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Pokemon VR/AR Games – The World After Pokemon Go

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Pokemon Go is the augmented reality phenomenon that took the world by storm in summer 2016 and seemingly came out of nowhere, entirely unexpected. It didn’t require new hardware, it wasn’t particularly high-tech, it wasn’t space glasses from the future, and most importantly it was free! Who saw that coming? The great thing about Pokemon Go is that millions of users, young and old, have played it globally, observed others play it with astonishment, or read about odd experiences. Pokemon Go became the sensation that put digitally altered “versions” of reality on a worldmap. Literally.

So why has Pokemon Go become such a worldwide sensation?

First and foremost, Pokemon has a beloved place in our hearts. We matured with it, watched by doting Baby Boomer grandparents. Pokemon is a brand that is everywhere.

It took well over a decade since the first season of Pokemon aired for a product to come as close to our child hearts as Pokemon Go did. There are over 4 billion smartphones, tablets, and mobile broadband subscriptions. In other words, Pokemon Go came out in just the perfect time and in perfect market conditions to become the thing 2 years ago.

Also, Pokemon Go is different than Game Boy Pokemon games you played as a kid; it is especially accessible and handy with a central user loop that works for everybody.

Last, but not least, it offers pure mobile experience. You can play it ‘anywhere you go’ and this is the main reason why it happened like it did. But that’s not just the key to the success of Pokemon Go. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are nowadays intrinsically mobile, and mobility has determined most of the tech innovation of the last decade.

Using VR to Escape Pokemon Go

Augmented and Virtual Reality by their very nature describee “escapism”. Firm-fitting headsets with a head-mounted display like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift VR not only serve as a conduit to another world, but also captivate your senses. This is why Niantic’s Pokemon Go basically became a social phenomenon that’s artificially real in more ways than just using the camera while catching a Pokemon.

Pokemon Go set a stage for a social paradox that encouraged people to talk to one another in reality while keeping one eye on their smartphones. This is where Virtual Reality came in. Half-an-hour spent with your eyes glued to your smartphone screen, twiddling your thumbs across the surface flicking poke-balls meant half-an-hour where you were unable to multitask or jump between numerous stimuli.

However, Augmented Reality is yet to make any real contribution outside Pokemon Go’s wild success and Microsoft HoloLens and Google Glass are only recently making its way to the developers.

On the other hand, Virtual Reality is already an established, albeit a relatively small subset of digital entertainment. There are a number of issues that need to be resolved before providing the users with a truly immersive experience. When we talk about Pokemon in VR specifically, outside of a few workarounds and mods you can use to play your favourite childhood Pokemon games using your favourite VR headsets, there are no official Pokemon VR games out there yet.

However, it feels like Pokemon Games don’t even really need to rely on accurately replicating a player’s movement by providing full immersion. Suppose you are converting one of the many regions in GameBoy Pokemon games into a fully immersive first-person experience. There isn’t any explosive action sequence or any weapons that need first-person or 1:1 tracking. You are only taking the journey and issuing orders to your Pokemon during the battle, for example. There are multitudes of VR peripherals that you can use to simulate walking and interacting with pokeballs and Pokemon. Prototype demoshave even been made several years ago, but nothing came out of those for whatever reason.

Furthermore, with functionalities like head-tracking and motion sensing, Pokemon battles could finally be played from a player’s perspective.

But the Technology is more Diverse than it Appears

  • Virtual Reality: you can only see a virtual world, the real world is blocked
  • Augmented Reality: you can see virtual objects as well as the real world. That is, you can see Pokemon in the real world
  • Immersive: tricks our brain into reacting as if your battle with Pikachu was real (offers real experience)

So, how would a proper Pokemon VR/AR game actually look like and how would it work?

  • Console/PC VR, namely PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive would make you jump out of your seat after a virtual ‘Squirtle’ swam towards you under the sea
  • Mobile VR headsets (Google Daydream, Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR) would be able to provide a visual and mobile Pokemon VR experience, but they are not as immersive due to certain limitations like positional tracking
  • Advanced Augmented Reality includes you using your Pokedex holographic display in Pokemon VR Games with transparent virtual objects in the real world.

Where does this leave Pokemon Go, ultimately?

Pokemon Go is a fairly basic AR app. It relies on the current smartphone technology, and while certainly the closest thing to experiencing our childhood memories, it’s still limited, both in terms of the game mechanics themselves and the feasibility of an even more immersive experience.

Hopefully, the advancement of VR will eventually lead to a Pokemon VR game that we can all love any enjoy. Until then, good luck with those curveballs!

Is VR Worth It?

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While VR is obviously here to stay, sales of VR headsets have been nowhere near erstwhile projections. While the PlayStationVR sold one million copies in the first year from its launch, the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift didn’t do near as well.

And that said, everyone is asking the obvious question…

Is virtual reality going to expand – or fail? (opens in a new window)

The VR market is still rather young, and consumers seem to be taking a cautious approach towards whether they buy a virtual reality headset or not.

At the moment, those purchasing the headsets are fans of new technologies, and – of course – gamers.

Last year, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook was looking at a market horizon that would continue to expand for at least 10 years, and that profitability would probably not be seen in the first phase of that decade.

However, in reality his company has made a giant step forward in bringing VR within reach of everyone with the release of the Oculus Go, one of the most cost-effective headsets on the market, and one which makes a breakthrough in VR rendering with the new foveated rendering.

The development of foveated rendering is especially crucial, since even the most state-of-the-art computers have been unable to deliver in VR the high-end graphics that gamers are used to.

However, with the new foveated rendering techniques, high-resolution graphics are rendered wherever the user’s eye is looking at, allowing for high-end graphical rendering within the same computer specifications.

Foveated rendering imitates the action of the human eye. In many ways, this is actually the breakthrough that VR has been waiting for.

When you add that to the fact that not only is the Oculus Go one of the cheapest headsets on the market, but that the prices of the Oculus Rift, the PlayStation VR and the HTC Vive are steadily dropping, you see that the main objection to VR, the high price, is being removed.

So what are we to look forward to in virtual reality this year?

Increasing resolutions, lower prices, and an ever-increasing array of games and applications for virtual reality. While we may not see a billion sales of virtual reality headsets, the PlayStation VR is bound to add at least a million sales this year to the number of headsets SONY has already sold, and with dropping prices the Rift and Vive should also sell extremely well.

So, is VR worth it?

It certainly is. At its lowest price yet, VR is certainly worth buying into in 2018.

A world in virtual reality

The fact that VR gaming is expanding so exponentially is just the tip of the iceberg. The military are intensifying their use of VR in training, the medical fraternity is using VR not only to train people but even conduct sensitive operations.

Companies around the world are latching on to the relatively low-cost training opportunities that VR provides. Real estate dealers show clients around in VR, while furniture firms use VR to let you see just how a piece of furniture will look in your home before you buy it.

Windows Mixed Reality

No exploration of the future of VR would be complete without taking a look at mixed reality headsets. There are good many of them available from companies that include Acer, HP, Lenovo, Dell and Asus.

All these headsets meet the criteria set down by Microsoft, meaning that they all offer resolutions of 2880 x 1440 pixels and a field of view of 105 degrees. The refresh rate goes up to 90 Hz, which means that these headsets can be used without any threat of motion sickness.

Lenovo-Explorer-mixed reality headset

All mixed reality headsets come with two mixed reality motion controllers, which are wireless.

Most of these headsets are relatively cheap and are the first in the wave of the future, where people regularly do things in virtual reality that are now done with a mouse and keyboard.

This can include using apps and mixed reality experiences that allow for sculpting in virtual reality, educational programs, employee training and much more.

Windows Mixed Reality has the greatest potential to bring all the benefits of virtual reality to everyday life.

Check out the best Windows MR deals here

The Oculus Rift

In 2018 the Oculus Rift remains one of the best headsets on the market, with its dual screens delivering a resolution of 1080 x 1200 pixels to each eye, which comes to a total of 2160 x 1200 pixels in all. It has a refresh rate of 90 Hz.

While the Oculus Rift was launched in early 2016 for 699 euros, those prices have dropped drastically in the last two years.

The package actually includes not only the controllers but a selection of six games as well.

Is the Oculus Rift worth buying?

Costs have fallen, and the Rift still provides some of the best experiences of virtual reality on the market today. The catalogue of brilliant games and experiences just keeps growing, and the immersion is legendary.

Check out the best Oculus Rift deals here

If you have any doubts as to the quality of the experiences provided, check out these examples below…

Lone Echo – to challenge the laws of gravity

Created by Ready At Dawn Studio, Lone Echo is an adventure game that takes place in the 22nd century. You play as an android serving in space, in a space station in orbit around Saturn. An anomaly then occurs not far from the station, and the captain of the station and yourself have to together repair the damage suffered by the station.

A patchwork of rather disparate tools will allow you to identify damage and fix the station.

Beyond a scenario worthy of the best sci-fi movies, Lone Echo stands out for gameplay that takes advantage of the virtual reality environment like no other game. Indeed, since the game takes place in zero gravity, you can move around with thrusters placed in your back or on your wrist, or by propelling yourself forward with your arms.

The game fully exploits the Oculus Touch controllers and has a very dynamic and enjoyable multiplayer mode. This is certainly one of the top VR games this year.

Robo Recall

This first-person shooter is by Epic Games of Unreal Tournament and Gears of War fame. It offers innovative and very enjoyable gameplay in an environment filled with killer robots.

With amazing graphics and some very original game mechanics, Robo Recall has been able to fully exploit the Oculus Touch controllers for an experience that is certainly on par with anything else in VR at the moment.

The Climb

The Climb is a very innovative and ultra immersive climbing VR game developed by Crytek, famous for their CryEngine graphics engine.

The game offers three different environments that are reminiscent of the Alps, Halong Bay in Vietnam, or the Grand Canyon.

Not only does the game provide a realistic climbing experience, but it is a welcome departure from the run-of-the-mill slew of shooters that seem to be the staple of virtual reality.

Marvel Powers United

While this game hasn’t been released, it is due to be released later this year and is a title that VR enthusiasts are really looking forward to.

Previews of the game show a cast of heroes that includes the Hulk, Captain Marvel and Rocket Racoon. Other playable characters on the website show Deadpool, Ronan the Accuser, Crystal, Black Bolt, Thor and Loki. A must-buy for any Marvel fan.

The HTC Vive

Born of a collaboration between HTC and Valve, the Vive is considered by many to be the most intuitive and immersive headset on the market today.

The resolutions match those of the Oculus Rift, and the headset comes with two wireless controllers.

While HTC Vive was originally offered at a price of 899 euros, you can now purchase it for 699 euros at most resellers.

To buy, or not to buy?

The Vive is a premium VR experience. With prices falling as the company competes with other headsets on the market, this headset now offers exceptional value for money and exceptional immersion in virtual reality.

Buy the Vive, and enter the domain of virtual reality in the best way possible.

Note that this price includes a free trial at Viveport, the in-house app store. The free trial will allow a user to select five titles each month from a vast game catalogue. But just how good are those games? Judge for yourself. Here are some of the most interesting titles for the HTC Vive…

Check out the best HTC Vive deals here

Blade Runner 9732

A Belgian programmer called Quentin Lengele has just brought to reality something that has been the dream of many Blade Runner fans. He’s managed to recreate the entire Deckard apartment in virtual reality.

This app will plunge you into the cyberpunk atmosphere of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, reproducing the smallest details of Deckard’s apartment, from the Venetian blinds to the dust that hangs in the air.

Look out of the window at a futuristic dystopian landscape, or enjoy Vangelis’ music inside the apartment.

Unbound

Unbound is a 3D construction program that allows you to create interesting objects in 3D with your friends.

The app allows the basics of a new creation to be worked out quickly and easily before details are added. Objects you create here can easily be exported to the 3D programs that you normally use, or even 3D printed.

BlackShield – Upora story

BlackShield – Upora story is a wonderfully detailed virtual reality shooter.

The depth perception in VR and the excellent soundscape make this an engrossing and immersive VR experience.

Shinrin-Yoku

If you’ve ever thought that meditating in a forest would be extremely relaxing then Shinrin-Yoku is the experience for you.

In this wonderful expression of virtual reality, you can wander around a forest in the North-West, and experience the relaxing effects of the verdant tree canopy while exploring and interacting with the animals and plants around you.

The experience is available at different times of the day in virtual reality, including at night. Best of all, Shinrin-Yoku is entirely for free.

The SONY PlayStation VR

SONY’s PSVR may not provide the best quality VR experience today, but the PSVR is undoubtedly the most successful virtual reality system on the market. The reasons for this are numerous.

Firstly, the PSVR sells to an audience that is already enthusiastic about the PlayStation. Secondly, SONY’s approach to virtual reality was, up to now, considerably cheaper than other options on the market, and moreover, allows people who do not possess a high-performance PC to get started in virtual reality at a much lower cost.

Do remember though that you’ll need a PlayStation camera for your PSVR to work

The PSVR offers slightly lower resolutions than the headsets we mentioned earlier, with a resolution of just about 960 x 1080 for each eye, giving a combined resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The PSVR does offer a refresh rate of 90 Hz, which can be pushed to 120 Hz in cinema mode. The field of vision of this headset is about 100 degrees.

Is the PSVR worth buying into?

The PSVR is the ultimate gamer’s VR headset. If you want a vast selection of diverse content that is regularly updated with new and interesting games, the PSVR is the way to go. If virtual reality to you means gaming in three dimensions, playing games with a realism and immersion that’s impossible outside VR, then the PSVR is the way to go.

Check out the best PSVR deals here

So what are the games actually like?

There is lots of lovely content for the PSVR, and among the best of all the available games is…

Resident Evil 7

I’m sure that anyone who is familiar with the Resident Evil series isn’t surprised that we list it here as one of the best games to play in virtual reality. If you play Resident Evil 7 on the PSVR, you’ll never want to play a horror first-person shooter on a monitor screen ever again.

Resident Evil 7 mixes the horror and action game genres perfectly, to create a unique virtual reality adventure experience.

The Solus Project

The Solus Project might disappoint people in the beginning, because the game mechanics take a little while to figure out. However, after you play it for a few hours, you realize just how much this game has to offer.

Firstly, it’s one of the few open world games in virtual reality today. You can explore every nook and cranny of a mysterious planet, including its gigantic labyrinthine caves. The game offers changing weather conditions, from exuberant sunshine to deadly storms. The weather effects are brilliantly realistic, and the tornadoes will terrify you.

The game has a fantastic sound which allows for even more immersion. With its latest patch, the graphics quality of the Solus project has become nothing short of exceptional.

Far Point

While it is rather commonplace in terms of gameplay and environments as compared to many other first-person shooters that share the genre, Far Point is one of the most completely immersive first-person shooters in virtual reality.

The fact that it is compatible with the aim controller adds to unique worth of the Far Point experience. Far Point is roughly like living the movie Starship Troopers.

Rush of Blood

Rush of Blood was one of the first games that took full advantage of the VR immersion and of the capabilities of the PSVR.

It has long levels strung with enemies, and, of course, as you progress through the game, those enemies become more numerous and more varied.

This is the game that will have you wishing there was more when you get to the end of it.

Those are some of the top VR headsets on the market, and, as you’ve just seen, the range of content for virtual reality keeps increasing with new releases every quarter. Graphics quality is also becoming very true-to-life, and exceptionally immersive.

Nevertheless, there are some exceptional new advances in virtual reality that we must take a look at. Among the most important of these is…

The Future – Pimax 5K/8K

This Chinese headset is what the future of VR is going to look like. The Pimax offers a groundbreaking resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.

The field of vision in this prototype headset is 200 degrees, which is an absolutely astonishing improvement. The Pimax does not have VR-based controllers, and a person’s movements are not tracked via external sensors, but rather via gyroscopes integrated within the headset. However, it might take a while until this technology becomes stable enough for mass market use, especially in light of the most recent news about refresh rate problems.

While Pimax 4K is hardly a recommended buy at the moment, the Kickstarter campaign for 5K/8K headsets shows you how fast VR technology is advancing. A virtual future on our doorstep.

How to Watch Netflix in VR?

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Netflix is one of the optimal and most used movie platforms for VR today. Here is how you watch Netflix with various types of VR headsets.

One thing you should know about Netflix is that it doesn’t really have a dedicated application that can work with all VR headsets. Instead, you will have to use different methods to access Netflix, depending upon what VR headset you own. Let’s start with…

Google Daydream

Netflix has a dedicated application for Google Daydream users. The application is called Netflix VR, and it is perfectly compatible with the hardware and software of the Daydream headset. Smartphones that are dedicated to compatibility with Daydream have the app preloaded. These smartphones obviously include the Google Pixel, as well as other phones, such as the Lenovo Moto Z.

Since Netflix gave priority towards developing compatibility with Daydream, Daydream offers a premier Netflix experience.

Viewing Netflix with the Samsung Gear VR

The Samsung Gear VR comes with a Netflix compatible application already installed. A small tip that you could use is to deactivate WiFi before you use the application, as this saves bandwidth.

Once you’ve launched the application, there will be a basic setup process, and then a login area. The Netflix app for the Gear VR has two modes, one of these being a very comfortable looking Virtual Lounge.

There is also something called VOID mode. VOID mode is particularly interesting as it allows you to place a movie as you wish, while eliminating the background reduces the strain on the resources of your mobile.

Watching Netflix on an iPhone based VR headset

You can watch your favourite Netflix movies on an iPhone based VR headset with the help of two very interesting apps that have to be used in conjunction. One of those apps is VR-Streamer. VR-Streamer can transfer a movie from a desktop PC running Windows to your iPhone.

Setting up tracking

You’ll need tracking for the best Netflix VR iPhone experience. To provide tracking, you will need to install an additional plug-in called Opentracker. Opentracker syncs with VR-Streamer to provide sensor information from your iPhone that can be used for tracking and orientation. This makes using Netflix that much more intuitive and immersive.

Installing these applications is a very simple process

  • First of all, you need to download VR-Streamer to your iPhone and then install it. There is a linked app for your Windows PC called the VR-Streamer Server, and you will need to install this on your PC as well. You will  also need to install Opentracker on your iPhone.
  • Once you’ve done all that, you’ll need to fire up the VR-Streamer Server on your PC. You’ll see an option that says ‘start server’, which you have to click on. This will bring up a list from which you have to select ‘notepad process’.

It might be worthwhile to save these settings as a profile to prevent you having to set them every time you want to watch Netflix.

  • Now you need to activate VR-Streamer on your iPhone and click on the ‘connect to server’ option that will come up. This will initiate the link between PC and the iPhone.

That’s all it takes

Simply slip your iPhone into your VR headset and have fun going through all your favourite Netflix movies.

If you’re having problems with clarity, simply access the IPD settings, changing them to 600. This results in a much better image clarity.

Viewing Netflix on the Oculus Rift

You can view Netflix on the Oculus Rift using either Virtual Desktop or, alternatively, Bigscreen. While Bigscreen is free, and many users think that it offers much better image clarity, others feel that Virtual Desktop is the more professional Netflix Oculus Rift app.

Bigscreen allows you various environments, allowing you to turn your living room into a theatre, or allowing you to watch movies in space.

09 How to watch Netflix in VR 1

However, Virtual Desktop allows you true 3D depth perception, as well as handing multiple display devices. I’d advise you to try both apps, and see which one suits you better.

Virtually any show or movie in the Netflix library will be accessible on your Rift. One tip while watching Netflix on the Oculus Rift is to set the screen about 15 feet or so away in virtual reality, so that it takes up a field of view of about 90 degrees.

With that distance and that field of view your virtual screen should measure something like 500 inches across, which is pretty amazing.

Watching Netflix on the HTC Vive

Both Bigscreen and Virtual Desktop are compatible with the HTC Vive, which means that the same solution that works for the Rift works for the Vive as well. On the Vive, Virtual Desktop has a distinct advantage, and provides a superior experience.

The Vive has a Desktop app as well, which is free, and which can allow you to access Netflix, but Virtual Desktop provides superior image quality.

All you have to do is activate Virtual Desktop from the menu that pops up, and a browser window opens, and Netflix is immediately accessible.

The size of the window can be effortlessly adjusted by stepping forward to press the respective button and then returning to your point of view to adjust the size to just what you prefer.

You should know that some people have reported hardware issues with using Bigscreen with the Vive, so Virtual Desktop is probably the better choice there. A paid app is not always superior, but in this case, it does seem to be so.

Top Anti-Fog Sprays for VR Lenses

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You have probably encountered issues with your VR lenses fogging up during intense gaming sessions. The reason why this happens is the difference in temperature between your body and significantly cooler lenses. Luckily, there are simple solutions to this problem, such as an anti-fog spray. For other suggestions and ideas on how to prevent your VR headset from fogging up, check out this article.

Have in mind that anti-fog spray isn’t officially oriented towards VR lenses, but usually scuba diving masks, cycling or skiing glasses. Some users report that anti-fog spray is a very effective solution for the problem at hand. Oculus, on the other hand, explicitly states that you shouldn’t use liquid or chemical cleansers, so if you are a Rift owner, proceed at your own risk!

You should also consider that you should apply anti-fog spray to the lenses every once in a while, rather than on regular basis. After applying the anti-fog spray, gently rub it on the lenses using a microfiber cloth in a circular motion, starting from the center and working towards the edges.

Jaws Quick Spit Anti-Fog Spray

Jaws Quick Spit Anti-Fog Spray is made out of all-natural ingredients. The formula is non-toxic and the effect is long-lasting. It works on both glass and plastic surfaces, and you can use it for wet or dry applications.

You can buy it in packs of 1, 2 and 3. Each bottle contains over 200 pumps. Jaws Quick Spit Anti-Fog Spray is made out of the same materials as spit gels, ensuring high performance of the gel in a convenient spray formula.

Check Out Jaws Quick Spit Anti-Fog Spray on Amazon

McNett Tactical OP Drops

Op Drops Anti-Fog and lens cleaning system is a gentle, alcohol-free cleaner made to keep all of your lenses for-free. Microfiber cleaning cloth is included in the package, but it is also cleverly designed to serve as a carrying pouch too. Alcohol-free formula ensures safety for applications on all surfaces. The formula is ultra concentrated in order to eliminate fogging up, hence you should be extra careful when applying it. It isn’t exactly the anti-fog spray, but it will help to prevent your VR lenses from fogging up just as well.

Check out McNett Tactical Op Drops on Amazon

Frog Spit Anti-Fog Spray “NO FOG” Combo Pack

Frog Spit is known to be a “green” company since the very beginning. In their “Combo Pack,” you will get everything you need to put an end to your VR lenses fogging up once and for all! All products are Earth-friendly, water soluble and biodegradable. After applying the anti-fog spray, just let it dry, which will happen in a matter of seconds. This means no rinsing or buffing is required, which makes the application user-friendly. Additionally, Frog Spit carries a pleasant tropical fragrance when applied, and is safe and effective to use on all types of surfaces, working well in both warm and cold climates.

Check out Frog Spit Anti-Fog Combo Pack on Amazon

VREAL – The Future of VR Streaming?

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In the light of YouTube and Twitch, you may be wondering yourself, why another streaming site? Well, you might be surprised when you realize what VREAL has in store for you. If you either wish to become a VR streamer or sit back and enjoy the show from the audience’s perspective, prepare for a revolution VREAL promises to make.

Everything who has ever watched a VR stream knows that it’s not ideal. It’s harder to connect with your favorite streamer while he has a bulky headset which covers his face and explores the 3D world, while you’re stuck at a 2D flat screen.

Occupied with the same thought, a young startup VREAL decided to pool their brain power and make a new technology which will revolutionize the way we perceive streaming.
NO longer will you be distanced by entire dimension from your favorite streamer, now you will be able to join him in the game, together with a group of friends and share the experience together!

Rather than converting existing 2D content into a 3D environment, Todd Hooper, CEO of VREAL decided to take an entirely different approach and has designed the software from the ground up specifically for VR.

The team has built a software development kit which provides a vantage point for every viewer, thus allowing him to explore the world for himself by re-rendering the game itself.
By providing the viewer with a game avatar with which they can fully explore the game world inhabited by the streamer, an entirely new level of connection is possible. Someone using VREAL could be standing right next to his favorite VR streamer and get a commanding position to check out whats going on, all the while chatting with other viewers.

While VREAL is made for a pretty narrow niche, VR streamers who stream to other VR streamers, with the current development of technology, Todd hopes to grab a big piece of the currently baking pie.

In his own words:“We think it’s going to be a whole new segment of the gaming industry. It’s still pretty small today, but it will have its blockbuster titles.“

His enthusiasm was shared by the investors, so VREAL is proud to announce that it has raised $11.7 million in Series A funding led by Axioma Ventures, while the total amount raised was around $15 million to date according to Crunchbase.

The feeling of watching VR in the way made possible by VREAL reminds more of being at a sporting event. You can move around in the space, discuss the game and play around. You even have some options, like being able to shrink to an ant size level and watch the game from the ground up, or you can decide to fly high and get a bird eyes perspective.

VREAL will provide developers with the option of how to support the player movement, viewpoints, and interaction, so there is no doubt that a lot of creative and new solutions how to utilize this technology will be born.

Of course, some of you may have wonder what about the support for people with mobile VR headsets, like Gear VR or Google Daydream? Or what about people without VR headset?
Well, VREAL has a graceful solution for all questions raised. While it is true that Vive and Oculus users will enjoy the fullest possible experience, with the game state sent directly to viewers machine for rendering, mobile handsets will enjoy a 360-degree video which will be rendered in the cloud.

For traditional viewing, VREAL supports the placement of virtual cameras anywhere in the game, and they can be played by the game developers, players or even viewers themselves, depending on the developer’s implementation of VREAL’s SDK.

Maybe we will even see a new form of streaming, commentator streaming since those great at this form of entertainment can set up multiple cameras on different positions and angles and stream the game to traditional 2D format while giving the best possible coverage. There is no doubt that VREAL has opened up many new possibilities in the world of gaming.

While the software is still in its alpha state, we can’t wait to see how the final product will look, and feel like!