ChatGPT isn’t perfect, but the popular AI chatbot’s access to large language models (LLM) means it can do a lot of things you might not expect, like give all of Tamriel’s NPC inhabitants the ability to hold natural conversations and answer questions about the iconic fantasy world. Uncanny, yes. But it’s a prescient look at how games might one day use AI to reach new heights in immersion.
YouTuber ‘Art from the Machine’ released a video showing off how they modded the much beloved VR version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
The mod, which isn’t available yet, ostensibly lets you hold conversations with NPCs via ChatGPT and xVASynth, an AI tool for generating voice acting lines using voices from video games.
Check out the results in the most recent update below:
The latest version of the project introduces Skyrim scripting for the first time, which the developer says allows for lip syncing of voices and NPC awareness of in-game events. While still a little rigid, it feels like a pretty big step towards climbing out of the uncanny valley.
Here’s how ‘Art from the Machine’ describes the project in a recent Reddit post showcasing their work:
A few weeks ago I posted a video demonstrating a Python script I am working on which lets you talk to NPCs in Skyrim via ChatGPT and xVASynth. Since then I have been working to integrate this Python script with Skyrim’s own modding tools and I have reached a few exciting milestones:
NPCs are now aware of their current location and time of day. This opens up lots of possibilities for ChatGPT to react to the game world dynamically instead of waiting to be given context by the player. As an example, I no longer have issues with shopkeepers trying to barter with me in the Bannered Mare after work hours. NPCs are also aware of the items picked up by the player during conversation. This means that if you loot a chest, harvest an animal pelt, or pick a flower, NPCs will be able to comment on these actions.
NPCs are now lip synced with xVASynth. This is obviously much more natural than the floaty proof-of-concept voices I had before. I have also made some quality of life improvements such as getting response times down to ~15 seconds and adding a spell to start conversations.
When everything is in place, it is an incredibly surreal experience to be able to sit down and talk to these characters in VR. Nothing takes me out of the experience more than hearing the same repeated voice lines, and with this no two responses are ever the same. There is still a lot of work to go, but even in its current state I couldn’t go back to playing without this.
You might notice the actual voice prompting the NPCs is also fairly robotic too, although ‘Art from the Machine’ says they’re using speech-to-text to talk to the ChatGPT 3.5-driven system. The voice heard in the video is generated from xVASynth, and then plugged in during video editing to replace what they call their “radio-unfriendly voice.”
And when can you download and play for yourself? Well, the developer says publishing their project is still a bit of a sticky issue.
“I haven’t really thought about how to publish this, so I think I’ll have to dig into other ChatGPT projects to see how others have tackled the API key issue. I am hoping that it’s possible to alternatively connect to a locally-run LLM model for anyone who isn’t keen on paying the API fees.”
Serving up more natural NPC responses is also an area that needs to be addressed, the developer says.
Squido Studio announced its first-person platformer No More Rainbows is coming to Quest 2 and SteamVR headsets soon, offering up a VR take on classic platforming action.
No More Rainbows has been available in open beta on Quest’s App Lab for a year now, and it’s almost time for it to graduate to the main Quest Store and Steam too. Exactly when, we don’t know, but Squido and its partner Robot Teddy say it’s coming “very soon.”
Here’s the studio’s description of the first-person VR platformer:
In No More Rainbows, you are The Beast, who must spring forth into a fantastical virtual reality world to reclaim your home from the beings of infinite happiness that have infested the Underworld! Bizou and their merry band of minions plan to take over your sanctuary of screams and turn it into a bountiful paradise where cries of pain and torment are replaced by kisses and rainbows… what a nightmare! Use arm-based locomotion mechanics to run, jump, claw, and climb using only your hands and arms to engage with tight platformer mechanics.
In the full release, the game is set to include four unique campaign worlds, environmental storytelling, multiplayer modes, beast personalization, leaderboards, and boss encounters. Squido says the full game has around five hours of gameplay.
The open beta on Quest will be removed from App Lab on May 2nd, which follows a Dev Day on May 1st where players can hang out with the game’s developers. In the meantime, you can also wishlist it on Steam here.
AWE USA 2023 goes completely carbon neutral by offsetting the carbon footprint of over 5,000 attendees heading to Santa Clara, California for the three-day event. This move is aligned with its primary mission of helping fight the greatest challenges humanity faces—including the effects of climate change.
Aside from taking a huge step in reducing its carbon footprint, AWE is also rallying the entire XR community to help save the earth. Read on to find out all the awesome offerings the upcoming event has in store for everyone.
Smaller Footprints for a Sustainable Future
Being the largest XR community, AWE draws thousands of people from around the world to all its events. Expecting over 5,000 attendees and more than 300 exhibitors at this year’s conference, AWE is taking giant steps to reduce its carbon footprint.
The venue itself, Santa Clara Convention Center, harnesses renewable power through wind and solar energy. To minimize the use of transport during the conference, parties outside the convention center will be hosted at venues within walking distance.
To limit printed materials, digital signage and apps will be used when possible. Necessary printed materials, such as sign boards and name tags, will be made from recyclable or biodegradable materials. Reusable or compostable food service items were also requested for the catering services. Aside from these sustainability efforts, AWE is also working with Terrapass.
Carbon Offset Verified by Terrapass
Terrapass is a social enterprise dedicated to fighting climate change by helping individuals and organizations eliminate greenhouse gases, harness renewable energy, and offset carbon footprint. To maintain carbon neutrality, AWE leverages the advanced platform of Terrapass and follows its “calculate, reduce, and offset” model.
For the AWE USA 2023 conference in California, more than 5.5 million miles of attendee air travel and over 100,000 kWh of electricity are estimated to contribute to AWE’s carbon footprint. These are compounded by wastes from venue use, shipping, ground transportation, hotels, paper, water bottles, meals, and many more.
To neutralize the carbon emissions from all these, AWE is funding a total of 1,238 metric tons of carbon offsets from verified green tech, reforestation, and carbon reduction projects by Terrapass.
According to Ori Inbar, co-founder of AWE, “No one can argue the horrific effects carbon dioxide waste has inflicted on our planet’s ecosystem – we firmly believe there is no greater challenge today, and as such we have committed to do all that we can to leverage our platform and community in service of fighting climate change.”
XR Community Pools Environmental Prize of Around $100K
Rallying the XR community worldwide to fight climate change, AWE organized a global competition that seeks to motivate tech teams to develop XR-powered solutions that would combat climate change. The $100K environmental prize for this competition comes from the XR community itself, leading tech companies, and professional organizations.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) supports the XR Prize Challenge: Fight Climate Change by donating an additional cash incentive. According to its President Yu Yuan, “By contributing $10,000 as a cash award to best-in-category solutions, we celebrate the great work of all the XR Prize teams and encourage further XR innovation in this necessary fight.”
NVIDIA is also contributing NVIDIA RT A6000 graphics cards to the prize pool. Greg Jones, Director of Product and Business Development for XR at NVIDIA, says that these graphics cards will provide the necessary computing power for contest winners to continue their work on groundbreaking XR solutions that can help address the effects of climate change.
There are currently 150 corporate teams, educational institutions, and individuals vying for the prizes. The $100,000 cash prize will be awarded to the best submission displaying a functional yet creative and impactful XR-based solution that would help humanity fight climate change.
Register for AWE USA 2023
AWE USA 2023 will take place at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California from May 31 to June 2. There will be more than 400 speakers sharing the most exciting news and developments in the XR industry. This conference gives tech enthusiasts a great opportunity to grow their network, learn from tech leaders, and gain access to the latest tech innovations.
As a media partner, ARPost offers its readers a 20% discount with the code 23ARPOSTD. We are also organizing a ticket giveaway to reward our newsletter subscribers with two free AWE USA 2023 tickets. On May 3, we’ll send an email to all our subscribers and the first 2 who reply will get a free ticket. If you’re not already subscribed, you can do that here.
Though delayed from its commitment last year, Magic Leap today announced that ML2 now fully supports OpenXR. The timing might have something to do with Apple’s looming entrance into the XR space.
OpenXR is an open standard that aims to standardize the development of VR and AR applications, making hardware and software more interoperable. The standard has been in development since 2017 and is backed by virtually every major hardware, platform, and engine company in the XR industry.
“The adoption of OpenXR as a common AR ecosystem standard ensures the continual growth and maturation of AR,” Magic Leap said in its announcement. “Magic Leap will continue to advance this vision as Vice Chair of the OpenXR Working Group. In this role, Magic Leap provides technical expertise and collaborates with other members to address the needs of developers and end-users, the scope of the standard, and best practices for implementation.”
Its true that Magic Leap has been part of the OpenXR Working Group—a consortium responsible for developing the standard—for a long time, but we can’t help but feel like Apple’s heavily rumored entrance into the XR space lit a bit of a fire under the feet of the company to get the work across the finish line.
In doing so, Magic Leap has strengthened itself—and the existing XR industry—against what could be a standards upheaval by Apple.
Apple is well known for ignoring certain widely adopted computing standards and choosing to use their own proprietary technologies, in some cases causing a technical divide between platforms. You very well may have experienced this yourself, have you ever found yourself in a conversation about ‘blue bubbles and green bubbles’ when it comes to texting.
With an industry as young as XR—and with Apple being so secretive about its R&D in the space—there’s a good chance the company will have its own way of doing things, especially when it comes to how developers and their applications are allowed to interact with the headset.
If Apple doesn’t want to support OpenXR, this is likely the biggest risk for the industry; if developers have to change their development processes for Apple’s headset, that would create a divide between Apple and the rest of the industry, making applications less portable between platforms.
And while OpenXR-supporting incumbents have the upper hand for the time being (because they have all the existing XR developers and content on their side), one would be foolish to forget the army of experienced iOS developers that are used to doing things the ‘Apple way’. If those developers start their XR journey with Apple’s tools, it will be less likely that their applications will come to OpenXR headsets.
On the other hand, it’s possible that Apple will embrace OpenXR because it sees the value that has already come from years of ironing out the standard—and the content that already supports it. Apple could even be secretly part of the OpenXR Working Group, as companies aren’t forced to make their involvement known.
In the end it’s very likely that Apple will have its own way of doing things in XR, but whether that manifests more in the content running on the headset or down at the technical level, remains to be seen.
If the avalanche of recent reports can indicate anything at all, it seems Apple is entering the VR/AR headset market fairly soon, bringing along with it the most inflated expectations the industry has ever seen. It’s probably going to be expensive, but whether it flops or becomes a big hit, the mere existence of Apple in the space is set to change a lot about how things are done.
The iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone. That award goes to an obscure PDA device called the IBM Simon, released in limited numbers in 1994. The Apple Watch wasn’t the first smartwatch either. That was debatably the Seiko Raputer, which was released in 1998 in Japan. Its monochrome LCD wasn’t capable of touch, instead offering up a tiny eight-direction joystick and six function buttons to browse files, play games, and set calendar appointments. Similarly, iPad wasn’t the first tablet. Mac wasn’t the first home computer. iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player. But all of these products have become nothing short of iconic. There’s very little benefit to being first, at least as far as Apple is concerned.
And while it seems the company’s first mixed reality headset could finally debut at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, like all of its other products, it won’t be the first MR headset. Just the same, like everything else the fruit company makes, it’s going to be the one everyone is talking about—for better or worse.
In case you haven’t noticed, Apple is a big deal. It has an ecosystem of products which connect to each other, design-forward hardware that has helped it maintain brand name cache, and a philosophy that puts user-friendliness at the core of its software experience. Oh, and it’s the most valuable company in the world.
And while the irrational exuberance for successive device generations has mostly petered out since its heydays in the early 2000s, reducing its famed long-line launch extravaganzas to more chill online pre-order releases, becoming an Apple apostate is still unthinkable to many. Once you’re in, you’re in. You buy the phone, the laptop, the headphones, and now, maybe you’ll get the newfangled headset too. Maybe. Let’s put aside the rumors for now. Forget about the spec breakdowns, hardware design leaks, software capabilities, etc. There are plenty of them out there, and you can read about those here. The only thing we know for sure is Apple is… well… Apple. Here’s what you, and probably everyone else is expecting.
Apple’s BKC Store in Mumbai, India | Image courtesy Apple
For Better: What Should Happen
Unless the company is making a drastic departure here, its first mixed reality headset should be built with this same level of user friendliness as all of its other devices, which means it should connect to the Apple ecosystem easily, and have a simple and intuitive UI. Log in with Apple ID. No muss, no fuss (whatever ‘muss’ is). Privacy should be a giant focus for the headset from the outset, since it will almost certainly pack eye-tracking in addition to a host of cameras to get a glimpse of the inside of your immediate surroundings, messiness and all. Apple has its fair share of data collection scandals, yet it seems to inspire enough confidence for privacy to be a big historical selling point for all of its devices.
If you want to avoid drawing the ire of tech reviewers everywhere though, wearing it should be fairly simple and very comfortable, and the experiences within should be of high enough value to overcome that inherent friction of charging it, putting it on, setting up a tracking volume, and wearing it for extended periods of time—everything we expect from any mixed reality headset at this point. It should fit most people, and offer up a clear picture to people with heads and eyes of all shapes and sizes.
Meta Quest Pro | Image courtesy Meta
An obvious analogue here is Meta Quest Pro, which is relatively low friction, but things like a halo strap that forces too much weight on your brow, or a passthrough that’s just a little too grainy, or a display that doesn’t have a high enough pixel per degree (ppd) for staring at text—all of these things make it less appealing to users in the day-to-day, introducing what you might call accumulative friction. You use it a bunch at first until you figure out all of the niggles, at which point you may revert to traditional computing standards like using a laptop or smartphone. The thing isn’t really the all-purpose device you hoped it would be, and the company thinks twice about when to send the better, more improved version down the pipeline.
One would hope that Apple’s headset, on the other hand, should have a mature design language and have obviously useful features from day one. While there’s bound to be some stutters, like with the first Apple Watch, which was critiqued for its slow software, short battery life, and lack of customization, it should all be there, and not require a ton of feature updates to enhance after the big launch day.
It should sell well out of the gate—at least by the standards of the existing XR industry—even if everything isn’t perfect. And it should be so cool that it’s copied. Like a lot. And it should drag top-level studios into the XR scene to start making innovative and useful apps that aren’t just straight ports of ARkit or ARcore apps made for mobile, but things people need and want to use in-headset. A big win from Apple should not only spur its new mixed reality product category, but kick off a buzz among developers, which would include those who currently work in the XR industry and Apple’s existing cohort of dedicated iOS developers.
But more than merely being the latest shiny new headset within the existing XR industry, Apple’s entrance into the field has a real chance of radically expanding the industry itself, by showing that the world’s most iconic tech company now thinks the medium is worth pursuing. That’s the way it happened when Apple jumped into MP3 players, smartphones, tablets, wireless earbuds, and more.
As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. The inverse is also true though….
For Worse: What Could Happen
Apple’s headset is reportedly (okay, maybe just one rumor) priced somewhere near $3,000, so it probably won’t be the sort of accessory that initially attracts people to the ecosystem; that would be the job of a peripheral like Apple Watch. It will likely rely on the pool of built-in Apple users. Despite the price, the first iteration very likely won’t offer the sort of power you’d expect from a workhorse like Apple MacBook Pro either.
At the outset, any sustained draw from prosumers will invariably hinge on how well it can manage general computing tasks, like you might have with an iPad or MacBook, and everything else current mixed reality headset should do too, namely VR and AR stuff. That includes a large swath of things like fitness apps, both AR and VR games and experiences, productivity apps, standard work apps, everything. Basically, it has to be the Quest Pro that Meta wanted to release but didn’t.
AR turn-by-turn directions on an iPhone | Image courtesy Apple
And if not, it leaves Apple in a pretty precarious situation. If their headset can’t find a proper foothold within its ecosystem and attract enough users, it could lead to low adoption rates and a lack of interest in the technology as a whole. Mixed reality is largely seen as valuable steppingstone to what many consider the true moneymaker: all-day AR glasses. And despite some very glassses-shaped AR headsets out there, we’re still not there yet. Even if Apple is willing to take a hit with a bulky device in service of pushing use cases for its AR glasses yet to come, the short term may not look very bright.
And perhaps most importantly for the industry as a whole are the (metaphorical) optics.
After all, if the iconic Apple can’t manage to make MR something that everybody wants, the rest of the world watching from the sidelines may think the concept just can’t be conquered. In turn, it may mean capital investment in the space will dry up until ‘real’ AR headsets are a thing—the all-day glasses that will let you play Pokémon Go in the park, do turn-by-turn directions, and remind you the name of that person you met last week. The steppingstone of mixed reality may get waterlogged. Those are a lot of ifs, coulds, shoulds, and won’ts though. The only thing truly certain is we’re in for a very interesting few months, which you can of course follow at Road to VR.
Apple’s entrance into XR has the potential to expand the industry by demonstrating its viability, just as Apple has done with previous technologies. It stands a good chance at carving out a sizeable claim in the space, but it’s a gamble that could equally backfire if both sales and public perception aren’t on their side.
Is Apple’s XR headset going to be the “one more thing?” we’ve all been waiting for at WWDC this year? Will it live up to the Apple name, or be an expensive dev kit? Let us know in the comments below!
Vertigo 2 is arguably one of the best games of 2023, but it’s only available on PC VR headsets. Developer Zach Tsiakalis-Brown said earlier this year that he thought a PSVR 2 port would definitely be a good possibility, and now that Half-Life-style sci-fi shooter is in the wild, PSVR 2 support is apparently still in the cards for the solo dev.
Reacting to Twitter user Timo Schmidt, Tsiakalis-Brown confirmed that PSVR 2 support is still on the horizon, as he recalls an earlier tweet from January saying he “would love to port to psvr in the future. It’s definitely a possibility!”
As many have noted in the recent past, PlayStation 5’s rendering ability is pretty much on par with a mid-range PC, which has allowed for a big bump in graphics over legacy hardware, such as PS4/PS4 Pro.
That bump lets developers create even more immersive and graphically intense games than we’ve ever seen on PS platform, likeHorizon Call of the Mountain (2023),or the remastered version of Song in the Smoke, the latter of which rivals even the PC VR version of the game.
Still, developing for PSVR 2 isn’t so cut and dry. Outside of actually getting it to work on Sony’s latest VR headset, which is a much more precise target than creating a PC VR game in general, Tsiakalis-Brown admits he’s never gone through the certification process to publish a game on the PlayStation Store. Up until now, all of the developer’s games have been PC VR only.
Nathan Rowe, the solo dev behind VR art app SculptrVR (2016), had some sage advice to overcoming the process:
It is possible to do solo. It nearly killed me, though. My advice is to ask Sony for help early. File tickets! They get read and responded to!
And what good is Vertigo 2 without Vertigo Remastered (2020)? Tsiakalis-Brown says releasing both games for PSVR 2 would be a “great way to expose [the series to] a bigger audience!”
While the solo dev hasn’t published a post-launch release schedule, the order of operations is fairly clear. First the game’s upcoming sandbox DLC, which will allow users to create and share their own content based on Vertigo 2 assets and worlds, then … who knows!
Esports fans are in for a new experience at the Virtex Stadium. Aside from EchoVR, users can now watch live gameplays of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Counter-Strike 2.
Virtex has partnered with Skybox Technologies to bring this unique spectator experience to gaming enthusiasts. With Counter-Strike as the first significant esports title at the Virtex Stadium, the virtual esports fan base on the platform is bound to grow faster.
An Immersive Experience for Counter-Strike Gamers and Fans
Following the launch of the Echo VR title on the platform, Counter-Strike allows fans to enjoy more top-level gameplay. “As the third most watched esport last year, CS: GO already has an enormous following, and we’re excited to be working with Skybox to deliver a 360° spectating experience unique to every fan,” said Virtex CEO and co-founder, Tim Mcguinness, in a press release shared with ARPost.
Using their desktop and compatible VR headsets, users enter the Virtex Stadium, which is still in closed beta, where they can watch live gameplays recreated in 3D. They can customize their Ready Player Me avatars, meet other fans in the lobby, and enter the virtual arena. They can sit on the stadium seats to watch gameplay in full view or immerse themselves in the battle by diving into the map.
They can see opening duels, site retakes, and clutches up close. Dynamic map controls allow them to maneuver easily and spectate at any site they want. The epic virtual effects and sounds create a deep 3D spectator experience that’s like no other.
Collaborating to Make Fan Experiences More Meaningful
Virtex, a London-based software development company, has been at the forefront of esports. Its Virtex Stadium provides sports and gaming enthusiasts with an innovative VR platform where they can experience esports at a whole new level.
Founded in 2020, Virtex brings together the expertise of tech entrepreneur Christoph Ortlepp and seasoned VR player Tim Mcguinness. Sharing a vision to redefine the esports fan experience, they are collaborating with partners across the tech and esports space to bolster the capabilities of the Virtex Stadium.
In the past year, the company worked with Skybox Technologies to integrate Counter-Strike maps into the virtual stadium. A provider of spectator and analysis solutions, Skybox helps ensure that in-game models, key modes, and spectator tools are functioning smoothly at the Virtex Stadium.
It provides real-time data and 3D game recreations that allow users to view Counter-Strike gameplay from every angle. It also ensures that map control and all gameplay features work seamlessly to make the 3D viewing experience more enjoyable.
According to Ethan Cooper, CEO of Skybox Technologies, Virtex has done an outstanding job at building out the Virtex Stadium. “We are proud that via the Skybox and Virtex partnership, fans can soon experience live Counter-Strike in a whole new way. It’s an exciting time for our respective companies, and we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with additional game titles and new experiences,” he said.
This collaboration paves the way for more meaningful fan experiences across the globe. Fans can dive into the map and watch the players they follow in action. They can explore different areas during the matches or meet other fans in virtual hangout spaces.
More to Come From The Growing Virtex Community
The partnership between Virtex and Skybox has just begun. Through their continued collaboration, we can expect more tournaments and esports titles at the Virtex Stadium in the next few months. Virtex is also pitching to more partners to widen its offerings and make the platform even more engaging. It wants to collaborate with tournament organizers, teams that want dedicated stadiums for their fans, and brands that want to run activations on virtual platforms.
A die-hard esports fan, Tim Mcguinness is eager to announce more upcoming tournaments they are set to feature in the Virtex Stadium. But, for now, fans can enjoy the closed beta program and be among the first to experience this virtual esports stadium.
If you’ve been plugged into the Valve leak-o-verse, you’ve probably come across the name ‘Deckard’, the supposed code name of a standalone headset allegedly under development by the one and only. While Valve isn’t confirming anything about the storied standalone, the company went on record late last year to say they are still have faith in VR, and are critically still working on VR headsets.
Valve product designer Greg Coomer spoke to Korean gaming publication This is Game (Korean) in December, saying that VR is very much still in the works. The interview wasn’t widely shared in the English-speaking side of the Internet until it landed on Reddit, Google-translated to English.
Here’s Coomer’s response to a question about what he can reveal in regard to VR, translated from Korean to English:
There isn’t much (laughter). Nevertheless, I can definitely say that we are continuing to develop VR headsets recently. Valve has a lot of expertise in VR devices and has faith in the medium and VR games.
We hope to remain open on PC platforms rather than having VR games exclusively on a certain platform. While adhering to this belief, we are continuing development.
However, we cannot confirm the existence of specific products or disclose the release date of the results. The same applies to game projects being developed internally. There are certainly many projects underway, but we cannot announce anything today.
As you might gather, Valve doesn’t openly speak about its in-development projects. Hearing that VR is still on the table from Coomer directly though, who has been with Valve since the release of Half-Life (1998), and worked on major games all the way up to Half-Life: Alyx (2020), is just about as good as you can get.
That’s especially so since the last time Valve released any VR hardware was its enthusiast-grade PC VR headset Valve Index in 2019. A year later, the studio launched its only full-length VR game to date, Half-Life: Alyx.
Still, it hasn’t been entirely all quiet on the Valve VR front. In March 2022, Valve chief Gabe Newell called its handheld gaming PC platform Steam Deck “a steppingstone” to standalone VR hardware.
“One of the things [Steam Deck] represents is battery-capable, high-performance horsepower that eventually you could use in VR applications as well. You can take the PC and build something that is much more transportable. We’re not really there yet, but this is a stepping stone.”
At the time, Coomer also noted Steam Deck’s hardware “would run well in that [standalone VR] environment, with the TDP necessary… it’s very relevant to us and our future plans.”
Meanwhile, tech analyst and YouTuber Brad Lynch has been probably the most vocal proponent of all things Steam standalone, having followed the Deckard beat since data miners first found a string in a January 2021 Steam update that mentioned the alleged VR standalone.
Over the following years, Lynch has uncovered mounting evidence in subsequent releases of SteamVR, including his most recent supposition that Deckard may include PC VR wireless streaming capabilities, eye-tracking, and passthrough AR features.
As you’d imagine, there have been no public confirmations from Valve, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Last month we got an eyeful of Cyan’s upcoming VR puzzle adventure Firmament in an extended preview trailer that showed off some of the game’s impressively looming set pieces. Now, prepping for the game’s May 18th release on PC VR, the studio released its first look at some of the game’s puzzle mechanics.
There are a few new things shown in the video that we haven’t seen before, notably what appears to be the final version of the most important tool to your puzzle-adventuring.
Called an ‘Adjunct’, the tool lets you interface with the various devices strewn about the Realm of Firmament, which Cyan says will help you on your quest to unlocking the secrets this place holds.
Image captured via video courtesy Cyan
We previously saw the Adjunct very briefly in Firmament’s initial Kickstarter video, although it wasn’t clear at the time what it was, or whether or not it would be a one-off object. Whatever the case, it’s clear now that the adjunct is a mainstay that ostensibly works like and extension of the player’s arm.
Also, it appears the ability to shoot the bit from the holder has let Cyan develop a wider range of far-flung puzzles, as you can manipulate locks and various receptacles you wouldn’t be able to physically reach otherwise.
Firmament is launching for PC VR headsets and traditional monitors via Steam on May 18th. In the new Steam page, the studio reveals a few more tidbits of info about the narrative and structure of the game:
You are not entirely alone in Firmament. In addition to The Adjunct, you are joined by a mysterious apparition, who has a story of her own to share with you. As you explore you will be introduced to 3 Realms – each with secrets and mysteries to reveal. What purpose do the Realms serve? Can the spirit who accompanies you be trusted?
Are the realms of Firmament abandoned? What are these giant, mysterious machines scattered throughout the world? What is their purpose? What part do you play in this grand mystery? Explore, Discover, Solve, and Reveal the mystery for yourself by playing Firmament!
In the game’s Kickstarter November update, Cyan said Firmament is also set to come to PSVR 2, PS4 and PS5 at some point “down the line.” There’s no word on whether Quest 2 will ever get a native version of the game, i.e. one that can be played without a PC and Link or Air Link.
Pimax announced that Portal, its hybrid VR headset based on a Nintendo Switch-style console, is almost ready for launch, as the company prepares to ship to all Kickstarter backers in April 2023.
Over the years, the Shanghai-based company has been known for its wide field-of-view (FOV) PC VR headsets which include large, high-resolution displays and wide FOV optics, making Pimax one of the few to offer such devices directly to consumers. With the announcement of Portal and standalone headset Pimax Crystal, the company seems to be striking out in a new direction from its PC VR roots though.
As a hybrid device, Portal works as both a Nintendo Switch-style handheld (running Android), and a Samsung Gear VR-style headset which uses a dedicated VR shell housing and Switch-style controllers, which snap into their own bespoke housing.
While strapping an Android device into a headset shell is decidedly a throwback concept, Portal managed to attract over $350,000 from backers in the device’s 2022 Kickstarter campaign. Putting Gear VR comparisons aside, the device is being couched as a jack of all trades, as it’s set to offer both 6DOF head and controller tracking for VR gameplay on top of acting as both a handheld console and living room entertainment hub.
In a fresh status update, Pimax says it’s now finalized Portal’s hardware, with mass production set to start. Admittedly, Pimax says it’s currently optimizing the software for Portal, with heat dissipation, power consumption, and controller connection marked as areas in need of improvement. This also includes what it calls “rare” tracking issues and SDK-related game porting issues.
By the end of May, Pimax says it will have “more than 20 VR games” available for the Portal VR mode. Furthermore, Pimax says the QLED version of Portal will support native PC VR via HDMI, while other versions will support streaming PC VR content via WiFi e6 and USB-C.
This comes on the heels of the news last month that Pimax had secured a $30 million series C1 financing round, something the company says will aid in the rollout of both Portal and Crystal headsets.
A Wall Street Journal report maintains Meta’s Quest platform had 6.37 million monthly active users as of October 2022.
The report doesn’t include a breakdown of which headset is seeing the most engagement, however it’s likely a majority of those users come from Quest 2. The original Quest, which was released in 2019, is currently on its way out. The company’s enthusiast-grade headset Quest Pro costs $1,000, a $500 drop from its original $1,500 launch price.
Meta hasn’t officially detailed just how many Quest headsets it’s sold since the company released the standalone in 2019, or its Quest 2 follow-up a year later for that matter, however a report by The Verge last month alleged the company has sold nearly 20 million Quest headsets. Although not confirmed, this figure likely includes all Quest headsets.
It’s nowhere near what traditional game consoles have achieved, however for VR it’s fairly impressive. For scale, Sony has shipped over 32 million PlayStation 5 units and over 117 million PS4 units to date; the PlayStation platform as a whole garnered 112 million monthly active users in Q3 2022.
For the still-nascent industry, Meta is far and ahead the leader of the space. Of its 500+ titles on the Meta Quest Store, 40 have grossed over $10 million in revenue. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Quest platform has now seen more than 200 apps make over $1 million as of February 2023, an increase of 44% from the previous year.
This comes alongside the news that Meta’s best-performing app, the block-slashing rhythm game Beat Saber, has generated over a quarter billion dollars in sales since launch in 2018.
SenseGlove, a Netherlands-based creator of XR haptic gloves, has secured €3.25 million (~$3.5 million) in a series A funding round, something the company says will be used to accelerate its enterprise-focused SenseGlove Nova haptic gloves.
The funding round was led by Dutch venture capital firm Lumaux, bringing the company’s total outside investment to around €5.5 million (~$6 million). Previous rounds included investors Forward.One and Value Creation Capital.
The company says the investment will be used to continue development on its haptic SenseGlove Nova gloves and to develop new products. It will also be used to open an office in the US.
SenseGlove’s haptic gloves are said to let users interact in VR naturally and train muscle memory by providing the feeling of size, stiffness, and impacts of virtual objects. The company’s technology has been used in a range of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and training.
The company’s haptic gloves provide a combination of force and vibrotactile feedback and wireless compact design that primarily appeals to enterprise.
SenseGlove has provided its haptic gloves to firms such as Airbus, Scania, Honda, Cambridge University, TNO, Fraunhofer, and Siemens. In all, the company has worked with over 500 partners, including Volkswagen, P&G, and the Royal Dutch Army.
While squarely an enterprise-focused XR peripheral, SenseGlove Nova is also available for purchase through the company website. For small quantities, Nova regularly sells for €5,000 (~$5,400), however the company notes that larger quantities can cost less when contacted directly.
