What do I need to do to get ready for Echo Arena?
Echo Arena is a standalone multiplayer sibling to Lone Echo, the zero-gravity game that was revealed at Oculus Connect 3. Echo Arena puts you in a huge room filled with obstacles and, you guessed it, no gravity. The object of the game is to grab a glowing frisbee and chuck it into the other team's net. Along the way, there will be grappling, punching, and a lot of throwing.
Echo Arena is being released July 20 on Oculus Rift, and while we eagerly anticipate its arrival, we can prepare our VR space and Rift for this rambunctious game.
Consider moving your VR space to a different room
Echo Arena can be played sitting or standing, but for best effect, you're going to want a room-scale setup. Many people have their Rift set up in an office where their PC also lives, and while that's fine for most games, Echo Arena requires you to move around. A lot.
If you think you want to play this game standing up, consider moving into a larger space. Bigger is better here, as long as your Rift sensors are close enough to track.
Don't forget about ceiling height. You'll be reaching for a disk above you just as much as you'll be reaching anywhere else, so a low ceiling is going to drop pain down on your hands and Touch controllers in a hurry.
Clear anything valuable out of your VR space
Echo Arena has you floating around in a four-dimensional space, so there's a strong risk that you'll become disoriented. If it's your first time in this type of game, you might even find yourself sitting down involuntarily.
To ensure you don't break anything valuable (including your head), move stuff out of your VR space. This game is frantic, and when you're in the middle of things, you might not notice how close to the priceless vase you've moved.
Does that coffee table really need to be there? That would hurt if you ran a shin into it, wouldn't it? Seriously; get rid of whatever you can, and even consider tossing down some cushions along the perimeter in the event that you take a spill.
Shrink your Rift's Guardian borders
To aid in reducing body and furniture damage, you should run through your Rift's Guardian setup one more time. Instead of tracing a virtual border right along the physical border of your VR space, leave a buffer zone of about a foot or more.
Sure, you'll have less of a virtual play area, but there will also be less smashing into things when you just need a couple more inches to grab a disk or punch an opponent.
Start limbering up
Echo Arena is a physical game and, because of its competitive nature, you might over exert yourself without noticing. It sounds sort of silly, but stretching and general calisthenics will go a long way once you start getting involved with Echo Arena. A new age of competitive video gaming is dawning, and it seems like the fit will fare well.
Invest in the accessories you need
To play Echo Arena, Oculus Touch controllers (about $100) are required. Don't have any yet? Now's the time to buy!
With those Touch controllers you'll get an extra Oculus sensor, but for a true room-scale experience, you'll need at least a third sensor (about $60). Some people prefer a fourth sensor, but it isn't completely necessary.
Since you might be moving your Rift setup into a larger room, you might also be wondering how all your cables are going to reach the sensors and the headset. Luckily, there are plenty of extension cables available for USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and HDMI, and they're all less than $20. Here's what Oculus recommends:
- Monoprice USB 2.0 16-foot extension | See at Amazon
- Monoprice USB 3.0 15-foot extension | See at Amazon
- Monoprice HDMI six-foot extension | See at Amazon
Get your room-scale Rift setup working flawlessly
If you haven't tried a room-scale Rift setup yet, you'll want to get it working perfectly before Echo Arena arrives. There are a few hoops to jump through, but overall the experience is mostly painless. To help get you through the process, we've put together a few guides.
- This is what you need for room-scale on Oculus Rift
- How to enable room-scale on Oculus Rift
- Room-scale Rift troubleshooting guide
More great Rift accessories
If you're wondering what else you can add to your Rift, we've put together a list of some of the best accessories you can buy.
from VRHeads - Best VR Guide for Virtual Reality Headsets, Top Picks and How To http://ift.tt/2sq59DG
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