Play any Steam game in a VR theater with HTC Vive
Although we’re just at the precipice of meaningful VR content, there are ways to bridge the gap as an early adopter. If you’re the lucky, proud owner (or soon-to-be-owner) of an HTC Vive, you can now access your entire steam library and play it within a minimalist theater.
Announced last month and released in beta a few weeks ago, owners of the Vive will automatically be asked whether they would like to launch their games in “Theater Mode” — which then projects the game onto a wide screen.
The space itself is minimal, and you’re not going to get much beyond the convenience of a more immersive and larger play experience. But being in a big room for gaming, even virtually, has the tendency to set the mood.
And it seems that HTC’s partner, Valve, isn’t done yet with the feature, either. In a video teased today , a match in ‘Dota 2’ shows of an interactive spectator’s theater, complete with lifesized versions of the heroes on each team, a real-time map and interactive stats.
This feature is a small one that makes a big impact, both in supplementing the still-growing VR content pool and showing off the device’s diverse play experiences.
Samsung’s smartwatch will be compatible with your iPhone later this year
Samsung’s Gear S2 was something of a surprise hit, providing arguably the best interface experience of any Android compatible smartwatch. Now the company is bringing the device to iOS users too.
The company made the announcement during its CES press conference today. Unfortunately, it didn’t provide much in the way of details, only saying iOS compatibility would arrive ‘later this year’.
It’s also quite likely the S2 won’t provide all the functionality it does on Android phones too, as Apple limits what competing devices can do. Android Wear watches can’t use all of Google’s voice search capabilities, for instance. I’d imagine Apple would have some issues with Samsung Pay compatibility.
Still, it’s a nice bit of news for any iOS users who may be lusting of the S2’s circular form factor.
New Gorilla Glass for wearables is almost as scratch-proof as sapphire crystal
Gorilla Glass 5 has only just started making it onto devices (with mixed results), but Corning has a new material already in the works. There’s just one big difference versus precious versions of Gorilla Glass: this one is aimed at wearables.
Called Gorilla Glass SR+, the new material is said to be 70 percent more resistant to impacts and offer 25 percent better reflectivity than “luxury materials” (AKA sapphire crystal). They also claim its scratch resistance approaches that of luxury covers.
It’s nice to see Corning put its mind to work on glass specifically designed for wearables. While some devices have simply used an earlier version if Gorilla Glass designed for phones, wearables have different risks than phones, such as bumping against walls and desks in day to day use. On the other hand, you’re less likely to drop a wearables from 5 feet in the air.
Corning isn’t saying which devices will sport the material others than saying “leading global brands” will use it later this year, but given the company’s virtual monopoly on glass in mobile tech, expect it to show up pretty much everywhere.