Open Source Virtual Reality

Last updated
Razer OSVR Open-Source Virtual Reality for Gaming (16863428525).jpg
OSVR Hacker Developer Kit 1.4
NameOSVR Hacker Developer Kit (HDK)
Type Virtual reality headset
Manufacturer Razer
Designed by Sensics and Razer
Display Technology OLED
Resolution1200x1080 per eye [1]
Head Tracking 6DOF (3-axis rotational tracking + 3-axis positional tracking)
Platforms Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android and Linux
Connection2x USB 3.0, HDMI 1.4, Audio out
Website Official website

Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) was an open-source software project that aimed to enable headsets and game controllers from all vendors to be used with any games developed by Razer and Sensics.

Contents

It was also a virtual reality headset that claimed to be open-source hardware using the OSVR software. [2]

Project information

OSVR has two main and independent parts: open-source hardware and open-source software. The project is primarily sponsored by Razer and Sensics. [3] Partners in the project include game developers Ubisoft and hardware manufacturers Vuzix. [4] OSVR has requested help with creating Android Daydream VR Plugin. [5]

The open source software platform allows virtual reality developers to detect, configure and operate virtual reality devices across a wide range of operating systems. It is provided under the Apache 2.0 license. Since August 2018, the electrical hardware source files are available. [6] The files that have been released so far are under a proprietary, source-available license. [7]

One of their most popular hardware consists of virtual reality headset called the Hacker Development Kit. The first model of the headset was introduced in January 2015 in CES. [8] Shipping to select developers started in July 2015. [9] Pre-ordering was opened to the general public by October and shipping started by November 2015. [10]

Games

Some of the games with the support of OSVR: [11] [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

UNIGINE is a proprietary cross-platform game engine developed by UNIGINE Company used in simulators, virtual reality systems, serious games and visualization. It supports OpenGL 4, Vulkan and DirectX 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sensics</span> Virtual reality company

Sensics is an American company making virtual reality products for professionals and consumers. Sensics is the co-founder of the OSVR ecosystem and technical lead of its software platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leap Motion</span> Former American company

Leap Motion, Inc. was an American company that manufactured and marketed a computer hardware sensor device that supports hand and finger motions as input, analogous to a mouse, but requires no hand contact or touching. In 2016, the company released new software designed for hand tracking in virtual reality. The company was sold to the British company Ultrahaptics in 2019, which rebranded the two companies under the new name Ultraleap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Rift</span> Virtual reality headsets by Oculus VR

Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a virtual reality company founded by Palmer Luckey that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality industry. It was the first virtual reality headset to provide a realistic experience at an accessible price, utilizing novel technology to increase quality and reduce cost by orders of magnitude compared to earlier systems. The first headset in the line was the Oculus Rift DK1, released on March 28, 2013. The last was the Oculus Rift S, discontinued in April 2021.

Eve: Valkyrie was a multiplayer dogfighting shooter game set in the Eve Online universe that was designed to use virtual reality headset technology. Originally launched for Microsoft Windows for use with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, CCP Games had announced they plan to enable cross-platform play between the three major VR systems: the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and the PlayStation VR. Released in March 2016, the game had two game mode options: Chronicles could be played in single player, while Combat allowed eight by eight combat PvP missions. Reviews generally criticized the limited plot and limitations of single player mode, although the described "arcade experience" was praised for having intuitive controls and "exhilarating" dogfighting features, with PC Powerplay dubbing it "arguably the best VR experience currently available for the [Oculus Rift] platform."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tango (platform)</span> Mobile computer vision platform for Android developed by Google

Tango was an augmented reality computing platform, developed and authored by the Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP), a skunkworks division of Google. It used computer vision to enable mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to detect their position relative to the world around them without using GPS or other external signals. This allowed application developers to create user experiences that include indoor navigation, 3D mapping, physical space measurement, environmental recognition, augmented reality, and windows into a virtual world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reality Labs</span> Virtual and augmented reality products company

Reality Labs, originally Oculus VR, is a business and research unit of Meta Platforms that produces virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hardware and software, including virtual reality headsets such as Quest, and online platforms such as Horizon Worlds. In June 2022, several artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives that were previously a part of Meta AI were transitioned to Reality Labs. This also includes Meta's fundamental AI Research laboratory FAIR which is now part of the Reality Labs - Research (RLR) division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Cardboard</span> Discontinued virtual reality platform

Google Cardboard is a discontinued virtual reality (VR) platform developed by Google. Named for its fold-out cardboard viewer into which a smartphone is inserted, the platform was intended as a low-cost system to encourage interest and development in VR applications. Users can either build their own viewer from simple, low-cost components using specifications published by Google, or purchase a pre-manufactured one. To use the platform, users run Cardboard-compatible mobile apps on their phone, place it into the back of the viewer, and view content through the lenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Mixed Reality</span> Mixed reality platform

Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) is a discontinued platform by Microsoft which provides augmented reality and virtual reality experiences with compatible head-mounted displays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HTC Vive</span> Virtual reality headset

HTC Vive is a line of virtual and mixed reality headsets produced by HTC Corporation. The brand currently encompasses headsets designed for use with personal computers as well as standalone headsets such as the Vive Focus line, Vive Flow glasses, and the Vive Elite XR mixed reality headset.

WebXR Device API is a Web application programming interface (API) that describes support for accessing augmented reality and virtual reality devices, such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Google Cardboard, HoloLens, Apple Vision Pro, Magic Leap or Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR), in a web browser. The WebXR Device API and related APIs are standards defined by W3C groups, the Immersive Web Community Group and Immersive Web Working Group. While the Community Group works on the proposals in the incubation period, the Working Group defines the final web specifications to be implemented by the browsers.

OpenVR is a software development kit (SDK) and application programming interface (API) developed by Valve for supporting the SteamVR and other virtual reality headset devices. The SteamVR platform uses it as the default application programming interface and runtime. It serves as the interface between the virtual reality hardware and software and is implemented by SteamVR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual reality headset</span> Head-mounted device that provides virtual reality for the wearer

A virtual reality headset is a head-mounted display that provides a virtual reality environment for the wearer. VR headsets are widely used with VR video games but they are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers. VR headsets typically include a stereoscopic display, stereo sound, and sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes for tracking the pose of the user's head to match the orientation of the virtual camera with the user's eye positions in the real world.

Radial-G: Racing Revolved is an indie racing game, which was developed by Tammeka Games and was released on March 28, 2016, for the Oculus Rift. HTC Vive and Razer OSVR support via the Steam version was released April 5, 2016 and is going to be released on Sony PlayStation VR on September 12, 2017 for EU regions with U.S. dates to be announced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GameFace Labs</span> American software and hardware company

GameFace Labs is an American technology company that develops hardware and software for the consumer virtual reality market, and was founded in 2013 by Edward Mason. The company's headquarters are in San Francisco, with international offices in London, United Kingdom.

OpenXR is an open-source, royalty-free standard for access to virtual reality and augmented reality platforms and devices. It is developed by a working group managed by the Khronos Group consortium. OpenXR was announced by the Khronos Group on February 27, 2017, during GDC 2017. A provisional version of the standard was released on March 18, 2019, to enable developers and implementers to provide feedback on it. On July 29, 2019, OpenXR 1.0 was released to the public by Khronos Group at SIGGRAPH 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual reality game</span> Video game played in virtual reality

A virtual reality game or VR games is a video game played on virtual reality (VR) hardware. Most VR games are based on player immersion, typically through head-mounted display unit or headset with stereoscopic displays and one or more controllers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Quest</span> Virtual reality headset

The first-generation Oculus Quest is a discontinued virtual reality headset developed by Oculus, a brand of Facebook Inc., and released on May 21, 2019. Similar to its predecessor, Oculus Go, it is a standalone device, that can run games and software wirelessly under an Android-based operating system. It supports positional tracking with six degrees of freedom, using internal sensors and an array of cameras in the front of the headset rather than external sensors. The cameras are also used as part of the safety feature "Passthrough", which shows a view from the cameras when the user exits their designated boundary area. A later software update added "Oculus Link", a feature that allows the Quest to be connected to a computer via USB, enabling use with Oculus Rift-compatible software and games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Rift CV1</span> Virtual reality headset by Oculus VR

Oculus Rift CV1, also known simply as Oculus Rift, is a virtual reality headset developed by Oculus VR, a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, known at the time as Facebook Inc. It was announced in January 2016, and released in March the same year. The device constituted the first commercial release in the Oculus Rift lineup.

References

  1. Mah Ung, Gordon (2015-01-06). "Razer's open-source headset aims to disrupt virtual reality". PCWorld. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  2. Stein, Scott (2015-01-06). "Meet Razer's OSVR Hacker Dev Kit, the 'open-source' hackable VR headset". CNET. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  3. "OSVR's virtual reality headset is for making the weird VR of the future". TheVerge. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  4. Prasuethsut, Lily (2015-03-05). "Razer updates OSVR virtual reality headset". TechRadar. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  5. "Help wanted: Google VR SDK Plugin". GitHub .
  6. "Sources for MCU binaries? #2". Github. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  7. The license as laid out in the HDK repository README explicitly excludes rights required for OSI compliance (updated 12 March 2024)
  8. "Razer OSVR headset hands-on: a platform, not a competitor". SlashGear. January 6, 2015.
  9. "OSVR Hacker Kits Have Started Shipping". Tom's Hardware . July 8, 2015.
  10. "Public pre-orders for Razer's OSVR headset are now open". Digital Trends . October 26, 2015.
  11. Charara, Sophie (May 9, 2016). "The OSVR apps, games and experiences to download". Wareable. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  12. "TopGameswith OSVR (Open-Source Virtual Reality) support". itch.io. Retrieved September 30, 2016.