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An anonymous hacker leaked payroll information for every streamer on Twitch yesterday, and predictably, the revealed incomes have become an inescapable topic of conversation for streamers in their Twitch chats and on social media. The range of reactions to the leak has been vast, with some streamers making light of the matter, and others seeing it as an opportunity to spotlight longstanding issues with the livestreaming platform.

Yesterday, Twitch confirmed that “a breach had taken place.” While the company investigated the hack, prominent streamers took to Twitter to react.

Jack Manifold (JackManifoldTV), along with multiple other high-profile streamers, joked about the leak: “It is completely unfair that I am that far down the list, and I will be doing everything in my power to pump up that number going forward; for you guys!” Meanwhile, some streamers referred to each other by their ranked placement on the leaked list. Ludwig Anders Ahgren (ludwig), one of the biggest earners on the platform, jokingly replied to another streamer with “don’t speak unless spoken to, #486.” Several Twitch creators even updated their Twitter handles to incorporate their ranking among Twitch earners.

Other streamers such as Charles White Jr. (moistcr1tikal) expressed surprise at the public reaction to the disclosed figures, citing the fact that it was possible to calculate a streamer’s ballpark income from a channel’s subscriber count.

Super weird to see people freak out about twitch income and act like it was some big secret when sub count is publicly available. Take that number and multiple by 2.5 or 3.5 and you’re there. I made a whole video on it; it’s not the krabby patty formula, it’s basic shit

 

Hasan Piker (HasanAbi), one of the platform’s biggest earners who recently generated strong public reactions for buying a house, jokingly anticipated being at the center of another firestorm, tweeting: “just woke up to some fun news. cant wait for ppl to be mad at me about my publicly available sub count again.”

Other streamers such as Smash Bros. commentator Phil Visu (EEvisu) ribbed more successful streamers for not being more generous with their Twitch earnings.

Twitch leak just made me realize my millionaire friends are cheap, how we hit Wendy’s and you ain’t picking up the tab Mr. 100k a month? Smh why TF we even at Wendy’s?!

However, other reactions were more serious.

Creators such as variety streamer and host Brandon Stennis (iamBrandon) were disappointed at how Twitch handled the leaks, citing a lack of communication with streamers who were affected.

With a big leak breach like Twitch has, why didn’t they email this information to people and only talked about it on Twitter? I mean its a bit of a huge deal if information like this is out. Not everyone is on Twitter.

Popular streamer Anthony DiMarco (ChilledChaos) was less than impressed with some people’s reactions to the largest doxxing that the Twitch community has ever experienced. Apparently, several streamers have had problems with chat participants behaving badly about the leaks.

Bro…if you make shitty Twitch Leak jokes and get banned by my friends, don’t come to my chat complaining. Because you are also going to get banned. “How does it feel to be XYZ compared to someone else”?

Streamer group Black Girl Gamers, meanwhile, saw the leaks as an opportunity to highlight the opportunity disparities for marginalized content creators on the platform.

The leak is proof of what we’ve been saying all along regarding the lack of diversity at the top, that’s all.

And Tanya DePass (cypheroftyr), director of the nonprofit organization I Need Diverse Games, was disappointed that the leaks gave some audience members ammunition with which to devalue the labor and costs of content creation.

Watching people spin out over the Twitch earnings numbers, especially the pearl clutching over [Critical Role] & adding the [Kickstarter] funds; reveal how little some folks know about how much content costs to create.

 

Apple’s AirPods are no stranger to a decent deal, but they’re selling for close to their lowest price yet at Amazon and Walmart. You can pick up the set that includes a wired charging case for $109 (originally $159). These don’t have the same great sound quality or active noise cancellation found in the more costly AirPods Pro. Still, the standard AirPods might surprise you. I picked up a set a few months ago after being a holdout, and they sound good enough for casual listening, but the best feature to me is their fast and strong wireless connection.

The set of AirPods that includes a wireless charging case for Qi chargers, but is otherwise the same as the set above, is down to $129 at Amazon (originally $199).

Alternatively, if you want wireless earbuds from Apple’s Beats that have better sound quality, active noise cancellation, and USB-C charging (making them just as handy for Android as they are for iOS), consider the Beats Studio Buds. Normally $150, they’re $125 at Amazon in a few colors. These also include a wired charging case, but the similarities with the AirPods above stop there. The Studio Buds include three sizes of ear tips so you can find the right fit for your ears. Read our review.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

If you’re looking for voice control of smart home devices and prefer the Google Assistant over Amazon Alexa or Apple’s Siri, B&H and Best Buy have the best deal right now on the second-generation Nest Mini. The tiny smart speaker is 50 percent off at both retailers, dropping to just $25.

The Nest Mini doesn’t compete with Google’s own Nest Audio for sound quality, but generation to generation, its audio quality improvements are most noticeable when you mount it to a wall. Also, the fabric covering and color options ensure they should complement your home decor with a touch of style. Read our review.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

The latest and greatest streaming box from Apple brings plenty to the table with Dolby Vision and Atmos support, 4K HDR, and support for Apple services like Apple TV Plus and Fitness Plus, but you might just love it because they finally improved the remote. Gone is the frustrating trackpad-focused remote of the prior model, now replaced with sizable physical buttons. If you own a previous Apple TV box, the speed improvements here should make upgrading worth the cost.

While you can get a nice $169 price directly from Apple on a refurbished model, the best deal on a new in-box version of the Apple TV 4K is at Adorama for $159. This discount of $20 was popular enough to quickly get backordered, but Adorama is still taking orders for the sale price and will not charge your card until the item ships. Read our review.

Other deals you might be interested in

• This Philips Hue smart bridge (refurbished) is available at Woot for $35. These normally cost $60 new. Some Hue bulbs support Bluetooth and don’t require this bridge, but all bulbs (Bluetooth or not) play nicely with it. The bridge allows you to more quickly control your bulbs and lets you have more of them running in your house.
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for the Nintendo Switch is $40 at Best Buy, a $20 price cut.
• Gigabyte’s spec-packed Aero 15 OLED is $1,799 after a $500 mail-in rebate over at Newegg. You’ll pay $2,299 today, though. It has a 15.6-inch 4K OLED display, Intel’s Core i7-11800H, Nvidia’s RTX 3080 graphics chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and it comes with a copy of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy once it comes out.

Twitch has released an update on a massive hack that appears to have exposed source code, streamer payment figures and other information. It said that data was exposed to the internet “due to an error in a Twitch server configuration change that was subsequently accessed by a malicious third party.” It added that its teams are working with “urgency” to investigate the attack. 

The Amazon-owned streaming site added that it has “no indication” that any login credentials, including passwords, were exposed. “Additionally, full credit card numbers are not stored by Twitch, so full credit card numbers were not exposed,” the company said.

Twitch also said that “out of an abundance of caution, we have reset all stream keys,” and provided a link to get a new one. Depending on the broadcast software you use, you may need to manually update your software to start a new stream. “Twitch Studio, Streamlabs, Xbox, PlayStation and Twitch Mobile App users should not need to take any action for your new key to work,” it wrote. “OBS users who have connected their Twitch account should also not need to take any action.”

However, if you haven’t connect your OBS account to Twitch, you’ll need to manually copy your stream from the Twitch Dashboard and paste it into OBS. “For all others, please refer to specific setup instructions for your software of choice.”

Yesterday, attackers said they stole the “entirety of Twitch.tv,” including the site’s mobile, desktop and console Twitch clients. It also accessed proprietary SDKs and internal AWS services, red-teaming tools and more. All of that information could make Twitch vulnerable to future attacks by letting potential hackers probe for weaknesses. 

The leak also shows creator payments in the millions for streamers like xQc, Nickmercs and Shroud. Several have confirmed that the figures are accurate. 

Twitch said that the investigation is ongoing. “We are still in the process of understanding the impact in detail,” the company wrote. 

Update 10/7/2021 4:54 AM ET: Twitch has reset all stream keys and advised users on how to update their software. That information has been added to the article. 

One announcement that appears to have upset and confused many fans during the recent Super Smash Bros. Ultimate final fighter broadcast was the reveal of the cloud versions of Kingdom Hearts for the Nintendo Switch.

As much as this decision “sucks”, Nightdive Studios and Limited Run developer, Modern Vintage Gamer, has attempted to shed some light on the decision-making that might have gone on behind the scenes – suggesting ports of 1.5 and 2.5 would take Square Enix a lot of time, effort, and money, and that the financial return may not necessarily be worthwhile.

“Getting a game like Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 Remix to the Nintendo Switch, even though it sounds like it should be a no brainer, it should be something quite achievable – especially considering it has its roots on the PlayStation 2, as a lot of people will be very quick to tell me, is actually a pretty complicated project and I think what’s happened here is Square Enix has basically sent bids out to its development partners and asked them how long is this project going to take to build and I think they were probably a little surprised at the responses.

“For me, it sounds like a 2 plus year undertaking and many millions of dollars that would need to be spent – probably more than the budget Square Enix is looking to spend.”

If all of this wasn’t already enough to factor in, then there are the possible file size requirements of these collections, along with the cartridge pricing of Switch games:

“And the other thing we need to keep in mind with Kingdom Hearts and we’re just talking bout 1.5 and 2.5 – we haven’t even discussed Kingdom Hearts 3 yet. If you combine HD 1.5 plus 2.5 Remix together it comes out to about 50 GB, this is a very, very large game. And the question is now what size cartridge do we need to fit on Switch for physical and that would ultimately end up being a 64 GB cartridge. and the cost to manufacturer those cartridges becomes very, very expensive and for good reason.”

He goes on to suggest how not every developer wants to necessarily take on impossible ports for the Switch, as CD Projekt did with The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt – Complete Edition:

“Before people tell me ‘CD Projekt Red and Saber Interactive was able to get The Witcher III running on Switch, why can’t they do the same thing here?’ Well, they absolutely can, but the end of the day Square Enix has decided that the cost that would be needed to basically foot the bill for this project to get it over the line, to get a good quality version of Kingdom Hearts HD Remix 1.5 and 2.5 to the Switch would just be too much money, the return on investment wouldn’t be anywhere near what they were looking for. So at the end of the day, I think the decision was made to move this game to the cloud, it’s going to make them more money in the front end, there’s going to be server costs and things like that to basically host the game, but I think that’s something they’ve taken into account.”

In regards to Kingdom Hearts III, it’s also not quite as straightforward as some might think – with MVG stating how there’s a lot of complexity when it comes to porting Unreal Engine 4 games to the Switch, and there’s “a lot” of optimisation required.

“This is not a simple port by any stretch of the imagination.”

MVG has noted on a number of occasions previously how he thinks the cloud is going to be utilised more often moving forward – and even goes as far as speculating that the ethernet port in the new Switch OLED dock may be to support future cloud plans.

“Unfortunately, these kind of bigger high budget triple A games that run on other systems, seeing them running on the Nintendo Switch in 2021 and beyond may be a difficult sell for many publishers, they may look to the cloud going forward. Ultimately, that’s what I think has happened with Square Enix and the Kingdom Hearts collection for the Switch…I would probably be prepared to see more of these announcements…at least until we hear what’s next for Nintendo”

What are your own thoughts about Square Enix’s decision to put its Kingdom Hearts games on the cloud, rather than port them across? Tell us down below.

Windows 11 is officially out, but if you’ve got an AMD Ryzen processor, you might want to hold off on updating for a bit: the company is reporting that its chips might have issues with the new OS that could cause performance drops of up to 15 percent in some cases.

AMD and Microsoft have found two main issues with Windows 11 on Ryzen. The first is that Windows 11 may cause L3 cache latency to triple. AMD says that the issue could cause 3–5 percent worse performance in most affected applications, while some games (AMD specifically calls out those “commonly used for eSports”) could see performance dips of 10–15 percent.

Windows 11 is also having issues with AMD’s “preferred core” technology, which usually aims to shift threads over to the fastest core on a processor. AMD warns that users could see performance issues on CPU-reliant tasks, specifically on processors with more than eight cores about 65W TDP.

AMD and Microsoft have already confirmed that they are “actively investigating these known issues for resolution via software updates.” The two companies promise that both a Windows update and a software update are planned for later this month to try and resolve those issues. But in the meantime, you might want to stick with Windows 10 until AMD and Microsoft sort things out.

Microsoft started a phased rollout of Windows 11 Tuesday. But you probably won’t get Windows 11 just yet. If you’re planning on downloading the new OS on your existing PC, you might run into some speed bumps due to the system requirements for the new operating system. (Here’s how to download Windows 11 and how to create a Windows 11 install drive.) 

If you’ve tried installing Windows 11 Insider Preview or using the Microsoft PC Health Check app and were greeted with an error message reading, “This PC can’t run Windows 11,” your system might not have two essential security settings turned on: Secure Boot and TPM 2.0. (Here are two other things you must do before downloading Windows 11.) Many modern computers and processing chips from Intel and AMD have these features built in, and both are now required for all machines running Windows 11. 

Once you’ve downloaded the PC Health Check app, you can click Check Now to begin the scanning process. The app will tell you whether your computer will support Windows 11, or what it’s missing, and you can click See All Results for more information.

If your machine is new enough to support both, enabling TPM (short for Trusted Platform Module) and Secure Boot is often quite easy. No special skills are needed, and you’ll just be clicking through menus. If you’ve never heard the words “BIOS menu” you might feel out of your element, but don’t be intimidated. With a little patience, any first-timer can do this. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

Read more: Windows 11 review: Microsoft’s OS upgrade is subtle, but we like that

What are TPM and Secure Boot? 

TPM microchips are small devices known as secure cryptoprocessors. Some TPMs are virtual or firmware varieties but, as a chip, a TPM is attached to your motherboard during the build and designed to enhance hardware security during computer startup. A TPM has been a mandatory piece of tech on Windows machines since 2016, so machines older than this may not have the necessary hardware or firmware. Previously, Microsoft required original equipment manufacturers of all models built to run Windows 10 to ensure that the machines were TPM 1.2-capable. TPM 2.0 is the most recent version required.

TPMs are controversial among security specialists and governments. An updated and enabled TPM is a strong preventative against firmware attacks, which have risen steadily and drawn Microsoft’s attention. However, it also allows remote attestation (authorized parties can see when you make certain changes to your computer) and may restrict the kinds of software your machine is allowed to run. TPM-equipped machines generally aren’t shipped in countries where western encryption is banned. China uses its state-regulated alternative, TCM. In Russia, TPM use is only allowed with permission from the government. 

Secure Boot is a feature in your computer’s software that controls which operating systems are allowed to be active on the machine. It’s both a good and bad thing for a Windows machine. On the one hand, it can prevent certain classes of invasive malware from taking over your machine and is a core defense against ransomware. 

On the other hand, it can prevent you from being able to install a second operating system on your machine, giving you two to choose from when you first start up your computer. So, if you wanted to experiment with Linux operating systems, for instance, Secure Boot could stop you. Secure Boot also plays a part in preventing Windows pirating. 

A few words of caution 

Now that you know about the secure technologies you’ll be using, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you dive into fixing the issue on your own. 

• Microsoft confirmed there are four types of problems that might have given you a “This PC can’t run Windows 11” error message if you used its PC Health Check tool. If you are missing the hardware or firmware necessary for Windows 11, the instructions below won’t help — you’ll need to buy a new device to run the OS.
• Keep in mind that these instructions are written as broadly as possible. That’s because Windows machines vary so much that it’s not feasible to cover all the possible ways to enable TPM and Secure Boot across every device. For the most part, though, the process is similar enough across machines that you should be able to use the instructions as a guide and, where your computer differs, still identify the equivalent menu or label in your own system.
• If your machine is still covered by a warranty, always speak with the manufacturer first before doing anything that could potentially void it. If your machine is owned and maintained by your company or school, it may have a unique security configuration that your IT staff will need to handle. It’s also a good idea to get in contact with your local PC repair shop; having a qualified professional on standby is the best way to get back on track if you get turned around or encounter roadblocks.
• Always back up your important files before making any big changes to your computer. Always. Just do it. You’ll thank us later.
• If this is your first time working in a BIOS menu, stick close to the instructions and don’t veer too far from the beaten path. We’re on a very simple mission here, and nothing I recommend below will do any damage to your machine or data, but changing firmware settings in your BIOS menu can have a wide-ranging impact. There are few guardrails here, and you can lose a lot of important data very fast. Some mistakes can be permanent and, in most cases, there won’t be any polite pop-ups gently asking whether you’re sure you want to make those mistakes.

You should definitely look around, explore your options and familiarize yourself with what’s under the hood, but avoid changing any settings or saving any of those changes unless you know specifically what’s going to happen when you do. 

Is my device capable of TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot? 

If the PC Health Checker suggested that TPM isn’t enabled, you should first find out whether that’s an accurate diagnosis. Here’s how. 

1. From your desktop, press the Windows key next to the spacebar + R. This will bring up a dialog box. 

2. In the text field of the box, type tpm.msc and hit Enter. This should bring up a new window labelled “TPM Management on Local Computer.” 

3. Click Status. If you see a message that says “The TPM is ready for use” then the PC Health Checker has misdiagnosed you, and the steps below won’t help. At this point, there are several reasons you might be receiving the wrong error message from Microsoft, so your best bet is to get a professional to take a look at your machine.

If you don’t see that message, and instead see “Compatible TPM cannot be found” or another message indicating the TPM may be disabled, follow the next steps. 

How do I enable TPM 2.0? 

You’re going to need to get to your BIOS menu so you can get to your TPM switch, and there are two ways to do that. We’ll cover both here. The first is for much newer PCs, the second method for those a few years older. Regardless of which you choose, though, you’re going to need to restart your machine. So save any work and close any open windows or programs before proceeding. 

From Windows 10’s Start menu

If you have a newer machine running Windows 10, your boot time may be too fast for you to try the traditional method of hitting a particular key to get to your BIOS menu before Windows can fully load. Here’s how to get to it from inside your normal desktop. 

1. Start your computer normally and open the Start menu by clicking on that Windows button on the far left bottom of your screen. Click on the gear-shaped Settings icon on the left side of the menu. 

2. Within the Settings window that appears, click Update & Security. On the left-side pane that appears, click Recovery. Under the Advanced startup header, click Restart now. 

Your computer will immediately restart, and instead of restarting and bringing you to your normal desktop screen, you’ll be brought to a blue screen with a few options. 

3. Click Troubleshoot, followed by Advanced options, followed by UEFI Firmware Settings. 

Your device will restart again. 

From here, go to Step 2 in the section below and follow the remaining steps. 

From start-up

You’re going to need to move very quickly for Step 1. You’ll only have a few seconds to get into the BIOS before your operating system loads. If you miss your window, no harm done, you’ll just have to restart the computer and try again. After Step 1, though, feel free to take your sweet time.

1. Restart your computer, and as it’s booting up you should see a message telling you to press a certain key to enter the BIOS, whether it uses that word or another. On most Dells, for instance, you should see “Press F2 to enter Setup.” Other messages might be “Setup = Del” (meaning Delete) or “System Configuration: F2.” Press whatever key the prompt tells you to and enter the Setup menu.

Depending on what kind of computer you have, a different key may be needed to enter your Setup menu. It could be F1, F8, F10, F11, Delete or another key. If there’s no message on the screen with instructions, the general rule is to hit the key when you see the manufacturer’s logo but before Windows loads. To find out which key will get you in, search online for your laptop’s make and model along with the phrase “BIOS key.” 

2. In the BIOS or UEFI menu, there should be at least one option or tab labelled Security. Using your keyboard, navigate to it and hit Enter. On some systems, you might need to use the + key to expand a submenu instead. 

3. Once you’re inside the Security section, you’re going to be looking for the TPM settings. This might be clearly labeled “TPM Device,” “TPM Security” or some variation. On Intel machines, it will sometimes be labeled “PTT” or “Intel Trusted Platform Technology.” It might also appear as “AMD fTPM Switch.” 

Warning: Stay alert here. Within most TPM settings menus, you generally have an option to clear your TPM, update it or restore it to factory default. Do not do that right now. Clearing the TPM will cause you to lose all data encrypted by the TPM and all keys to the encryption. This action can not be undone or reversed. 

4. From inside the TPM settings menu, you’re on one mission only: Find the switch that turns on the TPM. You’re not touching anything else. Look through the options inside this menu for one that shows some form of toggle or switch beside the word “Enable” or “Unavailable” or even just “Off.” Use your arrow keys to flip that toggle or switch. 

5. Once you’ve kicked on the TPM, look around the screen for Save. Once you’ve saved this setting, restart the computer. 

How do I enable Secure Boot? 

You’ll save yourself a headache if you keep one thing in mind about enabling Secure Boot. Sometimes after you enable Secure Boot on a machine that’s running software incompatible with Secure Boot, the machine will refuse to load Windows properly on restart. If that happens, don’t panic. You didn’t break anything. 

No matter which method you’ve used to get to the boot menu to begin with — either via Windows 10’s Start menu, or by the traditional method of hitting a specific key during start-up — you can still use the traditional method to get back to the boot menu and disable Secure Boot again. 

From Windows 10’s Start menu

Follow the steps above to access the UEFI Firmware Settings. 

1. Once you’re in the UEFI, you’re going to be looking for the Secure Boot setting. There are a few possible places this could be — check under any tabs labelled Boot, Security or Authentication. 

2. Once you’ve checked the tabs and found the Secure Boot setting, toggle the switch beside it to turn it on or enable it. 

3. Find your Save feature and, after you’ve saved your changes and exited the menu, your computer should reboot and bring you back to a normal Windows desktop. 

There are some PCs on which you may not be able to readily find the Secure Boot setting. Some computers will load Secure Boot keys under a Custom tab. Some computers won’t allow you to enable Secure Boot until certain factory settings are restored. If you’re unable to access Secure Boot, or get roadblocked here, it’s best to get help from a professional rather than take chances. 

From start-up

If you’re not working with UEFI, then you should be able to just enable Secure Boot in BIOS. 

1. Just as you did when enabling your TPM, hit F2 (or whichever key your manufacturer specifies) as your computer is booting up and enter the BIOS menu. 

2. Go to the tab or option that says BIOS Setup, and then select Advanced. 

3. Next, select Boot Options and a list of them should appear. 

4. In that list, find Secure Boot. Enable it. 

5. Hit Save, exit the menu system, and restart your computer if it does not restart automatically. 

What if I don’t have a TPM chip? 

As noted by CNET sister publication ZDNet back in 2017, motherboard manufacturers sometimes skimp on installing the actual TPM chip and instead send the boards out with only the part that allows the chip to connect to the board. If you find out that you were shorted on your TPM chip when you bought your PC, and you don’t have a virtual or firmware TPM version, you still have a few options. 

Your first option is to try to return your machine via your manufacturer warranty. That is, of course, assuming your machine’s manufacturer is willing to install the chip it already sold you, or replace your model with one that has a chip. Your second, and most expensive, option is to simply buy a newer machine after verifying that it does, indeed, have an actual TPM 2.0-capable chip. 

If your warranty is already voided, your third option — less expensive, but perhaps more difficult — is to buy a whole new motherboard with a TPM 2.0 chip installed, then either swap out the boards yourself or have your local aftermarket repair shop handle the job. Be warned, however, that the ongoing global chip shortage has squeezed the world’s supply of motherboards, making them more difficult to find and pushing prices to upward of $300 to $400 dollars for some brands. That’s another place your local repair shop may be able to help. 

Finally, either you or your repair shop can try your fourth option: hunting down a TPM chip with the right specifications for your motherboard and installing it. Depending on the type you go with and where you get it from, a TPM 2.0-capable chip can run you anywhere from $70 up. Luckily, the basic structures of the boards and chips are similar enough that — if you’d like to get your hands dirty under the hood — it’s possible to install a TPM chip yourself. ZDNet has step-by-step instructions (with a helpful gallery of pictures to guide you).

Whichever route you go, we strongly advise you to first consult either your manufacturer or a device repair specialist before you try to take apart your machine. Spending a few moments with a knowledgeable professional could be all it takes to turn your upgrade nightmare into a quick fix, and spare you excessive replacement costs. 

For more, check out how to download Windows 11, and the best new Windows 11 features and how to use them.

Canon has made a surprising product announcement, revealing a dual, RF mount fisheye lens that’s part of an all-new system called EOS VR. Its aim is nothing less than to transform virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) production by making workflow simpler than current VR capture systems, while delivering the quality of a full-frame mirrorless camera. 

The key product is the $1,999 RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye manual lens designed specifically to mount on Canon’s 8K-capable EOS R5 camera. It’s a highly unusual looking product, to say the least, with two bulging fisheye lenses mounted side by side. They’re placed approximately 60mm (24 inches) apart to match human interpupillary distance and provide comfortable parallax for VR and AR. 

The lens works only with Canon’s EOS R5, chosen for its 8K video capability. When shooting, it projects two circular images onto the camera’s 45-megapixel sensor. It supports 190-degree capture, allowing for delivery of stereoscopic 180-degree 3D footage or photos at up to 8,192 x 4,096 (8K) resolution for AR or VR applications. 

The lens has some unusual features, like a ring that focuses both lenses at once and an Allen screw adjustment that lets you tweak the focus of one lens to precisely match the other. Otherwise, you get features typically found in high-end Canon L RF mount glass, like coatings to control flare and ghosting, dust and water-resistant sealing and a solid F2.8 to F16 aperture range. Despite the odd looks, the lens is fairly compact and not much larger than Canon’s 35mm F1.8 lens. 

The lens is just one part of the equation, though. Canon is working on a firmware update for the R5 with new features to support the lens and EOS VR system. That includes MF peaking and manual focus confirm via Canon’s Dual Pixel autofocus system, along with a “Magic Window” UI that helps users plan for delivery to different types of headsets.

In addition, Canon made its own EOS VR Utility and EOS VR Plugin apps, each available by subscription for $5 per month (with a free trial period). The VR Utility app flips the stereo images left to right and converts them from circular to an “equirectangular” square image that can be viewed on a VR headset. It also offers quick editing tools like trimming of clips and application of a LUT, while letting you change to preset resolutions and file types (DPX, Pro Res, H264, etc.) prior to export.

There’s also the EOS VR plug-in for Adobe Premiere that “will convert the dual fisheye imagery to equirectangular, while allowing the ability to cut, color, and edit with the full control of Premiere Pro,” Canon told Engadget. It also lets you export footage to the desired spec for different types of delivery. 

On top of those apps, you’ll be able to use the current Camera Connect app and Canon’s EOS Utility to control capture. Both will be updated down the road to offer “remote control live view functionality for monitoring purposes while on-the-go,” Canon said in a press release.

The system can be used for weddings, journalism, sports, training, events and more, while offering a number of advantages over current VR cameras. To start with, it’s designed to deliver better quality than standalone VR cameras with smaller lenses and sensors like the $5,000 Insta360 Pro 2. At the same time, you get all the R5’s tools like log shooting, RAW capture, 10-bit video and more. And when you’re not using the VR lens, the R5 can be used for regular video production or photo shoots, unlike dedicated VR cameras. 

At the same, the production process is simpler and cheaper than with dual cameras used in higher-end productions. Those cameras must be rigged, synced, focused and positioned correctly, with the end result being two files in many cases. Canon’s EOS VR system, by contrast, delivers similar quality but offers focus and setup like a regular camera, while leaving you with a single file to edit at the end. 

The entire system isn’t exactly cheap, considering you need to pay $1,999 for the lens and $3,899 if you don’t already have an R5 camera, for a total of $5,898. However, considering how niche and unusual the lens is, it costs less than I expected. There’s also the issue of R5 overheating that limits 8K recording times to 20 minutes, with a 10-minute recovery period. You can improve that by capturing 8K to an external Ninja V+ RAW recorder, but that’ll add $1,500 to your cost.

Still, it looks very promising for VR production, which has boomed in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic (though still isn’t exactly mainstream). It’s been especially in-demand for business training and collaboration, a potentially rich vein for video producers. A lot of those folks, especially if they already have a Canon EOS R5, might be willing to jump into VR work if Canon’s new system is as easy to use as it promises. The lens and EOS VR system are set to arrive in late December 2021.