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What Is the Best HTC Vive Stand?

Alex Phoenix
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What Is the Best HTC Vive Stand?

You may not wish to use the wall mounts provided with the HTC Vive lighthouses for various reasons. You might also prefer not to use a full scale tripod because your room is too cluttered, and the tripod takes up too much space. A nice alternative to these two options is an HTC Vive stand, which can take the form of either miniature tripods or of clamps that can latch onto various objects of furniture or onto door frames.

An HTC Vive Stand has several advantages

Firstly, you do not have to drill holes into your walls, which is a requisite for HTC Vive lighthouses. Secondly, unlike tripods, the miniature tripods and clamp based stands do not take up much space in a room that might already be cluttered by furniture. Thirdly, you actually turn the furniture cluttering up the room into an advantage, in that your HTC Vive stands can actually latch onto different items of furniture and so support your lighthouses.

Where you place your lighthouses isn’t all that important, just so long as each lighthouse is above the height of your head. The main criteria to consider when purchasing HTC Vive stands is that the stand concerned should have a 1/4 inch screw, and also should be very stable, so that it isn’t moved by vibrations.

The best HTC Vive stands will incorporate features such as slip resistant foam, and preferably, variable orientation arms. 

Bendy XSories

HTC Vive Stand Bendy Xories

Bendy XSories’ slip resistant foam allows them to adhere to any type of surface. This is by far the most flexible (literally) HTC Vive stand, because the three legs of the tripod can actually bend around to grip objects. This allows them to grip a piece of furniture or even wrap themselves around a pole, with perfect reliability.

The Bendy XSories are recommended as perhaps the best HTC Vive Stand because their design allows them to function as either a clamp or a tripod – or both!

Order Bendy XSories via Amazon

Anwenk Camera Mount

While tripods or poles are one option that you could use with HTC Vive lighthouses, clamp mounts make excellent HTC Vive stands as well. This solution has several advantages, in that it is affordable, does not take up floor space, and is not sensitive to floor vibrations. The Anwenk camera mount has a very versatile ball head that incorporates a 1/4 inch screw that is compatible with the Vive lighthouses.

The clamp is powerful, and can be attached to 15 mm rods, as well as to shelves, furniture, hooks, plate glass and other possible attachment points. It is made of extremely strong aviation aluminium, and is virtually unbreakable.

Order Anwenk Clamp Mount via Amazon

Haoge 11-inch Articulating Arm

HTC Vive Stand Haoge Articulating Arm

The Haoge articulating arm has been used for HTC Vive stands by a considerable number of Vive users, and is highly recommended.

It can also be used in conjunction with either of the previous two stands, for better maneuverability and precision.

The articulating arm simplifies the mounting and placement of the lighthouses with a great deal of precision, while the control knobs lock and provide for precise control and adjustment.

Not only has this articulating friction arm been used on more traditional surfaces, but at least one HTC Vive user has actually attached the Haoge articulating arm to a grid on his ceiling, where it worked very well.

Order Haoge Articulating Friction Arm via Amazon

The SmallRig Multifunction

These are some of the best articulated arms for HTC Vive lighthouses. While the HTC Vive lighthouses come with a wall mount, these do not provide for precision in positioning and thus do not make the best HTC Vive stands.

One way to create the perfect HTC Vive stand using the actual wall mount of the lighthouses themselves is to use a SmallRig Multifunction articulated arm between the wall mount and the lighthouse. The SmallRig Multifunction can also be used in conjunction with either a standard tripod or miniature tripod, or a clamp stand.

This solution adds a great deal of versatility to the mounting, and allows you to accurately choose the orientation and inclination of the lighthouses. You’ll find that experimenting with the orientation of the lighthouses allows for much better tracking.

Best of all, this accessory is relatively cost effective, and will set you back a good deal less than most of the HTC Vive stands on the market.

Order SmallRig MultiFunction mount via Amazon

The Best Xbox One Controller Skins

Alex Phoenix
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The Best Xbox One Controller Skins

If you’re using a wireless bluetooth Xbox One controller for your Gear VR, you just might find the standard black look of the controller a little bland. Rest easy, though, because that look is a thing of the past with the Xbox One controller skins that you can easily buy in online stores or on Amazon.

They are available in a range that will boggle your imagination

You can have a controller covered with epic starscapes, national flags, even your favourite superheroes – or villains. Or go for an elegant look that features brushed metal or dark leather.

Get closer to the spirit of your favourite games with an epic themed controller that will have your friends competing with you to have the coolest controller on the block.

These skins are essentially decals that you can simply paste on to your controllers

They use a special adhesive that will leave no unpleasant or sticky residue if you ever decide to remove the skin. Over that comes a beautiful photorealistic print. Finally, the print is surfaced by a laminate that is very scratch resistant. Get yourself one of these Xbox One controller skins, and your controller will never look the same again… quite literally.

Here’s a selection of some of the more interesting skins on the market today…

Xbox One controller skins – The Space Nebulae Skin

xbox controller skins 1

This one is one of our favourites, with a scattering of stars and blue and purple nebulae. Soar into those space opera VR epics with a controller in your hands that is really worthy of controlling a state of the art starfighter. The skin fits the controller perfectly, and brings it a futuristic look that was definitely lacking before.

Check out the best Space Nebulae prices here

Xbox One controller skins – The Palm Trees

If space nebulae leave you cold, the Palm Trees could been the skin for you. With tall palms silhouetted against restful pink sunset colors and soft clouds, this skin has a cool elegance that will have your friends unconsciously reaching for it.

Check out the best Palm Trees prices here

Xbox One controller skins – National Flag Skins

Want to make a patriotic statement? Or do you just like Captain America? There are Xbox One controller skins that feature a range of national flags. Stick these on your controller and make a statement of your loyalties, or simply use your controller with the latest Marvel game release. There’s nothing like wreaking havoc with Captain America’s shield when your controller actually looks the part.

Click here for the best flag skin prices

Xbox One controller skins – Blue Daemon

xbox controller skins 3 blues skulls fire ghostrider skin

If you feel that national flags are passé, you might want to go for the Ghost Rider / Angel Rider Xbox One controller skin. With the face of Ghost Rider’s ‘angelic’ nemesis leering up at you from your controller, your VR gaming sessions will never feel the same again.

Click here for the best Blue Daemon deals

For those of you who actually don’t know who the Angel Rider is (we’re not going to introduce Ghost Rider – if you don’t know him, he’ll be coming for you himself), here’s an epic fight scene between the two supernatural antagonists…

Textured Skins

If you’d like something simpler than these skins, DBrand.com has a selection of interesting Xbox One Covers. They feature a range of textures, from leather to brushed titanium, and are an interesting alternative to those who prefer an elegant surface to photorealistic imagery. This site allows you to select a matching finish for not only your controllers, but for various other equipment and accessories.

Your Own Custom Skins

FlamingToast.com offers you the ability to create your own custom Xbox One controller skins. Just go to the dedicated page on the website, upload the image of your choice, make your choice of finish, and your custom skin will be shipped to you.

Is Dell Visor Mixed Reality Headset Worth It?

Alex Phoenix
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Is Dell Visor Mixed Reality Headset Worth It?

Dell’s Visor is a MR headset, supporting the Windows Mixed Reality platform that is included in the Windows 10 Creator’s update, and which focuses on productivity and entertainment.

Elevate your VR experience

The Dell Visor integrates perfectly with Windows Mixed Reality, and uses superior technology to provide the best experience possible. Interactive tracking is built into the headset to provide fidelity and perfect tracking of movement – and which, interestingly enough, does not involve the installation of extra hardware around your room.

Perfectly crafted soundscapes allow you to actually focus on the direction and location of sounds that you hear in mixed reality. Meanwhile, the advanced controllers provided makes it easy to move in virtual spaces.

A portal to the world of your dreams

While the Dell Visor Mixed Reality headset does provide for virtual reality gaming, where you can fight robots or explore new worlds, it has also been designed to be used in a professional environment, allowing you, for example, to create a virtual office with shelves.

One can even create an entire virtual house with varied contents, in which the very walls allow you to access virtual reality travel, concerts, sports and games, or media and cultural activities.

A large range of content and apps

There’s a vast amount of content available, including 20,000 games, movies and other titles. Augmented reality can help you with your work by creating holograms that seem to exist in the real world. This can allow for 3D modelling.

There are apps that can help one to shop in mixed reality. For example, one can buy furniture online and ‘virtually’ place these objects in and around the house in the real world to see whether they fit in.

While this sort of application is generally thought to be associated with the HoloLens, the fact is that all dedicated mixed reality headsets, including the Dell Visor, are capable of it.

Balancing worlds

The Dell Visor truly delivers an out-of-the-ordinary experience with the convenience of its design. The Visor can adjust the horizontal field of view from 90 degrees to up to 105 degrees for fast transitions between the virtual world and reality. Its elegant look, combined with this ease of transition, will ensure that you feel a pleasant satisfaction every time you wear it.

Check out the best Dell Visor deals

Moving between mixed reality and the real world

The Dell Visor also allows one to effortlessly move between mixed reality and the real world. The front of the Visor lifts up to instantly allow you to return to the real world without having to take off the headset repeatedly. This makes the Dell Visor convenient for everyday use.

The combined effect allows you to genuinely feel that the virtual and real worlds are in perfect sync.

Dell Visor Mixed Reality Headset 1

Excellent resolution and visual quality

The Dell Visor has two LCD panels, each with a resolution of 1440 x 1440 pixels, which is higher than the resolutions of the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift.

The headset provides a total screen resolution of 2880 x 1440 pixels, which outclasses most virtual reality headsets.

Quick and easy installation

The Dell Visor and its associated Windows Mixed Reality platform have the fastest and easiest installation of all the VR applications available today. Installation of the Visor can be done in just about 10 minutes. If you’ve used a Mixed Reality before, your previous settings are remembered by Windows Mixed Reality and applied to the Dell Visor, allowing you to launch into immersive experiences without delay.

With the Visor, you are no longer confined to a chair or a desk within a room, and since external sensors are not required by the Visor, your mixed reality experiences begin the moment installation is complete.

The comfortable and ergonomic design allows for long hours of use

The design of the Dell Visor allows it to be used for long hours. There’s a great deal of attention paid to comfort, including padding for the head and face, a clip that secures the cable to the back of the headset, and a hoop that ensures that the weight of the headset is distributed in a balanced manner on the head, so that it is barely felt.

Click here for the best Dell Visor prices

This system of distributing the weight also ensures that there isn’t too much pressure on the nose and the cheeks, which makes the Dell Visor considerably more comfortable than many of the other headsets on the market.

The Controllers are included

The controllers are ergonomic and very comfortable to hold, and are, of course, compatible with Windows Mixed Reality. They allow you complete freedom of movement, and allow you to pick up objects or activate weapons in a game.

The controllers also have a provision for force-feedback, as well as joysticks and control buttons. You’ll find it effortless to navigate around mixed reality or to play a game with these in your hands.

System requirements

You will require an Intel Core i7 processor with 6 or more cores at the very minimum, or a Ryzen 7 1700 AMD processor. You will need 16 GB of RAM, 10 GB of free space on your hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 graphics card, or higher. A 1060 to 1070 would be even better. An AMD Radeon RX 480 or better would also work very well.

The final word – a look at the advantages of the Dell Visor

As we mentioned, the Dell Visor provides extremely high resolutions, which tend to outclass those of most VR headsets. The headset displays a refresh-rate of up to 90 hertz. Integrated tracking sensors within the headset provide for tracking of movement.

Other features of the Dell Visor include a dial to adjust the headset to any head-size, and a stain-resistant coating that keeps the Visor clean.

The articulated front screen allows the front of the headset to be raised while working. It has built-in audio output and microphone support via a 3.5mm jack. There are 4 meters of cable provided with the headset, which allows you to move around your room or office to a considerable extent without being impeded by the cable.

Should you buy the Dell Visor?

There’s no reason not to. The Dell Visor provides excellent quality and requires a very reasonable computer setup to run mixed reality, which ensures that you don’t have to break the bank while buying a mixed reality PC.

The very reasonable cost of the Dell Visor, combined with its excellent design and reasonable PC specifications makes this one of the best entries into mixed reality or virtual reality that anyone could possibly have.

Get your Dell Visor via Amazon right now

MSI VR One Backpack PC Review

Alex Phoenix
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MSI VR One Backpack PC Review

The MSI VR One backpack PC surprises with its ability to create greater immersion in virtual reality, to a level that is simply impossible to achieve with a standard computer. The device fits onto your back and is very light in weight. This MSI VR backpack is also very powerful and can effortlessly run virtual reality games in the maximum possible detail. It comes with a miniature cable that can fit the HTC Vive.

While some might think that wearing a PC on one’s back might restrict one’s mobility, in reality, the light weight of the MSI VR One backpack PC, combined with the fact that you are no longer tethered to a static desktop PC (or laptop) via lengths of wires, combine to give one an exhilarating sense of space and freedom.

The infamous wires of the HTC Vive

It has always been a recurring problem with the HTC Vive that its trailing wires tend to destroy immersion. This is because they keep tending to get snagged in one’s legs or wrapped round one’s body. The MSI VR One backpack PC – and other backpack PCs like it – are a solution to this problem that places the PC itself on a user’s back, thus, allowing for complete mobility, and thus, for massive immersion in virtual reality.

The usual constraints created by the fact that one is tethered by a cord that stretches between one’s virtual reality headset and a PC no longer exist, and one can move around freely.

Specifications and configuration of the MSI VR One backpack PC

There are several configurations available that allow you to choose between a high-end or lower-end model. The high-end model will usually incorporate an Intel Core i7-7820HK processor, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD.

The performance delivered by the MSI VR backpack is flawless

Its Core i7 processor and the NVIDIA 1070 graphics card handle the latest games quite effortlessly. With later additions of this backpack using 7th generation Core i7s, these are some of the best VR PCs on the market.

The SSD storage ensures that you need not worry about moving parts in your storage device being damaged in virtual reality. However, the SSD does not offer the same storage capacity as a PC’s hard disk provides.

Check out the best deals on MSI VR One

How long do the batteries last?

The MSI VR One backpack PC is powered by two removable batteries. It can stay powered up anytime between 60 to 90 minutes. MSI also sells an extra pair of batteries with their own charger, ensuring that you can have continuous gaming time by simply hot-swapping the batteries. The charging station allows you to charge one set of batteries while the other is in use.

The carrying case

The carrying case of this VR backpack is surprisingly light. It is flat, and attached to a sort of rucksack that has shoulder straps and a belt around the waist. The entire backpack PC weighs around 3.6 kg, which is less weight than one would have expected, and lighter than some of the other backpack PCs on the market today.

Getting started with the MSI VR One backpack PC

All one needs to do to use am MSI VR backpack is to turn it on, slip it on one’s back, and connect it directly to the HTC Vive headset. The connector on the top of the case includes USB ports, HDMI ports, and a power supply for the Vive. Since the HTC Vive comes with extremely long cables that would trail when you wear the backpack, the MSI VR One comes with USB and HDMI cables that are considerably shorter than the official ones and which completely remove the problem of trailing cables. No external adaptor is needed.

Oddly enough, this innovation by MSI has not been incorporated by many other manufacturers of VR backpacks, many of which have a problem with the long cables of the Vive headset still trailing behind the person wearing the backpacks.

Practical details

It might help to have somebody around who would be willing to help with minor adjustments when you are using this backpack PC in virtual reality. Having someone to help out in this way prevents you having to take off the headset and the backpack to make those adjustments, which could be rather a tedious process.

Actually, the short cables provided by MSI for the Vive can be a trifle inconvenient, because it becomes difficult to hold the headset in front of you, to put on the backpack, and then place the headset on one’s head. Once the Vive headset is on your head you still need to put on the headphones and plug them into the Vive socket, which is actually badly placed for this purpose. After all this is done, you still have to get your hands on the controllers.

All-in-all, it’s rather like launching your personal starship – until you actually boot up into virtual reality, that is, when the sense of space and freedom about you is nothing short of exceptional. In any case, having a friend around to help you with these tiny details can be a big help.

Click here for the best MSI VR One prices

Complete freedom in virtual reality

Once the backpack and the headset are working together, everything becomes effortless. You lose the feeling of being artificially put into virtual reality, and with all your movements being perfectly natural and being tracked in virtual reality, this backpack and headset system provides the greatest possible immersion that is possible to achieve in virtual reality.

The lack of Vive cables proves astonishingly liberating. Even experienced users of VR will never have attained the freedom of movement that this MSI VR backpack offers.

The VR One is especially suited to games where you are exploring an interesting virtual reality environment, such as in Forgotten Realms, for example. Rec Room is another game that works very well in virtual reality.

It goes without saying that paintball games are exponentially better when you need not trouble your head over entangling cables. In a game like Space Pirate Trainer, we no longer had to move carefully so as not to snag the cables, but instead, could completely concentrate upon the game itself.

Can be used as a desktop PC

For the times when you are not in virtual reality, you can also use this backpack PC as a desktop computer, connecting it to a screen via a mini-display port.

A possible downside to this product is that, unlike with a desktop PC, upgrading it might be difficult. Also, while the backpack PC does do its job, its price range might be a little beyond that of the average gamer.

Remember though, that while the MSI VR One might seem expensive, it is actually not much more expensive than most PCs dedicated to virtual reality.

It is also exponentially better suited to experiencing virtual reality than any desktop PC on the market today.

Click here to get your own MSI VR One PC Backpack

10 Best VR Experiences to Share With a Group of Friends

Domagoj Bakota
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10 Best VR Experiences to Share With a Group of Friends

Getting your first VR headset is like getting a key for opening an entirely new Universe of possibilities. But, as with other journeys, it is far more fun to bring a group of friends with you. If you have opened up the door leading to VR experiences, and are looking for a few recommendations to share with your friends, look no further. We got you covered.

1. The Lab

It very well might be one of the must-have titles on your VR headset. The Lab is Valve’s creation, which serves as a representation of all the possibilities the VR has to offer. The Lab features 8 mini-games, some of which we have covered in our previous articles, like Longbow. Out of these 4 games, 4 can be regarded more as experiences which serve to present the future of VR technology. The Lab is the best introduction to the land of VR for anyone.

DOWNLOAD: Steam

2. theBlu

By putting on the VR headset, a whole new universe of possibilities unfolds unto you, some only accessible with the aid of this new technology. Have you ever watched National Geographic documentary and marveled at the sight of majestic whales who live their mostly solitary lives while roaming unbounded across the Earths oceans? Have you ever seen the sight of a diver swimming next to one of these majestic beasts and envied him, if only for a moment?

Well, you don’t have to hire a team of marine experts, a boat and spend some time diving to experience such a sight. Now, it is yours at a moments notice, as soon as you put on your VR headset. Now you can experience the majesty of the oceans across a plethora of different habitats and stand in awe at some of Earths creatures.

DOWNLOAD: Steam

3. Audioshield

Who said that VR has to be solely visual experience will be sorely mistaken when he tries Audioshield. Audoshield is an awesome application of VR technology which blends together stunning audio and visual experience. It is surely of the best conductors of both visual and audio senses.

In this revolutionary game, your favorite music comes alive in a form of different colored orbs which you have to „fight“. The game lets you experience music like never before, giving a tactile and visual element to it, meaning the orbs sliding towards you will follow the rhythm of the song and you will get your entire body moving. It’s a memorable experience.

DOWNLOAD: Steam

4. Tilt Brush

Tilt Brush is a game with an interesting backstory. Originally, the creators were making a 3D chess application, but one day they discovered that the game had interesting side effects. As you were moving the chess pieces they left behind a trail of light. It didn’t take long for them to found out they were onto something new and exciting, and sone thereafter the Tilt Brush was born.

Tilt Brush couldn’t be regarded as a game or as an experience, it is a new way of making art. You can use it however you like, but there is no denying that you are holding in your hands a new and exciting piece of technology which will let you paint your wildest dreams in a realistic 3D environment. It is only a promise of what is to come.

DOWNLOAD: Steam

5. Eleven: Table Tennis

One of the simplest and among the best utilization of VR technology is the ability to play remotely with your friends, games which, until recently, had to be played in the real world. Table Tennis comes to mind as one of them. However, if you’re having troubles organizing the game with your friends, some of which do not live near you, or they have different schedules, do not despair, since the answer is in sight.

Eleven: Table Tennis is a perfect utilization of many more games soon to come, which will serve as a bridge between physical and virtual world. Soon, it will only take you to put on your headset and you will find yourself with your friends at any place in the world, in any environment, ready to play a game.

DOWNLOAD: Steam

6. Oculus Rooms

There is no doubt that the future of VR lies in social interactions. No other technology brings together people more closely and intimately across space as VR, since it utilizes most of your senses. The first step of VR was to immerse you in the new land of virtual reality, to surprise you with all the new possibilities that are unveiled in front of your eyes. Next step is to experience this new land with a group of friends.

Oculus Rooms is a private virtual room where you can spend some time with your friends in VR. Once there, you can decorate it to your preference and choose what you would like to do, be it gather around the TV to watch videos, play some games or simply jump into apps together.

DOWNLOAD: Oculus

7. Space Pirate Trainer

If you have ever played on of the classic arcade games and have ever wanted for them to be more immersive, well now your time has come. Space Pirate Trainer puts you at the forefront of the laser shooting, relentless droves of spaceships looking to blast you away. It’s one of the best immersive and full body experience that packs a real punch. Shoot, dodge, and blast your way through the swarm of space pirates and etch your name in the hall of fame!

DOWNLOAD: Steam

8. Fruit Ninja VR

A VR experience of the wildly popular mobile app, Fruit Ninja is a go-to place for any newcomers to the land of VR. The colorful surroundings, beautiful effects and catchy tune all serve to immerse you into the realm of virtual reality.

It’s a fairly simple and straightforward game, your job as a fruit ninja is to slice up the fruits, your mortal enemies, by using your trusty blades, but there is more to this simplicity. Soon, you will find yourself trying to figure out fruit patterns to slice multiple items at once, and maybe even more importantly, all of that physical activity will serve as a nice workout routine.

DOWNLOAD: Steam | PSVR

9. Face Your Fears

So far we have covered mostly the lighthearted content available on VR, but the realm of VR can offer much more. The reality of the experience makes it a perfect medium for horror games and experiences, and what better way to familiarize your friends with it than by playing Face Your Fears?

Set in a simple surrounding, an old plane that ferries its passengers just like any other time before, but something is not quite right this time. The engines are sounding a bit dodgy, and something is not quite right with the passengers… You will look around you, watch you every step and always be at the edge of your wits while facing your fears!

DOWNLOAD: Oculus

10. The Turning Forest

The Turning Forest is an interactive fairytale experience for all ages. Set in a magical forest, a young child stares into the eyes of marvelous creatures and together they embark on a magical adventure.

Infused with spatial audio and stunning visuals, you will be transported into a land from fairy tales and set yourself back a few years, while you experience the world through the eyes of a surprised child.

DOWNLOAD: Oculus

There you have it. No longer will you find yourself wondering what kind of VR experiences should I share with my friends, to ease their journey into the realm of VR. In this list, you will find something for everyone’s tastes, from magical fairytale lands to the horror experiences for those of a thicker skin.
The realm of VR has something in store for anyone.

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