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Google and IMAX stop work on their movie-grade VR camera
You can forget about seeing that VR camera from Google and IMAX any time soon. Variety has learned that the two companies have halted work on the movie-quality 3D hardware. IMAX would only say that it had "currently paused the development" of the camera while it reviewed its VR theater pilot program (Google declined to comment), but a source claimed that Google had outright cancelled the project in late 2017.
Steam TV goes live again to stream 'Dota 2' tournament
Steam TV is online again after Valve briefly pushed it live last week. The platform is currently streaming a live broadcast of The International 2018, Valve's Dota 2 esports tournament. You'll be able to see the chat room even if you don't log into your Steam account, but you'll have to use your log-in credentials if you want to participate in the chat or to watch the game with friends. If you're fine watching alone and keeping your thoughts to yourself, though, all you need to do is go to the website and click the double arrow on the top right corner to maximize the screen. Take note that the video refused to load for us on Chrome or Safari and only worked on Firefox.
'Transference' demo gives a taste of Elijah Wood's PSVR thriller
The Elijah Wood-backed mind-bender Transference is due to arrive September 18th, but you don't have to wait until then (or spend hard-earned cash) to see if it lives up early buzz. Ubisoft and SpectreVision have released a prequel demo, The Walter Test Case, for both PlayStation VR and regular PS4 users. The title has you living through the 1993 experiment that sets up the main game, making you experience the "digitally recreated" memories of a PTSD patient while tackling puzzles in a mysterious apartment. Suffice it to say this won't be a walk in the park.
Weird Al's first journey into VR is a short called 'Shady Friend'
Weird Al is set to make his VR debut, Variety reports, starring alongside Nick Rutherford (Dream Corp LLC), Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) and former SNL writer Nick Kocher in a short film called Shady Friend. The short centers on a heartbroken man who ends up taking some psychedelic drugs his shady friend brings over. It's the first VR film to be developed exclusively for the Positron Voyager VR motion chair, according to Variety, and it will feature motion, scents and haptic elements.
Valve quietly unveils streaming platform Steam TV
Valve seems to have unveiled a Twitch competitor with nary a peep of fanfare. A few hours after Steam Database founder Pavel Djundik discovered that the company registered the domain steam.tv, the website started live streaming The International 2018, Valve's Dota 2 esports tournament. The stream is no longer available, but CNET was able to try it out before it went offline. Based on what the publication saw, its features are still quite limited: it was able to stream the tournament, but it had no option to broadcast your own gameplay.
Walmart may soon let you shop in VR
Walmart has been getting serious about VR and its next project could be a virtual shopping experience. The company has applied for two patents that describe a virtual reality showroom customers could visit and shop from through VR headsets, Bloomberg reports. The idea is that customers could then forgo the traditional shopping experience at a brick-and-mortar store and instead use a VR setup to select items from virtual shelves, which would then be shipped to them.
Aronofsky's VR project 'Spheres' will premiere at Venice Film Festival
Darren Aronofsky's three-part virtual reality series Spheres -- bought for a seven-figure sum at Sundance earlier this year -- will make its world premiere at the upcoming Venice Film Festival. Adding to its sci-fi credentials is the announcement that Millie Bobby Brown, aka Eleven from Netflix series Stranger Things, will be lending her voice to the final instalment of the trilogy, Spheres: Chorus of the Cosmos.
Oculus Rift support is coming to HTC's Viveport VR store
The Oculus Rift is finally welcome in Viveport, HTC's VR store. When it launched in 2016, Viveport seemed a bit redundant, since it wasn't hard for Vive owners to find VR experiences on Steam. But it turned into a truly great deal last year with the addition of a subscription plan, allowing you to snag five VR titles monthly for a low fee (it was originally $6.99, now it's $8.99). For most gamers, that's a smarter option than blind buying games. Starting on September 4th, Oculus Rift owners will also be able to take part in everything Viveport has to offer -- even the subscription.
Valve may offer tools to play Windows games on Steam Machines
Valve's Steam Machine platform hasn't really taken off, and it's not just because of the hardware. When few developers are willing to release Linux-native versions of games to run on Steam OS, there just isn't a lot to play. Thankfully, the company may have a way to bring more titles to the platform... sort of. Reddit users have pointed out that Steam's graphical interface files now include a section with not-so-secret references to a Steam Play feature that would auto-load "compatibility tools" to play games "built for other operating systems." In other words, Steam OS might include some kind of emulation.
StarVR's latest enterprise headset features built-in eye tracking
StarVR has a new virtual reality headset, dubbed the "One." We haven't heard from the company -- a collaboration between Swedish game developer Starbreeze and Acer -- since it was demoing its own The Walking Dead game back in 2015. Back then, what made its headset stand out from the crowd was its 210-degree field of view. If you're keeping track at home, that's over double what the Oculus Rift offers. The new headset promises the same impressive FOV, but with Tobii's eye-tracking technology baked in.
Microsoft's AltSpaceVR lets you build a virtual hangout
Microsoft's AltspaceVR differs drastically from other social networks by letting you share the same (virtual) space with your friends. Now, it's giving you more places to hang out with custom building kits. You start with a virtual hangout based on the popular "Campfire" and "Alien Planet" spaces, then customize it by grabbing assets from a curated library of flora, structures and shapes. You can then host muliplayer social games within your space and even add custom 3D design and sound.
Discord can beat Steam at its own game with a curated store
The Discord homepage doesn't mince words. "It's time to ditch Skype and TeamSpeak," it says in large white letters, just above buttons to download or open Discord, a video game-centric chat service that's exploded in popularity since launching in 2015. Today, Discord has 150 million users, and it's about to take on another major company in the gaming space: Steam.
'We Happy Few' has a trippy PSVR teaser
We Happy Few is just around the corner after years of waiting, but you don't have to wait until August 10th to get a feel for its drug-filled dystopia if you have a PlayStation VR headset. Compulsion games has released a free PSVR-only side story, Uncle Jack Live VR, that turns you into a guest producer for its namesake broadcaster and propagandist. You're supposed to pick the 'right' news stories for Jack as he encourages people to keep taking the mind-altering Joy drug, all the while fighting an outbreak of Downers (i.e. normal people) at the broadcast center.
Magic Leap's $2,295 mixed reality headset is available now
It didn't take long for Magic Leap to confirm the rumors of an imminent launch for its mixed reality headset. The startup has announced that its Magic Leap One Creator Edition headset is available as of today. If you're an American developer (or very, very early adopter), you can shell out $2,295 for all the necessary hardware. You currently to live in a major burg to get one, though -- Magic Leap only has "limited quantities" available, and it's offering free in-person delivery and setup in six urban areas (Chicago, LA, Miami, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle). If you're not in a qualifying area, you'll have to make a reservation.
‘Dota 2’ veterans steamrolled by AI team in exhibition match
Later this month, the best Dota 2 teams in the world will meet in Vancouver for the biggest tournament of the year, The International. The annual contest consistently boasts the highest prize pool in eSports (it's up to $23.5 million already this year), not to mention the glory that comes with winning the prestigious event. It may not be long, however, before a team of non-human players becomes worthy of such success. This weekend, the all-bot roster of OpenAI Five took on a team of Dota 2 casters and ex-pro players that individually rank amongst some of the best in the world. OpenAI Five won the best-of-three exhibition match convincingly, and the only reason the human team took a game was thanks to a little help from the audience.
Hydrus VR camera brings immersive 8K video to the deep sea
Don't be surprised if you soon see VR video from some of the darker corners of the ocean. Marine Imaging Technologies has launched a new camera, the Hydrus VR, that promises 360-degree 8K video (higher-resolution than many current headsets) at depths of up to 984 feet, even in lighting conditions as dim as 0.004 lux. The 10-camera array takes advantage of new ultra-sensitive Sony sensors to capture video at up to ISO 409,600 -- the result will be noisy, but might be the key to spotting an elusive fish hiding in a cave.
‘Steven Universe’ and ‘OK K.O.!’ are coming to Nintendo Switch
Cartoon Network and Outright Games will release a boxed set bundling both Steven Universe: Save the Light and OK K.O.! Let's Play Heroes to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for $40 on October 30th. Currently available as digital downloads on the latter two consoles, this will be the first time the games are on the Switch. They'll also launch as standalone titles for Nintendo's eShop on October 30th.
Valve's pay-to-play 'Dota' card game will be released November 28th
Valve's next title Artifact, a trading-card game, will be released November 28th. Digital trading card games like Gwent from Witcher developer CDProjekt Red and Hearthstone from Blizzard have been doing surprisingly well lately. That's probably somewhat because they're free to play. Artifact, based on Valve's free-to-play MOBA, Dota 2 will not be. Instead, a pair of 54-card starter decks and ten 12-card booster packs will set you back $20, according to Ars Technica.
Ziplining and VR headsets make a weird couple
Hailed as the next big thing a few years ago, virtual reality has yet to truly make its mark. Perhaps there'll never be one killer use for VR, and it'll remain a minor player in many niches: gaming, entertainment, education, therapy, enterprise, art and others. Some of the more unusual experimentations mix the virtual world with the real. VR roller coasters, for instance, blend physical movement with elaborate virtual settings to create a unique experience. Zip Now in London is trying something similar: ziplining with a VR twist.
Stream Lollapalooza sets live on Red Bull TV this weekend
It's that time of year again, when big names from across the music world come together in Chicago for four days of festivities at Lollapalooza. If you won't be in the Windy City this weekend yet still want to check out some of the performances, Red Bull TV has you covered. Starting Thursday at 7PM ET, you can watch sets from the likes of headliners The Weeknd, Jack White and Arctic Monkeys. Other artists on the streaming docket include Chvrches, Catfish and the Bottlemen, LL Cool J, Khalid, Vampire Weekend and Tyler, The Creator.

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