Microsoft brings Oculus Rift to Xbox

[Ironman273]

You guys are not thinking out of the box

 

[+Asmodai MVC]

This whole topic is nuts.  The hype machine has gone wild.  Neither MS or Oculus is bringing VR in general or the Rift specifically to Xbox.

This isn't even a new feature from MS.  It's a combination of features we already know.

 

1) The Xbox One can stream games to a Win10 PC.  That's already been announced, it has nothing at all to do with VR or Oculus.

2) Windows 10 PCs can use Xbox One controllers.  Xbox controllers have been the preferred gamepad for Windows PCs since MS largely replaced DirectInput with XInput with the launch of the Xbox 360 (In 2005!).  As such it stands to reason that the Xbox One controller would be the preferred gamepad FOR ANY PC GAME with Win10.  The closest thing to news here is that you'll finally get it use it wirelessly and that it comes bundled with the Rift.  Again the wireless news has nothing to do with VR specifically.

3) Oculus has a "Cinema Mode" I believe it's called that allows you to output any normal 2D video that would go to your monitor onto a virtual screen in a VR room.  That doesn't make that content VR.  Looking around is going to cause you to look around a fake room not anything in game.  It not even exclusive to Xbox or gaming in general.  You can use the capability to watch a DVD on your computer and have it display in your VR Cinema on the Rift.  That movie doesn't become 3D or VR, it's still a 2D movie in on a screen in a VR room just like the Xbox Games will be.

 

So really Microsoft has done nothing VR or Rift specific here other than allowing Oculus to bundle the controller which given it's the default controller for Win10 anyway and the Rift is being released for Windows (among other things) isn't exactly a big jump.  In no way at all does this bring VR to Xbox, the Xbox games don't know they're being displayed in VR when running on the Rift, they don't receive any head tracking info or anything, they're just 2D games like usual.  If anything it brings Xbox to the Rift in the same way playing a movie in "Cinema mode" brings movies to the Rift.

 

This topic doesn't even really make sense in "Microsoft Console" as the features that enable it are really Win10 PC features not console specific features.  Now if the Xbox One could actually stream data somehow directly to the Rift THAT would be a big deal.  As it is this would seem to belong more in computer gaming than console or perhaps in gaming in general.

[Hedon]

You guys are not thinking out of the box

 

 

 

I don't think I could use this thing personally. But now I already know a bunch of people that are getting this day one to play their Xbox One games. I just can't game with accessories on me.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

IBTimes: How will the Oculus Rift stream Xbox One games?

 

Spencer: It's really nice. It's a 2-D display in a 3-D world, so we're not turning all the Xbox games into virtual reality games. But the fact that you get a big screen -- the screen kind of feels like that (Spencer points to a giant projection screen at the event thats about 7 feet by 10 feet) -- and the fact that everything else is nonexistent, everything else is blacked out, your mind's eye is on the screen, it's really a nice, immersive, dark experience. And a lot of the guys back at the office, that's the way they want to play. 

 

IBTimes: How will this partnership impact the Hololens, the augmented reality headset Microsoft announced earlier this year?

 

Spencer: This partnership allows us to focus on a space that's different from them with our Hololens, which has a lot of things still to be figured out. This partnership seemed like the right for me. The whole Hololens team sent me a picture -- they actually watched the briefing with the Hololens on, streaming the picture on the wall. It's like the most surreal thing, but they were all really excited about the show. 

 

 

http://www.ibtimes.com/microsofts-xbox-chief-phil-spencer-partnering-oculus-vr-lets-us-focus-hololens-1963263

[FunkyMike]

Anyone got a link to the article that explained how the initial Hololense tech was started as a project for the Xbox One?

[George P Global Moderator]

MS doesn't want to do it's own VR for the Xbox One, it doesn't have to either, they want to focus on Hololens which is able to target a much larger market than VR can.   Right now it's just a first stage streaming of Xbox One games to the Rift, to use the Rift you still need a PC, at this time, so people getting this have a PC already set or are building one just for OR, to that end it's a bonus feature that's nice.

 

Another key takeaway here is that MS worked to get the Rift to work with Windows 10 out of the box, as far as what Phil said on stage.  You should just connect it and it'll work, all that software/OS work can, and probably will, translate to the Xbox One in the future when it's also running on Windows 10.  What we see now is just the first step in the partnership I bet.

 

I also think VR is a niche, I'm not sold on it personally but that's because I don't want to just play first person games from here on out, I quite like my 3rd person content as well.

[+Asmodai MVC]

MS doesn't want to do it's own VR for the Xbox One, it doesn't have to either,

I agree 100%

they want to focus on Hololens which is able to target a much larger market than VR can.

This implies they are mutually exclusive, they are not. MS COULD make VR for Xbox One AND make Hololens as they are completely different things. Again though I agree MS doesn't HAVE to do VR for Xbox One.

I also think that of the two Hololens is more exciting but Hololens isn't a console peripheral at all and really has little to do with Xbox (beyond both running Win10... which is true for desktop PCs, phones, etc. as well) Hololens is a stand alone device, a computer in it's own right.

Another key takeaway here is that MS worked to get the Rift to work with Windows 10 out of the box

I'm not sure what this means. The Rift has been running on Windows for a while without MS doing anything. All the dev kits ran on Windows so it's not like MS had to go out of their way to engineer anything.

I think they would have had to go out of their way to make the Rift NOT work in Win10 considering it works just fine in Win7 and 8.

I don't think MS made their own VR APIs or anything, Oculus has their own so the only thing I can think of that they could have done is bundle the divers/API that Oculus made so it's preinstalled on the OS.

I'd certainly be interested in hearing about whatever other work they did though but if that's what it amounts to it's a strange thing to take credit for.

I also think VR is a niche, I'm not sold on it personally but that's because I don't want to just play first person games from here on out, I quite like my 3rd person content as well.

It IS niche because it requires an expensive peripheral but I have little doubt that it will gain enough traction this time to stick around instead of disappearing as it did last time.

Even thinking it will succeed though doesn't mean I think more people will be playing VR games than not. Most games are going to stay non-VR but I believe VR will sell well enough to be profitable and continue forward.

Just like the Xbox One doesn't have to outsell the PS4 to remain viable VR doesn't have to outsell non-VR.

The games also aren't all first person and VR will launch entirely new genres of games not just port existing ones.

That's also not to say some VR isn't going to fail. There are too many players right now. Morpheus will likely do ok because it's the only PlayStation option and it will be one of the cheapest.

I really don't see SteamVR and Oculus Rift coexisting for long on PC. One is going to become dominant fairly quickly (my guess would be SteamVR).

If Oculus does end up losing PC to SteamVR I except them to focus on mobile.

SteamVR isn't just the HTC Vive though. HTC is just launch device and I expect others to launch SteamVR hardware as well (possibly ASUS, LG, Lenovo/Motorola, etc.) and some of them will sell and others won't.

[George P Global Moderator]

I agree 100%

This implies they are mutually exclusive, they are not. MS COULD make VR for Xbox One AND make Hololens as they are completely different things. Again though I agree MS doesn't HAVE to do VR for Xbox One.

I also think that of the two Hololens is more exciting but Hololens isn't a console peripheral at all and really has little to do with Xbox (beyond both running Win10... which is true for desktop PCs, phones, etc. as well) Hololens is a stand alone device, a computer in it's own right.

I'm not sure what this means. The Rift has been running on Windows for a while without MS doing anything. All the dev kits ran on Windows so it's not like MS had to go out of their way to engineer anything.

I think they would have had to go out of their way to make the Rift NOT work in Win10 considering it works just fine in Win7 and 8.

I don't think MS made their own VR APIs or anything, Oculus has their own so the only thing I can think of that they could have done is bundle the divers/API that Oculus made so it's preinstalled on the OS.

I'd certainly be interested in hearing about whatever other work they did though but if that's what it amounts to it's a strange thing to take credit for.

It IS niche because it requires an expensive peripheral but I have little doubt that it will gain enough traction this time to stick around instead of disappearing as it did last time.

Even thinking it will succeed though doesn't mean I think more people will be playing VR games than not. Most games are going to stay non-VR but I believe VR will sell well enough to be profitable and continue forward.

Just like the Xbox One doesn't have to outsell the PS4 to remain viable VR doesn't have to outsell non-VR.

The games also aren't all first person and VR will launch entirely new genres of games not just port existing ones.

That's also not to say some VR isn't going to fail. There are too many players right now. Morpheus will likely do ok because it's the only PlayStation option and it will be one of the cheapest.

I really don't see SteamVR and Oculus Rift coexisting for long on PC. One is going to become dominant fairly quickly (my guess would be SteamVR).

If Oculus does end up losing PC to SteamVR I except them to focus on mobile.

SteamVR isn't just the HTC Vive though. HTC is just launch device and I expect others to launch SteamVR hardware as well (possibly ASUS, LG, Lenovo/Motorola, etc.) and some of them will sell and others won't.

 

I don't mean hololens and VR have to be split, I don't know if that came across somehow, I just mean MS sees a bigger market in AR over VR technology, right now the big push for VR is through gaming, where it makes the most sense for it to start.  AR can be used outside of "media" situations, like gaming and watching movies etc.   I believe it's less limiting compared to VR but MS plans to have hololens do games as well, nothing wrong with that.  To that extent MS is going to do Hololens 100% and have the VR part done by OR, I expect to see it directly support the XB1 at some point, probably waiting for the windows 10 upgrade for the XB1 to happen first.

 

As far as Windows 10 support, I mean in making it work out of the box, that is you don't have to get anything or install drivers etc, like you said, they'll probably be part of Windows 10, so you just plug and play basically.   There's probably support in there for the new Xbox Live integration in Windows 10 to, like how they have the game streaming support added now, there's got to be some new API that talks between the Xbox Live app that's streaming from the Xbox One to your Windows 10 PC and the OR, so they did work on something.

[+Asmodai MVC]

I don't mean hololens and VR have to be split, I don't know if that came across somehow,

My comment wasn't JUST in reference to your post but the simple fact that Hololens even comes up in an Xbox or VR discussion doens't really make sense. They are completely different, and non-mutually exclusive things.

I just mean MS sees a bigger market in AR over VR technology, right now the big push for VR is through gaming, where it makes the most sense for it to start.  AR can be used outside of "media" situations, like gaming and watching movies etc.   I believe it's less limiting compared to VR but MS plans to have hololens do games as well, nothing wrong with that.

I agree with this as well. AR doesn't block your vision. In theory you can walk around with an AR device all day long having it feed you all kinds of information (sales at stores you walk by, directions, games, etc.)

VR is a peripheral. Even if tech were no limit you can't walk around all day with VR on. It's not limited to gaming but not being able to see your surroundings means it's pretty much something you sit down, have an experience with (game or otherwise) then take it off and walk away.

Again they are completely different things. Hololens has nothing to do with Xbox or VR. It has more in common with Google Glass (only it's actually good) than Oculus Rift or Project Morpheus.

To that extent MS is going to do Hololens 100% and have the VR part done by OR, I expect to see it directly support the XB1 at some point, probably waiting for the windows 10 upgrade for the XB1 to happen first.

I can pretty much guarantee that isn't going to happen. Palmer Luckey has made it pretty clear that he does NOT want the Rift on a console. There is not going to be a day when a true VR game is running on the Xbox One and outputting directly from the Xbox to the Rift without a PC in between.

MAYBE the Xbox Two (or whatever it's called) will have a VR headset based off of Oculus technology but neither the Xbox One or the PS4 have the hardware to drive the Rift at the level that Oculus wants.

As far as Windows 10 support, I mean in making it work out of the box, that is you don't have to get anything or install drivers etc, like you said, they'll probably be part of Windows 10, so you just plug and play basically.   There's probably support in there for the new Xbox Live integration in Windows 10 to, like how they have the game streaming support added now, there's got to be some new API that talks between the Xbox Live app that's streaming from the Xbox One to your Windows 10 PC and the OR, so they did work on something.

"making it work out of the box" I assume just means they preinstalled the drivers/API. Really that's just wasted space for most Win10 users who won't end up buying the Rift and MS didn't write those drivers of the API, they're not even new. Again the Rift dev kits have been working just fine on Windows since they first shipped.

Microsoft did add new APIs to Xbox/Win10 to stream content from the Xbox to Win10. That has nothing to do with VR or Oculus in particular. You can do that without owning a Rift with any Xbox One game. Oculus is just using a Windows 10 feature that MS already made.

Oculus wrote a mode that allows you to make a virtual room and watch 2D video content on a virtual screen in that room. You can use that to watch movies and yeah since you can stream Xbox Games to PC you can have your Xbox games on that virtual screen as well.

The Xbox game isn't VR. No VR data is going to the Xbox, the Xbox has NO IDEA that you even have a Rift. As such there is no way an Xbox game can add VR support via that setup. Oculus made that "cinema mode". MS did nothing VR or Rift specific to enable that.

[HawkMan]

I don't think MS made their own VR APIs or anything, Oculus has their own so the only thing I can think of that they could have done is bundle the divers/API that Oculus made so it's preinstalled on the OS.

 

ummm, at that conference last year when Hololens was announced, they made a pretty big deal about the new VR API they made, an API that was NOT just for hololens but for ALL VR on windows 10, whether it was Oculus Rift or anything else. 

 

So, actually they did.

[+Asmodai MVC]

ummm, at that conference last year when Hololens was announced, they made a pretty big deal about the new VR API they made, an API that was NOT just for hololens but for ALL VR on windows 10, whether it was Oculus Rift or anything else. 

 

So, actually they did.

 

Once again Hololens is not VR, it's AR and they're completely different things.

Microsoft made a new AR API called Windows Holographic and that's what Hololens uses (and it's really freaking neat!)  It however is not VR and it's not what I was talking about at all, has nothing to do with Oculus Rift.

The Oculus Rift has it's own VR API, it doesn't use Windows Holographic.  Oculus has developed their API since DK1 (the first development kit), well before Hololens or Windows Holographic were announced) and there is no way they are going to suddenly throw it out, with all the apps currently running on it, a few months from release to switch to WIndows Holographic even it if was a VR API and not an AR one (which it's not).  The Oculus developed API also supports Linux and Mac, I seriously doubt MS is going to open up Windows Holographic so it works on those platforms.  Bringing up Hololens in VR/Rift/Morpheus discussions is pointless and only serves to confuse people.

 

HoloLens and the Windows Holographic API have nothing to do with the Oculus Rift.

[trooper11]

With MS partnering with Oculus and Valve for VR, its clear that MS wants to help push the medium as much as possible. They are doing exactly what pc gamers should want from MS. They are focusing on making the OS and api as good as possible to allow developers and gamers to get the best experience possible. That means embracing new tech like this and working with the companies involved to improve the underlying OS accordingly.

They can happily push Hololens at the same time since the two platforms are fairly different and Valve or Oculus don't have feel threatened by its existence.

[HawkMan]

Once again Hololens is not VR, it's AR and they're completely different things.

Microsoft made a new AR API called Windows Holographic and that's what Hololens uses (and it's really freaking neat!)  It however is not VR and it's not what I was talking about at all, has nothing to do with Oculus Rift.

The Oculus Rift has it's own VR API, it doesn't use Windows Holographic.  Oculus has developed their API since DK1 (the first development kit), well before Hololens or Windows Holographic were announced) and there is no way they are going to suddenly throw it out, with all the apps currently running on it, a few months from release to switch to WIndows Holographic even it if was a VR API and not an AR one (which it's not).  The Oculus developed API also supports Linux and Mac, I seriously doubt MS is going to open up Windows Holographic so it works on those platforms.  Bringing up Hololens in VR/Rift/Morpheus discussions is pointless and only serves to confuse people.

 

HoloLens and the Windows Holographic API have nothing to do with the Oculus Rift.

 

 

Did you even listen to the conference, the holographic API is NOT just for AR but also for VR. yes, OR uses it's own API, but it can also use Windows Holographic, it's NOT just an AR API.

[President Devil]

I'd choose Oculus over the Morpheus any day (my main bet is actually on FOVE). MS made a wise choice doing it this way with the hardware they have and it's a better product that they now have a partnership with.

But in all honesty, I don't see VR going anywhere for a while, it still needs to work out a few kinks.

Morpheus will be DOA as Sony software support for peripherals has always been a joke and it will be no different with this.

[MikeChipshop Member]

Once again Hololens is not VR, it's AR and they're completely different things.

Microsoft made a new AR API called Windows Holographic and that's what Hololens uses (and it's really freaking neat!)  It however is not VR and it's not what I was talking about at all, has nothing to do with Oculus Rift.

The Oculus Rift has it's own VR API, it doesn't use Windows Holographic.  Oculus has developed their API since DK1 (the first development kit), well before Hololens or Windows Holographic were announced) and there is no way they are going to suddenly throw it out, with all the apps currently running on it, a few months from release to switch to WIndows Holographic even it if was a VR API and not an AR one (which it's not).  The Oculus developed API also supports Linux and Mac, I seriously doubt MS is going to open up Windows Holographic so it works on those platforms.  Bringing up Hololens in VR/Rift/Morpheus discussions is pointless and only serves to confuse people.

 

HoloLens and the Windows Holographic API have nothing to do with the Oculus Rift.

 

As HawkMan stated, MS said they're building AR AND VR straight in to Windows 10 with a new set of API's.

[Hedon]

I am pretty confident that this AR/VR is going to be in the most niche of crowds and will gain little to no traction. I can see some of the benefits outside of the gaming world (architecture, medical, education). But for gaming, this will be another attempt that just still isn't going to make it main stream. The good thing is, it is entirely optional and will not be forced upon us. It is still very cost prohibitive.

 

I love the fact that they are trying new things, and using these as testing grounds for new opportunities in gaming (and outside the gaming world). But Hololens, Morpheous and Oculus Rift are pretty much DOA in my opinion.

[123456789A]

As HawkMan stated, MS said they're building AR AND VR straight in to Windows 10 with a new set of API's.

 

I am really looking forward to what ideas they come up with as far as integrating Microsoft Office and an AR experience.

[+Asmodai MVC]

Did you even listen to the conference, the holographic API is NOT just for AR but also for VR. yes, OR uses it's own API, but it can also use Windows Holographic, it's NOT just an AR API.

 

Have you seen ANY software (tech demo, game or otherwise) running on actual VR Hardware (from ANYONE but VR NOT AR) using the Windows Holographic API?

I certainly haven't, I'd love to see some if you've got links to ANY info about such a beast.  I'm more inclined to believe people just misunderstood and VR and AR seem to be getting mixed up all the time in reporting right now.  I chalk it up to marketing B.S. or a misunderstanding until they actually show something VR running on a MS API.

Furthermore if MS has a VR API for PC then why are they working with Valve on the SteamVR which would be a direct competitor?

Microsoft is going to sit back and watch Valve and Oculus fight to be the dominant VR API on Windows.  They're going to make sure they don't get in the way and both APIs work well on their platform (i.e. they don't do anything to break them) but they aren't going to make a competing API, at least not this early in the game.  Personally I think that's a smart move for them if they aren't planning on making any VR hardware of their own.

I actually know Rift developers and NONE of them have ever heard of using the Windows Holographic API for the Rift.  I'm sure they'd be interested in more info on that if such a beast exists so if you can provide some sort of link to these VR APIs and how to get them working with the Rift that would be much appreciated.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Further confirmation native Oculus support is not planned

http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2015/07/08/microsoft-oculus-rift-will-not-work-natively-with-xbox-one/157870/

[Hedon]

Further confirmation native Oculus support is not planned

http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2015/07/08/microsoft-oculus-rift-will-not-work-natively-with-xbox-one/157870/

 

"We have nothing further to share at this time"

 

Probably get more details about native support at the next E3.

[HawkMan]

Have you seen ANY software (tech demo, game or otherwise) running on actual VR Hardware (from ANYONE but VR NOT AR) using the Windows Holographic API?

 

Since it was anounced a few months ago ? and since there literally are no VR software out yet except those in beta developed specifically to showcase specific VR headsets?

 

weakest argument ever. and what does that have to do with anything, the holographic API is as DIRECTLY STATED by MS for VR and AR. I mean when they say that VR is one of the main use cases for it, how hard is it to accept that it is ?

[HawkMan]

 

Furthermore if MS has a VR API for PC then why are they working with Valve on the SteamVR which would be a direct competitor?

 

They are working with ALL of the major VR headset developers right now. Having an API doesn't at this time in developement of the various devices negate having to add specific codes for the various heaset makers and their different controllers until someone(or they) make a middleware that translates between them all, or until this middleware support for all headsets is baked into holographic API. The most important first step is to get VR out there. 

 

Why don't you just listen to MS announcement and talk about the holographic API for yourself again, and maybe give it a download and try as I believe it's actually released for everyone, though I could be wrong on that. 

[GotBored]

Xbox One now supports VR!

 

(Terms, Conditions and PC required)

[FunkyMike]

Xbox One now supports VR!

 

(Terms, Conditions and PC required)

Funny since the Hololense started as an Xbox project. They probably realised early onwards that the GPU power would not be sufficient enough.