VorpX’s New Virtual Cinema Lets You Play Non-VR Games on a Virtual Big Screen

By
Paul James
-
15

vorpX news has been thin on the ground just recently, but that’s because the team behind the project have been busy preparing one of the biggest releases yet. v0.8.0, released today, brings with it a raft of new features, including an innovative method to enhance traditional games via an enormous, virtual cinema screen.

vorpX, the app that lets you play games not designed for VR on your Oculus Rift, has come a long way since its initial release back in 2013. Since then it’s honed and tweaked its way through several releases, improving compatibility, adding DX11 support and even positional head tracking for the DK2 for some games.

Today, version 0.8.0 is released and brings with it another major feature addition which further enhances your ability to enjoy your favourite games – never intended for use in virtual reality – via your Oculus Rift.

Buy vorpX v0.8.0 Right Here

The feature is called Virtual Cinema Mode and allows you to play games thrown onto a huge screen, set inside a virtual living room. This means that games not traditionally well suited to playing in VR, titles such as Diablo III, Life Is Strange, Resident Evil Revelations 2, XCOM: Enemy Within. It gives you the illusion of playing on a decadent cinema screen – adding extra impact to the experience. It’s a great feature that has to be seen to be fully appreciated and something we think people will revisit older games with. What’s more, games displayed on the screen are in full stereoscopic 3D too!

Existing vorpX users should receive an automatically delivered update upon restarting their vorpX application.

Other important enhancements for vorpX 0.8.0 are:

  • 38 new Stereo 3D profiles and 20 new Game Optimizer profiles, about 2/3 optimized for Virtual Cinema Mode (for games that otherwise don’t make much sense in VR).
  • Up to 25% better Geometry 3D performance in CPU bound games, e.g. Skyrim. Up to 10% better performance in D3D11 Geometry 3D games with high shader count.
  • Integrated, custom image sharpening filter with edge detection, highly optimized for speed and a pleasant sharpening effect that works very well in VR.
  • All Compiled against Oculus SDK 0.5.0.1
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Full Change Log / Bug Fix List

As stated, this is a huge release for the vorpX team, to illustrate that fact, here’s the full change log for v0.8.0:

New/Changed:

  • Virtual Cinema mode for playing games that don’t work well in VR otherwise (3rd person, strategy, sports etc.)
  • Geometry 3D performance increased up to 25% in CPU bound games (e.g. Skyrim)
  • Improved EdgePeek mode based on the Virtual Cinema 3D rendering. (old 2D EdgePeek is still available as an option)
  • Image sharpening filter added (display page of the ingame menu)
  • vorpX now uses Oculus SDK version 0.5.0.1
  • G3D shadow treatment now user selectable in some games
  • D3D11 G3D efficiency improved, faster in games with huge amount of shaders
  • Windows mouse acceleration can be disabled (per game setting, input page of the vorpX in-game menu), can improve head tracking in some games
  • Positional tracking crouch/jump: triggered by velocity. Move slow = pos tracking, move fast = crouch/jump, has to be enabled per game in the vorpX in-game menu
  • Better compatibility with downsampling display modes (DSR/VSR)
  • Delayed input initialization for less intrusive game start behaviour
    (gets also rid of Rift init timeouts in some games).
  • New transform modes for better control over individual elements/effects
  • Some adjustments to the DK2 B-cups display parameters
  • Adjustments to letterbox AR modes, making them more different
  • Oculus Rift version is now auto detected in vorpControl
  • Windows 8+ Modern UI Apps folder excluded from injection
  • Config app: various usability enhancements
  • Config app: Game Settings Optimizer now supports more settings types

Bugfixes:

  • Head tracking pitch was accidentally disabled together with mouse y-axis in games that support this function
  • Unwanted hotkey actions could be executed during FOV adjustment
  • Keyboard input in gamepad/VR-Hotkey mapper had a few quirks
    Shift, Ctrl, Alt keys were not bindable to gamepad/hotkeys (post 0.7.5 regression)
  • Secondary display behaviour wasn’t always optimal (Fallout NV,
    probably others)
  • Some D3D11 G3D effect fixes were not initialized correctly (post 0.7.1 regression)
  • D3D9 G3D stereo switching caused rendering errors (Stalker series, probably others)
  • UI placement glitch after unsuccessful device creation (DX9)
  • vorpX cursor was displayed at wrong position in G3D with HUD scaling active – Positional tracking message could not be closed with [ALT][SPACE] when game was minimized/maximized or rendering device was reset otherwise during message display
  • Some 64bit vorpX desktop shortcuts still were not working
  • Small memory leak in injection watcher fixed
  • Switching 3D modes didn’t work in DX10 (post 0.6.4 regression)
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Added Stereo 3D Profiles:

  • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (G3D/Z3D)
  • Battlefield: Hardline (Z3D)
  • Dragon Age: Inquisition (Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Diablo III (G3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • The Elder Scrolls Online (G3D/Z3D)
  • Dark Souls (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Dark Souls II (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Life Is Strange (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky (G3D/Z3D)
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha (G3D)
  • Evolve (Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Resident Evil/Biohazard 4 (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Resident Evil/Biohazard Revelations (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Resident Evil/Biohazard Revelations 2 (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • The Long Dark (Z3D)
  • Serious Sam 3: BFE (G3D)
  • Need for Speed: Rivals (Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • rFactor 2 (Z3D only, G3D too buggy)
  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Darksiders (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Darksiders II (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Starship Troopers (G3D/Z3D)
  • Woolfe – The Redhood Diaries (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Trine (G3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Trine 2 (G3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • The Ball (G3D/Z3D)
  • The Darkness II (G3D)
  • Might & Magic: Heroes IV (G3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • The Old City: Leviathan (G3D/Z3D)
  • Planetside 2 (G3D)
  • Deadfall Adventures (G3D/Z3D)
  • Hard Reset (G3D/Z3D)
  • Risen 3: Titan Lords (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Fable Anniversary (G3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Lego: Lord of the Rings (G3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Legend of Grimrock (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode
  • Legend of Grimrock II (G3D/Z3D), optimized for Virtual Cinema mode

Stereo 3D Profile changes/fixes:

  • Fallout 3: game specific G3D settings were not applied in all cases
  • Elder Scrolls: Skyrim: G3D transformations weren’t always applied as intended
  • Borderlands 1-3: HUD-scaling affected elements that should not have been scaled
  • GTA IV: G3D HUD handling (minimap/phone doesn’t change position with HUD scale)
  • Duke Nukem Forever: various G3D fixes, now actually enjoyable in G3D
  • System Shock 2: Z3D base parameters were completely off
  • Portal 2: Default G3D 3D-Strength raised
  • Deus Ex: HR: D3D11 G3D: some models were displaced with tesselation enabled
  • S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat: Geometry 3D added, pos tracking unlocked
  • Battlefield 3: Geometry 3D added (has shadow issues)
  • Crysis: minimap wasn’t displayed correctly whith scaled HUD in G3D
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines: HUD-handling added, positional tracking unlocked
  • Fallout 3/NV: G3D HUD/menu glitches fixed
  • Risen: HUD handling added, default mode now Virtual Cinema
  • Elder Scrolls: Oblivion: G3D HUD/menu glitches fixed
  • Mass Effect 2: Geometry 3D was not working anymore + HUD and effect fixes, default mode now Virtual Cinema
  • Mass Effect 3: HUD handling added, default mode now Virtual Cinema
  • Dragon Age: Origins: Geometry 3D fixes, default mode now Virtual Cinema
  • Drakensang: River of Time: G3D didn’t work, default mode now Virtual Cinema
  • The Witcher: FX-fixes, default mode now Virtual Cinema
  • The Witcher 2: HUD handling added, default mode now Virtual Cinema
  • Various 3rd person games changed to Virtual Cinema as default display mode
  • Game Settings Optimizer Profiles:
  • Thief [2014]: resolution and latency settings were not applied correctly
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution: entry added
  • Serious Sam 3: BFE [Steam]: entry added
  • Thief Gold [Steam/GOG]: entry added
  • Thief 2 [Steam/GOG]: entry added
  • System Shock 2 [Steam/GOG]: entry added
  • Portal 2 [Steam]: entry added
  • The Stanley Parabel [Steam]: entry added
  • Starship Troopers: entry added
  • Crysis 3: entry added
  • The Ball: entry added
  • Legend of Grimrock: entry added
  • Legend of Grimrock II: entry added
  • Battlefield: Hardline: entry added
  • Evolve [Steam]: entry added
  • Deadfall Adventures: entry added
  • Diablo III: entry added
  • The Old City: Leviathan: entry added
  • Dark Souls II: entry added
  • Hard Reset: entry added
  • Elder Scrolls Online: entry added
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You can buy vorpX and support Road to VR by purchasing it at our affiliate page right here.

Full Disclosure: Road to VR has an affiliate agreement with vorpX. 

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Paul James
Based in the UK, Paul has been immersed in interactive entertainment for the best part of 27 years and has followed advances in gaming with a passionate fervour. His obsession with graphical fidelity over the years has had him branded a ‘graphics whore’ (which he views as the highest compliment) more than once and he holds a particular candle for the dream of the ultimate immersive gaming experience. Having followed and been disappointed by the original VR explosion of the 90s, he then founded RiftVR.com to follow the new and exciting prospect of the rebirth of VR in products like the Oculus Rift. Paul joined forces with Ben to help build the new Road to VR in preparation for what he sees as VR’s coming of age over the next few years.
  • WLF38

    Great work! I was hoping theater would be added sometime, although It won’t work any better with my DK1. I may end up donating my legacy 40 in 1080p tv once vorpx supports HTC vive/CV1 :D

  • Jacob Pederson

    The latency is still too poor for me :( New mode looks great though.

  • Curtrock

    @Jacob: do u mean that VorpX adds latency to games when playing them thru their interface? So, playing online multi-player would suffer because of added latency?

    • Jacob Pederson

      No, I’m referring to head tracking latency. So when you move your head to look around it feels like 40+ ms before your view changes (It takes latency around 20ms to be comfortable in VR.) This isn’t just a matter of frustration like latency in online gaming, this induces very intense nausea in a lot of people. I only tried Diablo 3 in the new mode, so its at least possible that another game might work better, but I doubt it.

      Other software has managed to run games on virtual screens without added latency, so I’m not quite sure what the issue is here. For example: I can play Diablo 2 using Virtual Desktop at around 24ms latency.

      • Ralf Ostertag

        The “issue” is that the other software simply displays the game in 2D while vorpX is a stereoscopic 3D driver. You are comparing apples to oranges in terms of what both programs do.

      • Curtrock

        Thx 4 the clarification.

  • KainLTD

    This is awesome. I wrote also an article about that. Btw. Why does roadtovr upload the official vorpx videos on their youtube channel?

    http://virtual-reality-gaming.com/vorpx-virtual-cinema-mode-play-non-3d-games-in-3d/

  • Ralf Ostertag

    The Desktop app takes a screen capture and displays it as a texture on a quad, vorpX runs inside the game. With Tridef in Side by Side as a base you only get half the horizontal resolution, apart from that an unusable, and I mean really unusable framerate in Windows 7. You also can’t adjust the depth/size of the HUD with that combination. As detailed as you seem to inspect things, didn’t you really notice any of this?

    Apart from that except for special cases like Diablo that do not require FOV-enhancement, head tracking within the game or any other VR functionality inside the game, comparing VR desktop and vorpX for gaming doens’t even make the slightest sense.

    • Jacob Pederson

      I agree completely that Tridef doesn’t look the greatest (due to SBS format) and fps only hits 30-40 on Diablo 3. (in 3dvision I have no trouble hitting 60fps in1440p 3d) What I am trying to point out is that in VR, MTP latency is the difference between playable and unplayable, not fps. With the Tridef/Virtual Desktop combo, Diablo 3 is playable with no nausea. In Vorpx, I didn’t make it past the title screen due to Vr sickness. I’m sure there are plenty of folks out there that can play at 40+ MTP with no issues, but I am not one of them.

      I also agree that Vorpx is pulling off some amazing things in other games like FOV adjustment and positional tracking. Thats why I bought it :) Unfortunately, if the MTP latency never gets there a good chunk of the potential audience may never be able to try it.

      • Ralf Ostertag

        Both programs work completely different. VR Desktop may save one frame of latency while rendering its screen, but this works ONLY in games that have no real head tracking, like Diablo. As soon as you have games that require ingame head tracking (everything that changes the veiw with you moving your heac) this approach doesn’t help a bit. Quite the opposite.

        VR Desktop simply captures the fully rendered games, running as an external program. That’s nice for desktop capturing, but if “real” head tracking inside the game is required this approach pretty obviously actually would ADD latency (game is rendered, then copied to system memory, then copied to the graphics card again and rendered a second time).

        It’s great that you got Diablo working this way, but only Virtual Cinema head tracking would benefit from this approach, not any ingame head tracking.

        Don’t hesitate to ask if this was too difficult to understand in any way. I tried my best. ;)

  • Stray Toaster

    Was this app designed by Hannibal? There is a decapitated body on the couch which would be a bit distracting for anyone sitting next to it.

    The concept is sound but more could be done with it. How about making the lights in the virtual room respond to whatever is going on in the virtual screen? Or having a virtual projector set up at the top of a volcano for games like Diablo 3? Or a sports stadium screen for sports games? Or an arcade cabinet for racing games?

    • augure

      It does change lighting in the virtual room based on the game, and there’s even an immersive back screen option based on a Microsoft project that did this in real life.

  • augure

    Sounds a bit gimmicky.

    What’s great with VorpX is than you can play incompatible First-Person games in VR. But what it does could absolutely be done on 3rd person games or even top-down views like strategy/role-playing games.

    It’s a matter of where and how you calibrate the “virtual screen” in front of you and make the it follow the in game.