Sony set to go big with virtual reality on PlayStation 4
Sony set to go big with virtual reality on PlayStation 4
Amid the growing popularity of the Oculus Rift VR headset among the development community and a small number of gamers, Sony has been working on a rival device for its next-gen console, and it is on track to be revealed in 2014.
Sep 3, 2013 Star Citizen Hangar Module released
Star Citizen Hangar Module released
Welcome to your first step into the Star Citizen universe! With this early release you will be able to walk around your pledge ship for the very first time. Your Hangar will evolve to become your home base as Star Citizen comes together and we’re excited to allow backers this early look.
It of course supports the Oculus Rift.
Update: Apparantly it does not have Rift support, despite it being rumored before release.
Aug 30, 2013 This is how you Rift
This is how you Rift
Short of a windtunnel, this seems like the best way to enhance skydiving in VR.
Aug 26, 2013 Cyberith's locomotion device, Virtualizer, shown off at Oculus' Gamescom booth
My german is a bit rusty, but i gathered from the horrible translated automatical captions that she was positive to the experience. The Virtualizer looks like it could give the Virtuix Omni a run for its money, providing it comes out at a reasonable price.
Aug 22, 2013 EVE-VR to be released as EVE Valkyrie in 2014
EVE-VR has been one of the most praised Oculus Rift demos at game conferences, so it's certainly not shocking that they would choose to develop it into a proper game.
Aug 21, 2013 LG shows off 2,560 x 1,440 5.5inch LCD.
LG shows off 2,560 x 1,440 5.5inch LCD
Eat your heart out, handset manufacturers. LG Display has just laid claim to the world's first Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) smartphone display, which also boasts the highest pixel density of a mobile device, clocking in at 538ppi.
Aug 21, 2013 Dying Light
This is what would be the result if Mirror's Edge and Dead Island conceived a baby. Now if they only would introduce that baby to our good friends at Oculus.
Aug 20, 2013 Oculus launches platform for sharing VR games.
Oculus launches platform for sharing VR games.
Oculus Share (or simply, Share) is the first of many steps we’re taking to build the best virtual reality platform. With Share, you can host Oculus-ready games and experiences that you’ve created, browse and download content from other developers, rate experiences on quality and VR comfort level, provide feedback to devs on what you enjoyed (and what you didn’t), and tip fellow developers for their work in cash, should you feel so inclined.
Seems like a great initiative. There's a lot of games and demos out there, but it's been hard to find them and keep up with them. A centralized platform like Oculus Share will not only help users find Oculus-ready content, but also give developers a way to easily reach users.
Aug 19, 2013 
Aug 13, 2013 John Carmack Joins Oculus as CTO
John Carmack Joins Oculus as CTO
We have incredible news to share with the community: legendary game programmer John Carmack will be officially joining the Oculus team as our new Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
So much for the jackass conspiracy theorists who were speculating, because Doom wasnt oculus rift ready, that there was a rift between Carmack and Oculus.
Aug 7, 2013 Hawken to recieve Oculus support in the coming weeks
Hawken to recieve Oculus support "in the coming weeks"
The goal is to release the next update worldwide in the coming weeks but we aren't ready to state a specific date yet due to the sheer volume of changes and there is so much dependent on emerging feedback and balancing needs.
Aug 7, 2013 Half-Life on sale
Although the Steam Summer Sale is right around the corner, Valve has decided to give their largest franchise a headstart. At 75% off you can get Half-Life 2 and its Episodes for a couple of dollars/euros/whatever currency you're dealin with.
But for $9.99/6.99€ you can get the complete Half-Life package, which includes Team Fortress Classic, Half-Life: Opposing Force, Half-Life, Half-Life: Blue Shift, Half-Life 2, Half-Life: Source, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two
If you already have some of these, the individual titles are also available at 75% off (except HL:Source and HL2:Lost Coast which are only available through the package.
Half-Life 2 is one of the first big games to recieve Rift support, so if you have a Rift or have one coming and you don't own HL you should jump on this offer which expires on Thursday. Hell, even without a Rift, this is a deal you can't pass up.
Jul 10, 2013 Valve adds Oculus Rift support to Source SDK
Valve adds Oculus Rift support to Source SDK
Support for Virtual Reality via the Oculus Rift has been added to the SDK. Running a compatible mod with -vr on the command line will run the mod in stereo and enable head tracking on the Rift.
Jun 27, 2013 Routine - Alpha gameplay trailer
I was very intrigued when they first revealed Routine last year. Back then all they had was a teaser and an interest in the Oculus Rift. Now Oculus support is confirmed, and the 4 minute trailer looks horrifyingly awesome. I can't wait to shit my pants in space.
Jun 25, 2013 Why virtual isn’t real to your brain: judder
Why virtual isn’t real to your brain: judder
Judder, as it relates to displayed images, has no single clear definition; it’s used by cinematographers in a variety of ways. I’m going to use the term here to refer to a combination of smearing and strobing that’s especially pronounced on VR/AR HMDs; why that’s so is the topic of today’s post.
Michael Abrash follows up his last post from a month ago with another insightful article about the hurdles facing VR, this time focusing on "judder"
Jun 21, 2013 Oculus gets $16m in funding
Oculus gets $16m in funding
As I mentioned before, the funding opens up all sorts of doors for Oculus. It helps us hire the best and brightest minds in VR from around the world. It lets us experiment and prototype with more cutting-edge tech. And it allows us to build a badass, consumer VR gaming platform, the likes of which the world has never seen.
Jun 18, 2013 Blackspace Oculus Rift teaser
Blackspace is an "action/strategy" game by PixelFoundry, which had a failed kickstarter last year. I was a backer, not only because they were planning to support the Oculus Rift, but also because seemed like a very unique and interesting game. (I don't throw my money at anyone who utters the word Oculus in their pitch).
I'm glad to see they are still going strong, and still have a focus on Rift support.
You can read more about their experience implementing Rift support on their blog here.
Jun 17, 2013 How to check if your Rift order is on the way.
Several Europeans have posted on the official Oculus forums stating that they have recieved their dev kits, so it seems that the first European batch of Rift preorders is in transit as we speak.
However, it seems the status system at Oculus is still lagging behind, thus people are not getting notices of their packages being shipped.
So how do you track your shipment without the tracking code? Just follow these steps:
1. Go to ups.com
2. Select "Tracking" then "Track by reference"
3. Enter your 5-digit order number in "Shipment reference"
4. Choose your country. (And optionally your postal/zip code)
5. Hit "Track". If your devkit is on the way, you should get the tracking info for your order.
Jun 14, 2013 The 1080p Rift; what the press is saying
Engadget
[…]the difference was immediately apparent. Surface textures could be seen in much higher fidelity, colors were brighter and less muddied and the general detail of the entire environment was greatly improved. For example, when viewing a torch mounted on the wall in the HD headset, you could see the individual flickering of the flame with subtle color striations, whereas the same torch appeared as a pulsing orange blob in the existing dev kit.
The Verge
[…]based on a few minutes of time with Rifts old and new, the upgrade makes a huge difference. Gone is what CEO Brendan Iribe called "the screen-door effect," and everything comes in much sharper and clearer. We played a game rendered in the newly-integrated Unreal Engine 4, and from the snowflakes outside to the large, horned monster inside, details just pop in a way they never did before. It makes the world feel more immersive, more immediate.
IGN
After trying out the new headset, the visual improvements are immediately noticeable. The "screen door" effect so noticeable in the current 720p development kit is significantly reduced, and the lighting effects on display in the Unreal Engine 4 engine look fantastic.
VentureBeat
I tried out the new prototype and can confirm that the improved resolution helped bring me into the game. Unfortunately, I did still notice a bit of a black border around individual pixels. Once I was moving and looking around, however, that screen-door effect evaporated slightly.
Jun 12, 2013