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Star Trek Bridge Crew

Star Trek Bridge Crew

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Star Trek Bridge Crew

Star Trek Bridge Crew: become a Trekkie for hours on end! Just don’t fall off your chair. (Yes, it is that immersive!)

Firstly, it is to be said that Star Trek Bridge Crew is a game designed predominantly for the PSVR and takes you aboard the USS Aegis. As well as being built from the ground up for VR, it is also designed to play with friends. The game (whilst can be played with AI) is best played with a group of friends. Form a crew of four to serve in the roles of Captain, Helm, Tactical and Engineer and complete a range of tasks in the universe. From saving other space travelling humans, hacking enemy shields to targeting vulnerable ship systems, there’s always something to do when aboard USS Aegis.

Most of all, the game is stunningly beautiful as well! Simply at the press of a button, you’ll be able to look at the incredible galaxy in glorious HD 360 degree virtual reality. It’s so immersive you may even forget you got a mission to complete! The game isn’t for those looking for hard hitting, fast paced action though. It’s designed to be played sat down at a slow pace, it’s a thinkers game. Teamwork and great communication is required to make the best out of Star Trek Bridge Crew. Each player and their decisions in game are vital to the success as a team within each mission.

Non VR Mode

However, recently, the game has been updated to allow users to play this incredible game without the use of the PSVR. However, we do advise those that do have a PSVR headset to use it! As, it is one of the best games we have played with the Playstation VR. It really is immersive, you feel like you’re aboard the USS Aegis. So, for all the Trekkie’s out there, this game is definitely one you want to check out. For all the non-Trekkies, you still need to check this game out!

To purchase Star Trek Bridge Crew on PS4 please click here!

 

HTC Vive Pro

HTC Vive Pro

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Virtual Reality has been steadily growing over the past year and we have tried a lot of them here at How To Kill An Hour. We liked HTC’s Vive, we thought it was very impressive. But now HTC have upgraded and put rockets on the HTC Vive. Introducing the HTC Vive Pro!! It’s designed to meet the most hardcore of users and gamers in the Virtual Reality world and it is impressive! HTC are calling it the most immersive virtual reality to date.

HTC Vive Pro: Hardware

Firstly the headset itself, hardware, not software, has been upgraded. The face cushion has been redesigned to block even more light out to make a user feel more immersed before a game has been played. The face cushion will contour to most users faces with the use of a brand new cloth lined foam. The nose rest will shape to fit any nose thanks to a unique flower petal inspired design too! Plus the headset moves all the weight so it’s at the centre of gravity, making for comfort like no other.

HTC Vive Pro: Chaperone

A very impressive introduction to the HTC Vive pro is a feature which HTC are calling ‘Chaperone’. They’re stating that a user will no longer have to second guess their surroundings. The tech creates a virtual outline of their environment enabling them to see without ever having to remove the headset. The headset has also seen an improvement and upgraded tracking abilities. Increased colours available from the highest screen available.

Not only that the audio has seen an incredible upgrade, the Hi-Res audio has been upgraded to include, 3D Spacial Audio. Allowing the headset to deliver true to life immersive audio. The powerful amp that’s built in creates soundscapes that will transport a user into a whole different world. Noise cancellation is also included. The dual microphones allow for active noise cancellation but also safety is key and alert mode and conversation mode are included. This way you can hear what’s going on around you, thus avoiding any accidents. (Or any need to take off the headset!)

Also what a lot of VR enthusiasts have been calling out for: VR without the need for wires! For the first time thanks to Intels WiGig technology, users can use the HTC Vive Pro as they please and with full freedom!

To listen our latest podcast please click here!

Also see more watch our Mobile World Congress Day 1 Vlog please click here!

 

 

 

Star Wars Secrets of The Empire

Star Wars Secrets of the Empire: Ultimate Star Wars Experience?

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Star Wars Secrets of the Empire from the guys over at The Void, may just be the ultimate Star Wars Experience. It’s a hyper reality experience that takes over all of your senses to transport you into the world of Star Wars!

It’s a full sensory immersive VR/AR experience that takes you inside the action. Literally! It’s location based, so the sets are interactive too, there’s also real time effects that help to heighten your experience. They really go ALL IN, in trying to make your experience as real as possible.

You really have to experience yourself to truly understand what we’re talking about. (It’s THAT GOOD trust us!) Plus we’re really not allowed to delve into too much as the experience is all about discovery! We wouldn’t want to ruin the secret for you either!

Star Wars Secrets of the Empire: How does it work?

Before you go into the hyper reality Star Wars Secrets of the Empire experience you have to put on RIG (Rapture Insertion Gear) this allows you to feel the force of all the things around you via haptic feedback! (It’s so hard not to tell you what you’ll be feeling!) You then put on the VR/AR headset to give you a full 360 degree HD experience of Star Wars. You also get given a blaster (which also has haptic feedback built in)

We won’t say much else but our very own Marcus Bronzy had this to say:

“That was one of the most intense virtual reality experiences I have felt, I feel like I have actually been a part of a Star Wars film”

To purchase your own tickets to attend the Star Wars Secrets of The Empire hyper reality experience please click here!

Keep up to date with everything that’s going on at How To Kill An Hour, why don’t you sign up to our newsletter? But it’s simple and easy! All you got to do to sign up to our newsletter is click here! 

 

Skyfront VR

Skyfront VR: Find out who the peacekeepers are!

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Skyfront VR: Who’s the champ

Skyfront VR, it’s time to decide who really is the best shooter around.

We  love virtual reality and feel as though it’s the next best thing for gaming. (Whilst also the most logical step in next generation gameplay) There are an array of great games currently available for the various VR systems out there. However, one caught our eye recently. Skyfront VR. A team based multiplayer shooting game that’s set in the future!

An idyllic future (2300) at that and all of your favourite city’s and landmarks were once a war zone. In AD 2700, society is now rebuilt and thriving after a terrible few hundred years. A zero-gravity battle arena is formed to prevent this from happening again. Teams take each other on to determine who are the best in town. What Skyfront are calling ‘The Final War’ it is up to you as a team to help determine who are the ‘Guardians’ – otherwise known as ‘Keepers of the Peace’ To find out who exactly are the peace keepers, a challenge was set. A battle, if you will. ‘The Skyfront Tournament’ is that challenge where players take on each other to preserve the memory of a violent past.

Skyfront VR: Gameplay

While the story is a lot of fun and one of the most original we have seen. Most of all the gameplay is incredible. The movement mechanics take advantage of the characteristics of your VR motion controllers. So, for example, move your wrist left and aim the controller sideways, the hand/gun mimic this behaviour. Paving the way for one of the most innovative and immersive gaming controllers that we have ever seen. Plus the game is incredibly fast paced, you can get hit from any angle so it’s a good idea to keep your witts about you! Plus don’t forget the arena is zero gravity, which adds another layer of uniqueness to this truly amazing game.

Most of all, and those who suffer from motion sickness will like this. The game developers are claiming that it’s nausea free!

We have to say we haven’t experienced any yet!

To apply for the early access to Sky Front VR please click here!

To Hear about it on the How To Kill An Hour Podcast click here!

Oculus Rift

Oculus Rift

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Oculus Rift may not be the most affordable virtual reality kits out there on the market. But it is definitely one of the most powerful. Also the fact that it runs on gaming PC’s means that there is a plethora of applications available for it! So, your limits are as far as your imagination!

While being purchased by Facebook raised a few eyebrows in the tech world. (Yet to see the fruits of this purchase on a consumer end) This hasn’t dampened the thirst for the Oculus Rift and it remains one of the most sort after tech hardware to date!

Oculus Rift Features:

  • Lightweight design
  • Intuitive control via the rift controllers that feel more fluid than gaming controllers
  • 360 degree spacial audio to truly immerse a user
  • 100’s of games, apps and experiences!

While Oculus are continuing to update the software they’ve introduced something revolutionary in the personal PC space. So, check out Oculus Dash!

To listen to the guys chatting about this please click here!

To buy Oculus Rift please click here!

Harry Potter Wizards Unite

Harry Potter Wizards Unite: AR Game

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Harry Potter Wizards Unite: Your New Favourite AR Game!

First of all, lets take a moment to mention how much of a success Pokemon Go was. Pokemon Go was released it took over the world at an unprecedented and unknown scale! Since spawning lots of different social accounts and a HUGE community grew almost over night. Consequently Harry Potter Wizards Unite is from the same team that brought you Pokemon Go. Aimed at all Harry Potter fans, this game will make all users instant wizards!

From Niantic one of the world’s real-world AR gaming game developers, Harry Potter Wizards Unite will have players launched into the world of Harry Potter. Aimed at all of those who dream of becoming real life wizards, will finally be able to experience the Wizarding World. Also players of Harry Potter Wizards Unite will be able to learn spells and explore their neighborhoods, uncovering everything fantastical. Players will be able to discover and fight all the legendary beats from the game! Also team up with other wizards to take down the weird and wonderful beasts.

Due for release in 2018, this game we’re sure will take off just like Pokemon Go did!

To listen to our latest shows please click here!

Yu Gi Oh

Microsoft Hololens bringing Yu Gi Oh to real life!

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Yu Gi Oh In Real Life!

Yu Gi Oh is about to invade our lives, our real lives and it’s all thanks to Microsoft Hololens!

Yu-Gi-Oh! in Augmented Reality

Tag a mate who would play this!

Posted by How To Kill an Hour on Wednesday, 9 August 2017

Yu Gi Oh is entering the world of AR and trying to knock Pokemon Go off of its perch. So Yu Gi Oh in augmented reality makes perfect sense! Since the anime series had players who’s cards used holograms to bring it’s duels to life. Therefore the logical next best step is to introduce this feature and step it up a level and bring the cards into the world of Augemented and virtual reality!

A fan of the anime series, a developer has created a game for the upcoming Microsoft hololens! Bringing the world of Yu Gi Oh into the world that we live in today. A player puts on the hololens and he puts a card up in front of the device and a monster appears!

Since the game follows the same format as the regular card game, so think of it as the regular card game but enhanced with the 21st technology of Augmented reality. Bringing to life everyone’s imagination right in front of their eyes! Futhermore users can use their voice to control the cards and the action!

To listen to our latest show please click here!

Apple AR Glasses?!

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According to Tech Journalist Robert Scoble Apple are working on an AR set of smart glasses with German lens specialist Carl Zeiss to bring AR to the masses in 2017.

Scoble has written of Apple’s VR plans before back in November he said that Apple were planning on building a PrimeSense sensor right into the TV and into the iPad/iPhone to create some sort of mixed reality.  Primesense are a 3D sensing company, the same company who created the original Xbox Kinect – Apple acquired them in 2013.

Tim Cook has spoke of AR in the past calling that AR will be bigger business in the long term than VR,Cook told Good Morning America in Septembe:

“There’s virtual reality and there’s augmented reality – both of these are incredibly interesting…….But my own view is that augmented reality is the larger of the two, probably by far…..Virtual reality sort of encloses and immerses the person into an experience that can be really cool but probably has a lower commercial interest over time. Less people will be interested in that.”

To listen to the guys chatting about this please click here!

Playstation VR

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The future is here! First out the gate with the VR hardware is Sony with their VR add-on for Playstation 4. While expensive at £350 the price is worth it once you give it a go. It is simply breathtaking. The process is simple, just attach the headset to the console via the included kit (PlayStation VR headset, Processor unit, Stereo earbuds, HDMI cable, USB cable, AC adaptor and power cord, PS VR headset connection adaptor) plug in the Playstation Camera (Sold Separately and is required) calibrate your head and away you go!

Within no time you’ll be experiencing games in a brand new never before seen way that is incredibly immersive and entertaining. Just be careful if you have motion sickness as this will trigger it and cause some headaches – as you will feel like you are actually inside the game!

Included in the box is a copy of Playstation VR Worlds where you get to get a taster of what’s to come in the future with this incredible technology. Dive in the deep sea, defy death in a street lunge or take on heists in the mini games available on this complimentary demo disc. But they’re not demo’s in the real sense of the word. They could actually pass for full games they are THAT good!

To buy Playstation VR please click here!

To purchase Playstation VR worlds separately please click here!

To listen to the guys talking about Playstation VR please click here!

‘Virtually Dead’ w / Nick Bright

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