How to Start With Cyberpunk RPG February 5, 2025
Posted by Maniac in Editorials.Tags: cyberpunk 2077, cyberpunk red
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Welcome back, chooms! Since the 2.20 patch release, we’ve been absolutely obsessed with playing Cyberpunk 2077 on the PS5. The game (in its current state) is a love letter to the classic science-fiction stories I loved in my teenage years. Fans of books like Neuromancer by William Gibson, films like Blade Runner, and games like System Shock found themselves right at home in the game’s open world of Night City! If you’re reading this we’re assuming you love Cyberpunk 2077 or the Netflix series Cyberpunk Edgerunners but are stuck with one of two issues: what do you do if you want more stories that take place in Cyberpunk’s world? Some of you may lack a modern game console or a computer capable of playing the game. Others may have already played the game and watched the show, and need more Cyberpunk content to hold you over while you wait you wait for the eventual sequel. Well, you’ve come to the right place on the right day!
Before video games were even possible to play on computers, RPGs were still commonly played amongst groups of friends. Most people are familiar with Dungeons & Dragons, but they are hardly the only role playing game out there. Well, it is an open secret that many video games use these legacy tabletop (or pen-and-paper) gaming books as the basis for their game rules, and Cyberpunk is no different.
Cyberpunk, published by R. Talsorian Games, is a pen-and-paper RPG first published in the late 80s. It has undergone several revisions and updates since its initial release, partially to refine its rules and impartially to keep up with the technology of its time. As of the time of this article, the current published work in the Cyberpunk series is known as Cyberpunk RED. The RED era takes place in Cyberpunk’s year of 2045, thirty-two years before the video game’s 2077 setting. The world is suffering after the events of a major war which has left the sky red, and you’re tasked to survive in this post-apocalyptic world where corporations have taken over using just your wits, your charisma, and your technical know-how.
If you’re new to Tabletop RPGs and are interested in learning where to start with a game like Cyberpunk RED, there are a few resources out there to help you. First, all players should look into starting with Cyberpunk RED’s core rulebook, which is typically classified as book number 3001. We recommend purchasing this book from your local hobby shop (if they have it in stock) or order it online! If you’re not sure if you’re ready to buy a core book just yet, you could check out the website Drive Thru RPG which offers digital and print on demand copes of RPG sourcebooks. They are currently offering downloads of a limited instruction set referred to as the EASY MODE completely free of charge. This will provide a perfect jumping in point for new Cyberpunk players!
Once you have your core rulebook read through, you’ll notice plenty of other books in the Cyberpunk RED series. I admit, seeing all of these books listed can be a little overwhelming for a newbie. Many of these books are rule expansions which will include new weapons and in-game items that players can use, but some of them will be playable stories. Part of the fun of Cyberpunk includes customizing your player character with all kinds of unique weapons, clothes and armor, and these expansion books such as Black Chrome will offer players that kind of content. Newer books such as Tales of the RED: Street Stories and Tales of the RED: Hope Reborn, are going to be heavily wanted by Game Masters, as it is an original scenario set in the Cyberpunk RED timeline your player will want to navigate.
So now that you have some rules, here’s what you’ll need to play. Players more familiar with Dungeons & Dragons may be wondering about the game’s dice requirements. As far as I know, Cyberpunk RED only requires the use of a single D10 and several D6 to determine the effectiveness of their actions. These kind of dice can typically be found at your local game store or hobby shop, or you could use a program capable of producing random rolls when queried, such as an Amazon Echo.
Next, we want to talk about DLC and Eratta. Yes, even paper books can sometimes get updates and expansions, and the nice thing about R. Talsorian Games is they release all of that as free content on their website! Hundreds of pages of new rules, scenarios, gear, and rule refinements can be downloaded off of this official website entirely for free. The first thing you should know is this is where you can print out your character sheets. The publisher is even happy to let players use the included maps in these PDFs for players’ use, printed or projected!
And finally, the Cyberpunk RED community wanted me to tell you to just to have fun.
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is out now for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Cyberpunk 2077 is also out for PS4 and Xbox One. It is coming soon to Mac.
RIP Meta Quest Pro January 2, 2025
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It is my unfortunate duty to inform you all that Meta has chosen to discontinue sales of the Meta Quest Pro headset, and encourage all people interested in the headset to instead purchase the Quest 3 or Quest 3S headset at this time.
When it launched at a price of $1499 US and a storage of 256GB, we leaped at the opportunity to purchase it, as it was the first Virtual Reality headset we determined worthy of investigation of the genre. The Meta Quest Pro only saw two years of support from Meta, but it had an incredible form factor, wonderful controllers, and ran Quest 1 and 2 games better than either of the earlier headsets. It proved to me that standalone Virtual Reality was the next phase of gaming and I would be damned if I forgot to mention the experience of playing Iron Man VR and Arcade Paradise on it were nothing short of life-changing.
This canceling of the product is an extremely disappointing announcement, but not one that we could not have possibly saw coming. Its high price, exclusive direct order method, and lack of much in the way of hardware exclusive software, did not help the Quest Pro’s sales. A major price drop to $999US was not successful either, and eventually Meta revealed a true successor to the Quest 2 in the form of the Quest 3, which boasted hardware superior to the Quest Pro in several ways at just a third of its launch price. When Meta announced Batman: Arkham Shadow would ONLY support Quest 3/3S hardware, it was clear that support for the Quest Pro was beginning to sunset. Current Quest Pro owners will find their devices will still continue to work and will remain compatible with PCVR, either through Airlink or Steam Link, but will not likely get newer feature support from Meta.
At this time there is no expectation of a successor to the Quest Pro in development and Meta’s Quest 3 is fully capable of being compatible with all of the functions of the Quest Pro, with the exception of the Pro’s facial tracking. Regardless, we just want to say RIP Quest Pro, you were a great product we enjoyed very much.
What Konami Should Include in Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 2 November 27, 2024
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It’s been many months since Konami released the Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 1 on modern platforms. They included HD ports of some of the greatest games of all time, as well as plenty of side-content and special features. However, true to its name, the release was merely titled Vol 1, and plenty of Metal Gear games were not included in the initially released volume. Demands for many of these remaining Metal Gear games to be re-released on modern consoles have not stopped, so we’re going to do Konami a favor put in our picks for what should be coming to Volume 2, and why!
Special Note: we will not be including any games or content that were previously released in Vol 1, nor will we bring up mini-games that were mysteriously left out of those re-releases such as MGS3’s Snake Vs Monkey or MGS2’s Skateboarding minigames.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker – First off, we’re going to start the list with the one game previously included in the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection that had not been ported in the MGS Collection Vol 1, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Originally made for the Sony PSP, it is a story that takes place between the events of Metal Gear Solid 3 and Metal Gear Solid 5. Since this has already been ported by Bluepoint in the HD Collection back in 2012, and that Bluepoint code seemed to work fine for Vol 1, this would be the most likely candidate for Vol 2.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes – This is going to be a controversial addition, but I think it deserves to be included on this list. The Twin Snakes was a GameCube-exclusive remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, which featured the same graphics engine and gameplay features of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. It released around the same time as Metal Gear Solid 3, so its inclusion in the second volume would be a perfect choice. A lot of people mock its “updates” to the original game’s cutscenes and some of the “overly theatrical voice acting”, but as one of the few GameCube owners back in the day, I just really enjoyed playing this game.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – We talked about the canonical PSP MGS game everyone remembers, now let’s talk about the first canonical PSP game NOBODY but me seems to remember, Portable Ops. Set between the events of MGS3 and Peace Walker, Portable Ops follows Big Boss as he’s still adjusting to his new code name. It also had a popular multiplayer component, but that has been offline for years. In fact, this multiplayer was so popular back in the day they made a multiplayer-only spin-off, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops+.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – This next one should be no surprise to anyone. This was a PS3 exclusive that to this day has never seen a port or remaster to any modern console and perfectly ended the Metal Gear Solid franchise in a satisfying conclusion. Its graphics and art style still hold up to this day, heck I think it looks better than many games made for the 4K gaming generation! This was THE reason to buy a PS3 back in the day, and while it has tons of PS3-exclusive Easter Eggs, I believe all those eggs should remain intact for any modern console port! The only controversy may involve whether Konami keeps the mid-chapter installation screens.
Metal Gear Solid (GBA) – I know what you’re thinking? Where are the bonuses? Metal Gear Collection Vol 1 included the original MSX and NES Metal Gear games alongside the PS1 and PS2 titles as a bonus, what bonus games can we include in Vol 2? Well, if you want a classic retro inclusion, look no further than the (apparently) non-canon Metal Gear Solid for the Game Boy Color. A major title for the platform I deeply regret missing out on back in the day. Originally, it was titled Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel in Japan, but was mostly the same title. It would be awesome to see both the US and Japanese versions of the game offered as a bonus.
Three major titles and two popular spin-offs would make for a good match to Vol 1 don’t you think? You notice we were missing a few big titles don’t you? Particularly a game called Metal Gear Solid V? Well, we didn’t forget it, we just didn’t think it was appropriate to include Ground Zeroes or The Phantom Pain in our Volume 2, as far as we are concerned both of those games belong in Volume 3! That’s right, there’s so much great MGS content out there, we can’t just stop at one extra volume, we’re going to kick it up a notch and include EVEN MORE games that we believe deserves to be included in the enviable Volume 3! Stay tuned for that!
Meta Connect Produced Their Keynote in 3D, Why Doesn’t Apple? September 30, 2024
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Editor’s Note: All views in this editorial are protected under the First Amendment. We also want to make it clear that we will not be comparing ANY new products shown by Meta against anything Apple has already released or is expected to release.
Several days ago, Meta (owners of Facebook, Instagram and Oculus), hosted a major Meta Connect event. It got a ton of positive press, and rightfully so. New enhancements were announced for popular products such as the Ray Ban Meta sunglasses, new VR products were announced for consumers such as the lower cost Meta Quest 3S headset, and a technical demo of a prototype product called Orion blew a lot of people out of the water. I admit, we were slow on this website to report on it, and I ask to be forgiven. This website prefers to use official sources when highlighting any major gaming news or events, and that was impossible to find immediately after the event concluded. It seemed in this case, Meta intentionally withheld releasing an official copy of their Meta Connect 2024 Keynote on their official YouTube channels for several days. We can only speculate on the reason why Meta chose to cede internet traffic to the channels who rebroadcasted the event, but now that it has been officially posted, there’s a major thing that I wanted to speak about, and that is its production value.
This year’s Meta Connect had an enormous guest list of press and internet influencers in attendance for the show. For those of you who were unable to attend the event in person, the live event was entirely filmed in 3D with meticulous attention to picture quality and detail. This is literally UNHEARD OF for any event, let alone a live one. Gamers who already owned a Meta Quest headset such as the Quest Pro or Quest 3, were able to watch the video in 3D using Meta’s VR application Meta Horizon Worlds. In fact, an entire Virtual Immersive space was set up for this event, filled with VR minigames and unlockable rewards. It was literally the best way to watch this live event, and it was absolutely free to observe for anyone who had the equipment to watch it.
Meanwhile, Apple is currently the most profitable company in the world. It owns its own premium streaming platform, Apple TV+, and has access to some of the most cutting edge immersive camera technology and editing software in the world. They need that advantage, as they currently sell a very expensive immersive headset for 3D productivity, immersive cinema experiences and gaming called the Apple Vision Pro. Over the past few months, Apple has released two major events. The first was from WWDC 2024, where they previewed the new operating system improvements for existing Apple devices after having their team leaders jump out of an airplane. New features for the Vision Pro were announced and previewed, and we were assured these new features would come to all existing owners at no additional charge. The second was a preview of the (then) upcoming iPhone 16 phones, which Apple chose to make immersive (3D) video and audio recordings a big selling point. Neither of these events got much buzz from either the technology press or general consumers, and while I can personally attest to see the iPhone 16 line is currently selling just fine, many disagree with me on how they project Apple’s smartphone sales will be when the year wraps up.
Strangely, while Apple was able to release their presentations in a prerecorded format which allowed for full editing control, retakes, and post-production special effects, they chose to record and stream their recent events in a flat 2D non-immersive presentation. While you could watch these events in Vision Pro’s Apple TV application, most viewers would see no difference in watching it on their Vision Pro than they would if they watched it on an iPad through the YouTube application.
How could Meta, a company that makes all its money in ad revenue, produce a more technologically impressive Keynote than Apple did? Meta clearly knows its priorities are to push VR to the mass market, and by offering this presentation in an immersive format, it is clear to this jaded gamer that whoever is making the upper-level decisions at Meta is intelligent enough to know how to put Meta’s best foot forward. Apple is making it clear in contrast that they will not be pushing boundaries on their presentations by having Vision Pro exclusive content just yet.
Hopefully Apple will reverse course and have a response for Meta soon. When the Vision Pro first released in February, they released a two-minute trailer of immersive 3D content that they promised were a part of longer immersive specials and documentaries they had been filming over the past year. It’s been nearly eight months since then, and we’re still waiting for most of the shows that trailer teased to actually get released. That said, the immersive format that Apple has been releasing their Vision Pro content is without a doubt the best immersive virtual content I have ever seen. The problem is there just isn’t that much of it! Meanwhile, the next Macs are expected to get announced before the end of the year. If Apple wanted to be serious about their investment in the Vision Pro, the least they could do moving forward would be to film all their presentations in immersive 3D so Vision Pro owners could literally get the best seats in the house.
Apple Promised Immersive Video Content Would Come to Vision Pro, Where is It? March 23, 2024
Posted by Maniac in Editorials.Tags: 3DTV, Apple, Apple TV, Immersive, Streaming, TV+, tvOS, Vision Pro
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Apple is more than just a successful computer/tech company, since the launch of iTunes (now Apple Music), they are likely the biggest digital distributor of media content on the planet. Most major albums, feature films and television shows that are not locked to competing streaming services can be purchased on Apple’s digital marketplace and watched on various platforms including iPhone, iPad, PC and Mac. Now, after seeing the success of subscription services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, Apple decided to launch their own dedicated subscription service, Apple TV+. Priced at $9.99US a month, it gives you access to several exclusive films and television shows that cannot be watched on any other service (or even purchased through iTunes!).
This year, Apple has shifted their focus to Augmented Reality (AR). Their biggest new release is the Vision Pro, and as expected, the device will fully integrate with their existing digital marketplace and streaming service, allowing you to watch supported content in 2D and 3D. As someone who got one at launch, I can tell you that it delivers on what Apple promised. Theatrical films watched on the Vision Pro’s Apple TV application can virtually replicate a theater experience, in 2D AND 3D. In fact, Apple’s official in-store Vision Pro demonstration included showing two different pieces of 3D content. The first was the 3D trailer for Super Mario Bros: The Movie. This was meant to show that Apple could accurately replicate a 3D movie theater experience in Vision Pro, The second was an Immersive trailer for all the exclusive shows they would be releasing on Vision Pro, and if you don’t have a Vision Pro you should schedule yourself a demo of the hardware just so you can watch it yourself.
When Apple released the Vision Pro on February 2nd, 2024, they launched three Apple TV+ Immersive shows and one exclusive immersive special alongside the device with each show focused on a different concept. The first is Adventure, which highlights extreme athletes accomplishing incredible feats. Its pilot episode featured a line walker who attempted to cross a rope connecting two sheer cliff sides. It is without a doubt my favorite show of the initial launch. The second is Wild Life, which focuses on showing the wild animals kept and cared for in natural preserves across the world. Its first episode focused on the rhino and was absolutely adorable. The third was an immersive adaptation of Apple’s Prehistoric Planet. While it was entirely CG, it made you felt like you were literally among dinosaurs in their natural environment. It wasn’t my favorite show on the series (I never watched Prehistoric Planet in 2D), I admit it has potential.
The last immersive release was an Apple Music special. Alicia Keys recorded a rehearsal session in full 3D surround performing some of her favorite songs. It’s a great look into an intimate jam session that makes you feel like you’re recording the songs alongside the band. If you’re a fan of Alicia’s music, you must watch it. Here’s the official trailer for it (in 2D).
Since the Vision Pro offers native 4K HDR 3D display, the picture quality on these shows is beyond anything I’ve seen offered in competing devices or competing services. Apple is one of the most successful companies in the world, so they could certainly afford to spare no expense when budgeting these shows. UHD-capable immersive 3D cameras are extremely expensive, and some of the shows highlighted at launch were clearly shot in untamed natural locations at extreme conditions. That said, the pilot episodes prove the final product was worth the expense, as Vision Pro has set a new gold standard for 3D immersive content no rival can match yet.
So if the content is so great (for the most part) what’s the problem? I just listed out three shows and one special. On paper, you’d think that isn’t a bad launch, and you’d be partially right. The content released so far do not appear to fit a traditional time frame, so each “episode” of the new shows do not take up the traditional 30 minute time frame (or 22 without commercials). They vary from seven to fifteen minutes in length each. The longest content is the Alicia Keys special, and that isn’t much longer.
As of the time this is being published, it has been nearly two months since the Vision Pro launched. Since then, Apple has not released a single new episode for any of the immersive shows that I referenced before, nor have they released previews for any new immersive shows or specials. An immersive trailer was created at launch for demonstration purposes, which included a mixture of footage from the shows that have already been released, and footage that looks to have been filmed for as yet unreleased episodes of those same shows. Among the new content included footage of hot air ballooning, a frozen coastline taken over by extreme surfers, a grizzly bear in its natural habitat, and 3D clips from various worldwide sporting events.
Typically streaming services will either release all episodes of a new show at launch, or they will post new episodes each week. So far, neither of those things have happened. This is literally unheard of in the modern streaming world. Why haven’t new episodes of these shows been released yet? They clearly have unaired footage recorded (as proven in the immersive trailer), why are they holding off releasing it on Apple TV+? Secondly, why haven’t any more immersive shows or specials been announced? A streaming service is only as good as the content it offers, and if you are recurrently billing for access to it, you MUST offer a pipeline of new content regularly! At the same time a service like MAX or Netflix would launch a new show, press releases would always follow announcing new seasons, specials, or content that would be coming next. It just isn’t in Apple’s interest for them to remain silent.
The Apple TV+ service has been lagging behind in adoption since its launch, immersive content is the one hand it can play to leapfrog over its competition! Until new episodes get released, if you happen to have a Vision Pro, or are getting a Vision Pro demonstration from a friend or family member who has one, I absolutely recommend giving every one of these new immersive shows a watch, whether you’re a TV+ subscriber or not. As per Apple’s policy, non TV+ subscribers are allowed to watch the first episode of most of their series, and the immersive shows currently available are not an exception to this policy. The Vision Pro launched on a Friday, and for the past two months, I have kept my eyes glued to the TV application in anticipation for any new episodes to be posted. Vision Pro owners, join my vigil, will you?
What 3D Movies Are Not On Apple Vision Pro (And Need to Be) February 20, 2024
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Apple Vision Pro, at launch, has literally reinvented the concept of a home theater experience. When the days of DVD came out, I remember needing to spend several hundred dollars to install a proper DTS-compatible surround sound amplifier and organize my room to account for all the speaker wire I would need to install. That equipment then needed to be fully replaced when Blu-Ray Disc hit the market, but thankfully my speaker wire and speakers would survive the transition. With Apple Vision Pro, I can now watch an entire theatrical release in full 3D 4K HDR with virtual surround sound in a room with no space for a television let alone an expensive speaker setup. The best part of it is Apple has made no issues with simply offering films customers have already purchased supported films on iTunes or Apple TV full 3D playback through Vision Pro with no extra purchases required.
That means recent 3D films such as Avengers: Endgame, Doctor Strange, Avatar, Super Mario Bros: The Movie and Ready Player One, can be watched right now on the Vision Pro Apple TV in a virtual experience nearly identical to its theatrical release. However, while these initial films are a great early set of offerings, that is not the extent of ALL 3D theatrical releases over the past ten years. Many beloved 3D releases, mostly from the late 2000s to early 2010’s, are not currently offered in 3D on the Apple TV service, and this needs to be investigated further. So, we thought we would put up a list of what we felt Apple needed to re-release in 3D. To start, we’re going to include some of the films from the first and second phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which include among them some of the greatest films ever made.
Avengers – No brainer on this one. The biggest film release of all time (of its time) focused on an immersive 3D experience teaming up the main characters from the previous Hollywood blockbusters to fight the battles together they could never fight alone. Nothing beats watching the Battle of New York, where the legendary avengers assembled for the first time, in full 3D glory.
Avengers: Age of Ultron – I’m a bit confused why this hasn’t gotten a 3D release whereas some of its contemporary films, such as Guardians of the Galaxy, have. The second Avengers film may have a grander scale than the first, and marked the first appearance of the Hulkbuster armor, but many considered it to this day to be a more transitional film. Still, it’s a shame we can’t see it in 3D just yet.
Captain America: The First Avenger – Captain America’s first appearance in the MCU serves as both an origin story, a war film, and a period piece. I remember watching this film in theaters (I have with ALL of the MCU films to date), and to be honest I wasn’t impressed by the film’s 3D version, but the closing credits scene was pretty impressive.
Wreck-it-Ralph/Paperman – The original Wreck-it-Ralph was a love letter to arcades in the same way that Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a love letter to the 2D cartoons of yesterday. While you can get its sequel in 3D, neither the original film, nor the attached Paperman short, are in 3D on Vision Pro.
Thor – The original Thor proved to Hollywood that a connected cinematic universe of films could not only be produced, but encourage audiences to see films they wouldn’t otherwise have been interested in. While most people have argued the series did not find its stride until its third film, the film’s lead actors are incredibly charming, and its story of a lost God seeking redemption is absolutely timeless. The opening scene alone, where Thor is brought to Earth, if rewatched in 3D, would make it worth a re-release.
Coraline – An absolute modern classic. This stop motion adaptation of a beloved children’s book has been considered by many to be the de-facto standard for modern 3D releases. In fact, this film was a major must-buy for early adopters of 3D televisions.
PIXELS – The last major Adam Sandler film to get a wide theatrical release, PIXELS was meant to be a love letter to classic arcade games, but instead was a (mostly) unfunny mess due to a horribly a miscast lead. That said, I have a soft spot for the film, and ended up seeing it in 3D for its theatrical release. No reason to hold back on the 3D release of this film.
Silent Hill Revelations – Released in 2012 alongside Konami’s previously most recent push of the Silent Hill franchise, most people felt that Silent Hill’s sequel did not live up to the original film. I actually enjoyed it. As someone who actually saw the 3D version in theaters, it is an absolute shame that this has not gotten a 3D re-release on Vision Pro. While the movie itself is arguably terrible, its atmosphere was clearly improved by the 3D effects. Seeing ash fall across your face, and the hallways distorted behind you during terrifying chases, made you feel like you were in the film.
Doctor Who: The Day of The Doctor – Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary special episode sees Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor team up with two of his past incarnations as they seek to save their home planet from its fate. This well-known episode actually had a limited 3D theatrical run with exclusive preshow footage, and it’s an absolute shame that it’s not on the Vision Pro.
TRON Legacy: If you’re a gamer, you are aware of TRON. The second TRON film presented a whole new art style while still providing a story that honored the film that came before it, TRON Legacy released in 3D with specific scenes formatted for IMAX. While its original Blu-Ray release did port selected scenes using the film’s IMAX aspect ratio, neither that IMAX ratio, nor 3D support, is currently offered in the Apple TV version.
Did we miss any flicks? You’re free to include some below in the comments section. Hope you enjoyed the article, but we’re not done just yet! The Vision Pro also has an official IMAX application, and is currently offering IMAX films in its proper ratio for viewing and rental. What is missing from that application? That’s coming next time!
Apple Vision Pro – What We Know Vs What We Don’t Know January 3, 2024
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Six months ago, Apple announced their next major product will be the Vision Pro, an augmented reality computing device. In case you missed it, or wanted your memory refreshed about the Vision Pro, here’s the initial reveal video.
UPDATE: Apple has made some announcements earlier today. We are updating this list with some new known information. Updates will be emphasized.
UPDATE 2: Apple has made MORE announcements since preorders have begun. We will include those as well.
Since that videos’ release Apple has revealed nothing further about the Vision Pro. Rumors have speculated it could release as soon as the end of the month, but we have no official release date, and as of the time this article is being written, Apple has not done further promotion of the device. In the event the rumors are true and the Vision Pro will launch within the next month, we decided to offer our readers a look into what we currently know and what we currently don’t know about the Vision Pro. This way, consumers will have a better idea about the device, and will hopefully assist in their decision whether or not to purchase one.
What We Know:
Price – $3499US. This was set in stone at announcement.
Hardware – Vision Pro offers two Ultra High Definition (UHD) OLED displays running on an M2 processor promising full 360 degree 3D heads up display with facial, eye and hand tracking. The Vision Pro’s head strap includes two virtual 3D surround over the ear speakers.
Compatibility – Vision Pro is shipping with an internal M2 chip, which in theory is capable of running all programs that support Apple Silicon including apps made for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It will also offer 3D movie playback for supported films and applications. It will run a custom OS capable of running native applications such as Disney+, FaceTime, and Keynote. You will also be able to save and run 3D video files from iPhone 15 Pro to it using AirDrop.
Power – Vision Pro’s battery is (thankfully) external and can be swapped out and replaced with either an alternate battery or an AC adapter.
Bluetooth: It will also support external Bluetooth accessories such as a PS5 controller, wireless keyboard, touchpad or your existing AirPods.
Mac Integration: It can be paired to a Mac computer by simply glancing at its screen, turning the Vision Pro into a virtual external monitor.
What We Don’t Know:
Internal Storage – UPDATE: 256GB stock internal storage. An independent computing device capable of recording video and running independent applications requires internal storage. At this time, Apple has not revealed how much internal storage the Vision Pro will have. We are currently operating under the assumption Apple is only going to offer one model of Vision Pro at launch, and that belief, given its price point, and the fact it is unlikely Vision Pro will be able to expand its memory (as this is something Apple has not allowed for any of their devices for years), the Vision Pro will likely need to offer AN ENORMOUS amount of stock internal storage.
Battery – UPDATE: Around two hours of use on a fully charged single battery. Despite having a modular battery, we still don’t know how long the battery life or charging times for the Vision Pro will be. Apple has confirmed they will sell extra battery packs that can be swapped, giving it some extended battery life on the go, but I do have some concern “hot swapping” the external batteries will shut the Vision Pro off and force it to restart. UPDATE2: Apple will allow charging of Vision Pro while in use, theoretically this could allow hot-swapping of battery.
Applications – Apple promised only a few native applications were coming to Vision Pro during their initial announcement, but since the device was announced, they have offered development tool kits to third-party developers. Currently, Disney+ and ESPN are the only two third-party applications confirmed for Vision Pro, but Apple has confirmed applications you expect on your other Apple Devices such as Music, FaceTime, Keynote, and Mindfulness will be included. UPDATE: You will be able to use native applications including the ones listed above. iPad applications, with the exception of YouTube, Netflix and Spotify will be supported.
Games – The Vision Pro will support the Apple Arcade service, same as it is on existing devices, but we have heard nothing about any third-party games being made natively FOR the Vision Pro. This is a big issue, as 360 VR gaming would be a game changer on this device. I bought a Quest Pro for its compatibility with Quest 2 games, the fact that it plays well with productivity software was a nice bonus. The Vision Pro needs native games if they want to really justify its price. UPDATE: A dinosaur tech demo will be pre installed in all Vision Pro units.
Native Video Content – Disney+ has confirmed 3D movie support will be offered through their application on Disney’s catalog of 3D films. At this time there are no 3D films offered through the Apple TV+ service, but Apple confirmed they will begin selling 3D feature films purchased and rented through their digital marketplace. Personally, I would like to see original 3D films produced for the headset. I have asked around to some filmmaker friends what their opinions would be about making 3D short films for the headset, but no announcements of any independent Vision Pro video content have been made at this time. UPDATE: As listed above, Netflix, Spotify and YouTube will not have Vision Pro compatible applications at launch. Other providers are expected to either launch with a native application, or you will be able to use the iPad application on the Vision Pro. UPDATE 2: You will not need to pay extra to upgrade a previously purchased iTunes movie to watch in 3D if it supports 3D on Vision Pro.
Release Date – UPDATE: February 2nd, 2024. Apple announced the Vision Pro will ship in Early 2024, and heavily hinted about a late January/early February release. At this time, we have had no confirmation of an actual release date, but if Apple treats the Vision Pro similar to an iPhone/iPad release, hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer than a week from its announcement to its launch.
Gaming With Long Hair, When Is it A Problem? December 10, 2023
Posted by Maniac in Editorials, Site Videos.add a comment
For the longest time, gaming has been seen as a rebellious activity engaged in by young people who were intelligent enough to make use of the technology of their time. Since their parents and older family never grew up with the same technology and were not familiar with it, they viewed gaming as a hostile activity. Somehow, this made gaming a rebellious action, and it was in good company.
Before gaming was considered a rebellious activity, counter-culture activists engaged in their own form of rebellion, they allowed their hair to grow (Ed Note: “Gasp!”).
Well, I can attest, I absolutely hate haircuts and I HATE the appearance of my hair when it is short. So, here’s an entire video of Maniac talking about gaming with hair. Are there any actual legitimate problems of having long hair when you play video games? Watch and find out!
Things to Watch While Waiting for Spider-Man 2 (Part 2) August 29, 2023
Posted by Maniac in Editorials, Things to Watch While Waiting for Spider-Man on PS4.add a comment
We are less than two months away from the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on the PS5, and since there hasn’t been much in the way of official previews coming from Insomniac Games in anticipation for the game’s launch there isn’t much we can do between now and then to just kill time. Well, I’m happy to share that I found a great source of Spider-Man content! Today, we wanted to highlight the incredible work of the YouTube Channel ChannelPup, and his incredible videos about the history of Spider-Man fandom.
I first became aware of ChannelPup’s work while researching behind the scenes information on Spider-Man 3. As someone who was an enormous fan of the first two Spider-Man films directed by Sam Rami, I was INCREDIBLY hyped about this movie when it was leading up to release! This video highlights the incredible build up to the release of Spider-Man 3, and as someone who had been there for the hype, I can assure you that its a great history lesson of that era of the internet.
I wish I could tell you, after I saw it during a midnight showing, that it lived up to the hype, but I’m afraid it did not. Regardless, there’s something else he produced I wanted to share with all of you.
Before I was ever born, Spider-Man had appeared in two very different live-action television series in the US and Japan. While we’ve discussed the Japanese show in a previous video (and I can assure you we will be talking about it again in a later article), we haven’t seen that much from the original CBS television show. This video documents the live-action show, its history, and the era that the show was released in.
Honestly, I would have honestly loved to see this show cross over with The Incredible Hulk.
Next up we are going to be talking about something that I just can’t get enough of watching documentaries about, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. This Broadway flop captured the imagination of online reviewers for years, and despite bad reviews from critics and fans alike, audiences went to go see it…for three years. Once the audiences dried up, the show closed forever. Sadly, I was never able to attend to see the spectacle for myself back in the day, but ChannelPup’s video was so thorough I feel like I did have the chance to see it for myself.
Hope this succeeded in killing some time for you! If you need more ChannelPup, you can visit his channel (and watch ALL his videos) here. He makes great content that covers not just Spider-Man, but also Batman and The Avengers. We will continue to post more featured articles randomly over the next few months. If you have something you’d like us to feature, please post a comment below!
Things to Watch While Waiting for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 July 25, 2023
Posted by Maniac in Editorials, Things to Watch While Waiting for Spider-Man on PS4.add a comment
We are a few months away from the release of my most anticipated Playstation 5 exclusive title, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Since its newest trailer from San Diego Comic Con 2023, anticipation for the game has started to reach a fever pitch. This is hard to process, as the game isn’t going to be released for several months. So…what to do? How do we kill time until this game comes out? Got any movies to watch?
We wanted to focus this newest part in our ongoing series on things to watch while waiting for a Spider-Man game on Hollywood’s movies and films. Let’s be honest, most of you will already have seen some of these films, the purpose of this list is to kill as much time between now and October 20th, 2023.
So, what are the rules for this list? We’re keeping it to live action, and that will leave out the Spider-Verse films for now. Since we fully expect that Venom will be the primary antagonist of the new game, we thought we’d share some of the films that featured that character. Now, without further ado, here’s our list of films you should watch while waiting for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. These are in no particular order.
Spider-Man 3 – The final film of the original Spider-Man trilogy, this follow up to one of the greatest movies ever made was lauded as a disappointment upon its initial release, but in the years past has regained a bit of a following due to its subject matter. The problem with it, is its length. It just has too many characters, and because of that, too many subplots that stretch out the running time. The whole film’s premise would have been fine if it had just focused on Sandman and the Black Suit saga, but with the addition characters like the New Goblin and Venom, and the plot of Peter wanting to ask MJ to marry him (a plot that went nowhere), the film becomes a slog through most of its second act. I also wasn’t much of a fan of Venom’s final design, but Spidey’s Black Suit was absolute perfection.
Captain America: Civil War – We waited nearly ten years for Marvel to adapt one of its most popular crossovers from recent history, the Civil War. Two sides, one lead by Iron Man and the other by Captain America, disagree on a fundamental principle being presented to the Avengers by society at large. Should the Avengers be kept under control of a faceless/nameless multinational organization? Who is responsible for setting all this in motion in the first place? Why am I including it on this list if Venom isn’t in it? We included it because it’s a great film which includes the very first appearance of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Don’t worry, we’re going to be talking more about that later.
Venom – Eddie Brock is a skilled reporter with a eye for news, and the ability to rub nearly everyone the wrong way. This movie launched shortly after the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4, at a time when I was itching for ANY new Spider-Man content. I ended up catching this film on the IMAX some time during the game’s DLC release schedule. The film has been universally accepted as a harmless popcorn film, but it had a few things going for it. I LOVED Venom’s design in this movie, and Tom Hardy was a fantastic choice for the role of Eddie. The best part of the flick was the dialog between Eddie and Venom as they must learn to work together, and their relationship was expanded upon further in the sequel.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage – The sequel to Venom, focusing on one of his greatest adversaries, Cletus Cassidy (a.k.a.) Carnage. Most people recognize this film as a textbook study on toxic relationships, but I remember it for a different reason. The legendary Woody Harrelson was cast in the antagonistic role, and allowed him to play to one of his strengths, the role of a complete psychopath. This is also the first film that attempted to officially link Sony’s Spider-Man projects to the Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, a development that is followed up in the next recommendation.
Spider-Man: No Way Home – The third Spider-Man film in the official Marvel Cinematic Universe, this movie is literally the greatest love letter to fans of Spider-Man films. A break in the multiverse is made and the three actors who played Spider-Man since 2002 are forced to team up to help restore their villains (played by their original actors) to their proper universes. I’d rather not say more, because this was probably one of the best films of the MCU’s fourth phase, and it should be watched whether you’re a fan of the MCU or not. Oh, and Venom is in there too…just for a bit after the credits.
As of the time of writing, most of these films can be watched through Disney+. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is coming October 20th, 2023 exclusively to the PlayStation 5.
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