A brief history of VR streaming
VR headsets and issues faced by the early adopters With the first wave of modern VR headsets, the cables have always been a struggle. Figuring out the cable management can be a problem on its own, but cables breaking every 2 to 4 months has always been a huge (sensible is the wrong word to use here) problem. One that leads to extra expenses as those cables are not cheap by any means. Things get even worse when an HMD manufacturer releases a new model and the replacement cables for the previous generation slowly but surely go out of stock. First Generation Solutions What emerged as a solution is to attach a power bank to the HMD and simply stream the video/audio output. The very first attempt came from the Chinese company TPCast. Though the solution worked, it had many drawbacks – an extra router for the WirelessHD technology, audio/microphone issues, and codec quality (vertical green lines cannot go unnoticed). Less than a year later, HTC released its “Vive Wireless Adapter” – a solution based on Intel® WiGig and a notable improvement over the first streaming attempt. Still, the Vive Wireless Adapter came up with two major flaws – it requires a PCI card, making the entire solution not supported for laptops. Worse, due to frequency licensing reasons, the WiGig technology allows up to 3 devices in the same play space, making it hard for adoption in a free-roam environment. Still, we have seen some creative approaches like mixing Vive Wireless with backpack PCs. Over time, the backpack solution emerged as the preferred free-roam setup, but again, it came up with its own flaws. This time it turned out to be the quick degradation of the batteries and the overly questionable product lifespan. More Band-Aid Solutions What came up next is a client<->server software called Virtual Desktop (VD). VD turned out to be a good VR streaming solution that has seen a lot of updates and good adoption. It became even more popular with the release of the WiFi 6E technology and its adoption in the XR2 Qualcomm chip (used in devices like Meta Quest 2, Pico Neo 3 Pro, and Focus 3). In 2021, Oculus released its own streaming solution called AirLink. Other notable applications are the “Pico Link” app for the Pico Interactive ecosystem and “Vive Business Streaming” by HTC. All those applications do a great job, but how good are they for commercial use? Virtual Desktop – the application is good, but it gets more and more updates tailored to the home users … things you don’t want your users to mess up with. AirLink – the streaming functionality is part of the Windows Oculus application and as such, it requires a Facebook account. Pico Link – over the past 2 years, Synthesis has contributed multiple suggestions to the Pico streaming software and it only gets better Vive Business Streaming (VBS) – the app is pretty good and can be paired to a PC without the need for user interactions, but still, it heavily relies on the HTC’s LBE support and is locked to the HTC ecosystem What SynthesisVR wants to achieve? At SynthesisVR, we strive for an open ecosystem. We strive for standards and functionalities done in a way beneficial for everyone. Given the reliance of the listed applications on specific brands and hardware, we realized we actually need an Ultimate Streaming Solution – one that would work across all current and future VR headsets. Introducing QuarkXR – a company that we have known for more than 6 years. Back in 2016, QuarkXR gave us a demo of their first VR streaming solution. Since then, QuarkXR is on a consistent growth path and with successfully completed projects for major corporations like Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, Ericsson, and others. What does this mean for the LBE/LBVR ecosystem? The SynthesisVR <-> QuarkXR collaboration was established with the sole goal of providing the PERFECT streaming solution for all the VR arcades worldwide: Benefits of this collaboration A tiny Windows streaming app is all that is needed, supporting all the standalone VR headsets and requires no external accounts or extra applications Simple PCVR<->HMD pairing process No visual interactions by the player/customer HMD hot-swap/replacing the connected HMD without closing the game Variable bitrate settings for maximum control over the stream’s performance/quality Unified Kiosk Mode across multiple HMD brands Persistent VR Streaming mode Easy switch between VR streaming and individual on-device VR sessions No overhaul for the arcades – the QuarkXR streaming is completely free for the SynthesisVR customers! If you have any questions regarding this post or how to take advantage of this new solution please email info@synthesisvr.com.
Rhythmatic – The top rhythm game now free until March 2021!
Rhythmatic hits the top 20 after just 2 weeks and Blackwall Labs make it free until March! After an extensive BETA period, the arcade exclusive, multiplayer, beat slicer, Rhythmatic was released on December the 1st. Just 2 weeks later and the game is already among the highest trending games on SynthesisVR. In what we are sure will be a much-appreciated Christmas present – developer Blackwall Labs have decided to make the game totally free for arcades until February 28th, 2021. In a statement, founder Dan Perrin said: We want to say a huge thank you to everyone in the community……we are absolutely delighted to tell you that Rhythmatic is one of the highest trending games on SynthesisVR chart just 2 weeks after release. We couldn’t have done this without your help, feedback and support. We know that this year has been a tough one for everyone, but we believe that 2021 will be much brighter once we reach the early Spring. To show our appreciation and also to help people get through these last hard months we have decided to make both Rhythmatic totally free for you and your locations until February 28th And if that’s not enough to give you the feeling of Christmas cheer – the London based company will also make their debut experience ‘NYC Bungee’ free for the same period too….a move which will delight those looking for a great looking fear of heights classic! Arcades and LBE’s don’t need to do anything….just look for the game on Synthesis and make the most of this license-free period. Impending updates to the game will also add up to 12 player support (with the capability to host 6 vs 6 battles) as well as 5 new and exclusive tracks from the worlds of dubstep, drum and bass, house, and Rock! Safe to say Rhythmatic is living up to its unprecedented hype!
SynthesisVR and KATVR together for a unified ecosystem
SynthesisVR and KATVR together for a unified ecosystem Los Angeles – August 22, 2019 Synthesis VR, a complete management, game enhancement and licensing platform for location-based VR (LBVR) entertainment centers, today announced its partnership with KAT VR, the creators of KAT WALK and KAT Mini omnidirectional treadmills, KAT Loco and KAT VRMIS Arena. Together, Synthesis VR and KAT VR aim to enrich the LBVR ecosystem by delivering a premium set of both hardware and software solutions. “At KAT VR, we are amazed by the technical abilities of Synthesis VR and the solutions they have provided the LBVR market. Synthesis VR is a top-notch platform and a true home for the vast solutions we build.”, said Kaye Pang, KAT VR CEO. “Synthesis VR understand and unleashes the power of KAT VR. We are confident our customers will appreciate all the hard work we put into making this partnership come true”. “As omnidirectional treadmills use as a potential VR apparatus increased and accepted widely in the LBVR industry, we are excited to offer native integration with KAT VR.”, said A Shabeer Sinnalebbe, Synthesis VR CEO. “We couldn’t have hoped for a better partner than KAT VR. Our synergy and what we have achieved together is a win for the LBVR industry and huge step toward unified and reliable business processes.” The native integration between KAT I/O (KAT VR’s platform dedicated to KAT Walk, and KAT Walk mini ODTs) and the Synthesis VR platform allow fast setup, powerful VR launchers, additional games, strong billing, membership and reward programs, all that bundled together with online booking widgets and strong business reports. Using KAT VR hardware together with the SynthesisVR magic is a smart choice, preferred by VR arcades, FEC, E-sport and entertainment venues all over the world. About Synthesis VR Synthesis VR, a complete management, game enhancement and licensing platform for location-based VR (LBVR) entertainment centers, designed by pioneering LBVR operators to provide the critical functions needed to operate and profit from LBVR centers. Synthesis VR separates itself from other existing platforms with unparalleled features, customer service and support. The company continues to introduce new features like support for Free Roam, multiple experiences, mixed reality, memberships, video recording and streaming and much more, for LBVR center owners to thrive and scale. About KAT VR KAT VR, a holder of over 20 independent patents, focuses on different research areas such as virtual reality interactive technologies, ergonomic design, and motion capture technology. Company’s flagship product and main research field is the world’s first non-restrictive ODT and one of the world’s two major ODTs (Omni-directional treadmill). The company won the 2015 “China Innovation and Entrepreneurship” and have a worldwide recognition for its unique products.