s a virtual guided meditation made just for you. And they can be customized to meet your unique desires.
Not in the choosing mood? Let Guided Meditation VR recommend the perfect relaxation technique for you. It’s like a personal trainer for your mind.

Marriott VR Postcards

Last year, Marriott launched its “VRoom Service” collaboration with Samsung; guests could borrow a Gear VR headset and experience three “VR Postcards,” in which tour guides take them a unique locale and explain the significance of the destination. What’s interesting about the VR Postcards is that the narrative adds an interesting layer to the overall experience.

VRoom Service is Marriott’s second experiment in virtual travel, created by Framestore and Relevent – two agencies with the know-how in building VR experiences, but you don’t need to check in to a Marriott hotel to check it out; Gear VR owners could download the VR Postcards through the Milk VR service.

Lufthansa #TravelCompass

For its YouTube page, German airliner Lufthansa created several 360-degree on-location videos in Beijing, Hong Kong, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo. Each 46-minute clip lets you pan around a notable area in each of those cities, such as Wan Chai Street Market in Hong Kong or Lombard Street in San Francisco. You don’t need a VR viewer, although it’s more immersive if you use the YouTube Android app with Google Cardboard viewer.

Google Street View

Without us realizing, Street View in Google Maps has been preparing us for virtual travel for years. The ability to zoom into many parts of the world (as well as inside buildings) at street level, is one its coolest features. Now, with the Google Street View app for iOS and Android and a compatible viewer (Google Cardboard, Mattel View-Master, Zeiss VR One GX), virtual travelers can finally put themselves inside those locations.

GoPro

Action cam maker GoPro is getting into the VR game in a big way. Its Odyssey uses 16 Hero4 Black cameras to capture an 8K panoramic video, while it’s rumored in some circles that it is developing a consumer-friendly 360 camera. Of course, GoPro’s videos are short of amazing, and its 360-degree ones are no exception. From surfing in Tahiti to riding a BMW bike on the rooftops of Gran Canaria and inside an Indycar over the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out the personal New York City tour with photographer and Instagrammer, Neil Britto. GoPro won’t be the only big camera company getting into VR: Samsung, Nikon, and Ricoh recently announced their 360 cameras, so we can expect to see content from them.

NASA

Chances are, most of us will never experience space travel in our lifetime, let alone journey to Mars. Thanks to thousands of images that have been transmitted back to Earth from its Sojourner and Curiosity rovers, NASA was able to put together 360-degree videos and images of what walking on Mars would be like. The most recent panorama comes from Curiosity, from a site known as Namib Dune.

Ascape

As its name would suggest, Ascape is a VR app that’s dedicated entirely to travel. Available as an app for Android or iOS, and viewable on a phone or VR viewer, Ascape has a bunch of 360-degree video and photo tours – from the Star Wars parade at Disneyland Hong Kong to reindeer racing in Norway – and are neatly categorized (called “collections”). You will need to download each experience, which could take up a chunk of space on your phone.

Littlstar

Open the interactive embed on embed.littlstar.com

Littlstar is a VR “cinema network” hosting a variety of 360-degree photos and videos, available on the Web or via its app for Android or iOS. Its aerial and travel categories contain numerous content from around the world, including videos from Discovery and National Geographic. When you’ve looked through all the travel videos, check out the many others, including tech, sports, cars, and fashion.

YouVisit

Like Littlstar, YouVisit lets you experience its content on the Web (through a Web browser or the Oculus Rift) or with a VR headset via its app for iPhone or Android. YouVisit has a variety of interesting travel-related 360-degree photos and videos, from the Ayautthaya temples of Thailand to the Louvre Museum in Paris and helicopter ride over New York City. You can even get onboard the Carnival Breeze and explore the different parts of the cruise ship.

Wild Within

Destination B.C., an agency that promotes tourism in Canada’s British Columbia, launched a virtual reality experience called “Wild Within,” which explores the natural areas of this western province. In the videos, the viewer travels through the Broughton Archipelago of the Great Bear Rainforest, but has the option of taking one of two paths – the coastline or up a mountain. Wild Within was first developed for the Oculus Rift on a desktop, but it’s now available as an app for iOS or Android.

Discovery

Discovery is one of the major media companies to dive into virtual reality. Last August, it launched its Discovery VR initiative that lets users experience TV shows like Gold Rush, Survivorman, Puppy Bowl, and MythBusters, in an immersive manner. Besides exploring the exotic locales, you can swim with sharks, ski downhill with Bode Miller, or learn to forage for food, for example. Discovery VR content can be watched online, but it’s best via a phone and Google Cardboard or similar viewer, or Samsung Gear VR (via Milk VR).

Virtual Reality Applications

VRExtasy Editorial — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 21:51:34 GMT

Even though consumer virtual reality is just a few years old, we are already seeing a staggering range of applications. To say that VR has captured peoples’ imaginations would be an understatement. Developers are trying to build virtually everything in VR, understandably with mixed success so far. While it is way too early to pick winners, and identify “killer apps” for VR, there are several domains that show great promise, including:

Video Games.

This is an obvious candidate, the one that most people immediately imagine when you tell them about virtual reality. The potential for deep immersion, higher production value and stickier engagement has developers, console makers and peripheral manufacturers salivating in anticipation. It is fair to assume that the majority of skilled, independent and large development shops creating VR are currently doing so for games.

Virtual Worlds.

Social, user-generated persistent virtual worlds could be a powerful combination with virtual reality immersion. Companies like High Fidelity, created by Second Life founder Philip Rosedale, and AltSpace VR, a new San Francisco bay area startup, are leading this charge.

Education.

For years, 3D visualization has been a great tool for interactive learning; VR immersion could make learning even more approachable and effective.

Productivity.

Some researchers and small companies are exploring using VR as a replacement for the decades-old desktop computer metaphor. Imagine a virtual reality, 360-degree workspace that holds your personal information, contacts, work projects, etc.

Tourism.

Stereoscopic 360 panoramas in VR are really compelling. They represent a simple, effective way to convey the experience of being elsewhere without having to get on a plane.

Architecture and Real Estate.

Architecture and real estate firms are already experimenting with virtual reality, using both video and interactive graphics. Video can be great for showing existing properties; interactive graphics works well for visualization buildings and complexes in the planning stages i.e. using 3D CAD models.

Live Events.

VR video is promising to be quite popular for concerts, news and other live events. Musicians Paul McCartney and Jack White are among several rock stars who have already broadcast virtual reality versions of their live shows.

Web Browsing.

Mozilla is leading the charge in experimenting with adding VR support to their browser, and Google is not far behind creating the same features for Chrome. Beyond building the technology plumbing, the research team at Mozilla is exploring visual and interface designs for how to navigate a universe of information in virtual reality.

Enterprise Applications.

There are countless potential VR applications for the enterprise, including simulation and training for military use, medical diagnostics and training, and engineering and design.

The above list is just a sampling. We have no way of knowing which applications will be most successful in a new medium like virtual reality, or what will become popular. We also can’t predict what other ideas will spring from the minds of clever folks. But if the last few decades of technology have taught us anything, it’s that whatever people come up with, it will probably be something we never could have imagined before.

There are countless potential VR applications for the enterprise, including simulation and training for military use, medical diagnostics and training, and engineering and design. The above list is just a sampling. We have no way of knowing which applications will be most successful in a new medium like virtual reality, or what will become popular. We also can’t predict what other ideas will spring from the minds of clever folks. But if the last few decades of technology have taught us anything, it’s that whatever people come up with, it will probably be something we never could have imagined before.

How to connect Gamepad to an Android Phone or Tablet for vr

VRExtasy Editorial — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 00:47:51 GMT

Android supports mice, keyboards, and even gamepads. On many Android devices, you can connect USB peripherals to your device. On other Android devices, you may need to connect them wirelessly via Bluetooth.

Let’s face it, touch controls are terrible for many games. Have you ever tried playing a platformer game on a touchscreen? It’s an exercise in frustration. The good news is that you can connect a game controller to your Android device and play games the way they were meant to be played, whether they’re controller-enabled Android games or old games played via an emulator.

You can connect a mouse to your Android tablet and get a mouse cursor, or connect an Xbox 360 controller and play a game, console-style. You can even connect a keyboard and use keyboard shortcuts like Alt+Tab.

USB OTG stands for “USB on the go.” It’s essentially a tiny adapter cable that contains a full USB plug at one end and a micro-USB connector on the other end. It allows you to plug standard USB devices into your Android phone or tablet, including USB drives, mice, keyboards, and Xbox 360 controllers.

This should be plug-and-play on newer devices. We did this on a Nexus 7, and everything worked with no additional configuration required. On an older device, you may need to use USB/Joystick Center to make this work — see the last section of this article for more details.

Playing Games

You can now fire up games that support controllers and play them with the controller. Some games may have a settings screen where you can select between controller and touch controls, while some games will respond to the controller immediately. For example, Riptide GP offers such a configuration screen, while Sonic games respond to the controller immediately.

USB Mice, Keyboards, and Gamepads

Android phones and tablets don’t have the standard, full-size USB ports, so you can’t plug a USB peripheral directly into it. To actually connect a USB device to your Android device, you’ll need a USB on-the-go cable. A USB OTG cable is an adapter that plugs into the Micro-USB port on your device and allows you to connect full-size USB peripherals. These cables can be purchased for a dollar or two on a site like Monoprice, or a few bucks more on Amazon.

A USB OTG cable may also allow you to use other USB devices with your Android. For example, you can connect a USB flash drive to your Android phone or tablet.

Mouse: Connect a mouse and you will see a familiar mouse cursor appear on your screen. The cursor can be used to navigate through Android’s interface, clicking on things you’d normally tap. It works just like it would on a computer. Of course, you can also still reach out and touch the screen while the mouse is connected.
Keyboard: Your keyboard should just work when typing in text fields, allowing you to type at a reasonable speed on a mechanical keyboard and see more of the screen by removing the need for the on-screen, touch keyboard. Many keyboard shortcuts work like they do on computers, including Alt+Tab for switching between recent apps and Ctrl + X, C, or V for Cut, Copy, and Paste.
Gamepad: The gamepad can be used to navigate through Android’s home screen interface and launch apps, but that’s not the ideal use. You’ll need to use the gamepad with games that support controllers. Some games (like the Sonic platformer games for Android) beg for one and work much better with a controller than with the standard touch-screen controls.

Using a Controller with Unsupported Games

It’s possible to use an Xbox 360 controller with unsupported games on Android, just as you can use a controller with unsupported games on Windows. To do this, you’ll need to be using a rooted device. Most people recommend the USB/BT Joystick Center app as the most convenient solution for setting this up, although it will only work on certain devices and certain ROMs. Be prepared for some tweaking if you opt to go this route.

Wireless Xbox 360 Controllers

Using a wireless Xbox 360 controller is also possible, although it isn’t quite as easy. To do this, you’ll need the same Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Dongle that you’d use to connect your wireless controller to a PC. You can then plug this wireless dongle into the USB OTG cable and connect the dongle to your tablet.

This will be enough to make many emulators and games work. However, some games won’t work with this setup. You can find a solution to make the wireless Xbox 360 controller work with more games on the XDA Developers forum. The solution is intended for the Nexus 7, but may work with other Android devices.

Bluetooth, Wii, and PlayStation Controllers

Bluetooth Controller: Any Bluetooth gamepad can be paired with your Android device using its standard Bluetooth pairing options — no wires required.
WiiMote: Check out our guide to connecting your WiiMote to your Android device.

A USB OTG cable isn’t the ideal solution for many devices. Wires add a lot of clutter to what should be a portable device. Many devices also don’t support USB OTG cables.

If your device doesn’t support USB OTG or you just don’t like wires, you’re still in luck. You can connect wireless Bluetooth mice, keyboards, and gamepads directly to your phone or tablet. Just use your Android’s Bluetooth settings screen to pair it with your device, just as you’d pair a Bluetooth headset. You’ll find this screen at Settings -> Bluetooth.

If you’re shopping for a mouse or keyboard to use with your Android tablet, you’ll probably want to purchase Bluetooth devices for convenience and compatibility.

PlayStation 3 Sixaxis Gamepad: You’ll need to be using a rooted Android device. You’ll then need to install the Sixaxis Compatability Checker app to verify your device is compatible with your controller, use the SixaxisPairTool app on a Windows PC to pair your controller with your device, and then install the Sixaxis Controller app on your device.
For some great Android games to try your controller with, check out our list of the best Android games.

Have you connected a game controller to your Android device? Did it go this easily, or did you need to do more tweaking? Is there a controller that works better than the wired Xbox 360 controller? Leave a comment and share your experiences!

Playing Games

USB Mice, Keyboards, and Gamepads

A USB OTG cable may also allow you to use other USB devices with your Android. For example, you can connect a USB flash drive to your Android phone or tablet.

Mouse: Connect a mouse and you will see a familiar mouse cursor appear on your screen. The cursor can be used to navigate through Android’s interface, clicking on things you’d normally tap. It works just like it would on a computer. Of course, you can also still reach out and touch the screen while the mouse is connected.
Keyboard: Your keyboard should just work when typing in text fields, allowing you to type at a reasonable speed on a mechanical keyboard and see more of the screen by removing the need for the on-screen, touch keyboard. Many keyboard shortcuts work like they do on computers, including Alt+Tab for switching between recent apps and Ctrl + X, C, or V for Cut, Copy, and Paste.
Gamepad: The gamepad can be used to navigate through Android’s home screen interface and launch apps, but that’s not the ideal use. You’ll need to use the gamepad with games that support controllers. Some games (like the Sonic platformer games for Android) beg for one and work much better with a controller than with the standard touch-screen controls.

Using a Controller with Unsupported Games

Wireless Xbox 360 Controllers

Bluetooth, Wii, and PlayStation Controllers

A USB OTG cable isn’t the ideal solution for many devices. Wires add a lot of clutter to what should be a portable device. Many devices also don’t support USB OTG cables.

If you’re shopping for a mouse or keyboard to use with your Android tablet, you’ll probably want to purchase Bluetooth devices for convenience and compatibility.

Microsoft VR headset for 300$

VRExtasy Editorial — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 17:03:46 GMT

A lot more Windows 10-compatible VR headsets are on the way, including offerings from partners like Lenovo, Dell, HP and Asus. The new headsets will be priced as low as $299, and will including built-in space sensors so that you don’t need any additional hardware to achieve room-scale VR.
On the gaming front, The Creator’s Update will include built-in game broadcasting courtesy of Microsoft’s newly-acquired game streaming company Beam.
Beam’s streaming includes an interactive element for observers, letting them suggest what a player does next, or directing players to pay attention to the chat window, for instance.

Gamers will also be able to make their own tournaments, which means you can create your own timed events or set up your own fantasy football-style leagues for whatever games you want.

Finally, in the gaming category, games will support true Bitstream audio for Dolby Atmos encoding on Xbox One and compatible PCs, which is huge for gamers who want the best possible audio quality on their hardware.

Microsoft VR headset will let you move?

The ultimate promise of inside-out tracking is that you can pretty much create the Holodeck: as long as you have physical space to move, the headset will be able to tell where you’re going. But that requires hardware and software that can track location accurately over long distances. HoloLens lets people move around entire rooms, but the consequences for a hologram drifting a little (which, in my experience, does happen) are a lot less severe than having your entire world slip out of place.

What kind of computer will Microsoft VR headset require?

From what we’ve seen so far, the headset also isn’t self-contained like HoloLens; it’s wired to a Windows 10 computer of some sort. Myerson knocked the Rift and Vive for requiring expensive PCs, and a press image showed the headset alongside what looks like a Lenovo Yoga laptop, not a supercharged gaming machine. This would make it a more accessible device, although it could also mean its graphical capabilities are limited.

On the flip side, it’s worth noting that HP and Dell are both working on powerful VR backpacks, through their respective Omen and Alienware gaming brands. Right now, they effectively only support the HTC Vive, but they’d also be a perfect fit for the headsets Microsoft is describing.

$299 VR Headset Specifications

There are no technical details yet available about the resolution or the field of view of the Microsoft Virtual Reality headsets. Microsoft just claims that they are better than today's $500+ options. Microsoft's Alex Kipman revealed some details in an interview with Polygon. The first generation of VR headsets will not support mixed-reality. The headset will have a high FOV and need to be connected to a PC via a cable. The inside-out tracking comes from the HoloLens development.

Xbox and Microsoft VR Headset

We expect the Microsoft VR Headset to work with the Xbox One. This will give Xbox owners a VR headset for gaming. Microsoft has not mentioned the Xbox in the VR Headset presentation, but it makes a lot of sense. Microsoft will not want customers to buy two VR headset. The $299 Microsoft VR headset will work with Windows 10 PCs and the Xbox. It would be the big surprise if not.

NBA will livestream weekly games in VR this season

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 22:20:44 GMT

As far as professional sports leagues go, the NBA may be the most tech-forward of the bunch. Last year, it teamed up with NextVR to stream the first game of its 2015-2016 season in virtual reality. Today, both parties are taking that partnership one step further. NBA Digital and NextVR have announced that starting this season (which tips off October 25th), they will be live streaming one game per week to Gear VR headsets. It is the first deal of its kind, according to NextVR, something that bodes well for virtual reality as an entertainment medium.

You will need a $200 subscription to watch.

The tip-off broadcast takes place when the Sacramento Kings host the San Antonio Spurs at the Kings' new tech-splashy arena, the Golden 1 Center on Oct. 27. The games will be available on the NBA's League Pass subscription service, and a full VR viewing schedule will be announced later this month.

While the plan right now is to only stream one game every week in VR, Keens says that the idea is to produce more games weekly as the partnership matures. Of course, there is the question, do NBA fans really want or need this? After all, as a basketball fan myself, I'm perfectly fine watching hoops the way I do now: sitting on the couch across from my 65-inch TV. And, when the San Antonio Spurs come to New York City, I'd rather be at Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center.

The 25 NBA virtual reality broadcasts this season will have their own play-by-play announcers providing VR-specific commentary. And instead of just a camera stationed courtside, games will be shown from multiple unmanned camera angles -- including from behind the basket -- along with optimized graphics, Marsilio said.

The NBA, for its part, seems to be excited about what virtual reality can offer its fans. Just last month, the league released a VR documentary based on the 2016 NBA Finals, a 360-degree film that's free to download on Gear VR. "The NBA has been exploring virtual reality for several years now," says Jeff Marsilio, NBA Vice President of Global Media Distribution.

You've got to make this really compelling experience when you consider someone is wearing headsets for the entire game," he said. "That's what we will be constantly striving for.

If you want to give it a try before spending $200 on League Pass, the NBA will be offering a trial on October 27th, during the game between Spurs and Kings. All you'll need is a Gear VR headset with a compatible smartphone.

Houston Rockets Locker Room Tour with Dwight Howard (360 videos)

Adult VR game Let's Play With Nanai teams up with ImagineVR for Worldwide Release

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 22:09:08 GMT

Let's Play With Nanai! is an adult VR game designed for Oculus Rift/HTC Vive. The game is one of the first adult VR game in the world, which let a user experience next dimension in VR - an interaction with a physical object by syncing a real object, smartphone, and HMD.

ImagineVR and VRJCC intend to seek support from people both in Japan and elsewhere to not only fund this development but to create future content with their cooperation.

The adult VR market is still small, being so young, but I sincerely hope that one day it will grow to span the world!”, says VRJCC.

Let's Play With Nanai! is an adult VR game designed for Oculus Rift/HTC Vive. It is a game that lets the player join Ms.Nanai in her room and have sex with her. Players can change her outfit and underwear using gaze controls.
The controls for this game are simpler than in any game to date. Simply attach a smartphone to a surrogate body, and Nanai will react according to the movements of that body. This game might well be the first of its kind.

How to use Let's Play Nanai with your smartphone -- iOS and Android supported!

It is a game that lets the player join Ms. Nanai in her room and have sex with her. Players can change her outfit and underwear using gaze controls. The controls for this game are simpler than in any game to date. Simply attach a smartphone to a surrogate body or even a pillow, and Nanai will react according to its movements.

Download the game

“Let’s play with Nanai!” Download Page (registration required):

JAPANESE

ENGLISH

This game might well be the first of its kind.

Let's Play With Nanai! is a collaboration between VRJCC and ImagineVR.

Please support the Patreon project here if you are able! Let's support these new, very interactive Adult VR applications now so that we have more in the future!

Summer Lesson PSVR unexpectedly interesting game

VRExtasy Editorial — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 19:09:49 GMT

IS IT POSSIBLE for a “sexy” VR game to be boring? Summer Lesson does its damnedest. While we were getting uncomfortably close to schoolgirls in summer lesson on PS4 in the demo, later on Bandai Namco plans to release new situations, such as going to a cafe or outside to see fireworks.

Your student Hikari Miyamoto isn’t said to be underage, although the game doesn’t say that she’s 18, either. What is seen as mundane in Japan may not be elsewhere, which is why I sincerely doubt we’ll see this game appear here. That said, I think the lessons that it teaches about up-close-and-personal contact with a “person” in VR are something that should be taken seriously.

Being entirely in a foreign language, it's hard to understand the actual gameplay loop here, but it appears to be built around the concept of building a relationship with the student – albeit a (mostly) platonic one, of course. You're able to set her what appear to be different tasks, and there are dialogue decisions along the way which seem to affect her view of you.

While a mere video certainly can't replicate the virtual reality experience of hanging out with and tutoring a girl named Hikari Miyamoto, you can see some more sample footage in the English announcement trailer below.

New gameplay footage:

IMAX launches virtual reality movie experience

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 00:30:46 GMT

Cinema-goers are to be given the opportunity to step into their favourite films as part of a new virtual reality experience unveiled by IMAX.

IMAX virtual reality stations will start appearing in pilot locations as early as the end of the year, IMAX Entertainment CEO Greg Foster said during the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Visitors would be able to strap on virtual reality headsets and play VR video games or watch short films of roughly five to 15 minutes each. Stockholm-based entertainment technology company Starbreeze and hardware manufacturer Acer will provide the VR headsets.

The first pilot centre in the UK will open in Manchester later this year at Odeon’s Printworks venue, complete with 12 of the VR pods.

IMAX chief executive Richard Gelfond told the Press Association the aim of the pilot is to create something unique.

IMAX’s first VR center, in Los Angeles, is due to open in the next couple of weeks, and will initially serve as a showroom before opening to the public later this year. Additional test facilities will open in China, Japan, the U.S., the Middle East and Western Europe in the coming months. The company plans to use the six pilot locations “to test overall customer experience, pricing models and the types of content featured,” IMAX said in a statement. “If successful, the intent is to roll out the concept globally to select multiplexes as well as commercial locations such as shopping centers and tourist destinations.”

IMAX revealed that it would use Swedish gaming studio Starbreeze’s StarVR headset for the Manchester trial, which is one of six globally and is expected to run for six months, after which a decision on whether to expand the programme will be made.

With 1,100 IMAX theaters open all over the world, that number will continue to grow, said Foster, citing a 500 to 600 backlog.

“In time – the technology’s not there for it now – but you could race me and Tom Cruise up the tower and someone else could be standing at the top shooting down at you – hopefully one of your friends. But the idea is to take some of the talent and experience in a movie and create a fun environment around it and enjoy it.”

In the case of 3-D movies, it took James Cameron’s “Avatar” to ignite the public’s enthusiasm for the medium, and Gelfond said he was looking forward to seeing what leading filmmakers would do with VR. He noted that Michael Bay is creating a VR Experience for “Transformers: The Last Knight” and the Russo brothers were doing the same for “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“There are a lot of reasons to go slow and not be a first mover in VR, but given IMAX’s experience in technology, the power of our brand, our relationships with studios and exhibitors, I thought that if anybody was going to go first it should be us, but I have no pretense – we don’t have all the answers. I think it is going to evolve in its own way and I just hope we are part of the right way.”

Fifty Shades Darker brings the fantasy to life in virtual reality

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 00:16:35 GMT

Scenes of the Fifty Shades Darker, in the franchise’s second installment, were reshot with the lead actors using VR technology.

They're marketing materials for behind-the-scenes , where after we finished shooting for the day, the actors would stay over and VR people would re-create a facsimile of the scene. My own personal instinct is that cinema is going to move to VR because it's an extension of the visual language. For myself, watching the material they generated expanded my brain.

Ready for fifty shades of VR? James Foley, director of Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, said that virtual reality will be incorporated into the marketing for the latest movie sequel. The question is, how far into the fantasy do you want to fall?

At least the film adaptation’s director, James Foley, was excited about the idea. Speaking to an audience at Paramount where Deadline were in attendance, he said: “They're marketing materials for behind-the-scenes [of Fifty Shades Darker], where after we finished shooting for the day, the actors would stay over and VR people would re-create a facsimile of the scene.

So far, VR technology has been focused on video games through the use of such hardware like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. Although cinemas are still slow to fully accept the technology, several companies have begun to experiment. IMAX is currently planning out including VR experiences in its theaters, and teaming with Google to build a VR camera. It's mind-boggling to think of the logistics of filming a full two-hour movie with 360 degrees of motion, so we might not see that for years to come.

Foley was brought on board to replace Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed the first film. Fifty Shades of Grey was released in early 2015 and took $571m worldwide.

You can experience the boring old 2D version of Fifty Shades Darker when in releases in theaters on February 10, 2017.

According to UploadVR, he described the VR project as featuring a lot of “action.” If you know anything about the films based on the erotic book series by E.L. James, you can probably figure out what that means.

Last month, the first trailer for the ‘erotic romantic drama’ starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan was released, becoming the biggest trailer premiere of all time.

360 VR girls on the beach

VRExtasy Editorial — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 23:54:55 GMT

Video showing 5 girls on the beach in 360 virtual reality panoramic video

The most important rule for meeting girls is that you have to first go to where the girls are. In the summer time that means the beach, which is a perfect location to meet that special someone. Girls at the beach are usually relaxed and having fun already, which makes your job of making a positive impression a lot easier. And the best part is that even if you don’t make a connection, at least you had some fun in the sun! This guide will give you tips on how to get ready to meet girls at the beach, and ideas for how to approach and meet girls once you get there. Finally, it will give you some guidelines for starting up a conversation when you do get a chance to talk to a girl.

This guide will give you tips on how to get ready to meet girls at the beach, and ideas for how to approach and meet girls once you get there. Finally, it will give you some guidelines for starting up a conversation when you do get a chance to talk to a girl.

Read the guide here

Social network of the future with VR versions of your friends

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 21:06:53 GMT

The cost of entry for virtual reality hardware has plummeted in the few short months since the launch of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive in May.

Here's the crazy virtual reality demo I did live on stage at Oculus Connect today. The idea is that virtual reality puts people first. It's all about who you're with. Once you're in there, you can do anything you want together -- travel to Mars, play games, fight with swords, watch movies or teleport home to see your family. You have an environment where you can experience anything.

Yesterday, Zuckerberg reprised his appearance at Oculus Connect. This time, though, the only thing that felt like last year was the gray t-shirt he wore. For starters, there were 2,500 developers in attendance, more than double last year’s turnout.

At the moment, virtual reality is the ultimate isolation. But Facebook hopes that it will become the social network of the future.

Most importantly, though, Zuckerberg slipped on a Rift headset to demonstrate what a Facebook social experience might look like in VR—and in doing so, he made clear that virtual reality’s success wouldn’t hinge on games, or movies, or concerts. It would hinge on other people.

Mark Zuckerberg has finally laid out some of what he plans to do with the virtual reality company that he bought for $2 billion in 2014.

Those are issues for another day, though. For now, the Santa Cruz experience convinced me that, with a little more work, wireless head-tracking is a problem that will be solved in the near future. As mobile processors continue to improve, we'll soon be at the point where a completely wireless headset can provide "good enough" virtual reality complete with convincing tracking driven by internal cameras. Just don't expect it to ever fully match the raw visual quality of a high-end, tethered VR experience.

Facebook also showed off a range of other products apparently intended to make virtual reality easier to buy. At the moment, its Rift headset costs hundreds of dollars, but the company is working on a new wireless headset that could make it far more affordable to users.

That’s huge. It drives the cost of VR-ready PC down to much more reasonable levels, which is essential for making Mark Zuckerberg’s dreams for social VR a mainstream reality. In fact, Iribe also announced a prebuilt Oculus-ready PC built by AMD and CyberPower that will cost just $500, with the aforementioned FX-4350 and a Radeon RX 470.

For Booth, whose 20-year background in video game includes stints at Valve and Blizzard, unlocking the social side of VR is a subversion of everything he’s used to. “In the video game industry, we focused all of our energy on ‘we’re gonna create an experience for you,'” he says. “This is turning that completely around. It’s all about putting people first—connecting with your friends. I think we’re getting pretty close to that.” But for now, there are selfies.

What are the best VR headset for iPhone

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 15:37:04 GMT

Picking up the best VR headsets for your iPhone SE, iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, or iPhone 7? I’m sure you would love to buy all these best VR headsets for iPhone are packed in with the class apart technology to rev up your experience with aplomb. Let’s dive ahead to check out which one delightfully suits your taste!

While mobile VR headsets obviously have nothing on the likes of the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, Cardboard style sets have the chance to encourage large numbers of potential users to get on board with virtual reality. So what better place to start than with one of these iPhone-friendly headsets?

BOBOVR Z4 3D VR

Use high-quality ABS and 42mm diameter spherical resin lens material without stimulation plastic sheet, environmental, high quality, lowering down the distortion to the minimum when magnifying the images and providing wider view; You will not feel visual fatigue or dizziness even if you use it for a long time because of the resin lens
The T-shaped straps make it adjustable for different people. Its design can also help decrease the pressure on around your eyes so you will feel much more comfortable when to enjoy the movie or game; Simulating Viewing Distance: Offer you a 1000 inches big screen at the distance of 3m; Offers you super 3D picture effect and wonderful feeling
Adjustable pupil distance and sight distance (adjustable on pupil distance and object distance), satisfying different groups of people. - Optical Axis Sliding Control function: You can slightly adjust the position of the spherical resin lens through moving the button on the top of the 3D VR GLASSES so as to get a better experience of watching movies.
Suitable for almost all kinds of smartphones (Android / IOS, etc) that screen between 4.0~6.0 inches; Both sides holes of the 3D VR GLASSES is specially designed for the headset / data / charge cable, letting you charge your smartphone (You had better not charge your phone during enjoying movies)
What you get: 1 x Xiaozhai BOBOVR Z4 3D VR Glasses, 1 x English User Manual

Carl Zeiss VR One GX

3D Videos, Games, and Augmented Reality
Zeiss Optics
Eyeglass Compatible
Removable Head Strap
Supports Smartphones 4.7 to 5.5"

Spectra VR - Virtual Reality Goggles

Affordable yet high-quality virtual reality goggles
Simply snap your phone into the headset, put on the goggles
Fun, easy and economical way to go on a narrated virtual field trip

Homido Virtual Reality Headset

Turn any 4-6" iPhone/android smartphone into a virtual reality headset
Enjoy immersive 360 games, videos (3D movies), photos and unique experiences
Works with over 300+ iOS/android apps on apple app store and google play store
Custom designed VR lenses offer industry leading 100 FOV and clarity with minimal distortion

FreeFly VR

This device will track your 360° head movements (using your existing smartphone) and projects this on your screen, making you feel like you're in a virtual world, this is called Virtual Reality.
Enjoy another world with extreme immersive due to highest Field of View (120°) in the market today, now even more lightweight and with added soft leather finish for the biggest comfort level even after longer periods of use.
Premium quality virtual reality headset that works with your existing mobile including the latest iPhone 6, iPhone 6 plus, Samsung Galaxy 4&5 and Samsung Note 3&4. Screen sizes of between 4.7″ and 6.1″. With automatic thickness adjuster.
Comes with a lens cloth and carry-on box!
Free Glide Controller compatible with Android Devices

Google Cardboard

GOOGLE CARDBOARD is the primary experience version of 3D VR Glasses.It made from the AAA grade corrugated paper which is the strongest material.Our product is the highest quality for this price in the market.
HAVING ADVANCED GOOGLE CARDBOARD according to the advice from customers and tested it over 80 times.So far,we have sold more than 300,000 sets.
COMPATIBLE FOR all the 3.5"- 6.0" smartphones.Whether your phone system is Android system or other systems,you can use the TOPMAXION Cardboard to watch Left-right 3D movies on Video Player and play varieties of VR games.
IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE HIGH-QUALITY 3D FEELING,you'd better use high-resolution smartphones. Experience a truly stunning, engrossing VR experience with cinematic HD visuals from your smart phone's screen using the included biconvex lenses offering a 37 mm focal length for the best visuals!
THE PERFECT SOLUTION for Virtual Reality on a budget!Box-style package with good portability, easily takes anywhere .

Tepoinn 3D VR glasses

[Your own private 3D cinema anywhere] Smartphone turned into virtual reality viewer. Enjoy your own portable cinema more convenient than 3D viewing glasses and better than Google cardboard. Revel into the world of VR. Watch 3D movies and play games while sitting, standing, lying on the porch, at home, office, travel, beach, airplane. 360 virtual experience
[Easy download] Conveniently find virtual reality movies on the internet and apps on Apple store or Google Play. Indulge in Hollywood movies and TV shows, action, thriller, suspense, sci-fi. Unique gifts to friends , family, and lover
[Adjustable pupil distance and focal distance] Lightweight, improved fit. Pupil Distance adjustment range: 55mm - 75mm. For those wearing eyeglasses, we recommend you to wear contact lenses
[Stand out design] Adjustable head strap and reinforced foam cushion for that comfortable fit without irritation. Includes charging and earphone ports. Superb HD optical resin with 8 layer nano coating lens
[Phone compatibility] Fits Apple and Android mobile phone (3.5 - 5.5 inches) iPhone 6 iPhone 6S iPhone 6 Plus iPhone 6S Plus iPhone 5c, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, S6 Edge, Samsung Note 4, Samsung Note 3, LG G3, Sony Xperia Z3 Notes:5.0-5.5inch will get best-viewing angle

iPhone VR

Today’s news of Apple’s patented VR technology will help counter the arguments of a disappointing update to its smartphone family.

The news that Apple has been working on a VR headset – no matter how far advanced the technology or how far away from a release the final hardware is – will boost the perception of Apple’s cutting edge research. That can only be a good thing as it stacks the desk for the tricky launch of the iPhone 7.

For the end, here is a sneak peak into the future of Apple iPhone 7 VR Headsets, the video is only demonstration.

How to play Overwatch PC game with Google Cardboard

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 15:07:39 GMT

Overwatch is a first-person shooter that oozes personality and charm, but beyond that surface layer lies a deep, tactical game where your most powerful weapon is your brain. If, like me, you’ve recently fallen out of love with online first-person shooters, play Overwatch long enough for it to deliver one of its many standout moments and you’ll be renewing your vows in no time.

Using Trinus Gyre for Android, mobile users can stream their desktop to a mobile in 3D. Take Cardboard gaming to the next level with our guide.

Gaming on the Google Cardboard is fantastic fun, offering Android users a budget alternative to the mighty but pricey Oculus Rift VR headset.

Thankfully, Trinus Gyre by loxai helps take budget VR to the next level, allowing users to pair their desktop with a mobile device and stream PC and Mac games to Google Cardboard.

Read on for our guide on how to play PC and Mac games using Google Cardboard and the Trinus Gyre app.

1. Download Trinus Gyre for Android

Trinus Gyre comes in two forms: A free version and a paid version.

This tutorial can be worked through using the free version of Trinus Gyre, although it’s worth noting that the limitations of the pay-free app mean that play sessions are capped at 10 minutes.

The full version of TrinusVR is currently around £3.91, but we reckon that’s a small price to pay considering the potential of this technology.

Choose which version of the app to go for (we recommend using the trial first, obviously) and download it to your Android gadget.

2. Download Trinus Gyre for desktop

Before you can use your PC or Mac with Google Cardboard, you’ll need to download theTrinus Gyre server client from the developer’s website.

As the creator of the VR app mentions, there’s some optional downloads available to grab too.

Using Trinus Gyre you can run Half Life for PC (above) through your Google Cardboard.
Vireio, for example, isn’t vital, but it’s a good option for adding stereoscopic view to certain games.

For this tutorial, we’ll keep things simple. All that’s vital to ensuring your VR headset pairs with your desktop is the server client.

3. Load up the virtual server on your PC or Mac

Once the virtual server is downloaded, run the file and you’ll be greeted by your network information.

Above: Running the virtual server for Trinus Gyre.
The desktop client should work using the default settings provided your internet connection is decent.

Whilst the menu can look daunting, casual VR users don’t need to tinker with these toggles.

One of the few settings worth noting is ‘Fake3D’. Ticking this option will split your phone screen down the middle and display an identical image on both sides of the screen, in the same way most Google Cardboard apps function. Make sure this option is selected.

4. Boot up a desktop game

Before you head over to your Android device, you’ll want to load up a PC or Mac game that you’re hoping to use with Google Cardboard.

Ensure that the game you open on your computer is running in windowed mode to improve performance. You may also need to lower graphics settings to reduce lag.

Once you’ve got a game running in windowed mode, turn on your virtual server and focus your attention on your Android gadget.

Remember, both your computer and Android must be running on the same network for Trinus Gyre to function.

5. Load up Trinus Gyre on Android and Play

Now that your server is up and running, open the Android app and make sure that the network information displayed matches that shown by your virtual server.

The front page of the Trinus Gyre Android app.
Press the power button on your mobile app and you should notice a notification appear on your desktop.

From your desktop, you’ll be prompted to tell the Trinus Gyre app which currently-running computer game you want to link with your mobile or tablet.

Select the game you’re running on your computer from the drop-down menu and click OK.

If everything has gone smoothly, then you should see your chosen title running in ‘Fake 3D’ on your mobile device.

From there, you’re good to go. Slide your Android gadget into Google Cardboard and it’s like you’re inside your favourite desktop title.

Overwatch

Overwatch is a highly stylized team-based shooter set on earth in the near future. Every match is an intense multiplayer showdown pitting a diverse cast of soldiers, mercenaries, scientists, adventurers, and oddities against each other in an epic, globe-spanning conflict.

Google Daydream, Oculus Touch, and PlayStation VR

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 23:12:49 GMT

Above: The PSVR headset fits right into the world of Final Fantasy.

Image Credit: Square Enix

Even if you’ve tried virtual reality or already own a VR system, nothing has prepared you for what’s coming over the next month. Three major VR platforms are expected to launch before Thanksgiving Day with massive announcements and retail roll-outs in the works.

Despite our dogged pursuit of VR news at UploadVR, the technology is still the stuff of science fiction for most people: VR may have appeared in a couple news reports or been seen as an ad for the Samsung Gear VR on TV a couple times. Maybe you even own a Google Cardboard box you can slip your phone inside. That, though, is not representative of the new generation of VR technology about to hit the market next month. Soon, it will be hard to escape the fact that VR is here to stay.

As someone who obsessively followed this technology since 2012, I’ve gotten to watch the steady growth of this industry beginning with just a Kickstarter campaign. After two years, it was an industry seeing countless experts hired by tech giants and billions of dollars invested by the likes of Facebook, Sony, and Google. Over the next few years, platform construction accelerated and the first consumer products debuted.

Now, though, the real excitement begins.

Virtual reality dating

VRExtasy Editorial — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 20:20:17 GMT

HotMatcher.com Virtual Realit experience enables you to play a game "HOT" or "NOT" using your VR headset or alternativly mouse or your finger on your smartphone.

There are already some interesting ways to meet new people in virtual reality, HotMatcher.com provides an alternative way of experiencing virtual reality for their members.

Dating is a stage of romantic and/or sexual relationships in humans whereby two or more people meet socially, possibly as friends or with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as a partner in a more committed intimate relationship or marriage.

Therefore, online dating starts with a simple game called "HOT" or "NOT" where you decide weather the oposite sex is HOT for you, or NOT.

You can play "HOT or NOT" game on HotMatcher.com home page also, this is simply more immersive and interactive Virtual Reality way that you can play that game.

Click start button to start virtual reality dating experience

Visit HotMatcher official VR page

How to check your phone while playing PlayStation VR with anywhereVR

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 13:32:08 GMT

Sony Corp.'s video game division is readying not just games but also music, movies and other kinds of entertainment for its Virtual Reality headgear, set to go on sale next month. The company’s music division, Sony Music Entertainment, today announced a new relaxation app for its upcoming headset during a Tokyo Game Show 2016 press conference. Named anywhereVR, the experience impressively projects your phone’s display inside an immersive environment, allowing you to check messages and apps without having to remove PS VR.

Picture the scene. You've got your head in PlayStation VR playing Resident Evil 7 but simultaneously need to know what's going on in the world of Twitter. Maybe you need a rest from all the horror too. Well, aren't you in luck? Announced at Sony's TGS conference this morning, Anywhere VR will let you use your smartphone in the comfort of virtual reality.

Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia President Atsushi Morita appeared at a Tokyo event Tuesday, ahead of the Tokyo Game Show annual exhibition opening later this week. The latest in video games, including VR, will be on display at the show at Makuhari Messe in the Tokyo suburb of Chiba.

A brief trailer revealed the project onstage, showing a woman getting home from work, putting on her PS VR unit, and finding herself in picturesque environments with relaxing background music. She then grabs her phone in the real world, which brings up the display in the virtual environment that mirrors her device. According to the trailer (which includes brilliant narration), users will be able to talk to friends, use apps like Twitter and play minigames inside the piece. It’s not yet known if all smartphone apps will be supported in the app or only a specific selection, though the trailer suggested the later.

Even if Sony succeeds in beating the Oculus and Vive in this first round of competition, say analysts, the technology is sufficiently immature that other powerful competitors could quickly join the fray.

Sony’s big bet on VR, and relative downplaying of mobile gaming, is striking in coming hot on the heels of the launch of Nintendo and Niantic’s Pokémon Go, an “augmented reality” title already downloaded on to 500m smartphones around the world.

VR can make games more immersive, enhancing the effects of horror, razzle-dazzle and erotic titillation.

The Japanese electronics and entertainment company's PlayStation VR headgear device, going on sale next month for about $400, less than rival VR headsets. Oculus Rift's goes for about $600, and HTC Vive's for $800.

anywhereVR doesn’t have a release date just yet, though PlayStation VR is set to launch around the world on October 13th.

nother VR shown at Tokyo-based Sony's event was the "Anywhere VR," which delivers to headset wearers a relaxing scene, such as a beach or a star-studded sky, even in their living rooms, while they take care of smartphone chores in VR.

“The way to operate the VR headset is the same across companies,” says gaming industry expert Hirokazu Hamamura, “Companies are now focused on trying to build the market together.”

iPhone 7 camera is taking virtual reality to the mainstream

VRExtasy Editorial — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 00:02:06 GMT

Apple's newest iPhone makes a cutting-edge virtual reality device — an innovation that will give additional boost to the company.

Augmented reality is one of the most exciting technologies around. If you have watched some of those modern Hollywood movies, you have probably seen how our world would look like 20-30 years from now. Who knows when augmented applications become mainstream but they are already making their way to the iPhone platform.

The rumored iPhone 7 Plus with a dual-lens camera system finally made its debut at Apple’s September product presentation Wednesday. With Phil Schiller taking the stage to unveil the latest iPhone camera update, it was clear that Apple is serious about their “best camera we have ever made.”

The phone's camera lays the groundwork to let users capture content with more depth, exactly the kind of technology that could lend itself to user-generated virtual reality (VR) content.

Although there weren’t drastic changes made to the physical design of the iPhone (minus that old thing called a headphone jack), Apple’s unveiling of a dual-lens camera points to a world where millions of consumers could one day put a powerful augmented reality device in their pocket.

As predicted, the Plus also has two rear 12-megapixel cameras — one with a wide angle lens and one with a telephoto lens. A new chip uses machine learning to detect objects and set exposure, focus, cinema-standard color and white balance within 25 milliseconds — 60 percent faster than before.

It’s likely that the dual camera system on the iPhone 7 Plus is largely based on LinX’s advanced camera technology that is capable of not only delivering superior camera performance, but also allowing the cameras to intelligently sense depth, which would be ideal for 3D scanning or augmented reality app experiences.

It comes less than a year after Apple hired a top virtual reality researcher and acquired virtual and augmented reality start-up Flyby Media — which provided the image-recognition software for the three-dimensional maps created on smartphones for Google's Project Tango.

With a huge iOS developer base all looking to create the next Pokémon Go, you can expect a few developers to take advantage of the camera hardware update when it becomes available and begin creating the next augmented reality app that may actually be useful this time in our daily life.

The ability to see the distance of objects in the real world is something we as humans take for granted. You and I know how far a wall is in front of us, but a computer, or in this case your iPhone, has a harder time in sensing depth. That’s why opening up a world of depth could help with creating applications for visually impaired people, guiding them to avoid obstacles in a room by providing audio feedback to detect the location of objects nearby.

Google, meanwhile, has tried a more mainstream, low-cost approach with Google Cardboard, and recently opened Daydream, a virtual reality development platform for Android phones. Then, of course, there's Facebook's Oculus.

Even though the iPhone’s dual camera addition may not focus on advanced features like 3D depth mapping yet, as dual camera adoption expands, driving forward future app development and technology improvement, the logical evolution of the device in your pocket will be a tool that will augment the important tasks in your life — bringing you one step closer to a cyborg future.

Apple is definitely going to play in these areas because they understand better than anyone how to attach a technology brand to an emotional and visceral feel," Dediu said in a UBS research note. "Hitting home runs and nothing else was the metaphor that [Apple co-founder Steve] Jobs used. ... Behind the scenes Apple is working on everything. They're just not releasing it or talking about it.

Golfscape GPS Rangefinder: an augmented reality range finder for Golf lovers. It covers 35K+ courses. It displays the distance from front, center, and back of green.

New York Nearest Places: lets you explore New York like never before. And you have seen nothing yet. You can get the Chicago version if that’s where you live.

DanKam for iPhone: an augmented reality application for those who are suffering from color-blindness. It is an experimental application at this point, but it could have huge potential.

SpyGlass: turns your iPhone into a spyglass. Shows you a compass, GPS info, and much more on the go. Very useful for outdoors.

Theodolite: a cool little app that acts as your compass, GPS, map, and two-axis inclinometer. Great for hiking and active sports in general.

Panoramascope: this cool app gives you information about your surroundings (mountains, their names, and …). Great for those who are into outdoors, camping, and beyond.

AR Compass: great app for travel, camping, and outdoor activities. Now this is what one could call a truly modern compass.

Robotvision: an augmented reality application for iPhone that lets you explore your surroundings more effectively.

Cyclopedia: adds Wikipedia information to your reality. When you move your iPhone around, the app will automatically dig up information and display it on your screen.

Layar Reality Browser: a free application that displays digital information on the top of what you see through your camera. The app has a lot of potential, and a lot of you wrote to me to include it in this list. I still believe it has some issues that need to be resolved but it’s free. So try it!

Localscope: gives you a whole new way to explore your local area and what’s all around you. It takes advantage of data from multiple search engines and geo social networks to help you get more done in your local area.

Peaks: great application for those into climbing mountains. Or maybe you are just interested in geography. Shows you information on mountains right on your phone. Top notch app.

WebVR available on Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox

VRExtasy Editorial — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 00:42:09 GMT

WebVR is an experimental Javascript API that provides access to Virtual Reality devices, such as the Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard, in your browser.

Microsoft announced that the company will support WebVR in Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.

WebVR enables users to experience Virtual Reality content from their web browser on a Virtual Reality headset such as the Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR and others.

WebVR support on Microsoft Edge is also useful for the Windows Holographic Shell on Windows 10, that will go live sometime later this year.

For those unfamiliar, Microsoft is allowing virtual reality headset owners to use Windows Holographic on their Windows 10 PC — therefore, Microsoft Edge supporting WebVR can turn out to be very useful.

Live Web VR demo

Here is a live demo of the WebVR 3d application that you can see in your browser, navigate with your mouse or use it with your VR headset.

Open the interactive embed on sketchfab.com

"Mars One" Mission - Base by admone on Sketchfab

WebVR and the Future of VR

2016 has been named “the year of VR”, with so many industry milestones happening across the year. Among the most notable ones, Vive and Oculus started to ship to consumers, Google announced Daydream, Xiaomi and Tencent announced a headset too. The next big release is Playstation VR, due in October.

Since headsets have launched, attention has turned to the importance of content too. With game, interactive, and video studios playing catch up on content creation, output has been slower than early adopters had hoped. In addition, the curated and proprietary aspects of VR app stores means it will take a long time before large volumes of content are available there, and for users to fully understand what content is available where and for which headset.

Where can I try WebVR?

There are many places on the web where WebVR is running.

Sketchfab is an excellent starting point where you can explore millions of things in WebVR in your browser.

The WebVR API is currently available in Firefox nightly builds with an Oculus Rift enabler installed, in experimental builds of Chrome, or in Samsung Internet for Gear VR.

Or, if you want to add WebVR to your mobile site today, you can use the WebVR Polyfill to provide support for Cardboard devices.

WebVR Polyfill

You can test your browser's support for the WebVR API with these samples:

WebVR Samples

WebVR Emulator

There is a Chrome extension that allows developers to emulate a VR headset for testing the API when no hardware is available.

In this video, you can see a quick overview of A-Frame, Mozilla's new open source WebVR framework that allows you to build WebGL 3D virtual reality elements using simple HTML to run in the browser.

Here are the live examples from the video.

We are looking forward on seeing more WebVR applications in the near future. Stay tuned.

How to experience augmented reality with Tango

VRExtasy Editorial — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 19:24:18 GMT

Tango promises big things ahead - and it already has the software to get it take off!

Project Tango at this point is probably not new to anyone reading this as we’ve discussed it before, but in the past few years, Google has been hard at work making positional tracking and localization into a consumer-ready application. While there was an early tablet available with an Nvidia Tegra SoC inside, there were a number of issues on both hardware and software.

Lenovo and google phablet

We already know that Lenovo and Google are making a phablet that uses the crazy Project Tango tech. What we didn’t know for certain were the uses for that technology. Today I discovered that it is a pretty solid indoor navigation system when you have no GPS, no Wi-Fi, and no clue.

Thanks to a series of cameras and a depth sensor, Tango is aware of space and motion. Google's made its name in collecting information from the world around us, so it should know what it's doing here too

Technical data

With Tango, the strategy taken to avoid this problem works at multiple levels. At a high level, sensor fusion is used to combine both camera data and inertial data to cancel out noise from both systems. If you traverse the camera tree, the combination of feature tracking on the cameras as well as depth sensing on the depth sensing camera helps with visualizing the environment for both mapping and augmented reality applications.

The Project Tango “Indoor” ability is an unexpected and welcome tool that may be very useful for navigating tricky modern mazes like malls or central metro stations.

There are a lot of neat ideas being tried out right now, and when you start looking at Tango's augmented reality uses, truckloads of potential applications come to mind. With the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, Tango is finally coming to fruition in a consumer-facing way. Google has integrated Tango APIs into Android for the Nougat release this fall. Of course, while software is one part of the equation, it’s going to be very difficult to justify supporting Tango capabilities if it needs all of the previously mentioned coprocessors in addition to the depth sensing camera and fisheye camera sensors.

Tango apps

Here is the list of tango apps available at the moment (6th October 2016)

Measure

No tape measure? No problem. With Tango, you can simply grab a quick measurement with a quick grab of your phone.

Solar Simulator

Turn any space into outer space as Tango takes you on a personal journey of the Solar System.

WayfairView

Bring WayfairView’s showroom to you and see how their furniture looks in your home without all the heavy lifting.

Tango Particles

Simple particle generator Unity demo for Project Tango.Includes a stereo mode for using with the Tango Dive VR helmet.

Get the app

Project Tangosaurs

Tangosaurs is a technical demonstration built with Unity that showcases Tango technology. The application exercises motion tracking, depth perception, and, optionally, area learning to take users on a hunt for fossils. To use Tangosaurs, you’ll want to make sure you have enough open space for the experience, at least a 10ft by 10ft space.

Get the app

Garden - Mixed Reality

Mixed reality (MR) is a combination of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). It not only lets users see virtual objects in the real world but also allows for virtual objects and the real environment to interact with each other. Our experience, Garden, does this by doing both stereoscopic rendering and 3D scanning using Google Project Tango, a tablet with motion tracking and depth sensing capabilities.

Get the app

Conclusion

While Project Tango still seemed to have some bugs to iron out and some features or polish to add, it looks like as it is now the ecosystem has progressed to the point where Tango API features are basically ready for consumers.

Not all of Tango's big use cases will be for general consumers, but the tablet's ability to map its surroundings with such accuracy, and in such a short space of time, means a few killer apps is probably all it needs now if it wants to end up in the column of Google's successes.

The environment tracking for true six degree of freedom movement surely has implications for mobile VR headsets as well, and given that only two extra cameras are needed to enable Tango API features it shouldn’t be that difficult for high-end devices to integrate such features, although due to the size of these sensors it may be more targeted towards phablets than regular smartphones.

Create short films with Storyfab - Augmented Reality app

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 23:09:42 GMT

Have you ever wanted to create videos in your living room with 3D animated characters?

You can do that now with new augmented reality Kickstarter Storyfab.

You can create amazing videos with your iPhone or Android phone, on any location that you find yourself - that will be your background.

How to direct your 3D actors in augmented reality

In director-actor, you just need to tap on them and select the action you want him to perform.

In the next category, you can find all the individual actions that you're moody can perform such as mocking the zombie. let's then tap on the emotion category and make a resume be getting very scared you can use the next category to interact with objects since our camper carrier cocktail we can see the different actions available for the particular object such

Here is a short video explaining how can you direct your 3D actors in Storyfab

Storyfab reinvents video storytelling by giving you all the tools to create short films using virtual actors, decors and special effects and share them with everyone.

With Storyfab, the entire world is your stage; you'll only need some imagination and your phone. You can also use

You can also use Storyfab to make video greeting cards and postcards or simply send a quick message to your friends!

How to film 3D movies and share them

Once you're done directing you're ready to film.

Just tap record and the scene we set so you can frame your first shot as the action unfolds.

You can also record voices that will be included in the final movie whenever you want to change the camera angle.

Just tap to post the recording and from your next shot, you can also choose to direct one shot at a time.

Once you're done filming your movie tap on the final as the button and your film will appear in your timeline. From here you can tap the share button and send it to any app on your phone that accepts videos such as Facebook or WhatsApp. Now it's your time to make a movie we can't wait to see what creative ideas you will come with.

Here is a video showing how to film your video and then share them with your audience.

Short video movie made with Storyfab

We're not Trump is a parody of the 1985 hit from "USA for Africa" that we created to sing our concerns over what is happening in the USA. We hope you'll like it and share it with your friends.

List of best augmented reality apps for Android and Iphone

VRExtasy Editorial — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 19:49:59 GMT

The selection of AR apps is different in categories, there are both premium and paying offers from a variety of big developers and smaller ones, but sometimes choosing which apps are worth your smartphone or tablet’s is tougher than using the apps themselves.

Here is our top pick for the best augmented reality apps available at the moment, whether you’re searching for iOS or Android apps.

Pokemon Go (Android, iOS)

Pokemon Go may be the hot new thing for Niantic, but Ingress (Android, iOS) is where the company first pioneered its GPS augmented reality gameplay. A massively multiplayer augmented reality game, Ingress has players joining rival secret societies to fight for control over "Exotic Matter" (XM) leaking into our world around landmarks and famous buildings, all while a science fiction thriller story unfolds. Using mobile devices, you travel to real world locations to gather "XM" and gain control of portals around buildings and landmarks. Fly the flag for the Enlightened or the Resistance in a game that encourages you to explore the world around you.

Ingress (Android, iOS) (Free)

We've been waiting for augmented reality gaming to take off for about as long as we've been waiting for virtual reality and smart watches to become viable.

And while the latter two might finally be taking shape, AG is still some way behind.

Of all the attempts to blend the boring real-world with a splendid smartphone game, Ingress has achieved the smoothest and most effective set of mechanics we've seen so far.

It's still very much a niche within a niche, and only a hardcore fan base is likely to support it, but those fans will have a fantastic time running around in its blurred sci-fi reality.

Layar (Android, iOS) (Free)

Compared to a lot of other free augmented reality apps, Layar is competently and attractively designed.

The way it augments data into the camera's view of the world is similar to Wikitude. You select a 'layer' to add to your camera and this will display the points of interest. The layers include accommodation, entertainment and lots more.

Some layers are paid-for, but most are free. In a similar vein to Wikitude, the layers are created by third parties and other uses, so this is a service that is heavily dependent on outside contributions.

Blippar (Android, iOS) (Free)

Bored of taking pictures with your smartphone or tablet camera? Well Blippar aims to offer something a bit different for you to do with that snapper.

What is Blippar? The firm has created its own dictionary style entry to explain: "Blipp v. & n. blipp-ed, blipp-ing: the action of instantaneously converting anything in the real world into an interactive wow experience.

Blippar makes use of the camera on your smartphone or tablet and presents an augmented reality experience on the screen. It goes much further that the boring QR code.

Aurasma (Android, iOS) (Free)

HP Aurasma is changing the way we interact with the world. Discover augmented reality experiences, create your own Auras, and share with friends.

Google Translate (Android, iOS) (Free)

Google has updated its flagship translation app with new tools that promise to help even the most monolingual of travellers successfully negotiate their way around foreign parts.

The app has a range of new functions including a conversation mode, where two people can speak to one another in their own tongue with Google translating live, and a scanning mode, which translates text instantly on screen.

Mybrana (Android, iOS) (Free)

The new social network where not only you can capture what happens in the world, but you can also create easily a whole new world.For the first time, fiction surpasses reality! Now you can create a new dimension of the world, shaped in real-time without editing or retouching, and share it on photos and videos with your friends. Everything is possible thanks to this unique app that gives you endless possibilities. And Mybrana app is FREE!

Revolutionize your selfies and turn any place that has been photographed millions of times, into a brand new original place to last a lifetime in people´s memories.

Discover the Branas! Cool and fun stickers that you can use to create a new more interactive world, a world you've ever seen, a world to have fun and laugh out loud.

Do you have questions, problems or comments about the app? Send us an email to info@mybrana.com, we will help you and take into account your feedback. Become a CREATOR of MYBRANA world!

Inkhunter (iOS) (Free)

Tattoos can be a great way to show off your sense of style or immortalize something important to you right into your own skin, but planning out your tattoo is pretty important as the results are going to be permanent. Inkhunter is a cute AR app that allows you to preview what a tattoo might look like on your skin. Simply draw a simple marker on yourself, point your iPhone camera at yourself, and Inkhunter shows you a dynamic preview of the design, with the ability to rotate and customize the design. Users can try out a bunch of preset designs or upload their own, making sure that you'll never regret having that tattoo.

Crayola Color Alive (Android, iOS) (Free, in-app purchases)

Kids can also get in on the augmented reality fun with such apps as Crayola Color Alive (Android, iOS), which pairs DAQRI's AR with Crayola's coloring books to create interactive pages that bring your kids' drawings to life. The app is designed to work with Crayola's Color Alive coloring books or with downloadable free pages that you print, with additional packs available as in-app purchases. Once your child is done coloring a page, fire up the app, aim at the page, and watch it come to life with a variety of animations and special effects.

Yelp (Android, iOS) (Free)

THE GOOD: Yelp has an impressive database that makes it perfect for discovering new restaurants and other businesses nearby.

THE BAD: Needs more search filters. Slow performance.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Even with its slow performance and lack of search filters, Yelp's incredible database of business listings and user-submitted data make it a must-have app for every mobile user.

Field Trip (Android, iOS) (Free)

Field Trip is your guide to the cool, hidden, and unique things in the world around you. Field Trip runs in the background on your phone. When you get close to something interesting, it pops up a card with details about the location. No click is required. If you have a headset or bluetooth connected, it can even read the info to you.

Field Trip can help you learn about everything from local history to the latest and best places to shop, eat, and have fun. You select the local feeds you like and the information pops up on your phone automatically, as you walk next to those places.

Wikitude (Android, iOS) (Free)

Wikitude is free and not tied down to one particular platform, but its user collaboration element means it can occasionally seem rather slapdash.

There are no standard icons, and the information it offers is sometimes incomplete. However, beneath its slightly ugly exterior lies an augmented reality app with great depth. Most importantly, it works well.

Theodolite (iOS) ($3.99)

Here’s the full technical description from the author’s website: “Ability to take geo-stamped and geo-tagged photos and screenshots from the app, with 2X and 4X zoom, buffered background image saves, plus an option to write custom notes on photos. Integrated map with standard, satellite, and hybrid views, compass rose, and bearings. Ability to manage location markers on the map. Optical-mechanical gyro/accelerometer calibration. Zero angle reference mode. A-B survey calculator for height, distance, heading, position, and angles. Data logging. E-mail data export with KML. Clipboard integration. Percent Grade. Optical rangefinders. Mils. Night vision lens filters. MGRS, UTM, and four lat/lon formats.”

And it looks great too.

Sunseeker (Android, iOS) ($9.99)

Provides a flat compass view and an augmented reality 3-D view showing the solar path, its hour intervals, its equinox, winter and summer solstice paths, rise and set times, twilight times, magic hours and more and a map view showing solar direction for each daylight hour. Also includes a notifications screen widget showing today's solar data and position on arc.

Star Walk (Android, iOS) ($2.99)

Vito Technologies, which built the original, is back with Star Walk 2. While it may not seem like there is much to improve on, the developers have taken the time to find enough enhancements and new features to justify an entirely new app.

Like the original, Star Walk 2 works by pointing it at the sky to get a real-time view of celestial bodies. As you move it around the app constantly adjusts to show what is out there beyond Earth.

Augmented reality in a nutshell

VRExtasy Editorial — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 21:36:43 GMT

It seems we're headed towards a future where the phrase my vision is augmented won't just mean that someone is doing the best JC Denton impression.

And I'm not talking about nanotech either I'm talking about augmented reality or AR, that thing that overlays graphics on to your physical surroundings to make the most functional in some way. I mean the only thing I've ever used an AR is like playing with those little cards that came with my Nintendo 3ds this thing actually going to take off?

Although the technology is still relatively new and developers are still working on rolling out applications for it to the masses. More limited examples of AR have been with us for quite a while.

Back in the early 90s AR was mostly used in industrial settings to help with manufacturing processes, but later became well known in the sports world when fans were introduced to the yellow line that marks the first down during a football game, or much more infamously that glowing hockey park with iconic tale that Fox decided was a good idea for some reason.

But after the development of open-source AR code in the late 90s and the advent of small powerful and highly integrated devices such as smartphones smart glasses and even Bionic contact lenses, the AR market well, it is really opening up with developers increasingly searching for ways to make your everyday world a lot more exciting.

So how exactly are they doing this?

For no one's surprise, one way is with games. We've already seen our smartphone games that encourage players to interact with the real world whether it's with like an included remote control dude a door or ingress would be a great example of that as well but imagine like an AR board or tabletop game with virtual pieces that you and your opponent control with your gestures, regardless of whether the other player is, right next to you or a thousand parsecs away safely out of armed ripping off range. Or if you have a PC gamer what about a pair of smart glasses that can connect to your rig to display something like a 3D map of the area your characters in on your desk while the action continues on your monitor and that, but speaking of monitors I mean would you even need one anymore?

We're already seeing our devices such as Microsoft's hole lens that can throw a virtual monitor or TV screen onto a section of the blank wall no projectors required and that can create new ways to design 3d objects. Instead of being confined to a keyboard and mouse smart glasses can allow you to create a 3d model of your project in real size that you can manipulate with your own hands. Like they've done some great demos of this.

And what is time to leave the house an AR windshield in your car can show you directions and street names or assist with breaking and curves and a pair of AR glasses can analyze your surroundings and show you things like pictures of our room in a nearby hotel, reviews of a restaurant you walk past, the plenty of fish profile of that cute girl over there and if you want to know the forecast, it can even alter the sky to show you what your environment will look like tomorrow when it's sunny.

Jaguar introduces new Virtual Windscreen

VRExtasy Editorial — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 01:23:21 GMT

Jaguar makes real-life driving like a video game with new Virtual Windscreen.

Jaguar has announced its new family of four-cylinder engines and a self-learning vehicle Range Rover prototype, and now it's announced what it calls the Jaguar Virtual Windscreen.

The self-driving car trend is gradually picking up momentum, but there are other game-changing innovations coming to the auto industry that have nothing to do with surrendering control of your car to a robot.

The technology is similar to other head-up displays and telematics recorders already on the market, the Jaguar Virtual Windscreen concept takes things to the next level to turn real-life driving into a video game-like experience. It's being demonstrated with data like lap times, grid positions, virtual racing line and brake guidance... even "ghost" cars from previous laps and virtual cones for simulated auto crossing.

The concept system's features, as shown in the above video, include virtual racing lines that change color to indicate optimum braking positions on treacherous curves. The video also shows virtual cones placed along the road in real-time, a tool that could help train novice drivers.

However, the system's most exciting feature is a "ghost car" visualization that allows users to race virtual drivers on a real road. They can compete against real lap times uploaded by other users, a feature that would make driving the vehicle similar to playing a video game.

The system also incorporates gesture controls and could be configured to display instrument data, a video feed from a rear-view camera to replace the mirror. Check out the details and the video below for a closer look at what JLR has got in store for the near future.

Jaguar has devoted a lot of research to this kind of virtual-display technology, showing off a transparent bonnet concept video in April, and an additional sunroof augmented-reality component later the same month.

Jaguar Land Rover has therefore developed an innovative 3D instrument cluster, which uses the latest head- and eye-tracking technology to create a natural-looking, specs-free 3D image on the instrument panel. Cameras positioned in the instrument binnacle or steering column area track the position of the user's head and eyes. Software then adjusts the image projection in order to create a 3D effect by feeding each eye two slightly differing angles of a particular image. This creates the perception of depth which allows the driver to judge distance.

Oculus Rift's Touch Controller Changes Everything

VRExtasy Editorial — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 18:16:23 GMT

At Gamescom a few weeks ago, I had an appointment to see Oculus and try out the soon-to-be-released retail version of the Rift, which I was interested to see but not exactly singing with excitement about.

I’ve tried various VR technologies several times by now, as well as the Oculus itself, which I’ve been using once every few months or so since the first DK1 kits were shipped out. I’m VR-curious and pretty enthusiastic about the technology, but I’m not a full-on believer in its ability to transform our lives. Or at least, I wasn’t until I tried Oculus Touch, which is the new specific controller that will be released sometime early next year after the Rift itself is commercially available.

The Oculus Touch comprises two hand-held controllers that are less big and bulky than the HTC Vive things (those are bigger than a PlayStation Move). They’re... well, hand-sized, like a Wii nunchuck. On top there’s a little analogue control stick for your thumb and then there are two triggers under your fingers. One of them controls your index finger and the other controls your other three fingers, so you can do Night Fever pointing and, more importantly, gripping.

This post originally appeared on Kotaku UK.

The current demo drops you straight into what is best described as a Matrix-style playroom full of objects to pick up, throw around, control, point, shoot and otherwise manipulate in virtual space. There with me in the room was an Oculus demonstrator, whom I could see as a wire-mesh head and set of hands. Because we were occupying the same space and could hear each other as if we were sitting opposite, I kept forgetting that in reality he was in another room. We could play ping-pong with each other, throw and catch things, chat and mess around in virtual space, as if he were actually there.

It was among the most impressive tech demos that I’ve ever seen, and there has been a lot of competition. As soon as I got out I called our news editor Julian and insisted he try it out. He was equally blown away. Here is why.

Julian Benson: The thing that left me so excited was how quickly I accepted the virtual version of the demonstrator was in the same space as me. As soon as I slipped on the headset and he started speaking to me, I responded to him as though he was in the same room. It was more than just speaking to each other, too, we were both using our hands to make the sorts of gestures you do in everyday conversation.

Keza MacDonald: It was slightly off-putting that he was just a wire-mesh representation of a head and some hands. I had a really weird experience when I first put the headset on; someone in the real world was walking towards me with the Touch controllers, and it looked like a disembodied pair of hands was just floating towards me in cyberspace. Then they became MY hands. But I can totally imagine in a year or few that the avatars in virtual space will look... well, just like us.

Julian: Or not at all like us. Think of the freedom we have with character creators now. We could make them look like us, or we could look like anyone we wanted.

Virtual Reality helping patients get better

VRExtasy Editorial — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 01:28:26 GMT

With the price of hardware falling, VR equipment has become a more affordable option for doctors.

Virtual reality isn't just about entertainment. Here are some ways VR is helping in the way medical professionals train, diagnose, and treat.

It’s still a new and experimental approach, but proponents of virtual reality say that it can be an effective treatment for everything from intense pain to Alzheimer’s disease to arachnophobia to depression. And as Facebook Inc., Sony Corp., HTC Corp. and others race to build a dominant VR set, the price of hardware has fallen, making the equipment a more affordable option for hospitals looking for alternatives for pain relief.

When people experience the virtual reality for the first time, a common reaction is to start imagining all the different uses the technology might hold. Even within one industry, healthcare, the potential is open-ended. The good thing is that scientists and medical professionals have been on the drawing board for years now, developing and implementing virtual reality in ways that can help them train, diagnose, and treat in myriad situations.

I was very surprised by it. I didn’t have the expectation of it working.

At Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, Ronald Yarbrough is waiting in a room that overlooks the hospital’s landing pad, hoping to see helicopter bring him a donor's heart. He needs a transplant after his artificial one failed and is being kept alive by a machine. He has been trying a Samsung Gear VR headset and specially created software from a startup called AppliedVR. It helped take his mind off the fact that he’s confined to a small hospital room that can feel like a jail cell. When his muscles relaxed, his pain receded, he said.

Proponents of VR are quick to point out that it could have a big benefit over drugs, which can lead to tolerance over prolonged use and sometimes addiction. But VR’s effectiveness still has to be proven, particularly when trying to combat chronic pain. Does the effect last when the headset comes off?

There’s a lot more research needed before VR is going to be widely accepted as a pain relief method. Brennan Spiegel, a gastroenterologist at Cedars-Sinai who’s also director of health services research at the Los Angeles hospital, is about to begin a study on many more patients. So far he’s experienced a range of reactions. Older patients tend to be less open to it than younger ones. One terminal patient refused to even consider it. One woman, who suffered abdominal pain, got such immediate relief that she went home and bought herself a headset.

"ER VR Trailer - Virtual Reality Medical Training Simulation"

The price of a headset and software is small compared to the expense of keeping a patient in the hospital for more days

VR’s potential for use in pain management was discovered by accident. Tom Furness is a professor of industrial engineering at the University of Washington and considered to be the godfather of VR by his peers. He started looking into VR 50 years ago when he was in the Air Force and has spun off more than 20 research projects into companies. One of them was a 1993 consumer headset that relied on a TV tuner and video tapes that sold for $799. It was a commercial flop because of the limited content, but a lot of dentists bought it.

Here are just ten of the use cases that are currently in practice and continually developing, as the technology itself develops too.

Treatment for PTSD

Similar to exposure therapy for phobias and anxieties, virtual reality is being put to use to help soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A paper from the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies cited virtual reality's use in PTSD treatment as far back as 1997 when Georgia Tech released something called Virtual Vietnam VR.

Surgical training

Training for surgeons usually involves cadavers and a gradual process of assisting more experienced doctors before taking over tasks and bigger portions of the surgery. Virtual reality could provide another means of practice, without any risk to real patients.

Stanford University, for one, has a surgery simulator that even includes haptic feedback for those doing the training. Stanford's endoscopic sinus surgery simulation uses CT scans from patients to create 3D models for practice, and it's been in use since 2002. While this technology doesn't use a head mounted display, the groundwork that's been done could further the effectiveness of future virtual simulations.

Opportunities for the disabled

It's not a new concept — the New York Times ran a story in 1994 describing multiple uses, like a VR experience that let a 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy take his wheelchair through a grassy field, or another that let 50 children with cancer spend some time "swimming" around an animated fish tank.

In a more recent example, headset maker Fove, undertook a crowdfunding campaign to create an app called Eye Play the Piano which would allow kids with physical disabilities to play the piano using the headset's eye tracking technology.

Phantom limb pain

For people who lose a limb, a common medical issue is phantom limb pain. For example, someone without an arm might feel as though he is clenching his fist very tightly, unable to relax. Frequently, the pain is sharper than that, even excruciating. Past treatments have included mirror therapy, where the patient would look at a mirror image of the limb they still have, perhaps, and find relief as the brain syncs with the movements of the real and phantom limbs.

"Microsoft HoloLens: Partner Spotlight with Case Western Reserve University"

Brain damage assessment and rehabilitation

CyberPsychology & and Behavior published a roundup for virtual reality experiences in use for not only assessing impairments but also in retreating them. One example has to do with executive function, or "impairments in the sequencing and organization of behavior and includes problems with planning," the paper said. Scientists created a virtual reality experience in which users had to reach the exit of a building using doors of different colors. It was supposed to be similar to the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, a neuropsychological test where participants match cards. They're not told how, only if the match is right or wrong. "The authors concluded that their test measures the same cognitive functions as the WCST and may prove to be more ecologically valid," CyberPsychology & Behavior wrote.

Exposure therapy
One treatment for patients with phobias is exposure therapy. In one instance, psychiatrists at the University of Louisville are using VR to help patients deal with fears of things like flying and claustrophobia.

The VR experiences provide a controlled environment in which patients can face their fears and even practice coping strategies, as well as breaking patterns of avoidance — all while in a setting that's private, safe, and easily stopped or repeated, depending on the circumstances.

Social cognition training for young adults with autism

Professors at the University of Texas, Dallas created a training program to help kids with autism work on social skills. It uses brain imaging and brain wave monitoring, and essentially puts kids in situations like job interviews or blind dates using avatars. They work on reading social cues and expressing socially acceptable behavior. The study found that after completing the program, participants' brain scans showed increased activity in areas of the brain tied to social understanding.

Pain management

For burn victims, pain is an ongoing issue. Doctors are hoping distraction therapy via virtual reality could help them get a handle on that pain. A VR video game from the University of Washington called SnowWorld, which involves throwing snowballs at penguins and listening to Paul Simon, could alleviate pain during tasks that can be excruciating, like wound care or physical therapy, by overwhelming the senses and pain pathways in the brain. A 2011 study the military conducted showed that for soldiers with burn injuries from IED blasts, etc. SnowWorld worked better than morphine.

Opportunities for the homebound

There's a certain amount of fretting which surrounds virtual reality that has to do with what will happen when people can go anywhere and do anything through a VR headset — maybe they won't go anywhere in real life in favor of retreating into an ideal virtual world. The thing is, for those who don't have the ability to get out in the real world, whether they be disabled or elderly, virtual reality could improve their quality of life when they'd otherwise be confined to a single residence, room, or even a bed.

Meditation

One treatment for general anxiety can be meditation. A new app for Oculus Rift called DEEP aims to help users learn how to take deep, meditative breaths by making breathing the only control for the game. The app works with a band worn around the chest that measures breathing. The VR experience is something like being in an underwater world. Breathing is what gets a user from one place to another. The other benefit to the game is that breathing as a controller allows participation from those who might not be otherwise able to use a joystick or controller.

"VR Guided Meditation | Building Focus and Overcoming Procrastination"

Girls dancing pole dance in 360 vr video

VRExtasy Editorial — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 01:25:10 GMT

The standard dance pole typically consists of a hollow steel or brass pole with a circular cross section, running from floor to ceiling. Affixing at the ceiling gives more stability, but is not always realized, especially at night clubs with higher ceilings or at transportable devices.

Pole dance is a form of performing art, historically associated with strip clubs and night clubs, which combines dance and acrobatics centered on a vertical pole. This art form has recently gained popularity as a form of fitness and mainstream entertainment, practised by many enthusiasts in gyms and in dedicated dance studios. A wide range of amateur and professional competitions are held in many countries around the world.

Since the mid-2000s, promoters of pole dance fitness competitions have been trying to change peoples’ perception of pole dance and to promote it as a non-sexual form of dance and acrobatics.

Pole dance requires significant strength, flexibility, and endurance. Pole dance proper involves athletic moves such as climbs, spins, and body inversions using the limbs to grip. Upper body and core strength are required to attain proficiency, and rigorous training is necessary.

Fox starts the soccer VR broadcast

VRExtasy Editorial — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 01:24:10 GMT

This marks the first time the Bundesliga will broadcast live to an international audience in virtual reality. This is another innovative event production for the Bundesliga, which aims to stay ahead of the curve through innovation and technology in sports. In total, seven cameras will capture the action, providing pitch-level shots as NextVR continues to build a virtual reality platform that provides content for the largest fan bases around the world.

The virtual reality space is still a work in progress. While there are already many use cases for it, from gaming to education, developers continue to find new ways to fiddle with the technology. A pure example of this is Virtually Live, a startup designing immersive VR experiences for live sports. Here's the gist behind its project: Once you've strapped on a virtual reality headset, you can follow games in real-time and feel like you're close to the action.

The Bundesliga brings Germany’s top 18 football teams together in an annual competition for national glory and international recognition in the world’s most popular sport. Viewers will have the ability to watch a produced feed with cameras placed in the stands, along the sidelines, midfield and behind the goal, as Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, and Robert Lewandowski aim to kick off Bayern München’s title defense against 4-time champion Werder Bremen.

Now, what I did find bizarre was the ability to transport myself anywhere within Etihad Stadium, Manchester City's home venue, including the field during the match and across the different seat levels. It's obviously not the same as being physically present, but I can see how some people would enjoy an experience like this. Namely, those who can't make it to games on a regular basis or simply want something different than the traditional television-viewing experience.

About FOX Sports:

FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1; FS2; Fox’s 22 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites, and FSN national programming; FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com, and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About NextVR:

NextVR enables the transmission of live, long-form virtual reality content in broadcast quality – leading the way for live and on-demand VR to become a mainstream experience for sporting events, concerts, cinematic productions and more. Launched in 2009, NextVR has more than 36 patents granted or pending for the capture, compression, transmission, and display of virtual reality content. NextVR's platform allows the fully immersive content to be streamed with pristine quality using current home and mobile Internet connections. NextVR was founded by veterans in stereoscopic imaging technology, software development, and an award-winning filmmaker. For more information, go to www.nextvr.com.

VRExtasy – VR, AR and 360 video

Hooters Girls Dance in 360: Twelve Minutes of Wings, Beer and Twerk

Key takeaways

The slow build is the trick

The uniform does half the work

4K, 5K, 8K: what you will actually see

The regular

How to watch it properly

The business model, again

Verdict

VR Lap Dance: Honey and Hazel Rose Take The Men's Gallery 360

Key takeaways

What you are actually watching

Why the lap dance was built for VR

The Tuesday test

How to watch it properly

The business angle nobody talks about

Verdict

Discover 42 VR Demos at Steam Next Fest 2026

Key takeaways

Overview of Steam Next Fest 2026

Highlighted Demos You Shouldn't Miss

Diverse Genres and Experiences

Developer Insights and Game Development

Practical Guide: How to Make the Most of Next Fest

Verdict: Why Steam Next Fest is a Must-Attend

Cage Exo Suit Elevates Titan Isles' VR Co-Op Gameplay

Key takeaways

The New Arrival: Cage Exo Suit

Gameplay Enhancements

Existing Exo Suits Overview

Availability and Platforms

Practical Insights: Mastering Cage

Verdict: The Impact of Cage

Supernatural VR Fitness App's Triumphant Return on Meta Quest

Key takeaways

Supernatural's Comeback Story

Subscription Details and Pricing

Features and Content Available

Enhanced User Experience

Practical Guide to Getting Started

Verdict: A New Era for VR Fitness

Brand new PlayStation VR games

Moss

Apex Construct 2/20

Pop Up Pilgrims 2/20

Virtual reality revolutionizes the real estate industry

Matterport

roOomy And Google Tango

Laing + Simmons Projects

Conclusion

How to play SteamVR through Google Cardboard

Getting started checklist

SteamVR on Google Cardboard

Oculus Rift in Google Cardboard

Adding a Leap Motion controller

Conclusion

Girls playing volleyball 360 vr

Animated short virtual reality movie "Pearl" has oscar nomination

Fox Virtual Reality Unit Plans ‘Planet of the Apes’ Experience, Spike Jonze Project

Youtube supports 4K live-streaming for 360-degree and standard video

Girl sucking lollipop candy video 360 vr

Best cardboard VR games

Virtual reality soccer games

Virtually Live at GDC 2016

360 football games

Top Video Stitching Software For 360 Degree View

PlayStation VR technical details and specification

Technical details

What's inside the box?

On the reverse:

Motherboard details:

Official Sony details:

Facebook 360 for publishers and content creators

Interactive & Immersive

Discovery & Experience

Discover More Content

Carnival Cruise Line has launched its Instant Caribbean Vacation in full 360

Google Tango phone delivers true augmented reality gaming

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