Futuremark Joins VR First to Help Create VR Industry Standards

We are proud to announce that we have joined VR First, a global initiative that drives innovation in virtual and augmented reality by providing state-of-the-art facilities to creators and educators.

The VR First initiative, unveiled in January 2016, engages with top universities and science parks to set up or renovate PC labs into AR/VR-ready facilities. There are currently 26 VR First labs operating worldwide with another 14 coming soon and more in development. To date, over 50 projects serving various verticals have been developed with the equipment and support provided by VR First partners. 

VR First is also working with the IEEE and industry stakeholders to create new standards for VR and related devices. The IEEE Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Working Group is currently developing eight new standards for VR and AR. These standards are expected to guide investment in VR facilities by governments, science parks, institutions, and immersive arcade companies.

Futuremark is contributing its expertise in performance benchmarking to help VR First members and other VR industry stakeholders define standards, shape the technology roadmap, facilitate the development of cross-platform content, and promote healthy growth of the industry. 

Jani Joki, Director of Engineering, said,

"In a short time, VR First has made impressive progress in bringing together industry partners, creators, and educators to deliver real results. The lack of consistent standards for VR has been widely discussed over the last 12 months. I look forward to working with VR First members to address this important issue."

Ferhan Özkan, Co-Founder, VR First said,

“I am delighted to welcome Futuremark to the VR First initiative. Futuremark's extensive benchmarking experience and independent voice will be invaluable in our mission to democratize VR innovation, set industry standards, and create a global VR knowledge base.”

Futuremark has been making industry standard benchmarks since 1997. Based in Finland, the company makes widely used performance tests for PCs, laptops, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones. Futuremark benchmarks are used throughout industry, by hundreds of press publications, and millions of consumers. 

Futuremark released VRMark, a VR benchmark, last year. VRMark helps manufacturers, press, and consumers test the performance of virtual reality systems. Find out more about VRMark on the Futuremark website: https://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/vrmark 

Find out more about VR First at https://www.vrfirst.com. 

Companies and organisations interested in VRMark and other Futuremark benchmarks should reach us at the following email sales@futuremark.com. 

About VR First

VR First is a global program designed to provide state-of-the-art facilities to creators and educators interested in exploring the power and potential of virtual reality development. VR First Labs and Centers are designed to be the key locations for nurturing new talent in VR/AR development. VR First also helps developers to convert ideas into business opportunities and brings developers together with established industry partners. For more information, visit https://www.vrfirst.com.