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Week that was

Week That Was: 3rd March

Week That Was: 3rd March

Welcome to the Week That Was on TheVirtualReport.biz, where we bring you the highlights, biggest news and hottest topics from the world of VR, AR and MR business in the last seven days.

 

When you get the Game Developers Conference AND Mobile World Congress in the same week, you know there’s going to be lots to talk about! From LG’s new Steam VR headset and Vive eye tracking to XBox VR and a new Gear VR controller, the VR world has lit up this week.

We’re also proud to share with you our very first VR Industry Trends report - completely free! 35 pages of industry insight await...

 

Top Stories

VR Industry Confident 2017 Will Be A Breakthrough Year

The results of our first VR+AR+MR developer trends survey are in! Find out what our readership forecasts for the sector, including their ambitions, hopes and fears for 2017 and beyond...

XBox One To Get VR/MR In 2018

Windows MR Headsets will work with all XBox Ones as well as PC, developer kits start shipping this month.

Rift And Touch Price Drop

Oculus announces $200 off the price of Rift and Touch, now $598.

The New VR And AR Open Standard Is... OpenXR

Industry leaders join forces to create the OpenXR Working Group and establish the VR and AR industry standard.

Vive Gets Eye Tracking

Prototype hardware to be shown at GDC.

LG Set To Unveil VR Headset At GDC

Prototype hardware to be demoed in Valve’s booth at San Francisco Show.

Gear VR Gains Control

Samsung has announced its updated Gear VR, along with the first look at its new controller.

 

News

Unity Update To Be The Last For 5

Announced at GDC 2017; key features of Unity 5.6, what will replace it, and the XR Foundation Toolkit.

Free Oculus Rift For 250 Unreal Devs

Oculus Offers 250 Rift And Touch Kits through the Unreal Dev Grants program.

There Are 10 Million Cardboards In The World

Google reveals that 10 million headsets have led to 160 million app downloads.

Sony Reveals Sales Figures For PS VR

Japanese entertainment company is first VR platform to release sales figures, targets one million units by mid-April.

Robo Recall Free To Touch

Epic game free for all Touch owners, complete with the Robo Recall Mod Kit.

Job Simulator Wins Best VR/AR Game At GDC Awards

Owlchemy Labs fend off tough competition to take the first ever VR/AR award at the San Francisco event.

Pricing And Release Date For Vive Tracker

HTC Vive has announced the prices and availability of Vive Trackers and the Deluxe Audio Strap to developers and consumers.

PS VR Aim Controller Release Date

PS VR takes aim on its new gun controller to release alongside new FPS, Farpoint, on 16th May.

Interest Free Finance For Vive

HTC announces finance plans for Vive hardware in the USA and China, Europe to follow.

VR Toolbox Gathers Your Entertainment In One Virtual Space

Launched at GDC: Create a one-of-a-kind VR corner office combining gaming, social media, productivity, video streaming and more.

 

Interviews And Opinion

What Does Rift’s Price Drop Really Mean?

While a $200 discount on Rift and Touch kits sounds great to consumers yet to purchase, is that the whole story...

 

Features 

The Size Of The VR Consumer Market (Updated, 3rd March)

Following an announcement by Google, we’ve updated the total number of consumers that own a VR headset.

Techniques Used To Create Immersion In Everest VR

Petur Thorarinsson of Solfar revealed the tricks of the trade in his VRDC panel on Monday.

 

Data & Research

AR/VR Market To Reach $13.9b This Year

American content consumers will lead market growth to $143.3b in 2020.

Consumers Want AI And AR Retail Apps

New research shows that retailers should target emerging tech to capitalise on consumer appetite.

1 In 5 Brits Would Prefer To Live In VR

Brexit and Trump main drivers for desire to live fulltime in VR.

 

Regulars

Focal Point: Spatial Audio's Special Role In Immersion

Our industry panel of VR experts on whether spatial audio deserves more recognition in creating immersive virtual worlds.

 

See you in seven days...

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Managing Editor

Steve is an award-winning editor and copywriter with nearly 25 years’ experience specialising in consumer technology and video games. He was part of a BAFTA nominated developer studio. In addition to editing TheVirtualReport.biz, Steve contributes to BeyondGames.biz, PocketGamer.biz, PCGamesInsider.biz and BlockchainGamer.biz, as well as creating marketing content for a range of SMEs and agencies.