The Best Home Interior Decoration VR Apps and Experiences

Apps & Experiences

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December 2, 2017

The Best Home Interior Decoration VR Apps and Experiences

Decorating your home involves a considerable investment of both time and money, and mistakes could be very expensive. Once you choose a shade, for example, or a particular style in furniture, it isn’t easily possible to change the design later on. Once that shade is on your walls, you’re going to have to either bear with it, or bear with the expense of a new repaint.

The same thing applies to furniture

Once furniture in a particular style that you have chosen is in your home, it’s just a question of having to live with it. The only alternative is to sell it for much less than the price you bought it at, and to buy a whole new set of furniture. That’s hardly an attractive option.

But what if you could create your perfect home in 3D, and see it in VR, making all the adjustments you needed to until it was perfect, before you actually started executing your plans in reality?

This is just where VR can save you time and money

There are a lot of VR apps around that allow you to remodel your home in Virtual Reality, where changes cost neither time no money. In VR you can experiment to your heart’s desire, until you find just the color scheme and sets of designs that best suit your taste.

Only when you’re completely satisfied need you bring the designs of your choice ‘to life’ in the real world. Of course, architects and interior decorators have been doing just this for years, usually using specialized 3D programs.

But those 3D programs were meant for specialists, and were sometimes difficult to use, whereas modern VR apps are intuitive, effortless to use, and keyed to being suitable for use by everyone. So here are some of the best VR home decoration apps around.

iStaging

iStaging is a very personal architectural app that allows you to try out different color schemes for your home, and put in different styles of furniture. The app works in real time, and the furniture is all life size, giving you a very accurate notion of what ‘feels right’. The app is very intuitive to use, and is ready to use almost from the moment that you start it up. For best effect, it will require a VR headset.

The cheapest headsets on the market today will be fine to use with this app, but it really is best if you have a headset with a strap and a Bluetooth controller. With the headset, the app provides you with a 360 degree view of augmented reality that makes interior design effortless. While the app can be used privately, it is also a great way for professionals to showcase their designs to clients. The app is compatible with both Android and iOS.

Live Home 3D

Live Home 3D is a reasonably good app for home design projects or for interior decoration, and as with the previous one, it can be used either privately or for purposes of business. This app works by allowing you to design an entire home in virtual reality, after which the design can be exported as either images or videos that allow a complete 360 degree view of various rooms. While these images and videos are best viewed with a virtual reality headset, they can also be viewed on a mobile phone or a PC, making this app very versatile in practice.

Decorilla

Decorilla is the brainchild of one of the first interior decoration companies to venture into the world of 3D. As such, this is hardly a do-it-yourself system – rather, the company will offer you designs for your home in VR, allowing you to see exactly what you’re getting, and to make changes, before anything is actually put into practice in reality.

For certain countries, Decorilla also offers considerable discounts on pieces of furniture that you can try out inside the virtual space of the app, and then buy for real and place in your home. These discounts can range up to 15% or more off the buying price.

Despite all this, however, Decorilla doesn’t stack up as well to the previous apps, as it is more a front for an interior decoration company rather than a dedicated interior decoration app for the end user.

Planner 5D

Like the first two apps we mentioned, Planner 5D is more suited to the end user. It is more technical in nature than the other apps we’ve been showcasing here, as it allows you to create a floor plan, and then create a virtual reality space of that, while adding furniture, paint jobs and textures. It allows quite a lot of variety in the decorations and detail that you can add. Best of all, the spaces you create can then be viewed easily with a VR headset. While this app is more technical than the other ones, it is also excellent for interior design, because you can easily measure spaces and work up assessments of prices while using it.

The Best Apps for Listening to Music On the Oculus Rift

Apps & Experiences

Alex Phoenix

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December 1, 2017

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The Best Apps for Listening to Music On the Oculus Rift

While there are dozens of VR apps that come out almost every day, finding the best among these can be quite the challenge. Here are three of the most popular and innovative interactive music apps around, the ones that we think provide the best complement to your favorite music in virtual reality. Never forget, though, that VR is a fast growing industry – before you know it, there will be even more VR music experiences available. Start with these, by all means, but don’t stop exploring.

VRTIFY

VRTIFY is ‘virtually challenging’ all comers to become the dominant platform for music in VR. It has a lot of features that give it the edge over other music apps out there. First of all, it allows for an extremely immersive experience that virtually puts you ‘on stage’ right next to your favorite performers. With a high-end headset like the Oculus Rift, this is truly an unforgettable experience. VRTIFY has also become a sort of hub for 360 degree music experiences, and allows you to access hundreds of music videos that you can then view in 360 degrees.

So, what makes VRTIFY special?

The answer is, nothing. And everything. There is very little that is new in VRTIFY, but what actually is interesting about the app is that it combines everything that is best in VR into a single package. VRTIFY allows you to not only experience music in VR in the best possible way, but also to explore a vast range of options that are lots of fun for the owner of a new VR headset.

Audioshield

Audioshield is an interactive Virtual Reality game that lets you play with your favorite music in a rather unique way, rather than merely listen to it. When you start up the game, the notes of your favorite songs fly out at you, and you need to deflect them with your controllers. This is rather like another similar game called Audiosurf, where you have to reach the notes of a certain song.

Audioshield creates a far deeper experience of your favorite music than other apps do, since you are, in effect, interacting with your music with your entire body. When you usually listen to music, you’re just engaging the audio centers of your brain, but when you listen to music using Audioshield, you’re bringing a whole new level of engagement to the experience, using your motor reflexes and muscle memory.

Space Dream VR

This is perhaps one of the most innovative and brilliantly original Music Visualizers for the Oculus Rift. Space Dream VR is like a visit to another reality, or another dimension, filled with strange objects and stranger life-forms. While this visualizer is quite heavy resource-wise (look at the video below and think of all the polygons being drawn), and really is in need of a bit of optimization, it is still a unique experience. Just lower the anti-aliasing if you have any problems and it should run smoothly. The program will automatically ensure that the surroundings are in harmony with what you’re listening to.

You can browse the net for music while remaining immersed in VR. As you listen to your favorite music, you can either teleport around the worlds of Space Dream, or even fly through space freely. Or you can let the program take you along on a trip across this strange alternate universe.

There’s perfect support for a range of controllers. The app is free, and is actually a demo for a game being developed by Justin Davis, the one-man team behind this whole experience. When you see those space-whales fly by, you’ll know that trying out this app was worthwhile.

As I said at the beginning of the article, there are new apps coming out every day, each more innovative than the other. Your journey into VR music applications may start here, but it will eventually have to be a journey of exploration.

Get the Best VR CPU for Under $200

Reviews

Alex Phoenix

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December 1, 2017

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If you’re searching for a CPU that can handle VR within a budget of $200, you might be surprised to know that there are a good many of them out there… and we’ll be listing most of them right here in this article.

You need to understand that most of these will only be compatible with the Oculus Rift, which has the ASW feature. This method of ‘smoothing frames’ allows you to view VR at lower frame rates, and on less powerful computers. Since the HTC Vive lacks this, the low-cost CPUs below will only work with the Rift.

There’s another thing you should remember when going out to purchase one of the CPUs below, and that is that a CPU is hardly a stand-alone component. You’re going to have to check which of the CPUs is compatible with your motherboard. We’ve listed a lot of CPUs, so there should be a compatible option for everyone. But if there isn’t, you’ll have to get a motherboard and RAM that’s compatible with the CPU. Another thing that’s important to check is whether your power supply can support a new CPU.

Besides upgrading your hardware, you can also learn more about optimizing your computer for VR, and for the Oculus Rift.

Let’s talk about a system that could work, to start with.

An i3 6100 can run VR, if it’s backed up by a GTX 1050 Ti graphics card. The graphics card is a must.. I emphasize here that this will only do for the Oculus Rift, due to the ASW feature I mentioned earlier. This system will not work well with the Vive. In any case, this processor-card combination matches the minimum specifications for VR. You’ll need at least 8 GB of RAM.

Here’s how the i3 processors can fit into your budget, in different variations.

The i3 6100 is quite cheap as you can see. The i3 8100 is even better and only a bit pricier. The i3 8350 is at the absolute end of the budget spectrum. However, that’s the best processor for VR from out of these. Which one you buy depends on what is compatible with your motherboard. These processors were Intel.

How about AMD?

AMD processors also do, but we don’t recommend them, as they’re unstable. Also, AMD processors are not compatible with NVIDIA’s graphics cards, and will instead require an AMD Radeon. Having used Radeon cards, I can say that they draw a great deal of power, and will probably require a very much more powerful power supply. And don’t even think of overclocking an AMD. AMDs are not heat efficient. So don’t overclock. Or you might end up like the adventurous guy below…

Could that really happen?

Well, probably not, but if you overclock and your AMD processor can’t properly radiate heat, it could ruin the processor. And of course, you don’t want that.

So let’s list a good number of processors that could handle VR well, within their specifications.

All of these would come within our budget of $200. All are Intel.

Two core Processors:

i3 6098P – 3 MB Cache

i3 6100 – 3 MB SmartCache

i3 6100T – 3 MB SmartCache

i3 6300 – 4 MB SmartCache

i3 6300T – 4 MB SmartCache

i3 6320 – 4 MB SmartCache

i3 7100 – 3 MB SmartCache

i3 7100T – 3 MB SmartCache

i3 7300 – 4 MB SmartCache

i3 7300T – 4 MB SmartCache

i3 7320 – 4 MB SmartCache

i3 7350K – 4 MB SmartCache

Four Core Processors:

i3 8100

With four cores running four threads, and a 6 MB Cache, this is probably the best bang for the buck

i3 8350

With four cores running four threads, and an 8 MB Cache, it’s edging the budget constraints.

So what games will you be able to play in VR with CPUs like these?

The CPUs above will run almost any reasonable game. Here’s a nice selection of VR Sword Fighting Games. Or perhaps you prefer Star Wars in VR? The fact is, these CPUs will handle just about anything out there. The main thing to watch is the frame rates – VR requires frame rates above 60 fps, or it can cause nausea in many people. If you’re not susceptible to this, that’s all right, of course. But if you are susceptible to nausea, you’ll need to lower the graphical settings of the game in various ways so that you achieve better frame rates. This is perfectly possible – people have been playing high-end games on low graphical settings on low-end PCs for years.

VR at a reasonable cost

Don’t let anyone tell you that VR isn’t possible with a processor that costs less than $200, because it is. The problem is compatibility with the mother board – that’s why we’ve given you so many options here.

You need to investigate whether a processor is actually compatible with your motherboard before making a purchase.

There’s no point in buying a better CPU if you have an old dinosaur of a computer that’s incompatible with them all.

Above all, you need to try avoid the necessity of buying a complete processor-motherboard combination. Not only will this considerably increase costs, but the new combination may not be compatible with your present RAM. And if it isn’t, you’ll have to buy new RAM as well, further increasing costs.

Your goal is to purchase a processor from the lists above that is compatible with your present motherboard, thereby not making it necessary to buy a new motherboard and RAM as well.

The 3 Best 360° VR Cameras Under $500

Reviews

Alex Phoenix

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November 30, 2017

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If you’d like to take 360 degree VR videos, the good news is that there are some great cameras available at a relatively cheap price. This wasn’t the case even a little while back, when they were far more expensive. So here are three best cameras available today that you can get for less than $500, and which can create great 360 degree videos.

The Samsung Gear 360

Are you surprised that the Samsung Gear 360 is listed here? Well, this is the 2016 model, not the 2017 one, and it’s selling at a fraction of the original price. And if you really look at the specifications, there’s not much difference between the two. If you’re searching for a 360 degree camera in under five hundred dollars, you’ll love to have this one, which the best deals on Amazon offer at less than a fifth of that. That makes this camera the finest camera on the market today – it was already the best retail camera for quality – now it’s the best deal for price as well.

Why is the Gear 360 so cheap at the moment?

It’s because the manufacturer is selling off its 2016 production line at a song, but if you compare the 2016 and 2017 versions, you’ll actually find very little difference in video resolutions and output. This low-cost deal is only likely to last so long as stocks of the 2016 production line last, so get yours right now.

It’s a great opportunity to get the Gear 360 at a throwaway price

Not only can it take still pictures at 30MP, but also movies in 4K. The photos are actually preferable, since the videos can be quite large, and the still pictures give one virtually the same impression of a place.

In still mode, you can take hundreds of still pictures with this VR camera of all the places you’ve been to, while still capturing momentous moments and gatherings with friends and family in 360 degree video.

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LG 360 CAM

This is a great camera if you want to take stunning still pictures in 360 degrees, and there are some great deals on it. The pictures are taken in a resolution of 5,660 x 2,830, which is certainly adequate to capture most scenes. The camera’s two thirteen megapixel sensors can also capture 360 degree video in a resolution of 2,560 x 1,280. Best of all, this camera retails at just over a hundred and fifty dollars, and for the price it’s a steal.

Superb app controls

Do bear in mind that this camera is designed to be used with a smartphone, and it is the smartphone app that is actually used to control the device. As a stand-alone unit, you will find that you cannot access a great many of the device’s advanced features, though you will, of course, still be able to take 360 degree photos and videos even without a smartphone.

However, if the camera lacks all but the most basic controls, the app more than makes up for this, allowing you to control such subtle things as which of the camera’s two lenses should be considered the one facing ‘forward’, as well as allowing you to take 180 degree images and videos with a single lens.

You can also choose between four operational modes, designed for different situations

There’s landscape, for daylight shoots, sports for fast action capture, and indoor and night for less brightly lighted situations. The camera switches between these modes automatically, allowing you to access them even when the camera is being used without a phone, but with the app, you can set these modes manually, if necessary. You can also set exposure and ISO settings manually, so that you can tweak your images and videos considerably to get the optimal shot.

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360Fly 4K Action Camera

This is another good 360 degree camera that is a little more expensive than the other two options, since you can get it within about three hundred and fifty dollars, unlike the 2016 model of the Gear 360, which offers a better field of view at less than a third of the price, as of the moment. Nevertheless, this is a good camera, offering high detail, and at a reasonable price. It takes pictures in a resolution of 2880 x 2880.

An excellent image sensor

It has a 16MP sensor, which gives it slightly better quality than other options on the market. It is also very sturdy, and very water-resistant, which makes it a great option when traveling or going hiking. The only possible negative is that it has only one lens, rather than two, like some of the other options we’ve mentioned. This means that, while it does give you a 360 degree field of view, that field of view is limited to 240 degrees in the over-under range.

What this amounts to is that you will be able to look all around, and overhead, but not at the ground at your feet. On the other hand, this arrangement creates seamless videos in better quality without the ‘stitching artifacts’ often evident in other 360 degree cameras. The camera has an on-board 64 GB storage that will allow you to save three hours of video at the highest resolution. The camera’s battery will keep it recording for one and a half hour.

When looking over 360 degree cameras, pay attention to resolutions

There are actually a lot of cameras on the market, and while the ones we’ve mentioned above are excellent options, you can explore others. There are a great many around, that offer a host of features at a reasonable price. Pay very close attention to the still and video resolutions that a camera you’re considering offers, however, because there are a lot of cheap ‘VR’ cameras on the market that do offer 360 degree video, but at such a low resolution that it defeats the purpose. Balance price and resolution to find just what you need!

Though I honestly believe that the Samsung Gear 360 is the best offer you could possibly find at the moment, and the deal that offers the best quality at the lowest possible price.

I don’t think we’re going to see that combination of price and quality any time in the immediate future, and I honestly recommend that you take advantage of this price right away.

It’s not often that you can really call a product ‘a steal,’ but at the price it’s presently going for, this one definitely is.

The Best Affordable Steering Wheels For VR Headsets (PSVR, Oculus Rift & HTC Vive)

Reviews

Soledachef

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November 29, 2017

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The Best Affordable Steering Wheels For VR Headsets (PSVR, Oculus Rift & HTC Vive)

There were always a few hardcore fans of driving simulator games, simply because in order to fully appreciate the experience a game like DiRT Rally has to offer, well, you have, besides already having purchased a high end VR headset, invest additional funds into some of the appropriate steering wheels for VR, but also in a proper rig to set your cockpit up. But if you are one of the few still standing fans, you know it’s well worth it! I mean, come on, just look at this guy!

Since inception of virtual reality it was obvious that this new tech may resurrect the nearly extinct racing simulator genre. Anyone who has ever played games using racing simulator peripherals could never go back to playing on gamepads or, God forbid, a keyboard! Virtual reality paired with a proper race gaming gear turns out to be incredibly immersive and satisfying experience.

We are gonna throw a few quick suggestions at you on how to set your hardware up into a respectable cockpit simulation, just in case you are thinking about purchasing your first ever racing peripheral.

Then we will present the VRBorg’s list of best affordable VR steering wheels available right now.

A beginner’s guide for setting up Steering Wheels for VR

Firstly, you want to make sure you don’t get just a steering wheel without pedals and a gearbox. Having this in mind, you need to ensure you are well seated, in a comfortable chair and dedicate the spot on the ground, i mean literally on the floor, where you will set up digital driving playground.

If you can figure out a way to construct the rig yourself, well you are probably a smart and creative person. There are many DIY ideas and some look incredibly simple, yet effective. However, during long gaming sessions comfortable, yet sturdy seat and a realistic driving position are crucial for achieving complete immersion. The choice of your steering wheel rig is entirely up to you. Just make sure it doesn’t cause any back pain.

While it must feel amazing to build the VR steering wheel rig yourself, many of us don’t have the time or the prowess to do so. Luckily for us, there is a huge offer of both steering wheel stands and seats available on Amazon. We are pretty sure that after some browsing, you will find just the right deal.

Best 3 Affordable Steering Wheels for VR

Well now that you have taken care of where to mount your VR steering wheel, it’s time to actually decide which one you want to purchase.

Thrustmaster T150

Thrustmaster T150 is the most affordable steering wheel from the Thrustmaster T series. It is a great entry point for someone who is a newcomer to the world of racing sims. The steering wheel provides a powerful force feedback for much less money than the competition. The wheel is rubber-coated and even as the feedback has a serious pull to it, it remains sturdy and won’t slip from your grip.

The pedals however are pretty basic, and not as impressive as the wheel itself. It is a two-pedal plastic setup but you can upgrade them separately from the wheel. You can also go for Thrustmaster T150 PRO version, which features 3-pedal 100% metal pedals set. This is the cheapest VR steering wheel available, so if you are on a limited budget, this is a perfectly reasonable choice, offering a solid performance.

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Thrustmaster T300RS

The Thrustmaster T300 RS is a best you can get for PS4 or PC in under $400, and also gives you a taste of what $500+ high-end steering wheels feel like. This is as high-end as you can get for the given price, and there are few to none reasons not to recommend this steering wheel for VR.

Thrustmaster T300 RS is perfectly mapped for PS4 which provides a realistic driving experience. This is something that you’d expect, since it is an officially licensed PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4 racing simulator. The belt system which is responsible for the wheel turning mechanism received some improvements compared to the T150 version. Force feedback, while still very powerful, feels a lot smoother and realistic. Rotation angle is adjustable from 270 to 1080 degrees.

Pedals are fully adjustable and also feature metal parts. However, it is a 2-pedal setup and, just like for the Thrustmaster T150, the build quality of the wheel is far superior to that of the pedals. Regardless, Thrustmaster T300 RS is definitely one of the best steering wheels for VR that you don’t have to spend a fortune on.

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Logitech G29

Logitech G29 Driving Force is a force feedback wheel designed for PS3 and PS4 (also works on PC). There are few reasons why you might choose Logitech G29 over the aforementioned Thrustmaster T300RS, besides the obvious – it is cheaper.

Firstly, the leather padding over the wheel feels a lot better then the rubber and plastic coating of the Thrustmaster’s racing simulators. Additionally, Logitech G29 features a much better made pedal-board – a full metal 3 paddle system.

There are of course, a few flaws as well. The force feedback system isn’t as smooth as it is with the Thrustmaster T300 RS, and may seem “glitchy” at times. Also, the design with bunch of brightly colored details may be a thing not everyone enjoys, but since you’ll be wearing you VR headset, why bother with the minor design flaws. The wheel feels great in one’s hands and the pedals are generally better than the Thrustmaster’s – and yeah, for less money!

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Steering Wheels for VR add-ons

We have previously established that all things considered Thrustmaster makes better, more precise standalone wheels, which provide more accurate force feedback. The only thing Logitech has on the wheel itself is the leather padding compared to the rubber/plastic of the Thrustmaster T series, but the Logitech’s included pedal-board is of a better build quality. You can however, for some extra cash, upgrade your Thrustmaster racing simulator to a high end gadget.

Thrustmaster VG T3PA-PRO

A realistic 3-pedal add-on set for Thrustmaster steering wheels adds that one missing component. And if it costs an additional $100 to achieve the completely satisfactory driving simulation experience – well you probably already know it is well worth it!

The gas pedal can be adjusted to 4 positions, while the brake and clutch pedals have 3 positions available for each. This allows you to set the rig up for both F1 and GT racing styles. Not only the pedals are full metal. The footrest is also made out of this material and the non-slipping is granted. It is compatible with Thrustmaster T series, starting from the Thrustmaster T300 RS. If you decide to purchase a newer steering wheel from the series in future, you should definitely consider purchasing this add-on.

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