It appears as though 2016 is the year of virtual reality headsets, as another one has just been unveiled. Starbreeze, the creators of Payday and the upcoming Overkill’s The Walking Dead, have just taken the (head)wraps off of STAR VR, a brand new VR headset using the Steam Open VR architecture.
Announced during an E3 party/event late last night, the company has acquired technology company InfinitEye for the VR tech, and aims to couple its VR specifically with their Valhalla engine for optimized experiences. The company has been working on a headset since 2013, and now has a partner willing to bring it to completion.
There are some big tech differences between STAR VR and other headsets. Firstly, the field of view is expanded to 210 degrees horizontally and 130 degrees vertically, a significant bump from what is typically a 100×100 degree viewpoint. This allows players to naturally move their eyes to look around instead of just their head when playing within VR worlds. Human sight is a combination of both, and that’s something that Starbreeze is hoping will lead to a bigger, more immersive (and realistic) experience.
Head & motion tracking is an important piece of the puzzle as well, as markers are currently placed on the headset prototypes to determine where in space the player is. With the use of a prototype gun, developed by Trinity VR, the game can not only track the position of the weapon for accuracy, but translate it into the player’s in-game sight. Looking down won’t just yield static virtual hands, but ones that are closer to what is actually closer to the position of the player.
The company showcased both during their pre-recorded glamour reel of The Walking Dead, as a developer sat in a wheelchair (which aligns to an in-game situation) and played the game.
There isn’t a firm release date yet for STAR VR or the Trinity VR gun, but will arrive after Overkill’s The Walking Dead — whenever that is.
Images via STAR VR.
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