Oculus Innovation Could Halve the Price of a VR-ready PC
New Oculus technology means a VR-ready PC could cost as little as $500.
According to GamesIndustry.biz, innovations called "Timewarp" and "Spacewarp" are part of the Oculus firmware, and they work together to lower PC requirements for virtual reality.
VR games need to run at 90 frames per second to eliminate nausea, and these two parts of the firmware work together to make 45 FPS feel like 90 FPS by creating synthetic frames.
Oculus claims the minimum specs will be an Nvidia GTX 960, an Intel Core i3-6100 / AMD FX4350, and 8GB RAM. You can fit these in a PC which costs around $500, while current "VR-ready" PCs currently cost nearer $1,000 and beyond. It also potentially brings the specs down to laptop level.
The Simpsons’ 600th Episode Will Feature VR Couch Gag
Fox and Google are teaming up to create a Simpsons couch gag VR experience to celebrate the 600th episode of the show.
According to Deadline, the episode titled Planet of the Couches will open the Treehouse of Horror XXVII on October 16. The couch gag will be available via Google Spotlight Stories and the Google Cardboard app.
Since the gag will be extended to the full 360 degrees, additional viewings may reveal new results from different angles.
“It’s a thrill to be associated with Google — and not only because they have perfected the quality of their cafeteria food, especially those little sausages,” said producer James L. Brooks.
Power Rangers: Mega Battle Announced for PS4 and Xbox One
Bandai Namco has announced Saban's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
There are currently conflicting reports over whether the game is also coming to PC. We've reached out to Bandai Namco, and will update you when we have a response.
The digital game will feature "classic beat-em-up gameplay" across levels reminiscent of locations from the first two seasons of the TV show. You'll be able to choose your favorite Ranger and level up their abilities.
You'll be using martial arts and weapons to fight enemies, and don't worry, there will also be Megazord battles. Plus, there's a co-op mode where you'll be able to combine your skills to perform special attacks.
Overwatch Halloween Event Appears to Leak
It looks as though Overwatch could be following up its Olympics-themed Summer Games event with the expected Halloween celebration.
Posted by Reddit user ChronosHero, a seemingly accidental Xbox Store listing shows a Halloween-themed loot box (an exploding pumpkin), the game's reward for leveling up, and its primary microtransaction.
Another Reddit user, TowerNine also posted a video of the listing. Blizzard has not yet confirmed anything about the event.
First Look at New Arrival Posters
Arrival is quite simply one of the best films of the year. Denis Villeneuve's super-smart sci-fi stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, with the official synopsis as follows:
When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team – led by expert linguist Louise Banks – is brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.
We reviewed the film at Fantastic Fest and absolutely loved it, though while Arrival doesn't hit screens till November, you can feast your eyes on two brand-new posters featuring the film's stars now...
New Iron Fist Poster Released
Following its premiere date reveal, and ahead of seeing a new trailer this weekend, Marvel has revealed a new poster for the upcoming Iron Fist series on Netflix.
Created by Marvel stalwart Joe Quesada, and revealed by way of a Facebook video (below), the concept art poster goes through several revisions, ending up with an image of Danny Rand chanelling his Chi in typically imposing fashion.
Daily Deals: PlayStation Virtual Reality Games, 49-Inch 4K HDR TV, Mafia III
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The cheapest place we have seen the PlayStation Virtual Reality headset go for is at Flubit.com who we got a price of £327.28 from. Tesco and Amazon have it for £349.00 which is a bit more expensive, but a good back up. Available October 13th, 2016.
9 Fantastic Films We Saw at the Greatest Genre Fest
Fantastic Fest is basically heaven for fans of genre cinema. The festival – which is based in and around the world-famous Alamo Drafthouse cinema in Austin, Texas – features scores of amazing films from all over the globe, which screen alongside parties, karaoke competitions, quizzes, debates, eating contests, live podcasts, stand-up comedy, and boxing matches in which you can watch movie fans pummel each other to pieces.
We reviewed some of the biggest films at this year's fest, including Denis Villeneuve’s amazing new sci-fi Arrival, heartbreaking creature feature A Monster Calls, the crazy Colossal, in which Anne Hathaway telepathically controls a giant kaiju stomping all over Seoul, and Raw, the cannibal movie that’s been making people faint (though not IGN - we're made of sterner stuff).
Oculus Founder Skips Company Event to Avoid Being a ‘Distraction’
Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR, the company behind the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, decided to skip this week's Oculus Connect 3 to avoid being a "distraction," Polygon reports.
Speaking at the conference the company revealed it and Facebook, which owns Oculus, would be donating $10 million to diversity initiatives. This announcement comes just mere weeks after Luckey found himself in hot water after a recent controversy over his alleged contributions to a divisive political non-profit came to light.
War for the Planet of the Apes Footage Reaction
Caesar and his apes arrived in Manhattan today for New York Comic-Con, only to find that the Statue of Liberty was doing just fine, thank you. But nonetheless, War for the Planet of the Apes star Andy Serkis, director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark used the occasion to debut a behind-the-scenes look, a seven-minute scene, and the teaser trailer for the upcoming film.
Here’s the logline for War: “In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.”