A busy Tuesday at GDC has already brought with it a slew of virtual reality (VR) news updates with more still to come later including Sony’s highly anticipated press conference. Joining the list of announcements comes one from Basemark and Crytek who have revealed VRScore, a brand new testing tool for VR systems.
The ‘vendor-independent’ tool, which supports the main three PC-based VR systems – the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive and OSVR – will allow ordinary users as well as those involved in VR at a business level to check whether or not their current system is good enough to support each VR head-mounted display (HMD). A combination of what each company prides themselves on: Crytek’s CryEngine and Basemark’s hardware analytics. Supporting Direct X 12 and featuring a VR experience called Project Sky Harbour VRScore will test your system across VR for gaming, video and sound optimisation. The personalised report, which does not require an HMD to be attached also links with Power Board; an online ranking which will also give you advice on ways you can improve your current score and be compatible with each HMD.
It’s a partnership of equals, one Basemark founder Tero Sarkkinen applauded in the press release:
“From the first moment sitting down with the Crytek team through the development of VRScore, we’ve been thoroughly impressed with their talent and hard working.”
CryEngine Creative Director Frank Vitz “We share Basemark’s belief that users will really benefit from having an independent resource that checks whether their PC can comfortably run VR experiences. VRScore not only provides that service, but also shows off just how powerful VR truly is by bringing together our own first-class engine technology with Basemark’s experience in performance measurement.”
VRScore is available now, although only to members of Basemark’s Early Access program and to ‘corporate customers’ of Crytek although ‘free and payable’ versions for the general public are promised for this June. VRFocus will bring you more on VRScore and the works of Crytek and Basemark as we get it.
