Today we’re happy to announce an update to our VR Developer Mount designed to be compatible with the latest generation of VR headsets! The new kit features updated adhesives and a much longer 15-foot USB extension cable, allowing for room-scale flexibility. You can order it now from our web store.

Along with last week’s Unreal 4.11 release and the social possibilities of AltspaceVR, you now have everything you need to play, build, and connect with the Vive. Here’s a quick guide to everything from Lighthouse tracking to Unreal development.

What can I try right now with the Vive?

Human beings are naturally expressive, and we can say a lot with our hands. AltspaceVR is a virtual social space where you can strap on your Vive and meet people from around the world. Leap Motion adds a whole new level of expression to your virtual avatar – so you can point, wave, or dance. See all Vive-compatible demos on our Gallery.

Does it work with the Vive Controllers?

We designed the Orion software to be robust in all kinds of environments, even when your hands are physically touching other objects. While it’s not truly seamless, we were surprised to see how well Orion tracking and the Vive controllers play together without any engineering effort:

How can I build with Unreal Engine?

UE4 has built-in Vive support, and with the new official plugin release in Unreal Engine 4.11, it’s easier than ever to get started with Leap Motion + Vive.

There are two important differences between the Rift and Vive to keep in mind. The first is the offset. On the Oculus Rift, the distance between the controller and your eyes is about 8 cm. The virtual controller within the game engine needs to have the same offset from the VR cameras. Since the Vive is slightly bulkier, this offset should be increased to 9.5 cm.

The second difference is a little trickier – image passthrough. The plugin currently delivers infrared images with a field-of-view (FOV) crop fixed to Rift DK2. Because the Vive FOV is different, augmented reality projects will not work correctly on the Vive. This will be resolved in a future release so that passthrough will be HMD-agnostic.

To get started with Unreal Engine and Vive, visit developer.leapmotion.com/unreal.

Do the Unity assets support Vive?

Yes! The Unity Core Assets are built to use the native VR plugin, which officially supports the HTC Vive as of the Unity 5.4 beta! Grab our latest Unity assets from developer.leapmotion.com/unity to get started.

Does it interfere with Lighthouse tracking?

No, our technology uses a narrow range of near-infrared light that doesn’t overlap with the Lighthouse system. The VR Developer Mount fits neatly in the empty space in the middle of the faceplate:

Can I use the onboard USB port?

While the onboard USB works right now, we’ve found that it doesn’t have enough throughput if the Vive camera is activated. The camera is defaulted to off right now, but we’d recommend using the USB extender so that you don’t miss out.

Have a question about Leap Motion + HTC Vive? Let us know in the comments and practice your dance moves – we’ll see you in Altspace!