The company will launch a closed beta for its “VR Exploration Program” April 1st.
One of the biggest issues prospective buyers have with modern VR technology is its price. And although revolutionary hardware such as the Oculus Quest is slowly lowering the entry-price, the most visually-impressive and technologically-advanced VR games still require the power of a high-end gaming PC. This can often run anywhere from $500 to $2,000 depending on the components, and that’s not even including the price of the headset itself.
Shadow, a five-year-old cloud gaming service, has allowed players to bypass the need of purchasing an expensive computer by offering them remote access to powerful gaming PCs they can use to stream games to their own less-powerful devices for a fraction of the cost. It’s a brilliant use of the subscription service model, one that has allowed droves of budget-conscious gamers to harness the power of PC gaming without breaking the bank. Simply sign in to your existing game accounts, download the titles you already own (or purchase new ones), and start playing!
Today, Shadow announced a new program coming to its service which will allow subscribers to connect to VR-ready PCs and access their favorite high-end immersive games remotely. Launching April 1st as a closed beta, the “VR Exploration Program,” as the company calls it, will allow a limited number of headset-owners the chance to access PC VR games remotely via its service. There are a few specific requirements potential testers must meet before being accepted into the beta, however.
Those interested in participating will need a fiber connection with a download and upload speed of 100Mbps and 20Mbps respectively and an average ping no higher than 15ms. They’ll also need to own a 5GHz WiFi router as well as an Oculus Quest headset; though Shadow has shown interest in offering support for multiple headsets, Facebook’s standalone device will be the first VR hardware supported. If you meet all the requirements listed above, you can sign up for the closed beta here starting March 13th followed by a second-round March 24th. As previously stated, the beta will officially launch on April 1st.
In addition to this new program, Shadow is launching a new three-tier subscription model that will allow more players than ever to access the world of PC gaming. Tier 1, Shadow Boost ($11.99 per month), offers 4k resolution, a 3.4 Ghz 4-core processor, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, and a GTX 1080 graphics card or better. Tier 2, Shadow Ultra ($24.99 per month), ups-the-ante with 4K resolution and ray tracing, a 4GHz 4-core processor, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and an RTX 2080 graphics card.
Finally, there’s Tier 3, Shadow Infinite ($39.99). This option features 4k resolution with ray tracing, a 4GHz 6-core processor, 32 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, and a Titan RTX graphics card. Each tier level includes the option to upgrade to additional storage and will be compatible with up-to-date PCs, Macs, tablets, and smart TVs.
For more information on Shadow, visit shadow.tech.
Feature Image Credit: Shadow
