LG V10 2016 review + BLEACH Brave Souls 2.2.0 Apk Mod review 2016

LG’s new V series is the company’s latest attempt at capturing the premium smartphone market. With the first device of the series featuring a unique form factor, new multi-media capabilities and enhanced durability, the latest flagship offering from LG does a bring a lot to the table, but is it enough to make this smartphone a compelling choice? We find out, in this comprehensive LG V10 review!

Design

LG has never been known for making the most premium of smartphones, focusing instead on function over form with their flagship offerings. With the V10, LG is attempting to offer the best of both worlds with the sides made of 316L stainless steel and a body that is wrapped in DuraSkin. The DuraSkin coating is very soft to the touch and provides a lot of grip.

Aside from giving the V10 a very sturdy look and feel, these new material choices make for an extremely durable device. The V10 is MIL-STD-810G certified for shock resistance. As seen in our LG V10 drop test, the device may not be indestructible and the display certainly isn’t shatterproof, but it can handle the average drop much better than most other flagship smartphones out there.

There’s no mistaking the V10 for anything other than a LG smartphone though, with the device borrowing a lot of its design cues from its flagship counterpart, the LG G4. Both LG devices feature sharp corners and a slightly rounded top and bottom. The exception here is that the V10 is a completely flat device and doesn’t have the signature curved body that we’ve seen in other LG flagships this year.

 Other signature design elements are seen here as well, including the rear button layout below the camera unit. There is a fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button this time around, which is a new feature we haven’t seen from LG in the past. The back cover is also removable, allowing for access to the SIM card slot, the microSD card slot and the removablebattery. LG is one of very few OEMs to still offer a removable battery in their smartphones, which is quite refreshing to see in a market where most other phone makers are forgoing this feature. A microphone and IR blaster are found up top, and at the bottom is the headphone jack, Micro USB port, a single speaker unit and a second microphone.

 There is no getting around the fact that the LG V10 is a large smartphone. While the DuraSkin material offers enough grip to keep the device from falling out of your hands, the overall handling experience isn’t particularly comfortable. The main reason for this has to do with the display, or rather displays in this case, with the LG V10 coming with an extension to the screen at the top up front that results in a taller device. This can take some getting used to.

Display

 The LG V10 features a primary 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 515 ppi. As expected, the display is beautiful, sharp, bright and easy to see outdoors. Media consumption and gaming centric users will certainly appreciate the large size. Overall, this display is nothing short of what you would expect from LG.

 The main story here is the secondary screen at the top of the display. When taking into account the size of both screens combined, the screen is actually closer to 6 inches in size. This secondary screen works as a hub for notifications, application shortcuts, recently-opened apps, media controls, favorite contacts and upcoming calendar events. It will also show you basic information like the time and date when the main display isn’t on. All of these can be adjusted and modified in the Settings menu. And for a touch of personalization, you can have your name or a short message displayed here when the primary screen is off. Overall, its functionality is quite similar to what Samsung has on offer with their edge displays, but the LG V10 second screen does pack in a little more.

The second screen proves to be very useful when it comes to notification management, as it gives you the ability to see any missed calls or text messages without needing to wake up the primary display. When you’re using the device notifications will show up on the second screen, keeping the main display free from any distractions. This is great for gaming and watching videos.The issue with the second screen, and the reason for some skepticism, is where it sits on the device. Being at the top makes it very hard to reach in regards to one-handed use, and when using it for multi-tasking to quickly switch between apps, it doesn’t feel as quick because of how inconvenient the placement is. Even though the execution may not be perfect, the second screen does prove to be more useful than we initially thought.

Performance

 Under the hood, the LG V10 comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, clocked at 1.82 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 418 GPU and 4 gigabytes of RAM. This is similar to the processing package found with its flagship counterpart, the G4, save for the additional gig of RAM. Performance is as you would expect from any current generation high-end smartphone.

 Everything is fast, smooth, and responsive in day to day use, with very smooth animations and scrolling. The device handles everything quite well – from simple tasks such as opening applications and browsing the web, to more processor-intensive tasks like gaming and multi-tasking. Even with LG’s somewhat bloated software experience, the processing package keeps everything moving along just fine, and there were no instances of any noticeable slow down.

Hardware

The only storage configuration available with the LG V10 is 64 GB, which should prove to be more than enough for most users. Of course, if you are concerned about meeting your storage needs, expandable storage via microSD is available as well, for up to an additional 2 TB.

 More notable in hardware is the addition of a fingerprint scanner, and its inclusion isn’t particularly surprising given how this is a feature that is becoming more and more common with other flagship devices. As previously mentioned, the fingerprint reader is embedded into the power button on the back. Overall, it’s a very solid first attempt by LG. The scanner helps unlock the device very quickly, but is unfortunately not the most accurate around.

It works about 80% of the time with the first try, with a second attempt required in the other case. That’s not the biggest failure rate of course, but it is something that will get more frustrating the more you use it, especially given the very accurate fingerprint readers we’ve seen with some other flagship smartphones.

 The bottom-mounted external speaker isn’t in the most optimal position, and it can be pretty easy to muffle when using the device in the landscape orientation. It does get quite loud, though, and the overall quality is fine. The highlight of the audio experience comes when using the device with headphones, with the device packing a 32-bit Hi-Fi digital to analog converter, which is a huge deal for anyone that uses their smartphone as the primary music player. It works with MP3 files as well as streaming audio, so you get to take advantage of it even when using apps like Spotify or Google Play Music. As long as you have a decent pair of headphones, you will definitely notice the difference the up sampling makes, allowing for a crisper and clearer sound.

 
When it comes to the battery, the LG V10 features a 3,000mAh replaceable unit that proves to be good enough to last a full day with average use, but you will be hard-pressed to get a whole lot more than that. If using the device to take a lot of pictures or while playing a lot of games, you will find yourself needing to charge the device halfway through your day. On the bright side, charging the device doesn’t take too long, courtesy of its fast charging capabilities. Of course, you also have the option to carry around a spare battery if battery longevity is a concern.

Camera

 The LG V10 comes with a 16 megapixel primary camera with a f/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization (OIS), and a laser-guided auto focus system. That is the same camera setup found with the LG G4, so it’s not surprising that the V10 is capable of taking some excellent photos. Images are sharp, with a lot of detail and accurate color reproduction, and the dynamic range is fantastic, making for a camera experience that is very enjoyable

The device comes with not one, but two front-facing 5 megapixel cameras. We’ve seen dual camera setups in the past on other devices, but this is the first time that it has been found up front. Unlike other smartphones where the dual cameras help with depth information or 3D images, the two cameras of the V10 are just two individual front-facing shooters, with one featuring an 80-degree lens for a more standard field of view, while the other comes with a 120-degree wide angle lens. You can toggle back and forth between the two within the camera software, and the 120-degree wide angles lens comes in handy when trying to take group shots. The overall quality of these front-facing cameras is quite good as well.

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When the LG G4 was released earlier this year, there was a lot of hype surrounding the DSLR-like manual controls that were available with the device, along with the ability to shoot in the RAW format. We’re happy to report that these features have made their way over to the LG V10. Additionally, the V10 also brings these manual controls over to video recording as well, which is a pretty big deal for a smartphone camera.

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Now, you can do many of things you would normally do with a DSLR camera, like adjust white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and manually control the focus. Videos can be recorded in 4K, 1080p, and slow motion, and you can even record in a cinematic mode that bumps the frame rate down to 24 fps for a truly cinematic look. Having good audio when shooting videos is very important as well, and the V10 allows you to easily monitor the audio in real time, adjust the audio levels, change the direction of the audio recording, and even eliminate interference using the wind noise filter.

 

Software

The LG V10 comes with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box, with LG promising an official upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow by the end of the year, or early next year. Granted, that a very vague time frame, but one can only hope that the update is made available soon.

The software experience itself will be pretty familiar to anyone who has used an LG smartphone within the last couple of years. With the exception of the features associated with the secondary display, the software package is largely identical to what is seen with the LG G4. LG’s take on Android is still not the most attractive around, with things like the Settings menu being just as cluttered and convoluted as before.

  BLEACH Brave Souls 2.2.0 Apk Mod review 2016

BLEACH Brave Souls 2.2.0 Apk Mod Features:

EXCITING 3D ACTION
3D graphics and simple controls make for free-flowing and fast-paced hack-and-slash action.
EPIC SPECIAL MOVES
Unleash each Bleach character’s unique special moves to carve your way to victory. Special moves are fully voiced by the original Japanese anime voice actors.

THREE’S COMPANY
Combine your favorite characters into teams of three. You can even make combinations of characters you would never see in the original story. The possibilities are almost limitless!

RELIVE THE BLEACH STORY
Follow the Bleach story from the moment Rukia and Ichigo first meet. Develop your characters as you complete quests that recreate pivotal scenes from the story.

BATTLE OTHER PLAYERS
Compete in weekly leagues. Pit your best warriors against other players’ teams and vie for the top spot.

DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTERS
Brave Souls features a highly flexible character improvement system that allows you to create exactly the warriors and the team you want. Enter battle and earn experience to level up characters and improve their base stats, Ascend them to increase their max level, train them on the Soul Tree to further improve specific stats, or link characters together to provide additional support. The choice is yours

!

HTC Vive review 2016

We've been waiting for the consumer version of HTC Vive – the company's virtual reality (VR) system – to land in our living rooms for some time. It's hard to describe the heightened feeling of excitement that accompanies the launch of a brand new technology, finally, onto the mass market. Let's put it this way: since opening the box we've been acting like kids at a wedding running around with our coats over our heads.

We've dabbled in VR many times before, even as far back as the beginning of the 90s with W Industries' Virtuality system. More recent years have given us mobile-based devices, such as Samsung's Gear VR and Google Cardboard, but they are essentially tasters of VR's potential by comparison. HTC Vive is much higher up the food-chain, joining Oculus Rift in the real-deal flagship runnings, but with the added and unique possibility of tracking full body motion through a real-world space.

Having now spent a full week with Vive – from setup (and all of its foibles), through to mammoth (and occasionally stomach-churning) gaming sessions – it's been like starting afresh compared to our earlier demo sessions, while getting used to the system in a home context. 

Vive is seemingly the most capable and exciting of the current VR headsets and systems, given its feature set. And surely, as a SteamVR offering with the backing of Valve, it's got the weight behind it to be top dog already? Well, yes and no. Read on to reveal all in our deep-dive review.

HTC Vive review: Headset and hardware

The first thing that struck us opening the box is just how much kit is included. Vive has the most hardware that has to be physically installed before use compared to its rivals, so that can put some off instantly. Gadget freaks, though, will gleefully stroke each of the main items.

The headset is naturally the most interesting and enticing object in the box. After all, it's the device you will be strapping to your face each time you want to wander in virtual lands.

It is curvier than rivals and, perhaps, stranger to look at as an onlooker. That's because it has camera and sensor pockmarks spattered about its face like an acne-ridden teenager, there to inform the separate base station sensors the location of the headset and where it is looking at any given moment in time.

Also as important (but equally unattractive) are the trio of thick cables protruding from the top of the headset. The same triple-A performance without wires just isn't possible right now, so they are a necessary evil, but can be intimidating to virtual reality newcomers.

Regardless of the leads though, the HTC Vive headset and visor is comfortable to wear and easy to put on. You'll need to ensure the straps are pulled as tightly as possible, for a firm fit, as that will provide the cleanest and sharpest visuals, but they are simple to adjust on either side of the headset.

As is often the case, the Vive's beauty is on the inside rather than out. There are two displays within, comprising an overall resolution of 2160 x 1200 (that's 1080 x 1200 for each eye). And while you can see the individual pixels if you look for them, just as you can with any current VR tech, that's crisp enough for them not to distract.

There is also an adjustment knob on the side of the headset, which moves the lenses closer or further apart to best suit the positions of your eyes and therefore enhance images. And should your face be skinnier than the norm, HTC provides a separate foam surround for the visor.

We're not glasses wearers generally, but have heard from friends who have tried it while wearing spectacles and they've had no problems whatsoever.

We've also worn the headset for as long as 45-minutes in a session and its 555g weight (without the cables, which also weigh it down a little at the rear) doesn't feel too heavy.

HTC Vive review: Controllers

When we first went hands-on with an early version of the Vive, we used two motion "wands" – as they were then called by HTC. They did some similar things to the versions now included with the consumer model, but had strange hexagonal tops and a thumbstick. In fact, you can still make out their shape in the setup wizard, with the demonstration stickman wielding similar-looking controllers.

The final versions are actually far better than the ones we originally used. They offer more precise control, extra buttons, and are essentially capable of the same functionality as the Oculus Touch controllers demoed at the same time as the previous HTC wands.

There are two motion controllers included in the box – one for each hand. The top of each is dimpled in similar fashion to the headset, so the sensors can track them. There is a trackpad on the back of each, a trigger and, seemingly new, large buttons on the handles to offer grip mechanics.

They are lightweight and rechargeable through mini-USB. Even though we've played for many hours over the last week, we've only had to charge the controllers once. You can even see a battery indicator on the virtual version of each controller when in the virtual world, so you will always know how much juice you have left.

Most VR games currently available on Steam will make use of the controllers in some way and, at times, their use is magical. The touchpad on the rear is sensitive and intuitive, while the squeeze buttons have other uses outside of gaming, such as pulling up the virtual keyboard in desktop mode.

What's most impressive though is how little lag there is when using them in VR, especially as they are wireless. Most of the time – especially in the main SteamVR hub – you see them in front of you in their virtual form, any movement you make is instantly translated so it is as natural as moving and seeing your own hands in front of you.

As well as the included controllers, some games require a keyboard or standard game controller. We used an Xbox One controller with a PC wireless adapter for the latter, but any PC accessory would do. We struggled with playing games on a keyboard when wearing the Vive for a number of reasons – most obviously that you can't see the keys and it's only of use when in a seated or static position.

HTC Vive review: A walk-around virtual world

The biggest selling point for Vive is its unique take on physical space. Using what HTC calls Room Scale it can map a room and give you the option to physically move around that space, which is mirrored in your virtual environment. It is often compared with the fictional Star Trek Holodeck, because the option to physically move around in a virtual, hyperreal space adds a tangible element that aids immersion further. 

Assuming, that is, you have a room large enough to handle it. The minimum area of 2 x 1.5 metres (6.5 x 5ft) is a bit restrictive in use – we'd say it needs more than that to work at its best.

Vive can also be used like other headsets – which offer a static experience, giving some motion and recognising when you are stood or sitting – to prove versatile for various experiences.

But back to setting-up Room Scale. You determine how large your room is through tracing the outside of the playable area (or clicking in the corners in advanced setup) and the Vive's in-experience Chaperone mode ensues that whenever you are in danger of bumping into a real wall or item of furniture on the outside of your chosen zone, a virtual wireframe barrier appears in your field of view to tell you to back off.

This is all determined through mapping of your actual location by the included base station sensors – two black cubes that track the headset and controllers in real-time and send the location data back to the main PC. Consider that while these sensors sync and work wirelessly, each of them requires power, so you'll need outlets near their positions.

They need to be installed in opposite corners so their 120-degree field of view overlaps to see the front, sides and rear of any trackable device and it is highly advised that you wall-mount them as high as possible, as they need to be well above head height and pointing downward to "see" the environment with the best possible vantage.

One of the issues we faced with them came from the fact it was not possible or practical for us to use the included wall-mount brackets. We only live in a rented accommodation and there's guarantee that we won't be moving in the next few months. In addition, our review model was eventually to be passed on to somebody else, so we had to come up with a less permanent solution.

HTC advises, in this case, a couple of (tall) tripods – because the base stations come with the requisite screw fittings on underneath for ease of use. And naturally, these tripods don't come in the box. Our one available tripod was just tall enough to cope, while we used the top of the living room door to mount the other sensor, as it swings inwards.

HTC Vive review: Current challenges

In the build-up to release, much of the attention was focused on Vive's pricing structure. At £689, not including shipping, it is considerably more expensive than rivals and the biggest concern is whether anybody would splash such a mighty wodge of cash on a first-generation doohickey (not to mention possible tripods, cables and the unavoidable need for a worthy PC to run everything).

In comparison, the Oculus Rift is £500, while Sony's PlayStation VR headset will be £349 when it is released in October. They seem more affordable, for sure, the latter in particular given it will run with a PS4 and Camera for a snip of Vive's total cost. But from our experiences and the quality of the kit you receive, Vive justifies its price point. It is, after all, the most technologically advanced VR device out there.

All considered, price is not the major concern. Instead, we wonder whether the headset's most attractive feature is also its Achilles heel: while Room Space and the in-experience Chaperone system is magnificent when it works well, setting it up the first time is a laborious process that is neither simple nor intuitive. It also requires a large, open area to work in the first place. How many flats in Britain afford such space?

If you don't have a room or area dedicated to VR and the HTC Vive, you might find yourself in the position of having to move furniture, pets or your child's Barbie Malibu Mansion and recalibrate your room setup each and every time you want to play with the headset. That's the position we found ourselves in and we soon grew tired of the pantomime we went through each time we wanted to play.

Verdict

We've played a lot with VR over the years but nothing compares to Vive at its best. When Room Space is working and working well, it is a stunning experience without compare.

The issue is that in an average London flat it is very hard to experience it at its best. Even when shifting furniture around to have enough room for the Vive's killer feature to work, you are restricted in how much you can move before wireframe barriers appear in the virtual world and spoil the effect.

You can turn the borders off but at the risk of injury. And setting Vive into standing or sitting mode alone makes it a pricey option in comparison to the other devices, such as Oculus Rift, that already offer that style of play.

HTC Vive needs to be set free from constraints to make best use of its raison d'être. And that limits its audience somewhat. For us it means we either opt for a cheaper, less capable VR headset or move house. Although we have to admit that after some of the games we've played using Vive, the latter option is appealing.

Best VR headsets 2016

The age of virtual reality is upon us (again) with a torrent of devices and content launching throughout 2016.

There has been a buzz around virtual reality (VR) for the past few years. Some of this has come from the lengthy development of devices like Oculus Rift, but also through a growing interest in what we'll be able to get VR to do in the modern era.

The idea of VR isn't new. It's been circulating in the tech space for a number of years, but recently, the technology has broken through some of the long-standing barriers. Enabling access has helped, with devices like Google's Cardboard opening the door for anyone with a smartphone, right up to demonstrating what a fully-fledged premium system like HTC Vive will be capable of. We now have the power in home computers for lifelike virtual environments and this makes it a much more exciting time for VR.

So, without further ado, we've listed some of the top VR systems available. Their prices range dramatically, and some haven't actually been officially launched yet, but they're all worth being aware of, as you'll be seeing a lot more of VR in 2016.

Oculus Rift

Unlike many of its earlier guises, the Oculus Rift headset is a light, comfortable device that fits over the head simply and easily, with straps that can be tightened for a better fit.

It still looks a bit like strapping a shoebox to your face - there really is little escaping that with modern VR - but once you are immersed in the experiences you'll not care a jot.

It has cushioned foam around the visor to prevent rubbing or chafing, and there is plenty of space for those who wear glasses to keep them on without much hassle. A dial on the headset itself can also adjust the lenses inside to ensure that you get the clearest picture possible.

In comparison to early development kit models, the Rift is extremely comfortable to wear. We've had plenty of demos now in the consumer version and have never felt it getting too heavy or cumbersome. Indeed, the experiences were so good that we'd even forgotten that it was on for most of the time.

Eye strain is one minor issue, which could happen after particularly long bouts of gaming or watching video, but there are plenty of technologies built-in to counter that problem.

Motion blurring and judder, for example, are kept to a minimum. On early headsets, we often found the experience jarring after a period because the resolution was poor or frame rates were not quite right. The consumer Oculus Rift however, has two 1080 x 1200 pixel OLED screens - one for each eye - running at 90Hz (frames per second). That ensures high quality, smooth action, preventing eye strain or nausea.

We've spent 15-30 minutes at a time inside the headset and have had none of the shakiness we've encountered with previous models and, indeed, some rival devices in the past.

Early headsets also required the use of third-party headphones for audio, but the Oculus Rift comes with a pair of virtual surround headphones built-in. They are placed either side of the headset and you can adjust them so that they are over each ear.

The headset also comes dotted in IR LEDs that work with an included motion control sensor to help track head position and tell software whether the user is sitting or standing. It can tell which direction you are facing - if you've turned your head around for example.

Lastly, the headset is wired. Sadly, as Oculus explained to us at CES in January, a wireless headset with the ability of the Oculus Rift is still a long way off. You can get wireless headsets that are driven by mobile phones, such as Google Cardboard and the Samsung Gear VR - also made by Oculus - but to get the full virtual reality experience you really need to be hooked up to a PC, and that is through a cable.

Oculus Rift controller

Like rival HTC, Oculus will be introducing motion controllers in the future - later this year it is said - but on launch the headset will come with a wireless Xbox One controller.

In gaming terms, the Xbox One controller is one of the best gamepads there has ever been. It is comfortable and sturdy in the hand, while the buttons and thumbsticks are in natural, easy-to-find places. That's essential as you'll not be able to look down to find the right button when an alien spacecraft is about to obliterate you.

Oculus also claims that the majority of games that are being developed for the Rift are being done so with the Xbox One controller in mind. Certainly, we've used one for many of the demos we've experienced and played over the last few months and it feels natural and responsive.

The Oculus Touch controllers, which we've also used in prototype form, are actually more advanced than the HTC Vive equivalents and could be a game changer when they do go on sale. Literally.

They wrap around each hand and offer triggers and a thumbstick for interaction, but where they most stand out is that there are different sensors/buttons for different finger sets. The forefinger, for example, is tracked independently to the other three fingers on each hand. The thumb also has its own sensor.

This allows the Touch controllers to accurately ape your own hands, giving precise control over gripping actions - you can even give a thumbs up gesture.

The only drawback we can see at present is that every time we've used the Oculus Touch controllers, they have had to be fitted on our hands by an assistant in the same room after the headset has already been put on (you can't fit the headset with the controllers in your hands). That could prove very difficult if you're planning a play session on your tod.

For video and other browsing functions, an included wireless remote control, with simple buttons for home, back, select and volume controls, will help navigate without having to hold a gamepad.

Oculus Rift sensor

The last piece of kit that comes with the Oculus Rift is a motion sensor for the company's "Constellation" positional tracking system.

It looks a bit like a cigar camera, with a small mount that you can place on a table or shelf in front of you. You can also screw it onto a tripod if you don't have a good position elsewhere.

As previously mentioned, the headset is covered with infra red LEDs, which the sensor picks up in order to track head positioning. Other sensors can also be added in the future, for more precise tracking or if you acquire the Oculus Touch controllers at a later date.

There are other sensors inside the headset itself - a magnetometer, a gyroscope and an accelerometer. The end result being, in our experience, a smooth, seamless experience that has no lag and enables fast and accurate responses to user movement.

Oculus Rift release date and price

The Oculus Rift consumer model costs £500 and is currently available to pre-order. Originally it was due to ship in April, with many customers getting their versions at that time, but thanks to the outstanding demand Oculus has had so far, it now lists shipping for new orders as July 2016.

For that money, you get the headset, motion sensor, wireless remote control, Xbox One controller and all the cables needed to link it to a high-end PC. It also comes with cute platform game Lucky's Tale. Those who pre-order before April will also get EVE: Valkyrie for free.

The £500 price does not include shipping or local taxes, so take those into account too.

Oculus Rift PC requirements (minimum spec)

Along with the price for the headset and included goodies, some of you might have to shell out even more to ensure you can actually run the Rift.

Oculus has been very open for a long time that to get the right experience with its consumer headset, you will need a beefy PC rig. It released the recommended specifications early doors and while they shocked some, at least the company gave enough time for eager users to upgrade.

To get the full Oculus Rift experience, it requires at minimum the following:

• Windows 7 SP1 64-bit or newer
• Nvidia GTX 970 or AMD R9 290 graphics card
• Intel i5-4590 processor
• 8GB RAM
• HDMI 1.3 video out
• Three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port

You can actually find out if your PC is fully compatible through a small piece of software that checks the specs and gives you the thumbs up or thumbs down. It can be downloaded from Oculus' own website atoculus.com.

Oculus Rift games and content

Oculus plans to have a large storefront that can be accessed in a virtual space while wearing the Rift. You can then buy and download games and experiences from there.

All Oculus Rift purchases will come with one game as part of the bundle - a cute platformer called Lucky's Tale from developer Playful. It looks, from the trailer video, a bit like the Conker or Banjo-Kazooie games of old, but with you inside the world instead of peering in through a 2D screen.

Oculus Rift: EVE: Valkyrie

If you pre-order the Oculus Rift, as well as Lucky's Tale you'll also get a free copy of EVE: Valkyrie, the space combat simulation game that has been in development almost as long as the hardware itself.

We actually played a very early version of the game on the first HD version of an Oculus development kit, with a lower resolution than will be available with the final Oculus Rift. We still loved the idea though.

There are many elements of the game that were even present in the early demos. 

You still sit in the cockpit of a small space fighter, for example, much like those in Battlestar Galactica or an X-Wing in Star Wars, and you can look out into space. You also have the technical dashboard and, even, your own legs in front of you.

To aid the concept, developer CCP has added a look to target mechanism, which encourages you to look around constantly, and you soon get used to looking in the direction you want to travel, even though it is the movements on the controller that determine direction.

Other than that, it's shooty-shooty in a vast and dangerous universe, and seems ideal for virtual reality.

Oculus Rift: Elite: Dangerous

Like EVE: Valkyrie, we played a version of Elite: Dangerous on an early Oculus headset, but similarly it wowed us with the scope, realism and depth.

We've played the game plenty of times on a PC and Xbox One since, using a conventional 2D screen, so understand how incredible it will be to traverse the galaxy while wearing Rift. The full game can be played wearing the headset too. You'll just have to remember to surface for food occasionally.

The craft used for the original Oculus Rift demo session was a larger cargo ship. It had weapons but was slower than spaceships designed for fighting. It also had a completely glass front, that enveloped the outer hull, allowing you to see objects above, below and to the sides. And this is what initially made us go wow.

We started in an enormous docking station with a ship passing us by in the top-right hand corner. It illustrated the heightened experience that Oculus Rift added to the mix in the best way possible, and that was even before we lifted off and thrust ourselves into space.

After leaving the dock, we hyperspaced to a remote system with a Sol-like yellow star (which looked superb, it must be said) and were almost immediately set-up by several bandits.

Being able to actually look around the cockpit and, because of the glass front, track enemies visually as well as on the radar was an incredible experience. And we're happy to say we managed to win our battle, vanquishing all foes in about 15 minutes.

Oculus Rift: Oculus Touch concept demo

We've played with the Oculus Touch controllers a couple of times now, in the form of the Half Moon prototype versions, and each time it delights. The demo using them is especially worth seeking out if you ever get a chance.

The controllers work in a similar way to Sony's Move accessories, but have control over your fingers too. The bottom three fingers can be opened or closed, the trigger finger has a separate touch control, and there are thumbsticks too. This way you almost have complete control over your hands in the virtual space and the software were experienced showed every aspect of how this could be useful.

It was fun too as we were joined in the virtual world by an Oculus employee who we could see and hear in the software, but was actually in a different room. We played ping pong with complete control over the bat, threw boomerangs, caught balls and so much more. Perhaps the most impressive part was that the table in front of us was so convincing that we were disoriented to find after the experience that it wasn't there.

Oculus Rift: Alien: Isolation

One of the first times we realised the potential of VR gaming over and above the ability to put you into countless first-person shooters was when we played a specially-created level of Alien: Isolation at Sega's headquarters. It was terrifying.

The demo was created especially to show off what is possible when the Oculus Rift headset is combined with the survival horror nature of Sega's game. It only lasted three minutes, but that was enough to have us gibbering like fools.

It dispensed with the puzzle and stealth elements of the main game - which won the Best Game category of the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards a year or so ago - and simply had you play cat and mouse in a tight environment with the alien. We were the mouse, by the way.

We had nothing to hand save for a motion tracker, which was used to see which direction the one enemy was coming from. We couldn't kill the alien. We couldn't outrun the alien. All we could do was hide whenever it was near.

The idea was simply to escape, apparently achievable in the set three minutes. We also musn't die, which was achievable in far less than three minutes.

We did neither. We managed to elude the creature for the whole three minutes in which case the demo ended. We were asked if we wanted to have another go, but genuinely felt too shaken up to go back inside the rig again. Great, if scary stuff.

Oculus Rift: Training with the England rugby team

As England rugby sponsor, O2 created a fully immersive experience that enabled us - through an Oculus Rift - to virtually train with the England team.

The Wear the Rose experience was filmed using nine GoPro Hero 3 cameras with custom-built gimbals strapped to players while training. After 160 hours of filming and 320 hours of development, the full 360-degree virtual participation was ready.

The result was an Oculus Rift experience that let users feel they were getting tackled by hooker Tom Youngs, or receiving a pass from fullback Mike Brown. But without the pain.

When we gave it a go, it was a prototype experience but showed us the non-gaming potential for Oculus Rift and its ability to immerse within full 360-degree videos.

Oculus Rift: Banshee Chapter

One of the first 360-degree interactive movies to be released for Rift is horror flick Banshee Chapter. We got a chance to watch it ourselves in late 2014.

The film was produced by actor Zachary Quinto of Star Trek and Heroes fame, with an adaptation carried out by Jamwix studios which created software that simulates placing the viewer inside the scenes.

Since this was an after-thought adaptation it doesn't take full advantage of the Oculus Rift's 360-degree view but is limited to 120-degrees. It's a still a far wider field of view than most films though and definitely offers a more immersive experience.

We will say though that wearing a Rift headset for a whole feature length film experience can be hard on the eyes. You might want to take a break every now and again.

Oculus Rift: Shell V-Power demo

The Shell V-Power Oculus Rift experience is reminiscent of movies such as Fantastic Voyage or Innerspace. It shrinks you to about the size of a single drop of petrol and places you in a tiny craft. However, instead of racing you through the blood veins of a human being, you get a 3D virtual reality ride through an engine, halting along the way in the most important parts, while former F1 commentator Murray Walker describes what's happening.

Pocket-lint was one of the first in the world to try out the experience originally, when we visited Shell's marketing company in 2014, but the final version was ready for public consumption in the company's hospitality suite at the Eau Rouge corner of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps during the Belgian Grand Prix later that year.

The ride is on rails. There's no interaction bar the fact that you can look all around you as you travel, but as an exercise in education, the V-Power demo works. We certainly found out more about the inner workings of a modern motor engine.

Oculus Rift: Current challenges

Oculus has not been shy in admitting that its first consumer headset is more aimed at gamers as early adopters. It is they that more than likely own the PC kit sturdy enough to provide a full VR experience. As such, most of the focus has been on gaming in the build up to release.

And that's no bad thing. There are plenty of other experiences available too, with plenty of 360-degree films and videos to enjoy and multiple tech demos, but gaming is what will no doubt drive the uptake of Oculus Rift.

It could also be where it and VR in general could fail.

There is little doubt that games experienced from within an Oculus Rift headset are greatly enhanced. The greater resolution of the consumer model over its development kit predecessors helps with immersion and, bar one or two exceptions, we've not wanted our demos to end, once we've been thrown into the virtual world.

But as with all gaming hardware, it will live and die based on the software support. There are plenty of developers creating VR experiences and games for it presently, but there were plenty creating Wii U games several years ago.

It will depend on the take-up of the device and for that to happen it will have to drop in price over the next year, we feel.

Strangely perhaps, we think £500 is a good price for the hardware you're getting, cheap even. However, it's not pocket change and neither are the fees to upgrade your PC to run one.

One thing we do feel strongly about though, is that VR is definitely going to work this time around. And Oculus is in a very strong position to lead the charge.

First Impressions

Every time we've come in contact with an Oculus headset we've been very impressed.

Even the earliest days, when the action was blurry and, even, nausea-inducing thanks to the low resolutions and low frame rates, the experiences still wowed.

Oculus Rift in comparison though is another world. Its 1080 x 1200 resolution per eye is superb - you soon forget that pixels exist. And everything runs very smoothly indeed.

There is also something magical about being transported into a game rather than being a distant bystander and because Oculus has been the flag-bearer for the technology since its Kickstarter success many moons ago, it is in a great position to capitalise.

Whether your first experience with VR will be in your own home or at an event of some kind, it is likely it will be on an Oculus headset. And in the consumer Oculus Rift, from what we've played with so far, we're sure you'll always leave happy.