2018 Winners & Finalists

VR Headset of the Year

Winner: HTC Vive Pro

VR headset of the year is awarded to companies producing outstanding Virtual Reality headsets year on year. Emphasis is placed on a headsets design, feel, functions and features. This award is given only to Virtual Reality headsets, not augmented reality headsets.

Finalists

• Oculus – Go

• VRgineers Inc. – VRHero 5K Plus

• HTC – Vive Focus

VR Game of the Year

Winner: The Gallery – Episode 2: Heart of the Emberstone by Cloudhead Games Ltd.

Focusing on the use of Virtual Reality within games is the VR game of the year award. This combines the ingenuity and creativity that it takes to make a successful game along with the innovative use of movement that makes an experience worth while.

Finalists

• Bethesda Softworks – Fallout 4 VR

• Bethesda Softworks – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

• Beat Games – Beat Saber

• Survios Inc. – Sprint Vector

• Ready At Dawn – Lone Echo / Echo Arena

• Hidden Path Entertainment – Brass Tactics

• Vertical Robot – Red Matter

• VRWERX – Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul

• ARVORE Immersive Experiences – Pixel Ripped 1989

• inXile Entertainment – The Mage’s Tale

• Electric Hat Games – TO THE TOP

• nDreams – Shooty Fruity

VR Experience of the Year

Winner: Manifest 99 by Flight School

Experiences are what makes Virtual Reality come to life. VR experience of the year is awarded to companies that produce and execute a truly outstanding, quality experience which has resulted in positive user feedback.

Finalists

• REWIND – Silicon Valley: Inside The Hacker Hostel

• Framestore – A Moon For All Mankind

• Magnopus – Coco VR

• Magnopus – Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab

• Preloaded and BBC Worldwide – BBC Earth: Life in VR – California Coast

• Tomorrow Never Knows – The Day The World Changed

• Framestore – Sky4DVR

• Human Interact – Starship Commander

• Interactive Media Foundation gGmbH and Demodern GmbH – Ulm Stories – The Dream of Flying

• NextVR – NBA League Pass in NextVR: 2017-2018 Regular Season

VR Film of the Year

Winner: CARNE y ARENA by ILMxLAB

Working to create an immersive, spatial and original VR media is very new territory for most designers and cinematographers. All nominations must substantially feature virtual reality within their media and work to create a comfortable and enjoyable experience for the viewer. Additional attention is given to the use of positioning and movement within the media. Can include short film, interactive pieces and design work within VR.

Finalists

• Baobab Studios – Asteroids!

• Pink Kong Studios – Aurora

• Room One Films – The Committee

• Lucid Dreams Productions – The Sun Ladies

• Olympic Channel & Jaunt – Trending Gold

• Vision3 – My Africa

• NSC Creative, Atlas V, RYOT & Kaleidoscope – Vestige

• FoxNext VR Studio – Isle of Dogs Behind the Scenes (in Virtual Reality)

• TopDogVR – Speed Kills VR

VR Marketing of the Year

Winner: Coco VR by Magnopus

Virtual Reality gives marketers a new weapon to reach further demographics in increasingly creative ways. Judges look towards marketing campaigns that integrate Virtual Reality within the majority of the project. Particular focus is placed on the originality and creativity behind each marketing campaign.

Finalists

• ILMxLAB – Star Wars™: Droid Repair Bay

• Flight School and Momentum Worldwide – GMC Rangeland Derby VR

• BackLight – L’Oreal / Diesel Only the Brave

• Pebble Studios – Pebble Studios: DuckTales | 360° Adventure: The Lost Key of Tralla La

• Somewhere Else – Delicatessen

• GrandPano – SPP – SMART HOME

• Magnopus – Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab

• Bravo/ Jane Metlikovec (now Welcomm) – Transport for Victoria: Melbourne, meet your new train

• TAKELEAP – IKEA Virtual Reality Store

• Audi and ZeroLight – Audi VR Experience

Rising VR Company of the Year

Winner: Neurogaming Limited

Without new startups creating innovative solutions and driving forward ambition within the industry, virtual reality would not be where it is today. Commending small businesses with proven business models is VR startup of the year.

Finalists

• Flight School

• SpringboardVR

• VRgineers Inc.

• Fast Travel Games AB

• Cooperative Innovations

• Anzu.io

Innovative VR Company of the Year

Winner: Ultrahaptics

Virtual Reality is a constantly evolving landscape that requires innovative thought leaders to pave the way by leading by example through first-to-market developments. Additional points are given to companies that place focus on their company culture and policies along with how sustainable their practices are.

Finalists

• Striker VR

• Pixvana

• Spinview

• AiSolve

• TAKELEAP

• Human Interact

• Visbit Inc.

• Flipside

• Gravity Sketch

VR Education of the Year

Winner: HoloLAB Champions by Schell Games

Awarded to companies or individuals who have demonstrated practical and innovative uses of VR in education and training. This applies to any industry that has used VR to aid in experiences, videos, games and more (providing it has a positive educational use).

Finalists

• MEL Science – MEL Chemistry VR

• Elara Systems – Alcon Virtual Eye Experience

• ITI, United Rentals, & Serious Labs – VR Crane & Equipment Operator Training Simulator Suite

• Alliander – Alliander Virtual Platform

• VR Factory – Bartender VR Simulator

• MEDIASQUAD Medienentwicklungs- und Vertriebs-GmbH – Pharmaceutical Line Clearance VR Training

• FarBridge and Cyark – MasterWorks: Journey Through History

VR Healthcare of the Year

Winner: Virti

VR is changing the healthcare industry in very big ways. This is awarded to companies or individuals innovating healthcare through the use of VR and can incorporate both training and educational elements providing it is directly linked to healthcare.

Finalists

• Elara Systems – Alcon Virtual Eye Experience

• Medis Media – 3D Organon VR Anatomy – Enterprise edition

• VRHealth – First Certified VR Medical Device Company in the world

• Rescape Innovation Ltd – DR.VR

• Infinite MR – Cigna Peak Challenge

• INFINITE MIXED REALITY – INFINITY HOUSE

• appliedVR – EaseVR

• NUMENA Virtual Reality Architects – B. Braun Aesculap Spine VR

Out-of-Home VR Entertainment of the Year

Winner: Star Wars™: Secrets of the Empire by ILMxLAB and The VOID

Out of home VR entertainment brings a new level of immersion to theme parks, cinemas, attractions, museums and more. Nominees for this award have researched, implemented and carried out a truly outstanding, quality experience which has resulted in a high level of user satisfaction.

Finalists

• Figment Productions – Kraken Unleashed, SeaWorld Orlando

• Framestore – A Moon For All Mankind

• BackLight – Eclipse

• Neurogaming Limited – World of Tanks VR

• HOLOGATE – HOLOGATE

• Kynoa – Koliseum Soccer VR

• Neurogaming Limited – PolygonVR

• Frontgrid – ParadropVR

VR Social Impact Award

Winner: Window to our World by VISYON & The Cornerstone Partnership

Some projects may have smaller budgets, however, that doesn’t stop them from making a significant social impact on the world around them.

The VR Awards social impact award is given to companies or individuals that produce and execute either an experience, product and or service which has resulted in positively impacting a cause for social good.

Finalists

• ILMxLAB – CARNE y ARENA

• The Distillery & International Citizen Service – What Will Your Day Bring?

• Flight School & Male Cancer Awareness Campaign – Evolution of Testicles

• The Guardian Media Group – The Party – A virtual experience of autism

• Virtual Dream Foundation – Virtual Dream

• CNN – Global Warning – Arctic Melt

• VISYON & The Cornerstone Partnership – Window to our World

• VR City & Comic Relief – Malaria: Life on the frontline

• Animal Equality – The Dairy Industry in 360 Degrees

VR Architecture and Real Estate of the Year

Winner: Bostoen – Creating your dream house before it’s even built by Nanopixel

This is awarded to companies or individuals who have demonstrated practical and innovative uses of VR in the architecture and/or real estate market. This can apply to the research, planning, and end-user phases of the product and/or service for either internal or external application.

Finalists

• GrandPano – ALL in ONE VR for architecture

• Virtual Worlds – Virtual Worlds 4D Theatre

• Overstruct – Overstruct