LIV Cube V2 Is A Portable Mixed Reality Studio For Content Creators, VR Arcades
LIV is turning its sights away from corporate sponsored events and towards content creators and VR arcades with a reasonably affordable mixed reality studio package.
Last year, LIV introduced the LIV Cube, which is a portable mixed reality studio for corporate events and tradeshows. The package included a green screen cube, lighting, a camera, and a high-end gaming computer with an expensive capture card, and you could pick one up for a cool $10,000. This year, LIV is taking a new approach, and it now hopes to attract content creators and arcade owners.
Early this year, LIV released a free client on Steam that takes all the hard work out of calibrating a mixed reality setup. And now it’s offering a LIV Cube studio package (which doesn’t include an expensive computer or camera) for $3,000 plus shipping. LIV didn’t just remove the computer from the package. The company redesigned the LIV Cube with new materials and components.
The inside of the LIV Cube V2 features 345C green screen fabric on all three walls and the ceiling. The package also includes a green vinyl floor. The outside of the cube has light-blocking blackout fabric, which helps maintain an even color on the green interior walls. The blackout fabric also prevents interference from other tracking sensors, which lets you set up multiple LIV Cubes in the same room. LIV said the cube would also prevent cross-talk between wireless headset transmitters.
The LIV Cube V2 also includes an improved lighting configuration, with 12 LED lights spread around the entry point of the cube to cast even light into the box. All 12 lights are interconnected and are powered by one outlet.
The LIV Cube V2 is compatible with the HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Rift (with three or four sensors), and the upcoming Pimax 5K/8K headsets. The package includes side mounts for SteamVR base stations and corner mounts for Rift Constellation sensors. It also includes an overhead mount for a fixed webcam.
LIV also made the new version of the LIV Cube easier to transport. The original cube featured eight-foot-long poles that didn’t break down, so you would need a large truck or van to bring it anywhere. The poles on the new configuration break down to four-foot lengths for easier transport, and the entire package comes in two 40lbs bags that you can bring anywhere, including on an airplane.
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LIV is currently accepting pre-orders for the LIV Cube V2, and the company expects to deliver the first units in August.
Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years.