We’re big fans of Bigscreen here at UploadVR. Ever since we first broke the story on the virtual desktop viewing and social VR streaming platform, it’s been slowly growing and adding features over time. Less than a month ago, it finally received its much-requested audio streaming update that allows the host of a room to share their audio directly, in real-time, with guests. That means if you join my room and you watch me while I play Overwatch in Bigscreen, you’d be able to hear my game. The same goes for watching videos and listening to music.
As part of today’s big update on 8/19, that feature is now available to all Bigscreen users, rather than just Alpha testers like before. Additionally, Bigscreen is officially launching on the Oculus Home Store, expanding beyond just Steam. Furthermore, this update also introduces a ton of new environments beyond the standard loft, such as Mars, mountain ranges, and other fantastical settings, bringing the total to one dozen. It feels a bit like VRTime when you’re using an outdoor setting, except you’ve got access to your full desktop inside VR.
However, the biggest feature today’s update brings has less to do with where your avatar is sitting and more to do with what your avatar looks like. Finally, you can customize your avatar’s appearance on the fly. Previously, everyone had the same blue-tinted pale face, but now you can change all manner of eyebrows, hair, skin tone, face accessories, and more.
It’s truly one of the most robust and detailed avatar customization systems we’ve seen so far.
What really pushes Bigscreen over the edge in this department however, is how they’ve managed to track not just your mouth movement — something we’ve seen in other VR apps like Rec Room — but eye movement as well. By using some complex algorithms, Bigscreen can predict and infer where your actual physical eyes are looking.
If you start to turn your head and tilt it towards your screen, your avatar’s eyes will point that way. If you’re turning towards another person, the eyes will point there instead. They even blink in realistic and convincing intervals.
In a way, it’s a bit unsettling how well it works.
Earlier this week, Darshan Shankar, CEO and Co-Founder of Bigscreen, walked me through the new update inside the application itself. This way, he got to witness firsthand my obsession with this update’s camera functionalities.
“Our new avatars are the result of months of engineering and design, and have several key advancements in Social VR,” said Shankar in an email. “Pseudo eye tracking and mouth movements based on your voice significantly improves your sense of presence in Bigscreen.”
When you bring up the customization menu, Bigscreen sticks a camera on your avatar as well. Using the Vive controller (or mouse if you’re into that instead,) I could grab my screen, then reach out in front of me like a selfie stick. That makes trying on different eyewear all the more satisfying.
In addition to taking still images it also has a button for recording short GIFs as well, as you’ve seen throughout this article. I foresee myself abusing this feature way more than it was ever intended.
During my demo, Shankar elaborated that while they truly see Bigscreen’s avatars as the best and most emotive in the VR market right now, he reiterates that Bigscreen is a virtual desktop viewing platform first and foremost with social features. It’s intended to let people be together no matter where they are — they’re not trying to necessarily compete with dedicated social environments such as Altspace.
“We’ve got an exciting pipeline of new features such as multiple monitors and virtual keyboards that will make Bigscreen even more powerful,” said Shankar. “On the social side, we’ve got even more in store for our avatars like hats and hands. We’re planning on hosting events in the coming weeks as well. Our first one will probably be a “game night” We’ve also got several new environments coming out soon, like a theater for watching movies.”
With so many new updates and features on the way, it’s easy to perceive a world where people no longer use traditional 2D monitors any longer, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet.
“In the next few months, after we roll out more avatars and environments, we plan to launch Bigscreen accounts,” said Shankar. “This will let you can add Bigscreen friends, invite them to your room, and chat with them. Shortly after that, we’ll start experimenting with paid environments.”
In the meantime, new features and advancements for Bigscreen are just the tasty icing on top of the wonderful age of VR cake.
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Bigscreen is in beta and available for free from both Steam and the Oculus Home Store with support for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
