Seedling for Magic Leap is the most expensive plant you’ll ever take care of

Insomniac Games has officially launched its new game for Magic Leap One, called 'Seedling.' Throughout the game, you can nurture your very own plant life form wherever you are. In our demo, we got to check out what it feels like to take care of a virtual plant using a very expensive machine.

Brenda Stolyar     December 5, 2018

Microsoft’s $480M contract with U.S. military will equip soldiers with Hololens

Microsoft recently won a $480 million contract to equip American soldiers with up to 100,000 of its augmented reality Hololens headsets. Here's what we know so far about the deal -- and how it could provide the United States military with some new cutting-edge technology.

Luke Dormehl     November 30, 2018

A Google patent shows a way to make VR even more immersive

Virtual reality can be a really immersive experience, but it does sometimes it does have boundaries. Google has addressed this problem by patenting shoes with a flexible region on the bottom, and a sensor for which a computer or headset can track to create an endless movement in the virtual world. 

Arif Bacchus     November 15, 2018

Google awarded patent for using eye tracking to detect expressions in VR

Google has been awarded a new patent that involves using eye-tracking technology to infer facial expressions using machine learning in VR. The tech could help make virtual reality a whole lot more immersive than it already is, which is one of the big problems facing consumer VR.

Christian de Looper     November 1, 2018

Oculus VR could upgrade the Rift with a new display in 2019

Oculus may release a new version of its Oculus Rift headset in 2019, though it won't be a Rift 2. The new rumor calls the design the Rift S, and suggests it will have a better display and ditch the external constellation tracking cameras in favor of simpler and arguably less accurate, inside-out tracking.

Jon Martindale     November 1, 2018

From the road to your wrist, see how Android has evolved over the past 10 years

Android started out as just a mobile operating system, but 10 years in it's pretty much everywhere. Check out our round-up of all the different Android variations that have cropped up so far, and what might be coming in the future.

Rose Behar     October 31, 2018

Following the Portal, augmented reality glasses may be Facebook’s next step

Facebook confirmed in an interview on October 24 that it is working on its own AR glasses, Following the launch of its Portal smart display, the move signals the social media giant could be challenging both Apple and Google to rise up in the hardware scene. 

Arif Bacchus     October 26, 2018

With flip-out lenses, the Vuze XR transforms from 2D to 180-degree VR camera

The Vuze XR is a compact, dual-lens camera with an integrated handle and a neat party trick: The back-to-back lenses can flip forward to transition from 360-degree, two-dimensional video to 180-degree, three-dimensional video. The camera is slated to launch by the end of the November for around $400.

Daven Mathies     October 25, 2018

What’s it like to die? This VR experience puts doctors in a dying man’s shoes

A new virtual reality experience by LA-based studio Embodied Labs depicts the end-of-life experience for a 66-year-old cancer patient. It is already being used as a teaching tool in hospices and medical schools. But can VR really make us more empathetic? A recent study says yes.

Luke Dormehl     October 23, 2018

Intel’s augmented reality brings Red Bull Rampage into your living room

The extreme mountain biking action of Red Bull Rampage is coming to your living room (or office, or kitchen) thanks to the power of augmented reality and 360-degree video. Fans can load a scale replica of the course in their mobile devices and follow their favorite riders as they careen down the cliffs.

Daven Mathies     October 23, 2018

Facebook’s reported Rift 2 cancellation caused a rift with Oculus executive

There's new speculation that Oculus co-founder and Facebook executive Brendan Iribe may have quit after differences in vision. It's reported that Facebook's cancellation of the Rift 2, the successor to the original Oculus Rift, may have precipitated the rift between Iribe and the social network giant.

Chuong Nguyen     October 23, 2018

Samsung’s HMD Odyssey Plus gives you a clearer view into the virtual world

Samsung is refreshing its Windows Mixed Reality Headset with its HMD Odyssey+ this year. The new model ships starting today for $500, and promises to deliver a better mixed reality experience thanks to Samsung's new Anti-Screen Door Effect technology. The headset is also more comfortable with better ergonomics.

Chuong Nguyen     October 22, 2018

Microsoft patent highlights a potential VR text input system

Microsoft has been awarded a patent for a new typing method in virtual reality and with console gamepads that leverages a radial wheel. The system has trappings of the Microsoft Surface Dial and could prove a more intuitive way to type out long messages while using virtual reality motion controllers.

Jon Martindale     October 18, 2018

These gloves will make virtual reality feel even more immersive

Virtual Reality can be a truly immersive experience, but a touch of an object in the virtual world doesn't quite equate to a physical touch you would expect. That is exactly what scientists from EPFL and ETH Zurich have worked to address with newly developed thin and light VR gloves. 

Arif Bacchus     October 17, 2018

Here’s how Microsoft’s Hololens is helping NASA build the new Orion spacecraft

Lockheed Martin is turning to Microsoft’s mixed reality Hololens smartglasses to help its technicians build NASA's new Orion spacecraft, which could one day help rocket astronauts as far afield as Mars. Here's how it's helping them replace dusty old, 1500-page paper manuals.

Luke Dormehl     October 15, 2018

HTC Vive review

The Oculus Rift may have brought virtual reality into the public eye, but HTC’s Vive, built in partnership with Valve, does it better. Does the Vive still represent the true future of virtual reality, or are there better competitors on the market?

Jaina Grey     August 23, 2019

3D Facebook photos jump out of the newsfeed, no glasses needed

You're not seeing things -- that photo in your Facebook newsfeed is 3D. Launching today, 3D Facebook Photos use the depth maps from dual-lens smartphones to add dimension to an image as you move your phone. The effect is an image that pops as you scroll, without any specialty gear (unless you want to use your Oculus).

Hillary K. Grigonis     October 11, 2018

No longer a gaming novelty, VR gets acceptance letter from Arizona State

Students at Arizona State University are getting an unexpected added extra for their tuition money this semester: A virtual reality headset for their course. Here's why -- and how -- one of the United States' most innovative universities is choosing to embrace the world of VR.

Luke Dormehl     October 9, 2018

Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift 2: Everything you need to know

The once named Oculus Project Santa Cruz is now officially available as the Oculus Quest. It is designed to offer PC quality VR without the need for a PC, but is it a true Rift successor, or something more akin to the Oculus Go? Really, it's somewhere in between. Here's everything you need to know about the Oculus Quest.

Tyler Lacoma     October 7, 2018

The Facebook Red Manifold shows what 360 content from 16 8K lenses looks like

Hollywood videos are about to get the same movement possible in virtual reality video games. The Facebook Red Manifold is a 6DoF camera that uses 16 8K sensors from Red to capture 3D video with enough data to move in. So what's 6DoF cinema look like? Here's the first video from the Manifold.

Hillary K. Grigonis     September 27, 2018

The $400 Oculus Quest brings more power to untethered VR gaming

Oculus announced its latest stand-alone virtual reality headset offering, the Oculus Quest, at its Connect 5 keynote. Aimed at bridging the gap between the Oculus Go and Oculus Rift, the new Quest headset is intended to deliver a more immersive VR experience without the need for a powerful PC.

Michael Archambault     September 26, 2018

Flying could feel more like going to the movies with VR headsets and headphones

How do you make air travel feel like not flying at all? Put a screen on your face and noise-canceling headphones in your ears. Alaska Airlines is now testing virtual reality headsets for in-flight entertainment. The airline isn't making promises for a big rollout, but is trying the gear out this week.

Hillary K. Grigonis     September 24, 2018

Tap Strap wearable keyboard gains support for VR applications

TAP System's wearable Bluetooth keyboard and mouse system gains support for virtual reality, now compatible with Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift, and HTV headsets. Type and tap for up to eight hours in VR, sitting or standing, without needing to look at a physical keyboard to accomplish your tasks.

Michael Archambault     September 20, 2018

Facebook appears set on crafting custom silicon for augmented reality devices

Facebook is recruiting -- and it's seeking to hire engineers and designers to assist its Silicon team with the process of crafting custom chips for augmented reality (AR) devices and applications. This development seems to support speculation that the company is looking to produce AR glasses.

Michael Archambault     September 18, 2018

Firefox Reality wants to bring the ‘whimsical web’ to VR

Mozilla launched a VR-powered web browser today called Firefox Reality. But just what does browsing the web in VR feel like? And more importantly, why would you want to surf the web with a VR headset attached to your face? We went hands-on with this new browser to see how Mozilla imagines the future of VR content.

Luke Larsen     September 14, 2018

Oculus Rift review

Oculus inspired a new generation of virtual reality headsets with its incredibly successful Kickstarter. Now that the Rift has been available for a while, is it still the standard, or have successors like the HTC Vive Pro surpassed it? Let's take a look at how the Rift stacks up to its recent competition.

M. Smith     April 25, 2023

This cockpit-style simulator will make your VR experiences more immersive

Are you a VR fan, who wishes the whole virtual reality experience could be made even more immersive? Do you want a cockpit-style gaming chair that looks like something a Star Trek captain would sit in? If so, this new '3 Degree of Freedom Motion Simulator' may be for you.

Luke Dormehl     August 31, 2018

‘Star Wars: Jedi Challenges’ review

Disney has partnered up with Lenovo for the Mirage Augmented Reality headset, which lets you play a new game called ‘Star Wars: Jedi Challenges.’ The Dark Side Expansion pack lets you become Kylo Ren and fight characters like Yoda and Rey, and there's a new lightsaber you can nab as well.

Julian Chokkattu     August 23, 2019

Lensless cameras could turn windows into sensors, even pointed the ‘wrong’ way

A research group at the University of Utah is rethinking cameras for machines and not humans. The result? A lensless camera pointed at the edge of a piece of glass, instead of looking through the glass. While there are limitations, the team suggests future use in self-driving cars, security systems, and VR goggles.

Hillary K. Grigonis     August 24, 2018

Google is making it easier for students to run lab tests in virtual reality

Google and Labster have announced a partnership to bring more than 30 virtual science labs to Google Daydream, allowing students and others interested in science to spend time in a lab or out in the field without having to find and book a lab in real life.

Christian de Looper     August 28, 2018

Oculus ‘Santa Cruz’ VR headset may arrive in the first quarter of 2019

Oculus may formally introduce a mid-tier VR headset during the Oculus Connect 5 conference on September 26th and 27th. This is an assumption based on a response regarding the “Santa Cruz” headset that sources now claim will arrive in the first quarter of 2019. Oculus wouldn’t comment on the rumor.

Kevin Parrish     August 22, 2018

HTC’s new wireless adapter for the Vive arrives in September for $300

Sick of tripping over the HTC Vive’s cord when moving blindly across physical space? HTC’s new wireless adapter is here to help. The good news is that you can eliminate that long tripwire and feel secure that you’ll remain on your two feet. The bad news is that it will cost an additional $300.

Kevin Parrish     April 12, 2022

Insta360 Pro 2 shoots stabilized 8K VR video that you can watch on 4K headsets

The new Insta360 Pro 2 is the first pro-grade 360 camera to integrate stabilization -- but it also packs in a host of other features, including algorithms that allow its 8K videos to be viewed from 4K headsets and smartphones. The camera can also be controlled wirelessly from up to 1,000 feet away.

Hillary K. Grigonis     August 17, 2018

VR experience shows caregivers what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s disease

Los Angeles-based Embodied Labs has developed a VR experience that puts users in the shoes of a person with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia in the U.S. It follows Beatriz, a fictitious math teacher in her 60s, who is experiencing the effects of Alzheimer’s.

Luke Dormehl     August 17, 2018