Thursday, December 12, 2019

Dev Update #55 - GameWarp release!

It's finally LIVE. We have released VRidge update 2.5 which is now available to everyone. It contains GameWarp feature and several other improvements that we made over the last months.

Deployment status:
Platform Version Status Link
PC 2.5 Deployed Link
Google Play 2.5 Deployed Link
iOS App Store 2.5 Deployed Link


GameWarp - prepare for a new VR adventure!

Details
You can now use GameWarp feature to play non-VR games in your VRidge PC VR setup. GameWarp will turn the in-game visuals into SBS (side-by-side) view for you to see in your VR headset. Your head movements and VR controller buttons will also let you control the game.


Using GameWarp is easy - simply press the "Play GameWarp" button in the top bar play menu of RiftCat client.


For more detailed tutorial, simply watch our instructional video:


Pricing
VRidge was planned to have a higher price since the beginning of its development but we didn't want to just increase the VRidge price and call it a day. We wanted to provide value in exchange of the cost increase. That's why we have decided to make GameWarp a paid expansion feature to VRidge. 

This way, we can make a "soft" price increase of our services while at the same time - keep the VRidge base function in the same affordable cost range so anyone can start with inexpensive PC virtual reality.

Current pricing details are as follows (prices in EUR / USD depending on your region):
Unlocking VRidge - 14.99 EUR / USD
Unlocking GameWarp (requires unlocked VRidge) - 9.99 EUR / USD
Unlocking VRidge + GameWarp in a bundle: 19.99 EUR / USD

Users that have already purchased VRidge will receive a special 50% discount code for GameWarp purchase via email so they can benefit from the bundle purchase discount, too.

VRidge changes

VRidge itself also received some improvements so your experience should now be better!

Better quality for Daydream devices
Daydream phones will have better picture quality due to more uniform resolution scaling.

Gamma correction slider
Display too dark? Simply increase the gamma of your stream with a convenient slider! Works both with VRidge and GameWarp streaming.

Better detection of laptops dedicated GPU 
If you are using a gaming laptop, there is an integrated graphics card available and a dedicated one. VRidge sometimes launches on the weaker, integrated GPU making the experience much worse. VRidge should now do a much better job at detecting such cases.

Fixed controllers detection for Vivecraft
Controllers of Oculus Quest, HTC Vive Focus and other VR headsets will now work in Vivecraft. Playing Minecraft with VRidge will be possible once again to the full extend.

Tilt Brush will work correctly for everyone.
Let loose of your imagination in Tilt Brush. Paint anything you'd like using Oculus Touch, HTC Vive Focus or other controllers. Tilt Brush now works correctly.

Moonlight streaming will no longer be capped at 30 FPS.
If you are a Moonlight user, expect much smoother experience. Due to some mistakes on our side, Moonlight streaming was capped at 30 FPS. Now it will stream correctly.

Fixed AMD RX 5000 series green lines issue.
AMD RX 5000 series GPUs should now work correctly with VRidge.


Final notes
Thank you guys for your Beta testing. With your feedback, we were able to drastically improve GameWarp experience from its initial Beta release. We hope that this release will allow you to rediscover your favorite games in virtual reality.

Don't hesitate to still provide us feedback via support@riftcat.com! Sharing the information about the new release is also highly appreciated. Have a nice VR time!

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Dev Update #54 - 2.5.2 Beta Update

RiftCat 2.5.2 Beta - Release candidate
We have deployed another minor patch to Beta channel that should address some reported issues.

To test the Beta features, learn how to join Beta channels reading THIS guide.

Added
  • GameWarp settings can now be saved as profiles
  • Option to stream 3D games with in-game SBS option.
Changed
  • Discrete GPU should be selected more reliably for VR streaming. GameWarp should now work if VRidge is launched on integrated GPU on laptops (it will be attempted automatically unless overridden by global settings).
Fixed
  • Green lines instead of stream on AMD RX 5000 series.
  • Memory leak during pointer image change.
  • GameWarp crashing when device goes to lock screen.
  • GameWarp crashing on launch with FreeTrack active (race condition).
  • StreamView not working with GameWarp.
  • GameWarp being too shaky on Focus (requires Focus build 2.5.2)


Feedback highly appreciated.
This update makes VRidge 2.5 version and GameWarp almost ready for release. As always, we are awaiting your feedback at support@riftcat.com. Hopefully we'll be able to bring you the final version before the end of the year!