Google Cardboard is one of the most affordable Virtual Reality options available today. Not only is it relatively cheap, but Google has gone all-out to create a vast range of educational movies and apps for Cardboard.
It’s not too much to say that Cardboard is at the very forefront of VR today, and one important reason it is so is because it’s cheap!
Google Cardboard itself is exactly what its name implies.
It is a cardboard headset with lenses that allows you to use the display of a Smartphone or iPhone as a Virtual Reality headset. As far as using existing technologies that many people possess to create accessible Virtual Reality is concerned, Google Cardboard is virtually a work of genius.
If you’ve put together Google Cardboard and like the experience, the next thing you need to do is…
Get a Bluetooth Controller
There is such a vast range of games and apps available already for Google Cardboard that you could spend a long time going through them and never explore them all. But a great many of these games can be quite clumsy if you try to play them using the magnet button.
This is not very expensive, and it will connect with your phone to leave your hands completely free.
Do bear in mind that you’ll need a Google Cardboard model that has head straps if you do this, since your hands will now be occupied with the controller.
How to conserve your battery when using Google Cardboard
It goes without saying that playing a complex VR game can drain a lot of energy from your phone. While this is unavoidable to some extent, using the Smartphone’s airplane mode can go a long way towards conserving resources, because the phone uses a lot of energy while scanning networks.
In airplane mode it shuts down those activities, conserving your battery and letting you use your VR for longer periods of time. Do remember that if you use your phone in airplane mode, you should download apps well in advance before trying them out.
Using the phone correctly with Cardboard
A good many people don’t place the phone in the Cardboard system correctly, and then have problems with how Google Cardboard works. Placing the phone is really very simple, just remember that the top of the phone must align with the left side of the Cardboard device. If you do not do this, one of the most obvious issues you will have is not being able to use magnet button.
Try a swivelling chair
Since Google Cardboard is so intuitive, you might find that using it while in a swivelling chair allows you to access the whole experience in a very convenient manner, allowing you to look around a 3D Virtual Reality scene simply by swivelling your chair about. You’ll find this quite an interesting experience.
Common Google Apps take on a whole new Dimension!
Some of Google’s most popular apps are designed to work in VR, though many people may not realize this. Here are two things to do when first start using Google Cardboard…
Capture important moments in Virtual Reality
Google has an app for the Android called Cardboard Camera. The Cardboard Camera app allows you to capture an entire scene in Virtual Reality. Not only will the scene have three dimensional depth, but it will also have sound as well. You can then view those scenes using your Google Cardboard device, or send them to friends and share important moments of your life in Virtual Reality.
Now, the same Street View is available in Virtual Reality, which means that you will be able to look at famous buildings, and in some cases even explore the insides of famous buildings, not only in a panorama, but in Virtual Reality, which means that you will actually be able to see the scene in 3D.
But did you know that Google’s Street View can take you places you never expected it to?
Yes, Google ‘street view’ now operates underwater at the Australian barrier reef!
The Barrier Reef too tame for you? How about a real Lava Lake in an active volcano?
While Google’s interesting range of VR apps are only some of the most obvious things to do using Google Cardboard, we mentioned these because not many people realize that Google Cardboard allows you to view pictures that you take in Virtual Reality, and explore the world using Google Street View in Virtual Reality.
Haven’t tried Cardboard yet?
If you haven’t tried Google Cardboard yet, I would suggest you get yourself a headset today, because it’s cheap and accessible, and because Virtual Reality is really going to be a part of the future of both PC and Smartphone technology on this planet.
And if you aren’t conversant with the future, you may get left behind when it becomes the present.
So you have returned from your summer vacation brandishing couple of thousand photos (I’m not judging) many of which are 360 photos which also hold a sentimental value, and naturally you would like to edit them or just go over them on your Mac. But, alas, you run into some difficulties and maybe give up at first. Fret not, here we break down the process into a couple of easy steps.
So, what are 360 panoramic images
360° panorama is a photo with a 360-degree viewing angle, with the viewer feeling like standing in centre of the place and looking all around, especially in photography. So how do we go around viewing them on a Mac?
For this step-by-step tutorial, we recommend using Arcsoft’s Panorama Maker. Use Panorama Maker to open a 360 photo first.
After you have your photo, press preview, which will bring you in full screen mode where you can examine your photo.
Try to navigate around the photo. Isn’t it easy?
Other method to have 360 panoramic view is to save your panorama photos with Panorama Maker in .Move format (QuickTime format) and view it with Apple QuickTime software. PTV Viewer is a supported output format in Panorama Maker, and you can also embed photos in web players using Flash.
If, on the other hand, you are interested in 360 degree photo and video editing you could use GoPro VR player which is widely used by lots of people and is readily available for all platforms. You can see a great tutorial here:
However, if you are only interested in watching 360 degree photos on your web browser, you will have a bit more of a job to do. Safari 10 has moved the Apple QuickTime Internet Plug-ins into a Disabled Plug-Ins folder, but it has a support page. To help you enable the QuickTime Internet Plug-ins:
Once you follow the directions, restart Safari. QuickTime is still not enabled for Safari 10.
In Safari Preferences: Security panel, click the following Plug-in Settings button: Internet Plug-ins -> Allow Plug-ins -> Plug-in Settings.
This will reveal a panel with QuickTime Version 7 unchecked. Check it, select it, and then set When visiting other websites to either Ask, or On, and then click Done, and close the Preference panel. QuickTime should now be available.
This would be the easiest route to fulfil the desire to watch your summer vacation photos on your Mac. I hope it has been helpful and that the time spend rotating around yourself on a hot Caribbean beach was worth it in the end.
“Don’t buy PSVR, it’s a complete waste of money and time”said no gamer or VR enthusiast ever!
Most of you reading this would probably fit in least one, if not both of the aforementioned categories, but lets just stop for a minute and try to approach the topic at hand objectively. If you just want the concise answer put in just one sentence then – Yes, you should probably buy PSVR! But we don’t want to prematurely rush you into a serious decision and expect you to just take our word for it, therefore we will present the pros and cons of PSVR – a high end virtual reality headset that has already found its place in over 1 million homes worldwide.
Reasons to buy PSVR
Firstly, we assume that you already own PlayStation 4, the prerequisite for the PSVR. In order to enjoy high-end virtual reality content, you need to connect your PSVR to the PS4 via the adapter box. You can then enjoy the titles purchased from the PlayStation Store.
Ease of setup
While installing HTC Vive or Oculus Rift with all the additional equipment may induce frustration and takes quite some time, setting up PSVR is a piece of cake. It is essentially plug and play. Additionally, PSVR, with all the accompanying devices takes up much less space than the high-end PC VR devices.
It’s relatively “cheap”
Standalone headset is currently sold for ~$290, without the camera. With the PSVR camera included, it’s ~$390. The whole bundle, which includes PlayStation VR Move Controllers, PSVR camera, a PSVR game, and the headset costs $449.99. This may not sound cheap at all, but considering that the HTC Vive costs around $600 it turns out to be a pretty good deal. Oculus Rift, on the other hand, is now selling the headset together with the Oculus Touch controllers for $399. It may seem like a better price, but bear in mind that investment in your PC configuration in order to smoothly run the high end VR headsets may cost you up to several hundreds or even a thousand dollars. You won’t have to ever worry about upgrading your hardware if you purchase PSVR.
Great games, huge community
To cover the community part first, PlayStation already established a huge market of players with their existing PlayStation store. What this basically means is that the developers will be ready and willing to produce games specifically for PSVR in the future, since it has already found its way to the homes of over a million proud owners.
On PlayStation Store, you can find plenty of amazing games, like Batman: Arkham VR, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard but also many more interesting titles. If you think that these VR games are “so last year”, maybe the announced release of Claws –The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (available for pre-order) for PSVR platform is something that might attract your attention.
Performance
PSVR offers highly immersive and enjoyable high-end VR experience to its users. We already mentioned the benefit of not having to worry about investing in your hardware as you would probably have to if you wanted to smoothly run Rift or Vive on your PC, all the games are developed to support the existing PS4 specifications frame.
This being said, the differences in overall performance compared to the PC counterparts are insignificant. You will also never encounter glitches which you might on PC platforms due to your hardware’s inability to timely process the data from the virtual worlds.
Reasons NOT to buy PSVR
Now that we’ve perceived all the good things about PSVR, it’s time to point out a few downsides of this overall amazing piece of technology.
Headphones aren’t included
And this doesn’t go just for headphones, as you also have to purchase PSVR camera and PlayStation move controllers in order to enjoy virtual reality in a proper way. PlayStation Move Controllers and the camera are however included in the PSVR bundle, but you will have to buy headphones separately.
The manufacturers seized the opportunity and created several PSVR audio peripherals specifically designed to fit over the headset. Make sure to check out our list of best headphones for PSVR in order to find a suitable solution for this issue.
Move Controllers are OK, but…
…they just don’t feel as natural as Oculus Touch or Vive Controllers do. With Rift and Vive controllers seem like an extension of your hand that’s been missing, but with PlayStation Move Controllers this isn’t really the case. You can play most PSVR games with your regular DualShock4 controllers, however for the vast majority of games the use of Move Controllers is highly recommended.
On the other hand, the PlayStation Aim Controller which can be purchased separately, is designed for PSVR games. It’s a great peripheral that takes first person shooter experience to the next level!
Not a room-scale VR experience
PSVR camera can only cover a certain, fixed area in order to achieve precise 1-to-1 positional tracking. If you get your kicks out of just sitting or standing still and turning your head around in virtual environments, this wont really bother you.
If you however want to walk and move around more while immersed in virtual-reality, the Rift and the Vive offer precise full room scale positional tracking.
Conclusion
All things considered, playing games or watching videos using PSVR is a blast! Sony’s device is a great introduction to the high-end virtual reality for new users, but also a good choice if you’ve been using only mobile VR devices so far.
If you are already a PS4 owner and want to experience high-end virtual reality, but don’t have a beastly PC configuration, the logical choice is purchasing PSVR. If you get it in a bundle with Move Controllers and PSVR camera, the only expense in the future will be buying camera extension cables and headphones, which cost around $50. Eventually, you may want the PSVR Aim Controller as well, which is rather cheap and can be purchased for $60.
To make things better, PlayStation VR Skyrim bundle is now available for pre-order. As you can see, whatever your choice is, it won’t break the bank, so shop away!
For a long time firing your weapons in first person shooter (FPS) games was limited to using your mouse or console controllers for the most part. However, some of you may remember the legendary Duck Hunt on Sega Mega Drive where you’d use a peripheral gun controller and were able to shoot down the ducks flying around your TV screen, back in the mid 90s.
Today, virtual reality technology takes FPS games to the completely next level. However, for some using just the controllers your headset came in package with just isn’t enough.
We wanna feel like we are shooting a real gun, therefore we present you with a list of best bluetooth VR guns currently available on the market.
PlayStation VR Aim Controller
The PlayStation VR Aim Controller comes in the bundle with the PSVR game Farpoint, which is the only game currently compatible with the Aim Controller. Sony announces the support for additional games in the future though, like The Brookhaven Experiment, Dick Wilde and ROM: Extraction.
Playing shooters on your PSVR with a regular gamepad, while enjoyable and immersive, may have left you with an impression you were missing a crucial element. In this case, PSVR Aim controller could quickly become your favourite PlayStation VR peripheral.
On The Aim Controller you will find all the buttons that DualShock controller features. The position of buttons feels natural, and is organized in such way that will make it fairly hard to press the wrong one by accident.
PlayStation VR Aim Controller is ergonomically designed for two-handed use, and is surprisingly lightweight despite its solid form. After prolonged use and shooting inside Farpoint, your arms will probably get tired, but it seems that designers have ideally thought out the weight of the controller – if it were any lighter, it could give away the wrong impression that it’s cheaply manufactured.
The Aim controller is charged through standard USB cable, like the DualShock4, and the battery can last for surprisingly long amounts of time. Additionally, the controller has a built-in “recoil” mechanism which creates satisfying vibrations when you shoot from your weapon of choice.
The Verdict
The PSVR Aim Controller has only one downside – it is currently only compatible with the sci-fi shooter Farpoint, which it integrates perfectly with. Its 1:1 tracking provides a much needed direct contact with your virtual surroundings, lightweight design, smartly placed buttons and recoil feedback make it a must-buy for any true PSVR FPS fan. Let’s just hope that more game developers decide to support it as soon as possible!
PP Gun Controller for HTC Vive is a first ever gun shaped Vive Controller with the integrated Vive Tracker. This clever design enables the PP Gun Controller to complete the same operations as if it was the usual Vive Controller. Additionally, this also makes it compatible with over 20 of VR first-person shooter titles developed for HTC Vive, including Dead Effect 2VR, DEADLOCK, Raw Data, The Last Sniper VR, and many more. The Vive Tracker is sold in a bundle with the PP Gun Controller.
PP Gun (pad power gun) was originally designed for mobile devices and tablets, with intention to change the way you experience FPS games. You could attach your smartphone or tablet on top of it, look and shoot around while you turn in real life, as if you were physically inside the game you’re playing. The smart adaptation and integration of Vive Tracker made the implementation of this rifle to the world of HTC Vive shooters possible.
Recognizing that the core of FPS games is shooting, the designers made a realistic looking rifle, weighing 4 lbs (1.7 kg) at the length of 27 inches. The PP Gun Controller also simulates a satisfying recoil feedback vibrations as you shoot, which will make you feel like you are really in the shoes of the character you are playing at the moment.
You connect the gun and the Vive Tracker via short cable which essentially makes it a gun shaped Vive controller. The connection to your HTC Vive is wireless, through the Bluetooth. The gun features 11 buttons that can be customized for different controls that your virtual environment may require. The PP Gun controller is charged through the USB cable. To get it fully charged, you’ll have to dedicate 8 hours, while the battery lasts for 120 minutes of gameplay.
The Verdict
Currently the best possible choice if you want to achieve the complete VR first person shooter immersion. It shakes the foundations of FPS experience to its core, and basically brings the future of gaming to our very homes. If you ever play a FPS game using PP Gun Vive Controller, the sessions using regular controllers will seem underwhelming.
The company had also made a PP Gun Pistol, as an alternative to the PP Gun Rifle, but it isn’t currently available for purchase, since it is sold in series, and all the quantities get sold quickly. The same goes for the rifle, which despite the price of $680 is out of stock when you try to purchase it online. The only downsides we notice about this product are the price tag and limited availability.
Yet another HTC Vive exclusive, compatible with all of the FPS games, you just have to insert your Vive controller (not included in the shipment) in order to get started. If you are an Oculus Rift owner, don’t feel disappointed, just visit MAG P90 website and browse other amazing VR gun controller peripherals. The great thing about the MAG P90 VR Gun Controller is the simplicity of its installation, as you can see in the image below.
Manufacturers tried hard to keep the MAG P90 VR Gun Controller lightweight, so your arms wont be under much stress (only 0.5kg), making longer sessions a non-issue. The ergonomic design of this VR gun also provides comfort during prolonged use.
The build quality is fairly good, and it is obvious that the designers were very careful when choosing the materials they used to make this VR gun. The VR gun controller also features a blue LED light which gives it a stylish look.
The Verdict
MAG P90 VR Gun Controller serves its purpose perfectly – it provides a more immersive VR FPS experience. The customers’ feedback is hugely positive, hence we can conclude that this HTC Vive peripheral could be just what you were looking for. Additionally, it is far cheaper than the aforementioned alternatives, with a price range of $130-$200, depending from which site you purchase it.
Just keep in mind that you need to attach the regular Vive Controller to it in order to make it work, which is sold separately.
ProTubeVR is a company that creates adaptable VR gaming peripherals designed to improve immersion and quality of gameplay. It was the idea of one VR gaming enthusiast who was excited when he discovered the world of VR FPS.
What he came up with is essential series of tubes connected by movable joints, forming an adjustable rifle stock. In the package you also get the cups which you mount to the ProTubeVR, in which you will then fix your Oculus Touch or Vive controllers.
While the design is clever, we’d be hesitant to call it ergonomic. The idea was to make an adjustable extension that could serve for wielding various weapons, not just serve as a rifle butt, therefore the manufacturer had to compensate. ProTubeVR does however feel fairly comfortable after you’ve gotten used to it.
Your Oculus Touch or Vive controllers will remain securely mounted in the cups, and the ProTubeVR wont get in the way of your headset, or interfere with controller tracking. Installation or removal of controllers is simple and straightforward.
The Verdict
First of all, ProTubeVR is the most affordable of all aforementioned peripherals. It may not look like a real-life rifle, but when you are immersed in VR you won’t really be looking at it, so who cares right? Besides, it feels as if you are carrying a weapon as you are shooting, so it serves the purpose it’s designed for.
You should, however, be wary, because it might take you a day or two to get used to ProTubeVR, and adjust it so it fits you perfectly. Patience and trying out multiple positions are your friends here, so don’t let the frustration get the best of you!
The most advanced VR rifle available up to date targets mostly VR arcade businesses rather then single consumers. Arena Infinity Bundle, created by Striker VR will provide the most realistic gun shooting VR experience possible, but it also costs $2,800.
As we mentioned, the hardware is sold in batches to larger venues and arcades. To be fair, for $2,800 you don’t get just the gun, but also its own tracking system, two batteries, a charger dock and the company’s development software. You can however get it in bundle with Vive Tracker, which you will they attach to the gun.
Inside the gun, there are wireless electronics, battery and the haptic (kinesthetic) motor which delivers the satisfying recoil each time you pull the trigger. To add to the realism, gun is just as heavy as some of the real-life assault rifles, so you may feel the pain in your arms after just a few shots.
The Verdict
Definitely the most advanced VR gun peripheral available on the market, however the commercial version is not yet announced. Still, the Arena Infinity Bundle is now available for pre-order. We can only hope that the developers will eventually decide to make a VR gun of the same quality cheaper, and available to a broader VR fanbase.
The goal that virtual reality headset manufacturers will be trying to accomplish in near future is making their devices wireless. The ability to enjoy VR without having to worry about wires will significantly improve the level of immersion. There is an option to make your HTC Vive wireless, available today, using TPcastwireless adapter, but there are also some alternatives that will be market-ready soon like DisplayLink XR.
TPCAST Wireless Adapter for Vive
When you first get and set up TPCAST accessory, which makes your HTC Vive a wireless headset, the feeling of freedom while immersed into virtual reality will be the first striking impression. The cables which connect the HMD to your PC aren’t just a trip-over hazard, but also notably limit your movement and can make your room look like a mess unless you’ve used some of the cable management tricks. With TPCAST Wireless Adapter, you can perform more sudden moves whether you are crouching, dodging attacks, or swinging your weapons in virtual reality.
The first announced price of this HTC Vive add-on was set to $249. However, due to its 20100 mAh battery, air shipping isn’t allowed, so transport costs have massively grown. The developer Mag P90 explained the issue on their official website product page, where you can make inquiries about TPCAST Wireless Adapter, which is now sold at the price of $599, but is available for a little less than $500. In the shipment you will receive a transmitter, receiver, 20100 mAh battery and its adapter, router and the necessary cables.
In terms of video/audio fidelity and latency, the most important factors by far, TPCAST delivers. Battery can last up to 4 hours of gameplay, and charging it takes at least 8-10 hours. WiFi issues may occur with lowered connection speeds, but this is easily solvable if you press a button on the TPCAST hardware designated for WiFi usage optimization.
Wireless HMDs are the future of VR. TPCAST provides a liberating VR user’s experience, The ability to freely walk around, or even kick back and relax on your bed while watching a movie in Bigscreen may just be the thing you felt that HTC Vive was lacking.
Upcoming alternatives that will make your HTC Vive wireless
We already mentioned the device that is being developed by DisplayLink – DisplayLink XR. They had their beta version showcase earlier in 2017 at Mobile World Congress, together with the competition – TPCAST, and the general impression was that even though DisplayLink XR seemed to be up to par with TPCAST, it was further away from the market-ready version. The latest announcement by the company is that the product will be ready for sale “by Christmas“, which leads us to believe there may be some delays. Be it as it may, the best way to get freshly updated information is by visiting the official website.
Another announcement you should keep an eye on, as engadgetreports, is Intel’s wireless HTC Vive add-on, promising the best wireless VR connection up to date. Guess we are just gonna have to wait and see!
many of these games can be quite clumsy if you try to play them using the magnet button.
