Oculus Connect 5 at the end of September brought with it a whole bunch of announcements, with the pick of the bunch obviously being the reveal of the Oculus Quest. The finalised vision of that which was begun with the Santa Cruz prototype head-mounted display (HMD).
However, it wasn’t just new hardware that was discussed at this year’s Oculus Connect, the evolution of the current software sets was also very much a topic of discussion – and, after being previewed at the event, Oculus has pressed the button to roll out the latest version of the Oculus Rift’s software package. (Previously known as Rift Core 2.0.)
The update brings with it both new features and optimisations for previous ones. Performance has been improved, the user interface upgraded and there are changes within Oculus Home which is now more customisable than ever before.
“This new software release marks the culmination of months of work and the start of an exciting new phase for Rift.” Confirmed Oculus VR in their latest company blog focusing on the update. “From here, we’ll continue to evolve features and functionality on a monthly basis.”
Such evolution will be achieved in part through the Rift’s new system interface called Dash, which will not only be bringing Rift users greater access and control of both their apps and PC but that will also include what Oculus is calling Experiments. As the name suggests, this toggleable addition showcases a number of potential upcoming features for users to test and feedback on.
The big update for Home includes Custom Developer Items – unlockable pieces of art, in-game objects and all manner of other things related to your favourite virtual reality (VR) videogame. From a statue of Quill from Moss to the latest addition to the ranks, an animate statue of the Grand Sensei from Loco Dojo. This makes 32 unlockables in Home across nine very different titles. The other seven being Lone Echo II, OrbusVR, Arizona Sunshine, Job Simulator, Echo Arena, Brass Tactics and SUPERHOT VR.
Oculus have also been getting in the holiday spirit – as have a lot of developers since October began – by debuting a new spooky décor for Home (seen above). You can find a list of key features in the update, as revealed by Oculus below.
- With dynamic lighting and physically-based renderers, Home looks better than ever and turns off in the background to reduce overhead
- Bring the power of your PC into VR with Dash’s virtual desktop, which lets you easily access and interact with your desktop windows and apps
- Carve out a corner of the metaverse and customise your Oculus Home with hundreds of themed items and environments—and import your own 3D models and objects for a more personalized touch
- Get the party started and host up to eight friends simultaneously for social hangouts and co-watching.
VRFocus will bring you more updates about the ongoing changes to Oculus Home in the near future.
via Mint VR