Virtual reality games show stunning ability to distraction from pain

Have you ever played a VR game for so long that you lost awareness of the fact you were playing a game at all? Perhaps you went to sit in a virtual chair, only to thump into the ground and remember, in one embarrassing moment, that the reality you perceived ... more - slashgear

Oculus Quest 2 128GB released with same price

This week Facebook and Oculus released the Oculus Quest 2 with 128GB internal storage. This device is essentially the same as the version released at the tail end of 2020, save the storage it has for data AND the included up-to-date face pad. This latest ... more - slashgear

Horizon Workrooms makes Facebook’s own VR workspace a public tool

The latest in remote workplace action from Facebook is “Horizon Workrooms.” In this bit of software, Facebook imagines that users will wear their Oculus Quest 2 and join coworkers in a virtual room “collaborate, communicate, and connect remotely.” The ... more - slashgear

Star Trek USS Enterprise gets realistic Playmobil makeover with AR app

Toy company Playmobil has unveiled its first item from the Star Trek universe: the 70548 Star Trek – USS Enterprise. The product features “authentic details,” according to the company, as well as “specially designed mounting” for those who want to present ... more - slashgear

Pokemon GO PokemonNoDay protest asks: Is accessibility necessary?

If you’re playing Pokemon GO today, chances are you’ve not been swayed by the arguments made by the folks behind #PokemonNoDay and #HearUsNiantic. There’s a virtual picket line around the game right now made up of Pokemon GO Trainers who are not pleased ... more - slashgear

HTC A100 mid-range tablet might come with dual cameras

You can probably be forgiven if you’ve forgotten that HTC still makes Android-powered devices. We definitely haven’t heard from the company for a long while, at least as far as smartphones are concerned. HTC has mostly been focusing on making sure its ... more - slashgear

PS5 VR details leak from private developers conference

It’s arguable that Facebook’s Oculus now takes up the majority of the attention in the virtual reality market, but it is hardly the only major player. HTC is still actively working on Vive, and Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality also dips into that field. ... more - slashgear

Oculus Quest 2 face pad recall and a new tiny bummer for early adopters

The release of the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset was given a bit of a kick in the pants by reports of skin irritation on the faces of some users. Though Oculus suggests that “a very small percentage of users” reported said skin irritation where the foam portion ... more - slashgear

Oculus Move VR workout system might sync with Apple Health

Apple’s mobile ecosystem has been marked by two main pillars in the past few years. While it has been singing praises about its work on protecting users’ privacy, it has also been designing its iPhones and Apple Watches to record and store health-related ... more - slashgear

Oculus Passthrough API puts VR user back in the “real” world

This week Oculus Passthrough API Experimental was released, giving creators a way to build and test mixed reality experiences for VR and AR devices. Since this is made by Oculus, it’s pretty safe to say that the software will be aimed at Oculus devices, ... more - slashgear

Oculus software v31 makes it easier to invite others to play with you

Facebook’s acquisition of modern VR pioneer Oculus has always been a mind-boggling one. Naturally, the social media giant wants to leave its imprint on anything that can be remotely tied to being social, including in virtual worlds. That said, it is taking ... more - slashgear

Pininfarina Teorema offers a sneak-peak of futuristic automotive design

Italian design house Pininfarina recently debuted its futuristic Teorema concept car. It’s a vehicle designed exclusively using both virtual and augmented reality. Best of all, Teorema reminds us of those groovy concept cars from the 1960s and 1980s, ... more - slashgear

VR effectively reduces pain during uncomfortable medical procedure

Another study has found that using a virtual reality headset can potentially reduce pain or discomfort during medical procedures. The findings indicate that such technology may have a place in hospitals and doctor’s offices, possibly increasing compliance ... more - slashgear

T‑Mobile Home Run Derby uses 5G cameras to power MLB AR experience

Baseball fans have the opportunity to experience the game in an entirely new way with a new project between T-Mobile and Major League Baseball. Called T-Mobile Home Run Derby, the new initiative uses 5G-connected cameras mounted on catcher masks and player ... more - slashgear

The Witcher: Monster Slayer brings AR monster battles to iOS and Android this month

In the wake of Pokemon GO, we’ve seen a number of other franchises try to replicate the game’s success in the AR space. CD Projekt is one of the companies trying its hand at AR gaming, as it announced The Witcher: Monster Slayer last year. Fast forward ... more - slashgear

Blaston backs out as Facebook’s first Oculus VR ads partner

Facebook has a sort of reverse Midas’ touch where everything it touches gets stained by its own stigmas. Every product it buys or gets close to eventually gets involved in its privacy issues or, at the very least, its advertising businesses. It was the ... more - slashgear

Oculus Quest v30 adds microphone management and more

Earlier this week, we mentioned that the Oculus Quest 1 would gain support for the Air Link as part of the 30.0 update. That update is now rolling out to Oculus users, and the release notes detailing some of the key features for the update are available. ... more - slashgear

Instagram Reels ads are here to monetize every eyeball

Instagram Reels, the company’s TikTok competitor, is going to start including adverts among its short video clips, expanding the marketing globally. It’s the second big monetization push that Facebook has made this week, having announced yesterday that ... more - slashgear

Oculus is getting Facebook ads in VR: Here’s what they look like

Facebook is adding adverts to Oculus Quest, revealing today that it’s testing in-headset ads in a handful of virtual reality titles. It’s an announcement that many predicted would one day happen, after Facebook acquired Oculus in early 2014, though until ... more - slashgear

Next-gen PlayStation VR in 2021? Don’t get your hopes up

Shortly after the PlayStation 5 launched, Sony confirmed that it’s working on a new PlayStation VR headset for the platform. Details on this next-gen PSVR have been fairly slim since that initial announcement; while Sony has detailed the new controllers ... more - slashgear

Oculus Quest 1 will also gain Air Link PC streaming

Facebook and Oculus have retired the original Rift VR system, marking the end of headsets that need to be tethered to beefy PC rigs. Moving forward, Oculus said it would be focusing on the Quest system, notably the Oculus Quest 2, but also left the door ... more - slashgear

Transformers AR game in the works at Pokemon GO dev Niantic

Pokemon GO developer Niantic made a rather surprising reveal today: the company, as it turns out, is working on a new Transformers mobile game. The new game is called Transformers: Heavy Metal and like other titles made under Niantic’s roof, it’ll be ... more - slashgear

How likable will the Facebook smartwatch experience be?

Facebook is reportedly working on a smartwatch of its own, which is slated to debut in the summer of next year. The wearable is expected to arrive with dual cameras onboard – almost a first for a wrist-wearable – feature health and messaging functions, ... more - slashgear

Facebook Messenger update makes money transfers easier

Facebook is primarily a social networking platform but it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone these days that it has grown far past that narrow definition. The tech giant has its hands in pretty much anything that can be associated with being social, including ... more - slashgear

Google Measure AR app joins the notorious graveyard

Google is not one to one to “retire” apps, services, and products, sometimes with little prior notice. That’s true for products that have cost Google a lot of money as well as some products that do make Google some money, it’s even more true for those ... more - slashgear

Apple AR headset is still MIA but might launch Q2 2022

WWDC 2021 unloaded a lot of goodies for Apple fans across all its devices and even teased some of the things Apple will be working on in the next few months. One frequently rumored endeavor, however, was still without a trace. Despite its profession of ... more - slashgear

Apple Maps update makes navigation easier with Sim City aesthetic

Apple Maps has a fancy 3D-like mode that allows you to explore the world in Apple’s chosen aesthetic. There’s a new navigation view able to render overlapping, complex interchanges for drivers. This latest update also adds an augmented reality system ... more - slashgear

2022 Toyota GR Supra A91-CF Edition appears with a carbon-fiber body kit

Toyota has unleashed the 2022 GR Supra A91-CF Edition, which Toyota calls the most exclusive Mark V Supra to date. Toyota will only build 600 examples of the GR Supra A91-CF Edition, and all 600 are arriving exclusively in the United States. The latest ... more - slashgear

Touring Superleggera Arese RH95 is a coachbuilt Ferrari F8 Tributo with scissor doors

Carrozerria Touring Superleggera recently unveiled its latest creation called the Arese RH95. Built to commemorate Touring’s 95th birthday, Arese RH95 draws its name from Touring’s HQ in Via per Arese in Milan, Italy, and the initials of project Arese’s ... more - slashgear

2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 US specs revealed: Range, free charging & some oddities

Hyundai has officially revealed the US-spec IONIQ 5, and things are shaping up very nicely indeed for the handsome electric crossover. Announced back in February, the IONIQ 5 will be among the first of the automaker’s cars to use its new E-GMP platform, ... more - slashgear