Minecraft is Now Available on Oculus Store for Samsung Gear VR Headset

For those of you who have been waiting for Minecraft in virtual reality, your wait is finally over. Oculus recently announced that Minecraft for Gear VR is now available for download in its store for US$6.99.

Called “Minecraft: Gear VR Edition”, the game now allow players to step inside the Minecraft world with friends, and build, explore and battle as if you are in the game itself. Feature wise, Minecraft: Gear VR Edition is similar to Pocket Edition, including Creative and Survival modes, skins, and multiplayer. You can opt between the more comfortable theatre view, or the more intense and immersive first-person view.

“MINECRAFT IS A GAME THAT YOU CAN BOTH FIGURATIVELY AND LITERALLY LOSE YOURSELF IN. IN FACT, MY STRONGEST MEMORIES OF BEING INSIDE VR ARE FROM THE TIME I’VE SPENT EXPLORING MINECRAFT ON GEAR VR. EXPERIENCING IT IN VIRTUAL REALITY CHANGES IT FROM AN ABSTRACT ACTIVITY TO A VISCERAL ONE – IT GOES FROM A SENSE OF PLAYING THE GAME TO ONE OF BEING INSIDE YOUR WORLD, AND SPINNING AROUND TO FIND A CREEPER SNEAKING UP ON YOU LEAVES A POWERFUL IMPRESSION. INFINITE WORLDS HAVE BEEN EXPLORED, SHAPED, AND SHARED BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, AND NOW IN VR; THAT SOUNDS A BIT LIKE THE FABLED METAVERSE.” – JOHN CARMACK, CTO OF OCULUS.

Don’t be too excited yet though, in order to get the game, you will need a separate Bluetooth gamepad first. Once you have it, head on to the Oculus store on your Samsung Galaxy device to purchase the game.

(Source: Oculus via: Engadget, TechCrunch)

Asus Announces Beyond VR Ready Program; Offers Certification For VR Capable PC Hardware

Asus has announced its very own VR certification program called Beyond VR Ready. According to the company, the aim of the program was to “open up a new way to configure and build your dream system with total confidence”. Despite being targeted for gamers that are interested in building PCs for VR gaming, the program could also be seen as a guideline for building a future-proof gaming rig.

A website has been created by Asus for consumers to be able to choose from a wide array of “certified” VR-capable motherboards and graphics cards. Unsurprisingly, all of the components listed by Asus are its own products. What makes the Beyond VR Ready program even more interesting is the fact that Asus claims to have tested every single product it has listed under the program. Graphics cards and motherboards were chosen based on two factors: compatibility and interoperability.

Aside from introducing the Beyond VR Ready program, Asus has also announced that it has partnered with Oculus to offer pre-order discounts for the Oculus Rift VR headset to consumers that are interested in buying the Asus G11CD and Asus ROG G20CB gaming desktops – it wasn’t mentioned whether or not this promotion is offered in Malaysia.

More information regarding the Asus Beyond VR Ready program can be found here.

(Source: Asus)

Driveclub VR Rated by ESRB

Don’t think for a second that Driveclub is dead and buried. The driving sim might have been poorly received when it was first released, but rapidly dropping prices have created an army of new fans, many of whom will be excited by this latest news. It seems the franchise will continue – in virtual reality.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board has been busy taking a gander at a brand new title called Driveclub VR. Although there’s not a whole load of information available, the title says everything you need to know.

Naturally, this isn’t exactly official confirmation, but it’s a step up from shady insider sources and stand-in pages on some vague, European games store.

Although there’s a description of the title, it specifically doesn’t mention the inclusion of VR.

The description reads:

This is a racing simulation game in which players drive a variety of cars around real world locations. Players can engage in traditional races, time trials, and drifting challenges.

While the existence of a new Driveclub for Sony’s own VR system isn’t really a surprise, it does raise one rather large question. Who on Earth is developing it? Granted, it’s probably just a “port” – if that word is at all accurate for making a game compatible with a headset – but the people behind the game have definitely moved on.

Huawei Announced Its Own Virtual Reality Headset, Made for P9 and Mate 8

Taking place at the launch of its brand new P9 and P9 Plus smartphone in Shanghai, Huawei has now announced its VR headset called Huawei VR. It also works on similar lines as Samsung Gear VR, where one needs to slide a smartphone in VR headset to view the immersive content recently . A growing trend in the market as of late, the move mimics some of its major rivals such as Samsung and LG who already released their own VR headset into the market.

In addition to the two new P9 series devices, the new Huawei VR headset is also able to fit Mate 8. With a field of view that is rated at 95-degrees and a latency of 20ms, the headset apparently features 3D audio capabilities as well although users still need to use their own headset with it. Huawei claims to offer the first of its kind 360- degree sound field, which can experienced through headphones.

Just like many VR headsets out there that are designed for smartphones, users need to secure their Huawei P9, P9 Plus, or Mate 8 into the front part of the headset. The company stated that more than 4,000 free movies, 50 games, 350 panoramic images, and panoramic tours will be made available for the headset at launch.

However, it is not known whether these contents will only be available in China or other market as well. Furthermore, Huawei also didn’t reveal any information regarding the headset’s availability and pricing either for its home market or any other parts throughout the world. Guess we will be hearing more about the headset in the near future then.

GoPro Announces “GoPro VR” VR Video App, and “LiveVR” Live Streaming Tool

As we know big company like Samsung, Huawei and Facebook continue to increase their virtual reality efforts, Now GoPro is entering the fray as a new contender for the hearts of VR enthusiasts and fans.

Named the GoPro Omni, the device is a cube-shaped device that holds six Hero4 cameras .The device, explains Engadget, has specific hardware “that makes all six cameras operate as one.” When the footage from the cameras are stitched together, a single 360-degree video will be created.

GoPro also  announced the “GoPro VR”, a video app for 360-degree and virtual reality videos, along with “LiveVR”, a wireless streaming tool for VR at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) event in Las Vegas this week

First up, GoPro VR is a virtual reality video platform that will host VR content. It will initially feature spherical/VR video content from its sponsored athletes and artists, but it is believed that GoPro will open the platform for user-generated content in the future. The service will launch later today, along with VR headset-friendly apps for iOS and Android devices. For those who can’t wait for the launch, GoPro also released a 360-degree interactive video to show you what to expect from GoPro VR.

In addition to that, GoPro also announced live streaming for VR content called “LiveVR”. The company did not unveil much about the service, but Engadget notes that it is an extension of the HEROCast system. LiveVR will be used as part of the company’s partnership with MotoGP, as well as other sporting events in the coming months.

About two weeks ago, GoPro finally unveiled the final design of the Omni VR camera rig that fits six GoPro cameras. The GoPro Omni is expected to retail at US$5000 (about RM20,000) for the entire package – six cameras, memory cards, cables and Kolor software, a much cheaper option compared to the GoPro Odyssey, the 16-camera rig that costs RM65,000.

Virtual reality is definitely getting more and more popular. We’ve been seeing plenty of VR devices lately – the Samsung Gear VR, Oculus, HTC Vive, and just last week, Facebook showed off its very own open-source 360-degree camera called the Facebook Surround 360.