We've spoken at length about being able to run an HTC Vive on your iMac as well as running a beta version of SteamVR on macOS High Sierra. We've also pointed the way on where to start if you want to port your Unity developed VR game to macOS. What we now need are Mac developers jumping in with both feet and creating some awesome VR and AR applications.
Luckily for us end users, some development toolkits allow for porting of their Windows-based SteamVR application to macOS relatively easily. Some more prominent VR developers such as Alvios, the makers of QuiVR, have told us how simple that transition can be.
Nov 23, 2017 Enter Unreal Engine. One development toolkit is the Unreal Engine. Unreal engine is named after the wildly popular 1998 FPS Unreal and it's underlying platform has since been released and updated for anyone to register and download to hone their skills. Unreal provides access to forums and tutorials to help you learn basic and more advanced.
Enter Unreal Engine
One development toolkit is the Unreal Engine. Unreal engine is named after the wildly popular 1998 FPS Unreal and it's underlying platform has since been released and updated for anyone to register and download to hone their skills. Unreal provides access to forums and tutorials to help you learn basic and more advanced techniques.
How to get started with VR on macOS and Unreal Engine
When you've decided that you're primed enough and are ready to get started, you'll need the following to make VR happen on macOS:
Mac Os Lion 10.7 Download
- You need to install macOS High Sierra. Updates to Metal and GPU drivers have been made to macOS High Sierra that facilitate the adoption of VR capable applications on macOS.
- You must have access to a decent GPU. With GTX 1060 to GTX 1080ti driver support from Nvidia as well as Apple's own eGPU development kit running an AMD RX 580, you can now have the power needed to develop and run VR applications.
- You'll need to install the macOS version of SteamVR. For now, you'll need to enable the beta branch to get VR support, but once we get some more VR applications in the macOS Steam app store, it will be part of the default installation.
- Finally, you'll need to download Unreal Engine 4.18. Mac VR support, together with general Metal 2 support and wide-ranging Mac optimizations, are packed in this version of Unreal Engine binary tools. All we need now are more devs to use those tools to make us some great VR applications.
Go to the Unreal Engine forums for questions
If you feel stuck or need help with some aspect of your Unreal Engine code, there is a dedicated forum when you can discuss and collaborate with other macOS SteamVR developers.
Final thoughts
So there you have it! I've pointed the way, all we need now is for you creative types to follow the path. From my personal experiences with VR and AR (which have been extensive), it's obvious to me that we are living in the future. It may now be a costly, corded, cardboard, grainy implementation. But these limitations will be overcome and I look forward to your creations on macOS! You working on anything for SteamVR on macOS? Let us know what that is in the comments!
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| Bus Simulator 16 | |
|---|---|
Cover art of Bus Simulator 18 featuring an articulatedMAN Lion's City bus | |
| Developer(s) | Stillalive Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Astragon Entertainment |
| Series | Bus Simulator |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Vehicle simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Bus Simulator 16 is a bus simulator game developed by Stillalive Studios and published by Astragon Entertainment for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and was available on 3 March 2016 worldwide. A sequel, titled Bus Simulator 18, was released in 2018.
Gameplay[edit]
Bus Simulator 16 has licensed the vehicles of MAN.[1] In addition to the buses of the German bus maker, the game features a total of six realistic buses that allow players to drive across five districts.[2] The game also provides a route manager for players to create their own bus lines. A multiplayer mode is available in the game as well.[3]
Development and release[edit]
Bus Simulator 16 was revealed in July 2015. It was the fourth game that entitled with the Bus Simulator franchise of Astragon Entertainment, but first developed by Austrian video game developer Stillalive Studios.[4] The game was scheduled to release on 20 January 2016 for Microsoft Windows and macOS,[5] but it was postponed to 3 March 2016 due to technical issues.[6] A bus downloadable content featuring three licensed Mercedes-Benz buses, including an 18-meter long Mercedes-Benz Citaro Garticulated bus, were available on 25 January 2017.[7]
Reception[edit]
| Reception | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||
Bus Simulator 16 received 'mixed or average' reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[8]
Richard Allen of Invision Community rated a seven to the game. He wrote that the handlings of the game were quite similar with the American Truck Simulator of SCS Software, which was published in the same period.[10]
James Graham of Dark Station gave it three stars out of five. He praised the game's interesting ideas, but criticised its tiny in-game map and a lack of in-depth content.[11]
Brash Games only rated the game a poor three points out of ten. The writer commented, 'Bus Simulator 16 is a lifeless, soulless lie of a simulator; and I use the term ‘simulator’ in the loosest possible way.'[12]
References[edit]
- ^Smith, Graham (13 July 2015). 'Bus Simulator 16 Will Let You Manage The Buses'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^Walker, John (22 February 2016). 'Bus Simulator 16 Launch Trailer Arrives Early, Leaves Without Waiting For You'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^Bailey, Dustin (22 February 2016). 'Waiting on Bus Simulator 16 in the rain, in the rain'. GameWatcher. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^Dooley, Kevin (13 July 2015). 'Drive a bus and keep your passengers happy in Bus Simulator 16'. teamvvv.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^Dooley, Kevin (8 January 2016). 'Bus Simulator 16 releasing on January 20'. teamvvv.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^Warr, Philippa (14 January 2016). 'Bus Simulator 16 Delayed, Stuck In Traffic'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^Bride, Mc (17 January 2017). 'Bus Simulator 16: Mercedes Benz Citaro DLC Trailer'. sknr.net. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^ ab'Bus Simulator 16 PC'. Metacritic. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^Schäfer, Benjamin; Klinge, Heiko (19 March 2016). 'Bus-Simulator 16 im Test - Beruflicher Erfolg garantiert!'. GameStar (in German). Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^Allen, Richard (16 March 2016). 'Bus Simulator 16'. Invision Community. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^Graham, James (14 April 2016). 'Bus Simulator 16'. darkstation.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^'Bus Simulator 16 Review'. darkstation.com. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
External links[edit]
- Official website(in English and German)