Apologies for the late show today, but we just returned from Oculus Connect! It was a full day of VR news, starting with the Oculus Connect 2 keynotes this morning. Lots of new partnerships, fresh content, and even some new hardware was announced at the show. From Oculus Arcade to the incredibly satisfying Bullet Train demo, we take a look at some of our favorite news from the conference.
Facebook recently launched native 360-degree video, and Disney and Lucasfilm helped with the launch by offering up a speeder tour of the planet Jakku from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." You can ride over the planet's sandy surface and pause the video at any time to check out the view from every angle. The whole experience lasts about a minute from start to finish -- unless you pause to look around, which we're sure you will.
Another beloved sci-fi franchise is making a move into virtual reality: Star Trek. The Enterprise 3D Construction project aims to render the entirety of the Enterprise-D so fans can take a free-roaming virtual tour inside. The current build is a work in progress, but it already includes sound clips from the actors and other goodies that a civilian might stumble upon while roaming the ship.
247: Oculus Connect 2 brings loads of new info...except an official Rift price
Here are some links and notes for all the things on the show today:
- Oculus Connect 2 features a new (and affordable!) Samsung Gear VR headset, video partners and games
- Explore Jakku, the desert planet from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," with this 360-degree video
- Take a detailed tour of Star Trek's Enterprise-D in full virtual reality
- Into It: PangeaPanga's ridiculously difficult Mario Maker levels, and Nick's "The Splat"
- Our Phonetographer of the Day
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