Virtually Relevant artwork

Virtually Relevant

31 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratings

The Virtually Relevant podcast is a biweekly show hosted by members of the HoustonVR community. We give our take on the latest VR and AR news, controversies and experiences from a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints.

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Episodes

Through The Looking Glass

July 02, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 43.2 MB

A quick overview of some news. Oculus launches update #30 bringing features to Quest 2 and Quest 1. Facebook is also prototyping putting advertisements in VR applications. Quest 2 goes on sale for the first time. Sony releases a few more PSVR 2 details. Finally we end with a deep dive into different lenses with their pros and cons. If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

HTC Making MORE Headsets, While Oculus Releases "Airlink"

June 16, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 58.6 MB

HTC showing off their manufacturing as they come out with new headsets to add into their growing list of headsets. How many will they end up with? We also briefly talk over some Pico and PSVR2 news. Here's hoping for the best! There is also some more information on the start up  and cheaper option to Vive pucks, the Tundra Trackers. We finish it off with an overview of what is new in the Oculus version 28 & 29 updates, including the Logitech k830 tracking keyboard and Airlink. If you like t...

Apple's Mysterious "N301" Prototype

June 07, 2021 14:00 - 54 minutes - 37.9 MB

Rumors reported from an insider about Apple's AR headset codenamed "N301." Apple isn't the only name in the rumor mill though with some new found patents from Valve. Money talks with Applied VR and Rec Room getting surprising amounts in backing. Lastly, our thoughts on some new PSVR2 controllers from pictures that have been released by Sony themselves. If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

Vive Tracker 3.0 Has Arrived

April 12, 2021 15:00 - 55 minutes - 40.1 MB

Vive tracker 3.0 has arrived. We also talk about the new Varjo headset and a review on Oculus' new couch feature. Also a little piece on Pico New. After that,  we go over some new software. If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

Couch mode activated!

March 19, 2021 14:00 - 58 minutes - 42.4 MB

A little VR news from everywhere. PSVR 2 was officially announced. We have some updates on Apple's headset and the passthrough on the Lynx headset. Open XR is seeing a push in support from Steam. Oculus has released a experimental Couch mode feature. If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

A change in Facebook?

March 03, 2021 04:16 - 1 hour - 62.4 MB

Is facebook taking a step in the right direction? Possibly, but sadly not when it comes to their Quest 2 elite headstraps apparently. Some big news also came from Google about Tilt Brush. Gravity sketch seems to be in the same boat as well. There's also some rumors about a Apple VR headset that we discuss. Now certainly seems to be the time according to some VR numbers that have been shared from Steam! If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consi...

New Year, New VR

January 26, 2021 00:32 - 50 minutes - 38 MB

Our first podcast of 2021. We go over some end of the year news about Facebook user account problems, lawsuits in Europe, and a tidbit about Cyberpunk 2077 using VorpX to play Cyberpunk in VR. We also talk about some of the apps and games we have tried recently including Felix & Paul's app as well as some Star Wars experiences. Ending with a little overview of the recently published book Ready Player Two. If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and co...

Setting Up the Ideal VR Playspace

November 25, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 70.2 MB

Episode recorded 11/25/2020   This week we discuss some of the best practices and things to avoid we've learned over the last 5 years of setting up VR playspaces both privately, at meetup events, and professionally. If you are looking for tips on setting up a space THIS is the episode to listen to.   If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

Quest 2 ongoing struggles and other VR News

November 11, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 64.4 MB

Episode recorded 11/11/2020 Quest 2 Jailbroken?! Elite Headstraps breaking, users still locked out of their Facebook/Oculus accounts and more VR news this week.   If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

Oculus Quest 2 Release and Review

October 29, 2020 21:28 - 1 hour - 63.3 MB

Houston we have a problem. The Oculus Quest launch went off without a hitch for some and others dealt with instant account bans. This episode Eric, Josh, Kevin, and William discuss the ups and downs of the new headset.

New Investment in VR/AR and Quest 2 Getting Shipped

October 13, 2020 19:43 - 1 hour - 60.9 MB

This week Eric, Kevin and William discuss some of the recent investments made into VR and AR through crowdfunding and other sources, The Omni One home based locomotion solution and Quest 2 orders seem to be shipping.   If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here.   Enjoy!

Facebook Connect Aftershow

September 17, 2020 22:50 - 1 hour - 85.2 MB

Join Eric, Josh, Kevin and William as they share their reactions to the first Facebook Connect livestream and Carmack's Unscripted talk.

Facebook Connect Predictions & GTX 3090

September 17, 2020 22:36 - 1 hour - 63.5 MB

Facebook Connect predictions from Erick, Kevin, Josh and William

VR News: Neural Interfaces, Microsoft Flight Sim, Lynx-R1 Redesign

August 19, 2020 22:00 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MB

It's another VR news episode! Between Neural interfaces, Microsoft Flight Simulator VR getting a exclusivity release and the Lynx-R1 slimmed down redesign there's plenty to talk about. Join us!

VR News: New Quest features and potential refresh specs and more

August 12, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MB

Eric, Josh, Kevin and William sit down to discuss the latest Quest S leaks as well as the new features coming in the latest firmware update as well as the other VR/AR related news bits of note.   If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

Display Technology Deep Dive

August 03, 2020 13:00 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MB

OLED, QLED, LCD, MicroLED, MiniLED, Micro Display, Wave Guides, Pancake Lenses, Fresnel Lenses, and much more!   This week we are talking about displays and optics. Where we've been, where we are now, and what to expect in the near future.   If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

Oculus Quest S Rumors

July 15, 2020 03:45 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MB

This week Eric, Josh, Kevin, and William discuss the semi-recent rumors from bloomberg about a potential mid-cycle refresh of the Oculus Quest or possible "Quest S" If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

HP Reverb G2, KatWalk C, Pico Neo 2 Eye and more

June 25, 2020 16:45 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MB

This episode Ted joins Eric, Josh, Kevin and William as we talk about the HP Reverb G2, the new KatWalk C locomotion solution, Eric's new headset the Pico Neo 2 Eye a standalone headset with eye tracking built in and more!   If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron here. Enjoy!

Remote Collaboration In VR

June 08, 2020 19:29 - 1 hour - 64.1 MB

Chris Madsen of Immersive VR Education joins Eric, Josh and William this episode as they discuss the state of remote collaboration in VR. With the focus on platforms like Zoom, Skype, Google Meet and others to bridge the physical gap for work and leisure it seemed like the perfect time to discuss this topic. Enjoy!   Find out more about Engage at https://engagevr.io/ Or Follow Chris on Twitter: @deep_rifter

News Roundup #2

May 26, 2020 20:04 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MB

This episode Eric, Kevin and William discuss the continued HMD drought we are going through as people clamor to get their hands on an Oculus Quest and Facebook starts selling refurbished CV1s.  We also discuss the latest SteamVR hardwar survey results.   If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron at https://www.patreon.com/houstonvr   Enjoy!

Passthrough AR

April 09, 2020 16:02 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

This week we finally get into passthrough Augmented Reality. The concept of using external cameras on a VR headset to enable Augmented Reality features. Join us as we discuss the latest and greatest in tech that's out there as well as some false starts.   If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron at https://www.patreon.com/houstonvr   Enjoy!

VR News Special

March 26, 2020 21:36 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MB

Note: We recorded this episode on 3/11/2020 as a result some of the discussion around the coronavirus pandemic doesn't express the gravity of the situation now.    This episode we are covering the news and only the news going on in the VR/AR world. There's been a ton going on in and out of the industry so strap in. If you like this podcast please rate and review us in your favorite podcast app and consider becoming a patron at https://www.patreon.com/houstonvr Enjoy!

Asymmetrical VR and AR

March 10, 2020 21:02 - 1 hour - 62.3 MB

Asymmetrical VR is one of our favorite genres of experiences. We discuss the latest news and talk about some of our personal favorite games that use this format.    We also had the pleasure of being joined by the development team of Shadows Optional (Carlos, Jakob, and Zale) you can find out more about their project at the links below.   https://www.instagram.com/shadowsoptional/ https://www.reddit.com/user/ShadowsOptional/   Enjoy!

Hand Tracking on Quest

February 13, 2020 17:03 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MB

This week Eric, Josh, and Kevin talk Hand Tracking on the Quest as well as the latest VR news.   If you're interested in enterprise VR consider checking out the XR Showdown at http://xrshowdown.com/ It's a livestreamed VR/AR Game jam where teams work on projects for sponsors like Exxon to solve industry problems with Immersive Technology.   Additionally, if you will be attending SXSW this year consider reaching out to us. Our very own Josh Bankston is hosting the XR Developers meetup and...

2020 Vision

January 27, 2020 22:23 - 1 hour - 78 MB

This episode we discuss the latest VR/AR news as well as the road so far for VR and AR in the last decade. We saw the resurgence of a stagnant industry in the last several years so what does the next 10 hold for Immersive Technology? Will this be the Roaring 20s for VR and AR?   Enjoy!

Goodbye 2019! Hello 2020!

January 02, 2020 16:16 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MB

It's a short episode this time as we bring 2019 to a close. Many people likely received VR headsets for the various winter holidays or bought one themselves for Black Friday. So we thought we would discuss good "must-have" titles for new headset owners. We also touch on our hopes for VR in the upcoming year/decade.    Enjoy!

VR in the Mainstream

December 16, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 62.9 MB

This episode we are joined by Ted Hayes II to discuss what we think the VR market needs to break through from a niche product into the cultural mainstream. How far are we? Is there a magic number of units sold to get us there? Is the time really Now like Oculus says? All that and more is discussed in this episode of Virtually Relevant.   Consider joining us for our December Social at Zero Latency Houston on December 19th. Find more details here: https://www.meetup.com/Houston-VR/events/bjz...

Oculus Link, Pimax 5K+ and Black Friday Deals

November 27, 2019 21:00 - 51 minutes - 47.6 MB

Surprise! This episode is a little early in preparation for the holiday weekend.   This week we recorded a little early to get the episode out before the big shopping holiday to let you know about some of the Black Friday shopping deals of VR equipment as well as talk about some of our recent experiences with the Oculus Link Beta for Quest, the Pimax 5K+ headset, and give our takes on some good experiences to let your family members try if you plan on taking a headset to Thanksgiving.  Plu...

Locomotion in VR

November 18, 2019 16:00 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MB

This episode we are discussing one of the more difficult challenges in Virtual Reality. Locomotion, how we move in virtual space is a problem that has plagued VR since it's inception and there have been a number of commercial solutions this generation that each have their ups and downs. 

Horror Games, Tilt Five, and the Death of Phone Based VR

November 04, 2019 14:00 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MB

Mobile VR has finally been given it's eulogy at Oculus Connect 6. Eric, Josh, Kevin, and William discuss what this means for the future of the industry and if they think we will ever see phone based VR make a come back. The AR company Tilt Five closed out their kickstarter at a whopping 1.7 million.  The guys discuss some of their favorite experiences they've played lately as well as some scary games to pick up to spook your friends. Enjoy!

Oculus Connect 6 Wrap-Up

October 21, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 82.6 MB

Eric, William, Josh, and Kevin give their takes on the recent Oculus Connect 6 conference, the Oculus Link, as well as new features on the Quest like hand tracking and mixed reality capture. Eric, Josh and William also give their impressions of what this year's event was like compared to previous OC events and what the future might hold for this event and the VR industry at large.