360 rumors

Here's a review of the 2017 Samsung Gear VR, and how it differs from the 2016 Gear VR (yes, there are a few differences) and Google Daydream.  Also: which is better for the Gear VR: a Samsung S8 or S8+? Not counting Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR is the most popular VR headset, with over 5 million users as of January 2017.  If you haven't tried it, it's easy to dismiss it as an overpriced cardboard headset, but you would be mistaken -- it's totally different, and the experience is much closer to desktop VR than Google Cardboard. The 2017 Gear VR is not much different from the original Gear VR in terms of its immersion, so I'll refer you to my original Gear VR review here .  Instead, this post will focus on the differences between the 2017 Gear VR and the 2016 Gear VR as well as Google Cardboard. SAMSUNG GEAR VR  2016 vs 2017 The primary difference between the 2016 and 2017 Gear VR is the motion controller.   The controller has several buttons: - a trigger but...

The state of VR right now is better than what skeptics would like you to believe.  More importantly, things will get even better from here. All the major VR systems have been released: Oculus Rift  (with  Oculus Touch ), HTC Vive , and Playstation VR for the desktop, and Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream for mobile.  Yet VR is still relatively uncommon, there are still no killer apps, and more importantly, it appears that very few companies are making a lot of money from it.  There are some skeptics who are therefore declaring that VR is a bubble that has burst.  Here's why I'm still optimistic about VR. IS VR A BUBBLE? First, let's talk about some of the reasons that have been used to claim that VR is a bubble that has burst. 1.   VR is still uncommon .  Almost everyone has heard of VR, but there are still very few people who actually have a VR headset outside of the early adopter crowd.  Very few people I know have even a Google Cardbo...

One of the first entertainers to embrace 360 video is Conan O' Brien, one of my favorite standup comedians.  Some skits on his Conan talk show on TBS are livestreamed in 360 on the Team Coco YouTube channel using four Nokio OZO cameras .   Past shows can be seen on the Conan360 playlist: If you have the Samsung Gear VR , you can also see them within the Samsung VR app, under the category Conan 360. Check it out!  The Aquaman skit (currently #7) is hilarious!   Warning : NSFW (but you shouldn't be watching VR at work anyway)!

The Xiaomi VR viewer has finally been revealed, and just as I said , it's nothing but a Google Cardboard viewer, of which there are already dozens available on the market.  It's called Mi Play VR ( shudder ) and it's not even low cost, either. In their promo video, they said it would be available for 1 yuan (15 cents US).  The actual price is $29.99 on XiaomiDevice.com  .  Even the price in Renminbi (Chinese currency) is about the same --- 194.74 yuan (around US$29). I have no idea why the official video said it would be available for 1 yuan.  Perhaps it's a play on words that escapes my limited Chinese fluency .  Apparently, the 1 yuan price was only for beta testers.  The first phase of the beta testers has concluded, but if you would like to be included in the lottery for the second round of beta testing, you can try here  (click on the link that looks like the one below).  I'm not sure if the lottery is open to people outside of China. It...

Production stills.  Source: Autumn VR Many Christians have often wondered what it would have been like to live in Jesus' time.  Their wish will be virtually fulfilled.  This Christmas, a 90-minute VR movie about Jesus will be released by Enzo Sisti, the executive producer of Mel Gibson's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ.  Called Jesus VR - the Story of Christ, the movie was filmed entirely in 4k 360-degrees, at the same location in Italy that was used for the filming of the Passion. The movie will tell the entire gospel story, starting from Jesus' birth through his crucifixion and resurrection, and will include key moments such as his baptism at the Jordan river, the Wedding at Cana and the Sermon on the Mount.  "The viewers truly feel they are there with Jesus and his disciples," said director and producer David Hansen. The movie will reportedly be available in all formats - Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR (reviewed here) , Oculus Rift (previewed here...