HTC announces the winners of its first annual Viveport Developer Awards

By Mark Coppock February 23, 2017

htc announces winners of viveport developer awards viveportawards — Image used with permission by copyright holder

HTC created its Viveport app store as an easy way for users of its Vive virtual reality (VR) system to locate, purchase, and download new VR apps. Viveport also serves as a place for developers to showcase their apps, allowing them to feature their work somewhere other than the crowded Steam store.

The company also kicked off another effort to spur developers to make apps for the HTC Vive, specifically the Viveport Developer Awards (VDA), which honor — and financially reward — the best apps. That contest has now concluded, and HTC announced the winners on its Vive blog.

Recommended Videos

The first annual VDA offered up $500,000 in award money to the best apps in four categories. First prize was $50,000, second prize was $30,000, third prize was $15,000, and a special community’s choice winner netted $10,000. Each winning entry along with two runners-up also received an HTC Vive system.

Here are the winners:

	First place	Second place	Third place	Runners up
Explore	Apollo 11 VR	Realities	The Body VR	A Chair in a Room: Greenwater, Mars Odyssey
Create	Fantastic Contraption	Soundstage	Paintlab	Kodon, Arcade Artist
Connect	Cloudlands: VR Minigolf	Altspace VR	Engage	World of Diving, SurrealVR
Experience	Allumette	Pearl	Firebird – La Péri	TheBlu, The Night Café: A VR Tribute to Van Gogh
Community	A Chair in a Room: Greenwater

Three of the winners, Penrose Studios, Futuretown, and Northway Games, will join an on-stage discussion panel on March 3, 2017 at the upcoming Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. If you’re an HTC Vive user, then head over to Viveport to pick up the first-place apps at a 40-percent discount through March 2, 2017.

Topics

Computing Writer

Mark Coppock is a Freelance Writer at Digital Trends covering primarily laptop and other computing technologies. He has…

Computing

How to build a cheap VR-ready PC

It's been a couple years since the VR renaissance kicked off in earnest, and things are looking up for VR. The HTC Vive and Oculus Rift have now upgraded to the Cosmos and the Rift S, respectively, while Sony's PlayStation VR offers an excellent entry point for console gamers, and there are hundreds of VR titles on the Steam store alone. VR is growing, but some steep barriers to entry are keeping interested enthusiasts from taking the plunge.

The biggest barrier is a simple one: Price. PC gaming is an expensive hobby, and tacking on VR is another $300 to $700, depending on what you buy. But there are some simple ways to save: The secret is building the right PC for your VR system on the cheap, and we know how to do it.

Computing

The best VR-ready laptops you can buy right now

oculus quest hand tracking hands on review cameras vr 2

While VR headsets need a fairly robust GPU to operate properly, you’re not completely bound to a desktop computer. With the right laptop, you can run VR just fine, making it easier to find the perfect VR setup around your home or on the go.

Virtual headsets like the Vive Cosmos or the Rift S have their own recommendations for how much computing and GPU power you need. And while this is a good starting point, it doesn’t really give you an idea of what laptops can really run VR well.

Computing

Oculus Rift vs. HTC Vive

msi oculus vr rift collaboration backpack pc on matt back2

The virtual reality headset industry is far more mature than when it re-emerged with exciting new hardware in 2016, but Oculus and HTC's flagship PC headsets are still two of the best choices out there.

Yes, there are other versions of these PC headsets, and while you might be more excited about the HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Go, or Oculus Quest, the Oculus Rift (and updated Rift S model) versus HTC Vive (now currently on the Cosmos line of products) comparison is still a major debate worth having when it comes to picking the right VR headset for you -- especially if you already have a capable gaming PC.
Design