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Holo Impact: Prologue There are literally hundreds of VR games available on the Steam store for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.  While many (or even a majority) are not worth playing, there are some excellent games that have escaped the notice of users.  In this series of posts, I'd like to highlight some very good games I've tried that are not very well known (yet). Holo Impact: Prologue (HTC Vive; Oculus Touch).  This is a super awesome shooter (pictured above).  In concept it's somewhat similar to Xortex from the Lab, where you control a space fighter with your motion controller.  But in Holo Impact, you are flying forward.  Yes there are a few games in this genre, but Holo Impact blows them all out of the water.  Besides the spectacular graphics, the gameplay is also fun, and it's a little challenging but not overwhelming (at least in Normal difficulty)! If you like shooters, this is a must-buy for the HTC Vive or Oculus Touch (yes, Holo Impact is ...

When setting up your Oculus Rift, it's a good idea to have it positioned facing away from the PC.  Here's why and here's how to do it. By default, when you setup your Rift, it will have you face your PC.  However, there are advantages to having the Rift face away from the PC instead. - When you're facing away from the PC, the cable will be behind you.  It is less likely to be in your way, and less likely to be accidentally jerked. - If you're facing away from the PC, you're less likely to accidentally punch the monitor or TV. - If you have friends and family with you, you'll be facing them instead of the PC. To have the Rift face away from the PC, you'll need at least two sensors.  During the Touch setup, you need to position the sensors at opposite corners (you'll need to do that to get either 360 or roomscale VR anyway).  You'll later be asked to hold the controller at eye level and then point toward the front of your playspace.  This is your c...

​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...

EmuVR.net's Desk Scene is a utility that can enable you to see each of your Oculus Rift 's sensors' coverage.  Seeing each sensor's coverage would help you adjust their position and angle to optimize coverage and minimize occlusion. Here is a video showing Desk Scene in action . To download Desk Scene, see the link in this reddit post: Desk Scene Multi-Sensor update! Check your cameras bounds and intersections from oculus RELATED POSTS: How to use roomscale VR on the Oculus Rift with just two sensors Oculus Touch review: the wait is over

It appears that Oculus Rift users' demand for roomscale VR has exceeded Oculus' expectations. The Oculus Rift was originally designed for standing or seated VR experiences only.  Oculus thought that roomscale was impractical and that there wasn't enough demand for it. However, as the Rift and HTC Vive were released, users clamored for roomscale.  Oculus then pivoted and announced at Oculus Connect 3 that the Rift would have a room scale option by adding a third sensor "for those who have the room for it." Well, apparently, more people have the room for it than Oculus expected.  People who ordered the third sensor received a notice from Oculus that the sensor shipping would be delayed "due to unexpected high demand for Sensors."  If you're cynical, I suppose it's possible that Oculus screwed up its logistics and is just using this as an excuse, but based on the chatter among Oculus Rift forums, it appears that there really is a lot of interest ...

This is how the Oculus Rift headset is normally stored, and there are 3 problems with it, including risking damage to your headset.  There's another way to store the headset that solves those 3 problems and accommodates the Oculus Touch controllers as well. PROBLEMS Here are three problems with storing your headset the conventional way. 1.  The USB and HDMI connectors can damage your lenses. If you store the cable in the storage receptacle, the cable's USB and HDMI connectors might be close to your headset's lenses and could scratch them. 2.  The cable might fall on the wrong side of the headset strap.  If you take the headset out before you remove the cable, the cable will probably be on the wrong side of the headset strap.  This is just a minor inconvenience but you'll then have to pull out the cable (and in the process, you might accidentally hit the USB or HDMI connectors against the lenses). 3. When the cable is unwound, it will be twisted, and ...

Ever since virtual reality headsets were launched, one common criticism has been that the technology is impressive, but there's not enough good content for it.  The release of the Oculus Touch has long been awaited by Oculus Rift users, but it also answers the industry's need for a VR system with compelling software. A couple of months ago, I got to try the Oculus Touch at a demo ( here are my first impressions ).  I was sufficiently impressed with the demo that it caused me to reconsider the Oculus Rift.  Shortly thereafter, I sold my HTC Vive, got an Oculus Rift, and ordered the Oculus Touch.  I finally received the Touch last week after several delays. WHAT'S IN THE BOX The Oculus Touch comes in a black box with a sleeve, similar to that of the Oculus Rift. Unlike the Rift's rigid box, the Touch's box is cardboard and there's no magnetic clasp or retracting handle, but the Touch box still looks presentable and can serve as a storage case. The package includes...

In this post, I discuss how well the Oculus Rift with  Touch works with Steam games that were designed for the HTC Vive .  I believe this is a very important question because if the Rift + Touch can play Vive games very well, it could make the Rift arguably the better overall VR system. I had an  HTC Vive (reviewed here)  which I loved but I sold it to get an  Oculus Rift (reviewed here)  when I found out that the Rift could supposedly play HTC Vive games.  When I finally received the Oculus Touch, one of the first things I wanted to know was whether and to what degree the Oculus Rift and Touch can play HTC Vive games on Steam. The short answer is that it's true the Rift and Touch can play most games for the Vive.   Touch compatibility on Steam was even improved in a recent update to Steam VR  which improved the button assignment and added haptic feedback.  However, the degree of compatibility still varies widely. Below, I've lis...

Officially, Oculus says that the maximum tracking area of the Oculus Rift with two sensors is 5 feet x 5 feet (25 square feet; or 1.5 meters x 1.5 meters = 2.25 square feet), and you need three sensors for roomscale.  However, I was able to push the limits of the Rift with just two sensors to do roomscale tracking.  Here's how. The Oculus Rift was designed for seated or standing VR.  The user would stand in one place and perhaps take up to one step away.  Roomscale VR allows the user to walk around a space.  It significantly increases the sense of immersion and presence (the illusion of being there). Oculus initially claimed that roomscale is impractical and that no one had the space for it.  However, at least among enthusiasts, there was apparent demand for it, as enthusiasts preferred the HTC Vive with roomscale VR by a 12:1 margin over the Oculus Rift: Finally, Oculus started pivoting and began to claim informally that the Rift was capable of roomscal...

Oculus has been adamant that the Oculus Rift requires three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port.  However, it appears not only that the Rift and Touch can work with just USB 2.0, but that it may even perform better for some PCs!  (In my case, it solved missing sound from the headphones and random disconnections.) Oculus has always maintained that the Rift and Touch require three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port: - one USB 3.0 for the headset - one USB 3.0 for the sensor that is included with the Rift - one USB 3.0 for the additional sensor included with the Touch - one USB 2.0 for the wireless adapter for the Xbox controller. For users who don't have a USB 3.0 port, Oculus recommends getting a PCI-E card with a Fresco Logic FL1100EX chipset.  I got one called Inateck, which was recommended by Oculus. THE PROBLEM However, ever since I got the Oculus Rift, I have had a couple of issues:  First, there would often be no sound from the headphones, even if I specified t...