Psychological thrills, obsession at heart of Transference,’ Ubisoft’s VR game

Why it matters to you

Ubisoft teamed up with Elijah Wood and Spectrevision to create Transference, an unsettling virtual reality experience that should be perfect for gamers wanting something out of the norm.

Ubisoft revealed at its E3 2017 press conference Monday that an upcoming virtual reality game called Transference will arrive in the spring of 2018 . It’s a collaboration between Ubisoft Montreal and film production company Spectrevision, which was created by film directors Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller, and actor Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy).

Transference will be a psychological thriller, according to Ubisoft, that pulls players through the digitally re-created memories of a man tormented by obsession. “Escape the maze-like puzzle of an impossible home concealing a corrupted truth,” Ubisoft explains. “Meet the troubled family members and get hands-on to solve their riddle through a multi-branching narrative.”

The upcoming game will star Macon Blair (Blue Ruin, Green Room) as the troubled soul. The game’s outcome will depend on the player’s choices as they collect the evidence of the family’s history scattered throughout the twisted house, and determine how to repair the damage inflicted on their lives. To unlock truths, players must “learn the rules of a home intent on breaking them.”

Players must learn the story of each family member. In turn, actions the player takes have an effect on “time and space,” changing the world for each family member. Ultimately, Transference will be a story-driven game that can be replayed multiple times with varying outcomes.

Spectrevision CEO Lisa Whalen said the team set out to create a movie-like game that left players unsettled when they removed the VR headset. For the first time, VR players will feel like they’re in an actual movie. It’s based on the premise that neuroscientists managed to store trauma, memories, and emotions in a data format. The viewer, one fictional scientist indicates in the E3 trailer, won’t be harmed physically.

“What you are experiencing is a recorded consciousness,” a scientist explains in scratchy 2003 video footage. “It’s not like watching a movie, so no matter how real it may seem, it can’t hurt you. You’re completely safe.”

Unfortunately, the E3 2017 reveal trailer was a lot of fluff and not much of a gameplay showcase. You see bits and pieces of scenarios like a hallway and a bedroom, but that’s it. Presumably, Transference may be a sit-and-play type of VR game with click-to-move gameplay as players explore the house. However, brief shots of movement can be seen in the trailer, so it may rely on a gamepad as well.

Transference is slated to arrive in the spring of 2018 for PlayStation VR, the Oculus Rift, and the HTC Vive. Also listed are the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. along with PC. For more E3 2017 coverage, head here.

Dell invades the PC gaming peripheral space with Alienware-branded mice and more

Why it matters to you

After selling gaming products made by Roccat, Logitech, and Razer for years, Dell is finally serving up its own Alienware-branded peripherals for PC gamers.

As expected, Dell introduced new Alienware-branded products during the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles. However, the company took a somewhat surprising turn this year by expanding the Alienware brand into the PC gaming peripheral market. That means new Alienware-themed mechanical keyboards, gaming mice, and even desktop monitors will be at your disposal.

Alienware 24.5-inch Gaming Monitors

Dell’s first two Alienware-branded desktop monitors rely on older Twisted Nematic (TN) panel technology. That means instead of having brilliant colors and wide viewing angles, as seen with In-Plane Switching (IPS)-based monitors, TN panels provide a high level of brightness and fast response time, which is the time a pixel takes to move from black to white to black again (or gray to gray in some cases).

The brightness on these two panels is exceptionally high, and the 240Hz refresh rate is just plain crazy. Simply put, both units can handle 240 frames per second for insanely smooth, if not flawless, gameplay. The drawback is that both monitors sport a Full HD resolution, so the big selling points are the refresh rate, high brightness, and support for Nvidia and AMD’s proprietary frame-syncing technologies.

As shown below, Dell offers one Alienware model supporting Nvidia’s G-Sync technology for GeForce-branded graphics chips/cards, and one supporting AMD’s similar FreeSync technology for compatible Radeon-branded solutions. Both technologies synchronize the output frames of a GeForce (Nvidia) or Radeon (AMD) graphics card/chip with the refresh rate of the monitor. Otherwise, PC gamers will see screen ripping, stuttering, and the appearance of input lag.

AW2518HF
AW2518H
Size:
24.5 inches
24.5 inches
Panel type:
TN
TN
Resolution:
1,920 x 1,080
1,920 x 1,080
Refresh rate (native):
240Hz
240Hz
Brightness (typical):
400 nits
400 nits
Contrast ratio (typical):
1,000:1
1,000:1
Response time:
1ms with Overdrive
1ms with Overdrive
Variable sync:
AMD FreeSync
Nvidia G-Sync
Ports:
1x DisplayPort
1x HDMI
4x USB 3.1 Gen1
(peripherals)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1
(to PC)
1x Headphone jack
1x DisplayPort
1x HDMI
4x USB 3.1 Gen1
(peripherals)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1
(to PC)
1x Headphone jack
U.S. availability:
June 13
June 13
Price:
$500
$600

Alienware’s Area 51 PCs, with AMD Threadripper and Intel Core i9, are out of this world

Why it matters to you

PC gamers looking for a desktop to handle Ultra HD visuals with buttery-smooth framerates will have two new alien-themed options later this summer.

In addition to revealing new Alienware-branded peripherals spanning mice, mechanical keyboards, and even desktop monitors, Alienware announced two new Area-51 gaming desktops slated to arrive later this year. One will be outfitted with AMD’s latest Ryzen Threadripper processors, while the other will be packed with Intel’s recent Core X-Series CPUs. Both models will be completely customizable, with a long list of components ranging from triple-GPU options to 64GB of DDR4 memory clocked at 2,933MHz.

Before moving on to the specifications, we need to point out that the Threadripper model is expected to arrive on July 27, but Alienware didn’t provide a starting price at the time of this publication. We also don’t know when exactly the Intel model will arrive outside Alienware’s “late summer” window, or the system’s starting price. But, for the record, AMD hasn’t released any pricing regarding its new Threadripper chips. However, the Core X-Series chips offered in Intel-based model are priced between $390 and $1,000.

Alienware Area-51 Threadripper Edition

For the Threadripper Edition, Alienware is offering the 12-core and 16-core variants of AMD’s freshly-baked Ryzen Threadripper CPU. Surprisingly, Alienware didn’t wait for AMD to release its upcoming Radeon RX Vega graphics cards, slated to launch at the end of July. Instead, the options include Radeon RX 500 Series graphics cards along with Nvidia’s more powerful family of GeForce GTX 10-Series cards. Dual-GPU options consist of only GeForce solutions (SLI), while the triple-GPU setups are based on Radeon graphics (CrossFire).

Out of the box, every Ryzen Threadripper processor core will be overclocked. Alienware doesn’t provide any numbers regarding speed, but states that the Area-51 Threadripper Edition is ideal for “customers who explore the world of mega-tasking.” Bottom line, this machine will have no problem powering high-end virtual reality experiences and Ultra HD PC gaming with super-smooth visuals. Adding to that, Alienware is introducing M.2 storage options to the Area-51 line too for super-fast storage access.

This alien-inspired desktop includes nine unique lighting zones that are customized through Alienware’s Alienware Command Center software. It also sports an illuminated I/O panel on the back, and “theater” lighting on the inside to showcase all the pretty, high-end hardware. Powering this beast is an 850-watt 80 Plus Bronze power supply, or a 1,500-watt 80 Plus Gold power supply. Both power supplies are modular and built for multi-graphics chip setups.

Behold, here are the mighty specifications:

Processor:
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 12-core overclocked (all cores)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 16-core overclocked (all cores)
—

Processor cooling:
Alienware Premium Socket TR4 Liquid Cooling
—

Chipset:
AMD X399 with an unlocked BIOS for overclocking
—

Single graphics card (AMD):
Radeon RX 570 with 4GB GDDR5
Radeon RX 580 with 8GB GDDR5
————–
—

Single graphics card (Nvidia):
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB GDDR5
GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB GDDR5
GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB GDDR5
GeForce GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5X
GeForce GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5X Liquid Cooled
GeForce GTX 1080 Ti with 11GB GDDR5X
—

Dual graphics cards:
2x GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB GDDR5 (SLI)
2x GeForce GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5X (SLI)
2x GeForce GTX 1080 Ti with 8GB GDDR5X (SLI)
 —

Triple graphics cards:
3x Radeon RX 570 with 4GB GDDR5 (CrossFire)
3x Radeon RX 580 with 8GB GDDR5 (CrossFire)
 —

Memory capacity:
4x 288-pin DDR4 UDIMM memory slots
Supports up to 64GB
 —

Memory (single channel):
8GB DDR4 @ 2,667MHz
8GB DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz (HyperX)
 —

Memory (dual channel):
16GB DDR4 @ 2,667MHz
16GB DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz (HyperX)
32GB DDR4 @ 2,667MHz
32GB DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz (HyperX)
 —

Memory (quad channel):
64GB DDR4 @ 2,667MHz
64GB DDR4 XMP @ 2,933MHz (HyperX)
 —

Storage (single):
Hard drive – 2TB (7,200RPM, SATA 3)
M.2 PCI Express SSD – 256GB
M.2 PCI Express SSD – 512GB
M.2 PCI Express SSD – 1TB
 —

Storage (boot + storage):
128GB M.2 SATA SSD + 2TB 7,200RPM SATA HDD
256GB M.2 PCIe SSD + 2TB 7,200RPM SATA HDD
512GB M.2 PCIe SSD + 2TB 7,200RPM SATA HDD
1TB M.2 PCIe SSD + 2TB 7,200RPM SATA HDD
 —

Storage (optical):
Slot-Loading Dual-Layer DVD Burner (DVD±RW)
Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc Reader
 —

Connectivity:
Alienware 1820 802.11ac (2×2) and Bluetooth 4.1
Killer 1535 802.11ac (2×2) and Bluetooth 4.1
*both provide up to 867Mbps theoretical speed
 —

Ports (front):
2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x headphone jack
1x microphone jack
1x SD card reader
 —

Ports (back):
2x  Killer Networks E2500 Gigabit Ethernet
2x USB 2.0 Type-A
6x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A (5Gbps)
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A (10Gbps)
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C (10Gbps with charging)
1x SPDIF digital output
1x Line-in (blue)
1x Front left/right speakers (green)
1x Center channel / subwoofer (orange)
1x Back left/right speakers (black)
1x Side left/right speakers (white)
 —

Audio:
Internal High-Definition 7.1 Audio (Standard)
 —

Power supply:
Alienware 850-watt 80 Plus Bronze (modular)
Alienware 1,500-watt 80 Plus Gold (modular)
 —

Lighting:
9 programmable AlienFX zones with 20 distinct colors
Rear I/O panel illumination
Internal “Theater” illumination
 —

Expansion slots:
Slot 1 – PCI Express x16 Gen3 (electrical x16)
Slot 3 – PCI Express x4 Gen3 (electrical x8)
Slot 4 – PCI Express x16 Gen3 (electrical x16)
Slot 5 – PCI Express x16 Gen3 (electrical x8)
Slot 6 – PCI Express x4 Gen3 (electrical x4)
Slot 7 – PCI Express x16 Gen3 (electrical x8)
 —

Operating system:
Windows 10 Home 64-bit (default)
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
 —

Dimensions (inches):
22.411 (H) x 25.156 (D) x 10.736
 —

Starting weight:
61.73 pounds
 —

Chassis color:
Epic Silver
 —

Availability:
July 27
 —

Starting price:
Unknown
 —

Product page:
LINK

After almost 15 years, Ubisoft finally shows trailer for ‘Beyond Good & Evil 2’

Why it matters to you

Fans of the original Beyond Good & Evil game will finally visit Ubisoft’s fictional universe again in a successor that serves as a prequel to the original.

During Ubisoft’s press conference at E3 2017, the company showcased Beyond Good & Evil 2, the long-awaited “prequel” to the 2003 original. Taking place in a new solar system (aka System 3), the game introduces new characters such as the monkey-manKnox, heroine Shani, and what appears to be the antagonist of this prequel, the kingpin pig Zhou.

The time period is the 24th century. In the Milky Way galaxy, System 3 is at the heart of colonization and interstellar trade due to the creation of Hybrid slaves. According to Ubisoft, the colonists have brought with them the “rich and diverse spiritual and cultural heritages” from the planet Earth of old. However, private enterprises struggle with each other over controlling resources to obtain more power.

That’s all we know of the story for now, but Ubisoft says that players will rise from the status of a lowly pirate to a legendary captain. The cinematic trailer sees Knox escaping the clutches of Zhou on the back of a flying motorcycle piloted by Shani. Armed with a laser pistol, Knox shoots at armored hovercrafts manned by police as they’re pursued along the crowded airways of a futuristic city.

The theatrical trailer is action-packed to say the least, with Shani and Knox juking rockets, dodging other aircraft, and using jump jets to take control of a police hovercraft, all leading up to the destruction of a titanic armored ship patrolling the city. These two characters, it seems, have no respect for the local authority.

Eventually the two return to their team in the desert with a stolen disc at hand. After discovering its contents, Shani indicates that the solar system depicted in the disc’s hologram will provide her gang with “true freedom.” After that, we see a huge pirate ship-like carrier rise from within a blanket of clouds covering the planet below, and head for the stars beyond.

Ubisoft says that the game can be played solo or with friends “in a vast and seamless online playground.” Unfortunately, Ubisoft wasn’t forthcoming about any details regarding the prequel, such as the platform destinations and release date. For now, fans can provide their input and help shape the game’s outcome by signing up with the Space Monkey Program here.

Deal brings Moto Z down to $499 with 2 years of extended warranty

There’s a pretty great deal on the original Moto Z right now.

Motorola knows how to sell unlocked phones. To wit, the company has discounted its excellent Moto Z — the OG Z, if you will — to $499.99 and is throwing in an extended 2-year warranty called Moto Care, which offers up to three (!!) low-deductible exchanges and free shipping back and forth.

So should you get a Moto Z right now, especially when the Moto Z2 Play is coming soon at the same price? Well, the Moto Z is more powerful and has a better camera, and while it doesn’t yet sport the software updates that come with the Z2 Play’s Android 7.1.1 build, it’s likely that it will get it at some point (we’ve reached out to Moto to confirm).

Nevertheless, the Moto Care addition costs $75 on its own, so even if the phones themselves are a wash, if you are clumsy and expect to need to replace your phone’s screen, this deal is pretty attractive.

You’ll need to enter the coupon code MOTOZ200OFF at checkout to get the discount and warranty extension. Who’s buying?

See at Motorola

Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play

• Moto Z + Z Force review!
• Moto Z Play review
• The Hasselblad True Zoom is a Mod to remember
• Moto Z specs
• Moto Mods custom backs
• The latest Moto Z news
• Discuss in our Moto Z forums

Motorola
Verizon

Essential Phone: Price, release date, and everything you need to know

Essential, the company set up by Android co-founder Andy Rubin, has unveiled the Essential Phone.

This Android-powered smartphone is going after the major flagships. It has a high-end price tag with top-of-the-line specs and features, such as an edge-to-edge display, which goes all the way to the the top of the phone and wraps around the front-facing selfie camera. Essential Phone is launching in the US on Sprint to start, but it’s packed with radios that should make it work on all major carriers.

Here’s everything you need to know about the device.

Essential

Essential Phone: Design

• Dimensions: 141.5mm x 71.1mm x 7.8mm
• 185g weight
• Edge-to-edge display
• Made of titanium and ceramic materials
• No headphone jack or water resistance
• Has a modular system that includes two attachments

The Essential Phone certainly stands out, thanks to its edge-to-edge display that surrounds the front-facing camera and extends virtually all the way to the bottom, leaving a small bezel. The bezel isn’t there to house a home button/fingerprint sensor, though, as that can be found on the rear where your fingers will naturally lie. The phone itself is made of titanium with a ceramic back for added protection.

It will be available in four colours: Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White, and Ocean Depths. The Essential Phone works with a modular system as well, which lets you attach accessories. At launch, there are only two mods available: a 360-degree camera and a wireless charging dock. Apart from that, there’s a few notable omissions, like that the phone doesn’t offer a 3.5mm jack or water resistance.

Essential

Essential Phone: Hardware

• 5.7-inch (2560×1312) display
• dual 13-megapixel camera with black-and-white secondary sensor
• 8-megapixel selfie camera, capable of 4K video at 30pfs
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage
• 3040mAh non-removable battery with fast charging
• USB-C for charging and headphone connection

The Essential Phone features a 5.7-inch (2560×1312) display, with a 505ppi and Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Also around the outside of the device, you’ll see a dual 13-megapixel camera with a f/1.85 lens and laser autofocus and a 8-megapixel selfie camera with a f/2.20 lens. Particular attention has been paid to the cameras: the dual-lens setup includes a black-and-white secondary sensor.

That allows it to take in more light than a regular colour lens. Rather than be used for extra zoom, the second lens should provide better low-light shots. Both the rear- and front-facing cameras are capable of shooting 4K video at 30fps, as well. There’s a USB-C charger, but no traditional headphone jack, which may not please everyone, but the phone will ship with a headphone dongle in the box.

Inside, there is a 10nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (2.45GHz octa-core Kryo 280 CPU) and Adren 540 GPU. It comes with 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 3040mAh non-removable battery with fast charging, and support for Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, LTE, GPS, and GLONASS. But nice hardware is easy to find on any phone, so the company also built an ecosystem of accessories.

Essential will ship a 360-degree camera that can attach to the top of the phone. The company will also offer a charging dock. You can attach either via the magnetic metal pogo pins at the top of the rear panel, although you can still use the USB-C port on the bottom to wire your phone to mains power. The USB-C port is also where you’ll have to connect some headphones, of course.

Essential

Essential Phone: Software

• Operating system: Android (version unknown)
• May or may not come with bloatware/carrier apps

We know that Essential phone does run Android, but the version is unknown at this time. Also, Andy Rubin said at the Code conference that he’s trying to ship the phone without any carrier apps installed when it launches. But he didn’t completely commit to that, which isn’t suprising, considering it’s hard for any Android manufacturer to get their phone in US stores without carrier apps.

Essential

Essential Phone: Price

• Starting price: $699

The Essential Phone will only be available in the US at launch. It costs $699 for the phone, or $749 with the 360-degree camera included. There’s no word yet on pricing for the UK or Europe.

Essential Phone: Release date

• Available to pre-order now in the US

You can pre-order the Essential Phone now. USA Today claimed that the phone has a launch partner in the US: Sprint. But this isn’t “exclusive”, because the Essential Phone has enough radios to work across multiple networks. Plus, Essential will sell the phone unlocked in the US. There’s no word yet on a specific release date in the US, let alone in the UK or Europe.

Amazon Alexa calling: How to block calls and messages to your Echo

Amazon has catered to the privacy-conscious by adding a new blocking feature to its Alexa calling service.

Amazon Alexa calling, introduced by Amazon in May, was criticised by some for not giving users a way to block calls and messages. In other words, anyone could call your Amazon Echo device or Amazon app, and there was nothing you could do about it. Amazon said it would fix the issue in the coming weeks, and now, by mid-June, it has kept good on that promise with an update to the Alexa app.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to block calls and messages to your Echo.

What is Amazon Alexa calling?

Amazon offers an Alexa-powered calling service. It’s described as a new way to contact friends who also own Echo devices or use the Alexa app on their smartphones. It’s completely free, works over Wi-Fi and cellular data, and includes additional features that let you not only place calls but also send voice messages or text messages. You can learn more about how to use the service in Pocket-lint’s guide:

• Amazon Alexa calling and messaging: What is it and how do you use it?

How can you block calls and messages?

The Alexa app for iOS has been updated with a new feature that lets you “block contacts from calling and messaging you”. The update is only available for the iOS version of the Alexa app, but we imagine the Android version will get it soon too. To enable the blocking feature, open the Alexa app and go to your contacts list. From there, scroll down and select the person you want to block.

Then all you have to do is tap the new “block contact” button, and you won’t receive calls or messages from him or her anymore. This obviously means people will have to be in your contact’s list in order for you to block them, but at the same time, they can’t even call your Echo or Amazon app unless they know your phone numbers. Also, don’t forget you can temporarily block all messages and calls.

All you have to do is use the Do Not Disturb feature (just say to Alexa, “Don’t disturb me”, or schedule Do Not Disturb for specific days and times in the Alexa app (select Settings from the Menu > select your device > under Do Not Disturb, select Scheduled > use the slider to turn on or off Do Not Disturb> select Edit to change the time Do Not Disturb begins or ends > and select Save Changes).

Want to know more?

Check out some of our Amazon Echo and Alexa guides:

‘Starlink’ is ‘Skylanders’ for space babies

In the spirit of games like “Skylanders,” “Disney Infinity” and “LEGO Dimensions”, Ubisoft Toronto announced at E3 on Monday that it is jumping into the toys-to-life genre with “Starlink: Battle for Atlas”. In Starlink, you command a fleet of talented space pilots in their defense of the Atlas star system against a legion of robotic invaders. And this game isn’t just a series of space battles, you’ll be able to seamlessly travel between seven unique worlds, explore them and then jump back into the cosmos for more fighting.

Unlike other toy-to-life games that leveraged NFC or RFID “portals” to put the characters in-game, Starlink slaps the whole thing on your controller. You’ll be able to heavily customize your in-game ships with different pilots, hulls, wings and weapons to find the exact match for your preferred playstyle.

Interestingly, rather than have to navigate a complex set of component menus, you simply replace parts directly on the physical model and their digital counterparts appear instantly in-game. If that sounds like a hassle, you can also leave the models on the shelf. “We designed that idea that every physical part that you buy, you will unlock a digital part” Starlink creative director, Laurent Malvill, told Games Industry. “So if you want the full experience, you can play with the starships on top of your controller. But if you want to just display the collectibles on your shelf, and play the game without them, you can do that as well.”

“You will also be able to buy the digital part separately, without the collectibles, if you want,” Malvill continued. “Just because, again, we want to provide freedom for players.”

Starlink is slated for a Q4 2018 release on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Best Buy will let you rent gadgets before you purchase them

Retail is tough. Customers have to be able to figure out which item will best suit their needs while retailers need to make sure their customers are happy enough with their purchases to keep them. One way to serve both needs is with a solid “try before you buy” system, which lets consumers get some hands-on time with items before committing to a full purchase. This is even more useful when customers are looking for big-ticket items like fancy wearables and high-end cameras. Big-box electronics retailer Best Buy has partnered with gadget rental startup Lumoid to provide just such a system, which is due later this month.

According to ReCode, Best Buy you will soon be able to rent items like cameras, wearables and audio devices with a featured button on Best Buy’s website. A Best Buy spokesperson confirmed to Engadget that drones will not be on offer through the rental service.

Best Buy’s website will have a button that sends you to Lumoid’s site to manage the actual rental of these items, many of which may be “open box” returns instead of new items. You’ll earn about 20 percent of the rental price in Lumoid credits, which can then be applied to a purchase of the rented item. Best Buy gets to breathe new life into items people have already bought and customers get to check out big-ticket items for a low monthly fee.

This new program could give Best buy an advantage over Amazon, which does not currently offer a similar rental service. Letting customers rent a higher-priced item like a Sonos speaker, Sony Alpha camera or Apple Watch could get them the time they need with the device to decide if the purchase is worth it. Lumoid’s founder, Aarthi Ramamurthy, says that wearables get the highest conversion rate from rental to purchase, with one in three renters deciding to buy after the try. We’ve reached out to Lumoid for more details on this partnership and will update this post.

Source: ReCode

Intel wants to make competitive VR a reality

Virtual reality doesn’t have much of a foothold in the eSports world. You can watch tournaments in VR, but competing in VR? Almost unheard of. Intel wants to change that — it’s teaming up with Oculus and long-time partner ESL to kick off the VR Challenger League. The competitive gaming series will have players donning headsets to take each other on through Insomniac’s The Unspoken and Ready at Dawn’s Echo Arena. The league will start with online-only competition in July, but the finalists will square off in person at the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship in 2018.

Intel and ESL have an additional deal that will see Intel’s processors power both tournament PCs and behind-the-scenes systems.

It’s an important move, but we wouldn’t expect VR to match the popularity of conventional eSports in the near future. Multiplayer VR games are quite rare as it is, let alone titles that lend themselves to competitive play. And there’s also the higher barrier to entry: you need both a VR headset and a computer fast enough to handle it. It’ll be a while before the audience is large enough, and the costs low enough, that VR tourneys will really take off. Intel and partners just know that they have to start somewhere.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: Intel (1), (2)