October is shaping up to be the month of Virtual Reality. A lot of major announcements, rumours and launches have already occurred. From Google’s latest step into the mobile VR market to Sony’s PlayStation VR, the market is beginning to diversify. However, before we move into November, there are still several new bits of VR news that happened this week. Here are the biggest headlines.
1.Microsoft’s S$410 VR headset, the Holographic
Image courtesy: The Verge
Well, this caught everyone by surprise. Even though Hololens is still a ways away from being launched, Microsoft has immediately launched into the VR market with their own headset. Alongside the announcement of their new surface computers, the Seattle-based giant drops this bombshell of a line of VR headsets, called Windows Holographic. Each different headset will be in conjunction with their hardware partners, which sticks to their standard business practice. What else makes it stand out? According to initial reports, the headsets come with inside-out tracking sensors, which eliminates the need for external sensors. So whenever these headsets role out, they’ll be cheaper and have much less hassle than either the Rift or Vive.
source: Tech Times
2. Google acquires Eyefluence
Image courtesy: Twitter
Already discussed earlier this week, Google has recently bought out the startup Eyefluence. The significant of this is that the company holds a series of patents for eye-tracking in VR. Rumours are already abounding that Google will use this tech to develop their own standalone VR headset. However, because of the launch of the DayDream View, this is likely a long-term development and we won’t hear anything about this anytime soon.
Source: Digital Trends
3. Nintendo Switch might be VR compatible
Image courtesy: Polygon
Looks like Nintendo is finally trying to catch up with modern tech. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, president of Nintendo Tatsumi Kimishima hinted at hardware add-ons for their new console, the Switch, launching next year. Included was a cryptic statement, saying, “VR offers new ways of playing, but that depends on what kind of software can be played.” Kimishima added, “If you ask us whether there are any possibilities, we can’t say no. It may be that we will build VR software titles, I think that opportunity is available to us.” What that means is anyone’s guess. Either way, Nintendo might be joining in with their console rivals for the first time since the Gamecube.
Source: Bloomberg
4. NBA has released a schedule of games in VR
Image courtesy: The Verge
The NBA has bought into the VR hype, announcing a full roster of games that will be shown in the medium. Currently, the service is only available to those with the Samsung Gear VR, the company offering the streaming, NextVR, says they are looking to expand to new platforms next year. Oh, and you also need the NBA league pass to be able to watch the games. As always, good things never come free. Should the numbers be a success, don’t be surprised if other American sports competitions begin this roster.
Source: CNET
