Last week was Facebook’s dog-and-pony show Oculus Connect 4: We got news on an upcoming $200 standalone headset, the next-gen Santa Cruz project, a lower price for the Rift VR gear (and a more intense price war with HTC), a new Minority Report-like interface, and a partnership with the studio that makes Titanfall, a blockbuster shooter video game series from EA.
Looking from that vantage point, virtual reality appears to be healthy. Yet when our Dean Takahashi started talking to people at Oculus Connect, he found that while some people had lots of hope for VR, others remain stuck in a trough of disappointment. He wrote that “a game developer who was looking for work felt like VR was in a state of crisis.”
And Dean points out that while VR attempts to gain traction, it’s also fragmenting, now that Microsoft is entering the picture with its “mixed reality” solution that deals with both AR and VR.
It’s an intriguing time for VR. We’re seeing the next generation take shape with Santa Cruz and Oculus Go. But will the consumer base be there for it? And will VR creators be able to hang on until the market is bigger?
For AR/VR coverage, send news tips to Dean Takahashi and Jeff Grubb (for those that cross over into PC gaming). Please send guest post submissions to Rowan Kaiser. Please be sure to visit our AR/VR Channel.
—Jason Wilson, GamesBeat managing editor
P.S. Enjoying Star Trek: Discovery? Did you know Star Trek was in VR, too? Check out Bridge Crew.
From GamesBeat
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How WebVR is reinvigorating the fine arts
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The internet of things meets augmented reality as Evrythng partners with Zappar
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Game boss interview: Oculus’s Jason Rubin expects a triple-A VR game from Titanfall maker
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ProBeat: Facebook ramps up its VR price war
OPINION: In July, there was a single week when Facebook’s Oculus cut prices for its Rift VR headset and Touch controller to $400 for a limited time, a rumor suggested a $200 standalone Oculus VR headset was coming next year, and the company made the aforementioned two-product bundle permanent, promising to make $500 the regular price […]
The DeanBeat: Optimism and despair over VR at Oculus Connect
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, injected a dose of optimism into the crowd at the Oculus Connect event this week at the San Jose Convention Center when he set a goal of getting a billion people into virtual reality. That’s reassuring in a way, since the Oculus Rift, the Samsung Gear VR, and other virtual […]
Beyond GamesBeat
Watch 27 Minutes Of Palmer Luckey Answering Questions At OC4
Though he departed Facebook earlier this year, Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey still came to the Oculus Connect 4 developer conference wearing sandals and a shirt with the worlds “I can develop VR a little” written on it. (via UploadVR)
This VR Experience is Powered By Positive Thinking
There’s no shortage of bizarre control schemes for VR experiences these days. After all, developers are still experimenting with various methods they hope will become the standard. So it comes as no surprise that we have some truly unique options popping up almost every week. (via VR Scout)
Eye Doctors Can Now Prescribe VR Lazy-eye Treatment for Home Use
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Tokyo’s VR Mario Kart is more rollercoaster than video game
An official virtual reality version of Mario Kart is a thing that exists for actual humans to play today. It’s true. Unfortunately, there are a few significant caveats. You must travel to Tokyo, Japan. You must pay about $40. You must wait in line for over an hour and a half, if my experience on Saturday afternoon — stretching into evening — was representative. (via The Verge)
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