Facebook owned Oculus has announced a new affordable and standalone VR headset called Oculus Go that doesn't require a PC or smartphone to work. The company says the standalone product can be used for "watching movies or concerts, playing games, or hanging out with friends in VR."
The Oculus Go VR headset has a lightweight design, and is made of soft and breathable fabric, making it comfortable for wearer. It has “fast-switch” WQHD LCD screen and next generation lenses to deliver a wide field of view with significantly reduced glare. The headset is embedded with spatial audio and even has 3.5mm audio jack for plugging in headphones. Oculus Go VR headset ships with a single handheld controller that has a touchpad and trigger button, similar to Samsung's Gear VR headset. Moreover, Gear VR and Oculus Go apps are binary compatible, that means Gear VR apps will work on Oculus Go. The Oculus Go VR headset will be arriving early 2018, and will be priced starting at $199. Oculus also said that it is working on a more power standalone VR headset code-named Santa Cruz. It will support inside-out tracking and work with handheld motion controller. The standalone device is still in prototype stages, and there's no word about its release date.
Xiaomi is refreshing its Mi VR Play VR headset, which was released last year with a new compact design, that will make it more comfortable to wear. Design-wise it has a pill shaped front with rounded edges, instead of the rectangular shape, and has detachable elastic nylon headband. It is made out of plastic and is covered with a strong elastic cotton called “dragon cloth”. The part that sits on your face is lined with a padded porous material for comfort. It also has invisible cooling holes, for keeping the mobile phones cool. The
new Mi VR Play 2 also ditches the zip up compartment for inserting the
smartphone, instead you can simply slide the phone inside the flap at
the front of the VR headset. The new VR headset has 93-degree FOV and will support smartphone with display sizes ranging from 4.7-inch to 5.7-inch, having Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) or more. It weighs 183g making it lighter than its predecessor (208g). The Mi VR Play 2 is priced at CNY 99 ($14 | Rs. 900) and will go on sale starting April 19. Source | Via
Samsung at its MWC press conference has announced an updated Gear VR headset with a controller powered by Oculus. The new controller sports an ergonomic, curved design, that allows one-hand control for better motion interaction. It also provides various forms of motion like ability to point, drag and drop, tilt, shoot among other options for an enhanced gaming experience. The controller includes home, volume and back keys so you can easily move through the content without breaking immersion while playing or watching videos. It also has a wrist wrap to offer a secure grip. The new Gear VR with controller features 42mm lenses with 101-degree FOV (field of view) and advanced distortion correction technology to minimize motion sickness. It supports both micro USB and USB Type-C port thanks to converter which comes bundled with the headset. The new Samsung Gear VR measures 207.8 x 122.5 x 98.6mm, weighs 345g and is compatible with Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+ Samsung is yet to reveal the pricing and availability details.
Lenovo at CES 2017 in Las Vegas showed off its prototype VR headset built for the Windows Holographic platform. The yet-to-be-named prototype has a higher-resolution display than HTC Vive and Oculus Rift VR headsets with two 1440 x 1440 OLED display panels one for each eye. It also weighs less than Vive and Rift at roughly 350g, making it more comforatable to use over a long period. Lenovo's VR headset uses inside-out six degrees-of-freedom tracking to detect movements, and features two cameras mounted on the front to track objects in the room in real-time for mixed reality experiences. Unfortunately, the prototype demod at CES was not yet functional, so we'll have to wait to see how the headset makes use of Windows Holographic Platform, or how it will function. According to Verge, Lenovo will not manufacture any controllers for the headset, instead will rely on third-party for the controllers based on the specification provided by Window's Holographic Platform. Lenovo says the headset will be compatible with all Windows store app, which will work in theater style floating viewer mode. When it hits the market, Lenovo's VR headset is expected to be priced between $300 and $400. Image & Source | Via
Bingo Technologies is launching a new VR glasses called Bingo G-200. But unlike most VR headsets in the market, the Bingo G-200 is a standalone device, which means all the processing power is integrated inside the headset, and you will not require to insert your mobile device into the headset or connect to PC for the headset to work. The Bingo G-200 has a built-in screen which offers 110-degree view field and images in 1280 x 720 HD resolution. It is powered by an ARM Cortex A7 CPU with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. There's also a microSD card slot for storage expansion. The headset also packs in a 5000mAh battery, which is rated to deliver up to six hours of play time. It runs Nibiru OS built on to of Android 5.1 Lollipop and supports WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. You can download the contents like VR apps, games and 3D videos from the Nibiru Store.
Even though its a standalone headset, there are no controllers bundled, instead it has one-key zoom and control keys for navigation purpose, which are mounted below the headset. It comes with leather and foam cushioning for comfortable viewing sessions over long duration use, and has adjustable head strap. It weighs 459g. Available in Black & White combo, the Bingo G-200 is priced at Rs. 5,999 and will be available from all e-commerce websites including Flipkart, Amazon India, Snapdeal, Paytm and Shopclues.
Apart from new Pixel phones, Google unveiled a couple of hardware products, one of them is the Daydream View VR headset. It is the world's first 'Daydream ready' VR headset and comes with a separate controller. Google says comfort is top priority of the new VR headset as it is light and made of soft micro fiber and is also designed to fit over eye glasses. The controller has clickable touchpad and button, along with sensor to detect movement. When not in use in can slide inside the headset. Daydream View VR headset is very easy to get started with. Open the latch, place your Daydream ready phone, close the latch and you're good to go. Google also said that it has built an entire ecosystem of apps and contents to work with the headset including Google Play, Google Movies, Google Photos, Maps and YouTube 360-degree videos. Nextflix and Hulu will also be coming to VR as well. Google's Daydream View VR headset comes in Slate, Snow and Crismon colors. It is prirced at $79 and will be available for purchase starting November.
The year 2016, so far, has been eventful for Xiaomi. The brand launched its flagship Mi 5, and handful of budget smartphones, Mi Band 2 and plenty lifestyle products. Xiaomi even launched it's first drone and laptop as well. Now the company has unveiled its first VR headset in China. Xiaomi's VR headset sports a zipper design to ensure the phone placed inside doesn't fall out, and is made out of a combination of Lycra fabric (nylon+spandex) and Eva, which is light weight and skin friendly. The material can prevent discomfort when using the headset for a longer period. It uses anti-glare aspherical lenses which has a tolerence of just 0.1mm, promising accuracy and clarity. There's a metal button on the top of the headset to interact with the phone. The VR headset measures 201 x 107 x 91mm and weighs at 208.7g. It can fit in phones with screen sizes of 4.7-inchs to 5.8-inches. It can also be customized with a variety of colors and designs. There's also a dedicated app for smartphone that lets you view 360-degree content, VR apps and play VR games designed for the headset.
Xiaomi is currently taking registrations for beta tester in China, and selected users will get the VR headset for CNY 1. Currently there's no information on the pricing and availability, however, it is expected to cost CNY 49 ($7 | Rs. 490). Source | Via
Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy Note7, the company's first smartphone to feature iris scanner and USB Type-C. In addition, Samsung also introduced Gear VR for Galaxy Note7. It sports a thicker and softer padding making it more comfortable to wear, and comes in blue back finish. The new Gear VR has a new touchpad, supports USB Type-C and comes with a slightly wider viewing angle. It now offers 101 degrees of immersive video and gaming experience, compared to 96 degrees on the previous model. The touchpad is located on the side, has can be used to navigate the VR headset's menu system and play games. There's also a new dedicate button to open main Gear VR menu alongside back button. The new Gear VR packs sensor like accelerometer, gyrometer and proximity. It makes connection with the Galaxy Note7 via USB Type-C port. There's also an adapter which offers backward compatibility with the older devices including Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6,S6 edge, S6 edge+ and Galaxy S7, S7 edge. The new Samsung Galaxy Gear VR is priced at $99 (Rs. 6,600) and will be up for pre-order in the U.S starting August 3. It will go sale starting from August 19.
China's smartphone maker Coolpad has launched an affordable virtual reality headset in India called Cool VR 1x. The VR headset is compatible with Coolpad Note 3, Note 3 Lite, Note 3 Plus and Max, and smartphones from other brands with screen sizes between 4.7-inches and 5.7-inches with HD display for an enhanced VR experience. In addition, the smartphone must have a gyroscope sensor to expereince the VR content on the Cool VR 1x. The Cool VR 1x is equipped with customisable lenses, which lets you optimize the focal length and object distance. It offers 95-100 degree wide viewing angle. The Coolpad Cool VR 1x is priced at Rs. 999 and will be available exclusively on Amazon India starting from June 24. The brand plans to launch power banks and smartwatch this year.
Most of the affordable virtual reality headset available in the market are platicized version of Google Cardboard and to enjoy the VR experience, you need to use them with a smartphone, since it offers the computing power.
But China based Eny's EVR01 VR headset is a standalone VR headset that does not require a smartphone or PC to work, as the screen and processing power is built right inside it. The controls (home, return, volume, power, reset, OK, and arrow keys) are mounted below the headset to make it easy to navigate. The Eny EVR01 comes with 5-inch HD (1280 x 720 pixels) display and is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core Rockchip RK3126 processor w/Mali 400 GPU, and includes an 8GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage, with microSD card support for expansion. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and packs a 2200mAh battery that is good for around 3.5 hours. It also includes 3.5mm stereo jack for connecting headphones; Bluetooth, WiFi to handle wireless connectivity; USB 2.0 port; Gravity & acceleration sensor; and microUSB port for charging. Considering the specs, the Eny EVR01 will not provide the same VR experince as HTC Vive or Samsung's Gear VR headset, but is an inexpensive option to enjoy virtual reality. The Eny EVR01 headset costs just $80 (Rs. 5,300). Via
The mobile virtual reality space, which is currently dominated by Samsung's Gear VR headset is about to face competition from China's Huawei, as the company has forayed into the mobile VR market with the launch of Huawei VR headset.
Just like the Samsung Gear VR headset, Huwaer VR headset, has a removable front facing cover, and a dedicated slot to slide in the smartphone and acts as dual-screen display. It will be compatible with Huwei's recent flagship offering, the P9, P9 Plus and the 6-inch Huawei Mate 8. It's worth noting that these smartphones have 1080p screen resolution, which is lower as compared to Samsung's QHD resolution on Galaxy flagships, so the image quality may not be the best. Huawei's VR headset is equipped with adjustable lenses, an anti blue-light filter, a touch panel, a back button, and a volume rocker on the right side. The headset offers 95-degree field of view and is touted to be the first headset to deliver 360-degree surround sound. Huawei says that the VR headset will come with 4,000+ movies, 40 games, 150 panoramic tours and more than 350 panoramic images, all of which are free.
Unfortunately, Huawei did not reveal the pricing and availability details.
Zebronics has entered the virtual reality segment with the launch of its first consumer-oriented VR headset called ZEB-VR. It is made out of plastic and has a magnetic lock and adjustable front cover, to slide in the smartphone and keep it in place, comes with a thick memory foam padding to provide comfort for extended use.
The ZEB VR is compatible with Android smartphone sized between 4.5-inches and 6-inches, and required an app in order to work with compatible smartphones. It comes with a powerful magnet trigger which is compatible with Google cardboard, and features 360-degree panoramic view for video, games and images.
The VR headset has a pair of lenses that have interplanetary distance and focus adjustments depending on the
smartphone’s display size and this, results in improved eye focus comfort. It also has a magnet toggle switch, a metal neodymium ring, a ceramic disc and motion sensors, which lets you interact with the mobile phone VR application.
The Zebronics ZEB-VR is priced at Rs. 1,600 (introductory offer - Rs. 1,375) and is available exclusively on Snapdeal, It comes in Black color w/ Blue rims and weighs just 103g.
