Sixense, DDD, Valve, VRSimulation Updates!

There are multiple updates to share today!  First, Sixense announced their upcoming Wireless Motion Tracking System.  Simlar to the original, this unit lets you use your hands directly in video games as virtual objects.  It’s best exemplified by grabbing and throwing things, or using your hands as though they are controlling an invisible steering wheel – the list goes on.  This has been available for quite awhile, but it’s a lot less cumbersome without all the wires getting tangled up!

We are even more excited about the clip-on positional tracker.  One of the limitations of the Oculus Rift and devices like it is while it can detect the direction and position of your head, there is nothing to indicate where your body is in the virtual world.  In contrast, in a VR cave with body tracking, you can bend forward and have your head in one virtual room, and your bum in another – and that’s all extrapolated from a combination of head tracking and positional detection of the game controller which you usually hold around your hip.  It’s very possible that the Sixense positional tracker will have similar benefits by being clipped on your belt or possibly your shirt (the belt makes more sense, though!).  We’ll have to wait and see!  Very exciting stuff.

Next up, Dynamic Digital Depth has released TriDef 5.9 complete with the latest versions of their Ignition stereoscopic 3D drivers and media player.  Recently added games include SimCity, Star Trek, GRID 2, Antichamber, Primal Carnage, Surgeon Simulator 2013, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Remember Me, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Metro: Last Light, Just Cause 2, Warframe (DX11) and Serious Sam 3: BFE.

They also improved support for BioShock Infinite, Metro 2033, Fallout New Vegas, Dead Island, The Darkness II, Starcraft II, and Kingdoms of Amalur – Reckoning and World of Warplanes. Great stuff!

This is kind of obvious given their support of HalfLife 2, Team Fortress 2, and more to come – but Valve made it official that their Source engine now supports the Oculus VR SDK.

Last but not least, Jeremiah Allen has ANOTHER episode of VRSimulation.  This time, he talks about E3, his angst about not getting his Rift yet, and top concerns about effective VR with the Rift.  Take it easy, Jeremiah!  We just got word that the Rift’s HAVE CLEARED CUSTOMS!  Woohoo!

For the fellow Canucks out there, have a great Canada Day weekend!