Virtual Reality is being implemented in creative design, for fitness, in medical and therapeutic settings, for business marketing, gaming, film, education, and a bevy of other uses and industries. HTC Vive announced the release of their Vive Focus standalone headset for November 11th, making it available for purchase in North American and European markets.
Vive Focus
The Vive Focus headset uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile VR Platform and inside out “world-scale tracking” which makes the headset entirely wireless. Being wire-free gets rid of the dependency on a PC to run it. Participating enterprises and venues will have less upgrading to do, saves money, and reduces set up time.
HTC Vive also announced that they’d be “including a new platform, new hardware, and new software available specifically for commercial use.” The VR headset manufacturer, who recently released the Vive Pro, says that “This launch reinforces Vive’s increased commitment to bringing best-in-class design and software expertise—paired with the world’s best VR hardware—to businesses of all sizes.”
Vive Wave and SDK
The Vive Focus standalone is also opening their fresh SDK (software development kit) to developers and studios. This is so they can begin creating new uses and content for it. This new SDK runs on Vive Wave, an open platform for developers to streamline their road to content creation for Viveport.
The new SDK for Vive Wave platform “offers an open interface, enabling interoperability between numerous mobile VR headsets and accessories, with Viveport as the universal distribution and storefront for all Vive Wave devices.”
Currently, there are over 150 VR applications and even more that will be developed with this exciting announcement. There are 15 hardware partners already using the Wave platform. Shadow Creator, who makes Shadow VR, a standalone headset and 6DoF controller company will start sales as of November 11th.
Modal, the location-based entertainment (LBE) business co-created by Nolan Bushnell of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese fame, is also a Vive partner. The LBE venue recently launched PING! At the Rio in Las Vegas with the Vive Focus. Guests essentially played the old Atari game Pong in VR without being restricted by wires during gameplay.
Vive Sync
Businesses with employees and partners in collaborative environments can now work together from around the world by using Vive Sync with Vive, Vive Pro, and Vive Focus headsets. 2 Bears Studio and Vive have created a virtual collaboration solution that helps teams of up to 20 users to work together at any distance.
Teams that use Vive Sync “share materials directly from their server such as standalone videos, presentations, and 2D & 3D assets. In addition, Vive Sync’s 3D drawing capabilities allows users to mark-up and interact with these materials while the ability to easily take screenshots, video recordings and voice to text support promotes continued collaboration outside of the virtual meeting space.”
Vive and 2 Bears Studio used this technology breakthrough for their own distance collaboration. They also promise that Vive Sync is safe and secure, so meetings and materials will not be breached. The coolest idea comes from the use of Outlook Office 365, which gives a QR code that people via email can scan with their Vive, Pro, and Focus headsets so they can easily access meetings.
