Oculus’ Passthrough API will enable experiences that mix VR and the real world

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Facebook announced a new API that will let developers incorporate video from the Quest 2’s sensors into their games and applications, creating a mixed reality experience. With the Passthrough API, developers will not only be able to mix the black-and-white images from the headset’s sensors into...

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HTC’s Vive Focus 3 is a great prototype for a true Oculus Quest rival

But it’s not for home VR Let’s get this out of the way: you shouldn’t buy the HTC Vive Focus 3 for home VR. The Vive Focus 3 is HTC’s latest virtual reality headset, part of the Vive line that it first released in 2016. The Vive helped establish the modern VR industry, and the Focus 3 is one of only two big-brand standalone (as opposed to PC- or console-tethered)...

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The latest Oculus Quest update lets you easily invite others to play

Oculus Oculus is rolling out its v31 software update to Quest and Quest 2 headsets starting today, and it’s filled with some nice quality-of-life improvements. The big one is it’ll be easier to invite friends and recent teammates who aren’t friends to play a game or experience an app together. When you’re in game or in app, pressing the Oculus...

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The VR Myst remake is also coming to the Mac and PC this fall

Myst | Cyan Worlds Last fall, Cyan Worlds, the original developer of Myst, released a built-for-VR remake of its game exclusively for Facebook’s Oculus Quest platform. Now, it has announced a timeframe for the game’s availability elsewhere: a version for PC and Mac that you can play in a compatible VR headset or on any regular 2D monitor...

Jun 2021

The one developer who publicly agreed to try Facebook’s VR ads is already backing away

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Last Wednesday, Facebook announced that it would begin testing ads inside of Oculus Quest apps and said that the paid title Blaston from Resolution Games and apps from “a couple other developers” would be the first to include them. For many fans of Blaston, that wasn’t welcome news, leading to a...

Jun 2021

New Oculus Quest update adds multitasking and wireless streaming for original headset

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Facebook is rolling out its v30 update to the Oculus Quest and Quest 2 VR headsets. As previewed earlier this week by Mark Zuckerberg, v30 includes a new multitasking interface for Infinite Office that lets you put multiple apps side by side, including the browser, Oculus TV, Oculus Move, the store,...

Jun 2021

Three big questions about Facebook’s new VR ads

Yesterday, Facebook took a leap many people have been predicting for years: it started putting ads inside virtual reality. The company launched a limited test of advertisements inside three Oculus Quest apps, saying it would expand the system based on user feedback. The move is a turning point for Oculus, bringing one of Facebook’s most controversial...

Jun 2021

Facebook will start putting ads in Oculus Quest apps

Facebook will soon begin testing ads inside its Oculus Quest virtual reality system. In the coming weeks, ads will start appearing inside the Resolution Games title Blaston as well as two other unnamed apps. Facebook will later expand the system based on user feedback, saying it aims to create a “self-sustaining platform” for VR development. Facebook...

Jun 2021

Sony reportedly plans PSVR successor for next holiday season

Sony’s next-gen VR controllers. | Image: Sony Sony’s next-gen PlayStation VR headset is likely to come out in late 2022, according to a new report. Bloomberg’s sources say Sony is “aiming to release the successor in the holiday period next year,” and that the headset will use OLED panels from Samsung Display. A release in that timeframe...

Jun 2021

The five coolest games from Upload VR’s E3 2021 showcase

Song in the Smoke. Upload VR returned to E3 with its third annual showcase of the most inventive and intriguing games coming to VR. As the medium continues to mature year after year, it continues to be a platform for developers to innovate. While not all of the games shown were brand new announcements, we picked five of our favorites from...

Jun 2021