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EthDal
New Participant
November 9, 2013

New HMD for Android development

I just backed this KS project:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1618235783/xcope-virtual-and-augmented-reality-headset-for-sm

I know that full android support is coming for the Rift, but I plan to develop for Android (using the android plugin for Unity) first, then add support for Rift later, when the SDK supports it.

Here's my rationale: I think that android support will greatly increase the reach of the OR, but it will still remain a relatively small segment of the mobile gaming market. If I develop a stand-alone Android game first, then make it stereoscopic for this device (the "Xcope"), then add OR support, I can get as broad a swath of the market as possible. I doubt that this device will compare to the OR in terms of experience, but it should be alot cheaper, and therefore sell pretty well. So I think it's worth backing.

Any thoughts?

    7 replies

    13thFloor
    Up and Coming
    August 28, 2014
    How is this any different to Durovis, vRase (vaporware which I bought!!!), or any chinese knock off in China? I'm currently waiting for a HMD from china that got £25 delivered that takes up to 7" tablets.

    I do however like the mono aspect as sometime you just want to watch a big screen!!
    Intel i920@4ghz, 12gb ram, Windows 7 Nvidia GTX 970 4gb, 120gb SSD, OR Dev Kit 1&2
    13thFloor
    Up and Coming
    August 28, 2014
    But android as a platform is only ever going to be basic experiences, games and a video platform. To power 2k+ gaming resolution we need current gen GPU's so it'll always lag behind PC/consoles.

    But I do think it'll have it's own pro's and cons. PC not being mobile, whereas android with a 2k screen or higher watching video content will be awesome! And some kick ass experience or visualization apps for music.
    Intel i920@4ghz, 12gb ram, Windows 7 Nvidia GTX 970 4gb, 120gb SSD, OR Dev Kit 1&2
    AntDX316
    Up and Coming
    August 29, 2014
    its too late..

    the first ones to become popular and huge take everything

    but good thing its being handled by the right people

    its just too bad the 3D technology w/o glasses has died on the 3DS
    13thFloor
    Up and Coming
    August 29, 2014
    "AntDX316" wrote:
    its too late..

    the first ones to become popular and huge take everything

    but good thing its being handled by the right people

    its just too bad the 3D technology w/o glasses has died on the 3DS


    I think a decent HMD will always win for VR and when we move to HD resolution and beyond using Virtual Retinal display like the Glyph projecting straight into our retina things will be at the point we want them to be. By then hopefully have worked out how stimulate senses in the brain to cover the rest of VR and we away.
    Intel i920@4ghz, 12gb ram, Windows 7 Nvidia GTX 970 4gb, 120gb SSD, OR Dev Kit 1&2
    mptp
    Up and Coming
    August 29, 2014
    Coming from an Android-VR developer, the only smartphone VR-viewer that I'm going to be investing in (besides cardboard of course) will be Samsung's Gear VR (depending on the details which we'll all be learning in two weeks). I'm assuming that Oculus will have pushed them to make it as good as possible, so I feel like it's as close as we're going to get to a smartphone VR-viewer from Oculus. I wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming Android Oculus SDK will be tailored in some way towards Gear VR as well.

    In regards to the quality of the experience, I can quite comfortably get 1080p rendered in stereo at 60+ fps on my Galaxy S5, and with the release of the Tegra K1, the future of mobile looks very bright indeed. Obviously not going to be competing with desktop graphics anytime soon, but in 2-4 years smartphones will be as powerful or more powerful than a PS4, and that's definitely sufficient to do great VR.
    Melbourne-based creative technologist. I flit between experimental AR/VR experiences, audiovisual electronics and full-stack web development. http://www.lachansleight.io
    vlastimirs
    New Participant
    September 9, 2014
    "mptp" wrote:
    Coming from an Android-VR developer, the only smartphone VR-viewer that I'm going to be investing in (besides cardboard of course) will be Samsung's Gear VR (depending on the details which we'll all be learning in two weeks). I'm assuming that Oculus will have pushed them to make it as good as possible, so I feel like it's as close as we're going to get to a smartphone VR-viewer from Oculus. I wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming Android Oculus SDK will be tailored in some way towards Gear VR as well.

    In regards to the quality of the experience, I can quite comfortably get 1080p rendered in stereo at 60+ fps on my Galaxy S5, and with the release of the Tegra K1, the future of mobile looks very bright indeed. Obviously not going to be competing with desktop graphics anytime soon, but in 2-4 years smartphones will be as powerful or more powerful than a PS4, and that's definitely sufficient to do great VR.


    Uh, not sure if the Gear will work with an S5 and the price for a Note 4 is 999 Euros on Amazon.
    For that money, I can buy a 70" TV and strap it to my head....
    mptp
    Up and Coming
    September 10, 2014
    Made that post before Samsung crushed all my hopes for mobile VR in 5 minutes by restricting their device to the Note 4.

    I already had a huge rant over on the oculus subreddit, so I'm not going to go into how upset I am over this (not just because I don't have a Note 4, but because 95% of smartphone owners won't have a note 4).

    For the price of a Note 4 and Gear VR, I could buy a brand new gaming PC and an Oculus Rift. The whole point of mobile VR is it's accesibility! :'(
    Melbourne-based creative technologist. I flit between experimental AR/VR experiences, audiovisual electronics and full-stack web development. http://www.lachansleight.io
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