The only VR headset on display and in demos at WWDC right now is the HTC Vive. This headset is powered by the SteamVR platform, which was announced as part of the VR for Mac support package and offers the most complete VR experience for users at the moment.
If you haven't already heard, Apple, Valve, and HTC have all teamed up to bring VR to the Mac on macOS High Sierra. Using either an externally mounted graphics processing unit (eGPU) or using the adequately powered Vega GPU inside the iMac Pro, you can now be part of the VR/AR revolution whilst running Mac hardware and software.
Vive Pro
You may know HTC as being makers of various smartphone products but it is also a pioneer in the burgeoning VR world. HTC had licensed technology from gaming company Valve to create the high-end VR display called the Vive. Continuing with their partnership, HTC is today announcing an upgrade to the Vive headset, the Vive Pro.
Vive vs Vive Pro
The Vive Pro is touting an upgraded resolution of 2880x1600 pixels and two front facing cameras. The original Vive by contrast sports an OLED display resolution of 2160x1200 pixels and only one front facing camera. On top of this, the Vive pro will also add built-in headphones to the system whereas the original Vive required the use of either third party headphones or the purchase of the deluxe audio strap add-on. As such, this isn't an announcement of a second generation Vive as it is more of a refresh to the existing system.
It can use the same Base Stations (although it is version 2-compatible for up to four Base Stations) as the original Vive for tracking, so you can optionally buy the headset only and not the complete system. It will be available some time in Q1. No mention of pricing as of yet.
Wireless adapter incoming
HTC also announced is wireless adapter add-on using the WiGig spec that will make your Vive pro tether free coming in the summer of 2018. This is likely in response to third party wireless adapter add-ons such as the one from TPcast that have adapters for the Vive and the Oculus Rift. It is unclear if this will be Mac compatible at release but HTC has confirmed that it will run on the original Vive headset. Also no mention of pricing as of yet.
Final comments
I have three VR headsets in my home. Will a welcome but limited bump in resolution be enough for enthusiasts to upgrade to? My feeling is that it's doubtful. However, if you are in the market for a new VR headset and want the best resolution and tracking abilities available in VR Today, then the HTC Vive pro will be what you'll want in 2018. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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What's 360 Degree Video?
360 degree videos is known as immersive videos or spherical videos. They are videos recorded typically in every direction by a special rig of multiple cameras or a dedicated omnidirectionaly camera that contains many camera lenses therein. 360-degree video is formatted in an equirectangular protection typically. The cameras supporting creating 360-degree videos include GoPro's Omni, Vuze Camera, Kandao Obsidian, Samsung Gear 360, etc. Users can play 360 degree videos with 360º video player, they can have a control of viewing direction by dragging the video around. It's a form of virtual reality.
Top 6 360 Video Players to Play 360 Degree Videos Without Any Hassle
After recording or downloading 360 degree videos, you may find difficulty in picking a reliably 360 vr player or xbox 360 media player for 360 video playback because there only a few video players supports 360 video playing on the market. Now that 360 degree video players are badly in demand for 360 degree videos playback. Here we list top 5 360º video players, giving you a new way to enjoy yourself.
#1 - 5KPlayer
When mentioning a 360 video player, 5KPlayer absolutely takes 360 video playback as its obligation. It is a 100% free 360º video player, specially designed for Mac and Windows users to play 360 degree virtual reality videos, 4K UHD 3840x2160, HD 1080p/720p, 3D Blu Ray videos as well as SD MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV, MKV etc videos. It also features download & airplay knacks. That is to say, you are free to get YouTube 360 degree video download with 5KPlayer. If you don't know how to play 360 videos on your computer, this video player for 360 videos will be a good choice.
#2 - Kolor Eyes
Kolor Eyes is a free 360° video player for Windows, Mac, HTML5, iOS and Android. It allows you to play and interact with your 360° videos on your computer and on your Oculus Rift. The desktop application of this 360 vr player lets you play 360-degree videos on your Mac or PC, watching videos up to 8K and enjoy the finest resolution at 360 degrees. What's more, turn at 360 degrees, zoom in and out, change the projection and apply visual effects all can be done with Kolor Eyes.
#3 - VR Player
VR Player is an experimental Virtual Reality 360 media player for Head-Mounted Display devices like the Oculus Rift. It features playing 360 degree videos, reading 2D/3D images and videos, local files, streams (including YouTube), disc, and more! For the moment, VR Player is a rare 360 video player keeping the trend of videos.
#4 - JW Player
JW Player is one of the most popular embeddable 360 vr players for websites. It supports a wide array of platforms, browsers, and media formats, including 4K 360 degree videos, 3D 360 VR, 1080P/720P, and standard definition videos in MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV etc. It is open-source software which is easy to configure, customize, and extend. Besides, it's a trifle for JW Player to play 360 degree videos, as well as xbox 360 games walkthrough served as an awesome xbox 360 media player.
#5 - Total Cinema 360° Web Player
Our Total Cinema 360° Web Player lets you experience and play 360° videos on the web from both desktop and mobile browsers. Built with HTML5 and WebGL, the 360 Web video Player operates seamlessly on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. But it's a pity that Total Cinema 360° only have access of its official site contents.
#6 - Kolor GoPro VR Player
Kolor GoPro VR player is placed sixth in our best 360 video players list. It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers, on which you can play 360°action videos, without an internet connection. With a lightweight interface, the player allows you to play 360 degree videos at the cost of the least effort, by simply loading the VR files and opening the very basic controls. An added value for the tool is you can adjust the general settings, video encoding, controllers, and more before playing 360° spherical videos.