360 rumors

Ricoh has announced a huge discount on the Ricoh Theta SC, which is now only $199 !  I don't know yet if this is a permanent price adjustment or just a discount for the summer. The Theta SC has the same sensor as the Theta S, the most popular 360 camera and almost all of its features, including the best stitching in the industry. But at $199, it is almost half of the cost of the Theta S.  This makes the Theta SC quite possibly the best value for 360 photography. Here is a review of the Theta S - almost all of which applies to the Theta SC as well, except that the Theta SC has no HDMI port, no live streaming, and has a 5-minute limit on videos.  The Theta SC has interval shooting (an intervalometer) but I believe it doesn't have interval composite, so if you want to do star trails, for example, you'll need to blend the exposures yourself using tools such as Photoshop or Lightroom. Thank to you to MS and Tony Anastasi for bringing this to my attention!

Gearbest has a flash sale with discounts on a couple of VR headsets and some action cameras that can be used for 360 camera rigs. HIGH RESOLUTION VR HEADSET: PIMAX 4K Pimax's 4K VR headset is a desktop VR headset with a 4K (3840 x 1920) screen.  The per-eye resolution is 1920 x 1920, which is significantly higher than that of the HTC Vive or Rift (1080 x 1200).  Upload VR tried it and they said that it was crisper than anything they had seen .   Pimax 4K is on sale at GearBest for $375  with free shipping. HOMAGE TO GOOGLE DAYDREAM: MI PLAY 2 Xiaomi's Mi Play 2 is a Google Cardboard viewer based on the design of the Google Daydream headset (but I don't have anything to indicate that it is an actual Daydream headset with NFC codes etc.).  It fits phones with screens from 4.7 to 5.7 inches.  It looks like a comfortable Cardboard viewer.   It's on sale for $23.99  with free shipping to the US. 4K ACTION CAMERAS ON SALE There are several 4K action cam...

Here are more info on Xiaomi's Mijia Sphere 360 camera, launched a few weeks ago on April 6, which is on sale at GearBest for a limited time. Update: here is my full review . About 3 weeks ago, Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Mijia Sphere 360 camera while Yi announced a 360 camera a few days ago.  Xiaomi and Yi, who used to be partners for the Xiaomi Yi action camera, are therefore now directly competing with each other.   Much of the attention is now on Yi, with its 5.7K resolution, but the Xiaomi Mijia Sphere should not be overlooked.  Here is some more information about it: - two 190-degree lenses, with f/2.0 aperture - video resolution: 3456 x 1728 @ 30 fps; 2304 x 1152 @ 60fps or 30fps. - photo resolution: 6912 x 3456 - ISO can be manually set from ISO 50 to 1600 in 1-stop increments - Shutter speed can be manually set up to "8" (I hope this means up to 8 seconds?) - 6-axis electronic image stabilization (3-axis gyro and 3-axis acceloremeter) - IP67 water r...

Mark your calendars: TwoEyesVR (hands-on here) will launch on Kickstarter on January 16 .  I'm still not sure about the exact price.  The reps said would be $399, but the Kickstarter draft preview still seems to show an early bird price of just $199 (???).  Even at $399, it would be the most affordable 3D 360 camera by a significant margin.  If it really is available at $199, it would not only be the cheapest 3D 360 camera but the lowest cost 4k-capable 360 camera.

The Kodak Orbit360 4k ( formerly called the 4kVR360 ) is now available for pre-order, and you can get a promo code! UPDATE :  Kodak now stopped taking actual orders, and instead will just take preorders .   If you sign up on their page , they will email you a promo code that will give you a discount. Sorry for not being able to post this morning - I've been crazy busy with all the interesting things I've seen at CES... but this couldn't wait! I've seen the Orbit360 4k and they have a demo unit livestreaming at the Kodak booth.  And it looks pretty darn good! Here are the key specs: dual 20mp sensors one 235-degree lens, and one 155-degree lens f/2.4 aperture on both lenses photo resolution: 7360x3680 with RAW format video resolution: 3840x1920 @ 24fps (desktop stitching) or @15fps (in-camera stitching). As you know, the  SP360 4k has the best video quality among all the cameras I've tested  and one of the Orbit360's lenses is the same as the one in the...

Today is the last day for the Oculus Store Winter Sale which has huge discounts on many games for Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR and HTC Vive (via Revive).  Here are the ones I've tried. I have several of the games that are in the winter sale.  I've arranged them approximately in the order that I like them (my taste leans toward casual games).  Note: unless otherwise noted , buying the Gear VR version of a game will not give you the Rift version, and vice-versa. OCULUS RIFT / HTC VIVE (before buying, pls. check for Revive compatibility ): Superhot VR : take on an army of agents, as you control time to execute perfect attacks and dodges.  I got the non-VR version of this game by accident on Steam and didn't get a refund in time, so I was pretty annoyed about paying for it "again."  But when it went on sale I did get it, and it is indeed incredibly fun.  If you have a Rift or Vive and you have any interest in action games, it's a must-download. Damaged Core : o...

The Oculus Store has a big discount on two games (both work not only on the Oculus Rift but also on the HTC Vive via Revive). Superhot VR is a motion-controlled VR version of the PC game (but with different level designs). In this game, you are a secret agent on a mission to infiltrate an enemy base.  You are armed with nothing and you face an army of agents.  But time moves only when you move, allowing you to execute perfectly timed attacks and dodges.  It's one of the best VR games I've played. Here is a trailer: Technolust is an interactive story set in a cyberpunk dystopia.  I haven't played it myself, but it looks quite immersive.  Here is a review by Upload VR: Superhot VR is regularly $24.99, and is on sale for $19.99.  Technolust is regularly $19.99 and is on sale for $11.99. Both games will work on both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive (via Revive) but please note that Superhot VR requires motion controllers ( Oculus Rift users need to have an Oculus ...

Are you considering getting an HTC Vive ?  If so, you're in luck because the HTC Vive team just announced a $100 discount on the Vive, but only for December 26 and 27 in the US (26, 27 and 28 in Europe).   Here is the announcement . I used to have an HTC Vive and was very happy with it.  I still consider it to be the best VR headset in terms of hardware because it has the best tracking and I like its headset display better than that of the Rift.   Here is my review . However, I later decided to sell my Vive and get an Oculus Rift instead because I liked many of the games for the Oculus Rift and Touch, and because the Rift has wider compatibility with Vive games compared to the Vive's limited compatibility with Rift games.  For comparison, here are my reviews of the Oculus Rift and of the Oculus Touch . Nonetheless, the Vive is still an excellent choice for a VR headset, especially for roomscale VR games.  Unlike the Rift: i) it's easier to set up for rooms...

The LG 360 Cam is available on sale for just $99 here ! Here are the main features: - fully spherical 360 camera - compatible with both iOS and Android (does not require an LG smartphone) - 16mp photo resolution - video resolution 2880 x 1440 @ 30 fps - can be remotely turned on from standby. Here is my review  with sample photos and videos.   At $99, this is the lowest cost fully spherical 360 camera to date .

The Steam Winter Sale has begun, with sales on games for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.  Some of the notable games include: - Raw Data: a cooperative online sci-fi shooter (caution: controls are awkward for Oculus Touch) - Vanishing Realms: an adventure game - Brookhaven Experiment: a horror wave shooter - Onward: a team-based tactical shooter - QuiVR: a multiplayer cooperative wave shooter - Smashbox Arena: a multiplayer shooter Here is the link:  http://store.steampowered.com/

The Oculus Winter Sale is now going on with dozens of games on sale for the Oculus Rift + Oculus Touch , and Samsung Gear VR !  BTW, HTC Vive users can also use some of the Rift software via Revive.  Plus, Steam will have its own winter sale starting tomorrow! First here are the 24-hour sales for Dec. 20 (check daily to see the different deals): - The Climb (Oculus Rift; regularly $49.99, on sale for $24.99): a rock climbing game.  I found it to be a highly immersive game. - Eve Valkyrie (Oculus Rift; regularly $59.99, on sale for $29.99): a space dogfight game. - Dreadhalls (Gear VR; regularly $4.99, on sale for $0.99): a horror survival game where you are trapped in a labyrinth.  Great for its terrifying atmosphere but I got nauseated playing it due to the artificial locomotion.  There's a demo available - try before you buy. - Annie Amber (Gear VR; regularly $7.99, on sale for $1.99): a sci-fi exploration / puzzle game, where you solve puzzles...

​There's an awesome martial arts game bundle on Steam (for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift ), with a 30% discount, and both included games are very good quality. The bundle includes: - The Fastest Fist, a boxing training game - Kunlun Fight, a licensed (!)   kickboxing game THE FASTEST FIST The Fastest Fist is a boxing training game where a virtual trainer​ holds mitts for you to hit (any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental 😀).  You'll need to use jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts, while ducking.  I tried a few boxing classes and this felt pretty similar to the real thing.  At the end of a session, you'll get stats so you can see how well you did (and perhaps help you improve over time). Here's a video by Brometheus TV : KUNLUN FIGHT Feeling good about your boxing skills from Fastest Fist?  Now try your skills in  Kunlun Fight , a kickboxing game from the same developer.  Kunlun Fight is a licensed game for the actual ep...

If you missed the Black Friday sale on the Oculus Rift (reviewed here) , don't worry!  Here are two great deals on the Oculus Rift : 1.  Buy an Oculus Rift and get a $100 Amazon gift card for free You can buy an Oculus Rift for $599 and get a free $100 Amazon gift card! (Not an Oculus Store credit.) ​ 2. Best Buy: an Oculus Rift plus VR-Ready PC for $999.98 (save $330) ​ The PC is by CyberPowerP, with these specs:  - 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6402P processor - 8GB memory - 1TB hard drive - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics with 3GB dedicated memory - 6 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 ports - Windows 10. The only hesitation I have with this bundle is the GTX 1060 3GB.  Nvidia says it is VR-Ready, but it could have difficulty with some of the more processor-intensive games.  The Rift does have asynchronous spacewarp, which enables lower-end PCs to run VR smoothly, so this package 'should' be OK but I haven't tested the GTX 1060 3GB to know for sure.  I do have the G...

The iBuypower AM690 is a VR-ready PC for $749, with free Amazon Prime shipping .  It comes with a VR-ready AMD RX480 graphics card. Specifications : - Intel Core i5-6402P Quad Core 2.8GHz Processor (3.4GHz with Turbo) | B150M Chipset - AMD RX-480 8GB graphics card - 8GB DDR4 Memory - 1TB 7200RPM HDD - USB 3.0 x 2 and USB 2.0 x 4. - 802.11ac Wireless Adapter - Windows 10 Home - iBUYPOWER Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Please note that the Oculus Rift requires three USB 3.0 ports (possibly four with the Oculus Touch ), so you'll have to add a USB 3.0 card to the AM690 if you want to use the Rift.  The HTC Vive uses one USB 2.0 port. The AM690 is similar in price and specs as the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR ($720) , except that the AM690's graphics card has 8GB of RAM while the Xtreme VR's card has 4GB of RAM.  On the other hand, the AM690 has only two USB 3.0 ports, while the Xtreme VR has six USB 3.0 ports. You can buy the AM690 from Amazon here .  Update: it's seems t...

RIGS: Mechanized Combat League is one of the launch titles for the Sony Playstation VR , and you can preorder it for $10 off from Amazon. Normally $49.99, if you preorder it on Amazon, the checkout price will be just $39.99 with Prime shipping . RIGS will be released on October 13, the launch day for the Playstation VR .

"Wow. What a deal! An HTC Vive for just $650, compared to the retail price of $799 plus shipping and tax!  The only problem seems to be that it's a long drive away. Hmm I wonder if they would ship it to me?" And that's how the bait for this scam works... If you ask to have it shipped to you, naturally you would need to pay remotely such as via Paypal or credit card. And chances are, you'll never get the item, plus you may have given your credit card number to a scam artist. How do I know it's a scam? Because they don't want to meet in person (yes, I tried contacting this seller).  Here's a similar scam: Again, $700 is a good price for a "barely used" HTC Vive.  Once more, it is in a rural area. In this case, the photo they used is the same as from another legitimate ad: Interestingly, I've only seen this type of scam for the HTC Vive (haven't seen one for Oculus Rift yet), possibly because of the higher price of the Vive.

​ You can get a brand new Cyberpower Gamer Xtreme VR , a VR-ready PC, for the incredible price of just $684   only this weekend using the coupon code CPAMD5 .  Regularly $720 (already an incredible deal), the coupon code gives you an additional 5% off. The Gamer Xtreme VR comes with: -  Intel i5-6402P 2.8GHz Quad-Core - 8GB DDR4 RAM - 1TB HDD - AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB VR-Ready graphics card - Genuine Windows 10 Home 64-bit - 6 x USB 3.0 | 4 x USB 2.0 - includes Keyboard and Mouse - free lifetime tech support I would love to get this system myself, if I didn't already have the GTX 1060!  At the time of this writing, there's also a "like new" unit for $659.33. The Gamer Xtreme VR is an Amazon exclusive and is not available elsewhere. Thanks to @tipatat for sharing this coupon code!

The VR-ready GTX 1060 graphics card is in stock at Amazon for $255 (just $5 over MSRP), with Prime shipping!  By comparison, the street price for the GTX 1060 has been around $300 to $350. This deal is not going to last! Update : yup, it didn't last.  Sold out at $250.  Now back to $292.39 + $9.63 shipping. RELATED POSTS: VR-ready PC for under $600 with GTX 1060 Brand new VR-Ready PC for $720

Vuze is the first affordable fully spherical 3D 360 4k camera, and it's the camera I'm most excited about for 2016.  It will be priced at $799 (less than the Kodak SP360 4k dual pro, which is not 3D), including a custom selfie stick / tripod, VR headset, and the Vuze Studio video editing software.  Now you can pre-order one with a 15% discount !  At around $120 off, it brings the price down to a remarkable $679.15!  To get the discount, just use the code VUZE15OFF . The offer is only until August 18. Vuze recently posted a sample photo and reported that it is still on schedule for release in October.  Vuze has also posted several video samples, such as this one .  Vuze has also uploaded 3D 360 samples on the Vrideo app. Thanks to David Grass for sharing this info!

There's a special sale on almost 200 Steam VR apps and games for the HTC Vive and some for Oculus Rift, with discounts up to 80%.  It's good only until August 1, 2016 10am Pacific Time. Some of the titles that might be of interest: Space Pirate Trainer : a highly rated shooter for the HTC Vive.  I've tried this game and it's awesome.  15% off at $12.74 (Vive). Vanishing Realms : an adventure RPG designed for room scale VR.  20% off at $15.99 (Vive). Titans of Space 2.0 : a sequel to the popular solar system exploration VR experience.  15% off at $6.79 (Vive and Rift). Zombie Training Simulator : a target shooting game that uses funny zombie targets.  33% off at $13.39 (Vive). Ping Pong Waves VR : ping pong in VR.  50% off at $2.49 (Vive). House of the Dying Sun : a space shooter.  10% off at $17.99 (Vive and Rift). Raw Data : sci-fi action shooter. 20% off at $31.99 (Vive) Brookhaven Experiment : zombie shooter.  25% off at $14.99 (Vive). Rad...