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Pimax Crystal Super Update Shows Development Progress & New Slimmer Exterior

July 9, 2024 From roadtovr

Pimax announced that Crystal Super, its next high-resolution PC VR headset, is actually going to be a bit slimmer than originally planned, showing off a reduction in the headset’s exterior during a new update video.

Unveiled earlier this year alongside Crystal Light, the Crystal Super variant is a bit of a different beast, including the addition of eye-tracking, automatic interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment, and the ability to swap between two optional display modules and two optional lenses for varying pixel density and field-of-view (FOV).

While Crystal Super was ostensibly slated to be as big as the others in the Crystal lineup, Pimax announced it’s reduced the exterior size by “nearly 30 percent,” showing off a new, smaller design.

It still seems to be in early stages of development, however the company has shown off non-functional prototypes and renders of the form factor in the video, seen below:

Its display modules boast 3,840 × 3,840 per-eye resolution, letting the user choose a QLED & mini-LED (120Hz) display or a micro-OLED (90Hz) display.

Both versions of Crystal Super however allow you choose between two different lenses: one that provides 50 PPD and a slightly higher FOV of 130° horizontal, and another with 57 PPD and a slightly lower FOV—still to be announced.

Pimax says Crystal Super’s lenses are indeed “30 percent bigger” than those found on Crystal and Crystal Light. The image below is of the 50 PPD lens.

Image courtesy Pimax

The QLED version will be ready first, the company says, noting that it’s the model with the most pre-orders. Additionally, the company says the lens providing 57 PPD and a lower FOV is still in development.

All models of Crystal Super are currently available for pre-order reservation, with shipping estimated for Q4 2024.

The base model with QLED display is priced at $1,800 with inside-out tracking, while the micro-OLED model is priced at $2,000. A bundle with both display modules is also available for $2,400. Controllers and optional SteamVR tracking faceplate are sold separately.

Filed Under: News, PC VR News & Reviews, Pimax, pimax crystal, pimax crystal super

Somnium VR1 PC VR Headset Slated to Go on Sale June 20th with Broader Launch in July

June 18, 2024 From roadtovr

Somnium Space, the Czechia-based company behind the upcoming Somnium VR1 headset, announced that orders for its long-awaited PC VR headset will be opening on June 20th, coming first to reservation holders.

It’s been a long time coming for Somnium VR1, which we last saw at CES 2023 when the company showed off a dev kit version of the headset. If you’re memory is fuzzy, at the time Somnium, which also runs its own social VR platform Somnium Space, was also hoping to release a standalone version of the headset at some point. Due to supply chain constraints though, the company decided to sideline the standalone version to focus on the soon-to-release Lighthouse-tracked PC VR headset.

We’re getting very close to that now; in addition to the order date announcement, the company detailed its full line-up, which includes eight variants available for order starting on June 20th:

  • Classic Edition
  • Visionary Edition (Eye-tracking)
  • Striker Edition (Hand-tracking)
  • Titan Edition (Eye/Hand-tracking)
  • Specter Edition (Mixed Reality + Hand-tracking)
  • Ultimate Edition (Mixed Reality + Eye/Hand-tracking)
  • Translucent Limited Edition (Mixed Reality + Eye/Hand-tracking)
  • Military Edition – TAA Compliant (Mixed Reality + Eye/Hand-tracking)

That’s a pretty hefty launch lineup, however VR1 is built with modularity in mind, allowing users to choose what factory-installed modules they want, with the Classic Edition starting at €1,900 (~$2,060 USD).

Somnium VR1 | Image courtesy Somnium Space

Check out the specs below, noting that optional add-ons to the base version are highlighted in red:

Display

Type

QLED Mini-LED Fast LCD

Resolution

2 x 2800 x 2880 pixels

Brightness 210 nit
Local Dimming 20000:1 (HDR)
Color Gamut 100% NTSC
Refresh Rate

72 Hz / 90 Hz / 120 Hz / 144 Hz (Experimental)

Optics

Lens Type

Dual-lens aspheric modules (two lenses per eye-box)

Peak Fidelity 35 PPD
Coating

Anti-reflection & Anti-scratch coating

Field of View (FOV)

Horizontal: 130°, Vertical: 105°

Diopter Lenses (Optional)

Magnetically attachable by VR Optician

Pass-through Cameras (Optional)

2 X 12 Mpx 4,056 x 3,040 (foveated transport), FOV 125° x 100°

Eye Tracking (Optional)

120Hz single-point calibration, VR & XR foveated rendering, Gaze analysis, heat-map visualization

Hand Tracking (Optional)

Ultraleap 170° x 170° FOV, 120Hz refrsh rate

Interpupillary Distance (IPD) Adjustment

Manual 58 mm – 76 mm

Dimensions & Weight

Dimensions (excl. headstrap)

191 mm x 124 mm x 94 mm (W x L x H)

Weight (incl. headstrap)

700g – 850g (depending on variant)

Material

IR-transmissive matte polymer with anti-fingerprint surface texture

Connectivity

Cable

Single all-in-one USB Type-C, 6 meter (20 ft) hybrid ADC cable, DisplayPort (32 Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power functionality

Modes

Native wired PC Mode (Lossless), Native SteamVR & OpenXR support

Audio

3.5 mm Headphone jack, High-quality stereo

Ports

3 x USB-C (3.2 Gen 2) 10 Gbps for external accessories, 3.5 mm Headphone jack

Anchor Points

4 modular customizable and 30 printable anchor points, M2.5 imbus flat head screws

LEDs

2 x Programmable RGB status LEDs

Headstrap

Double-knob memory foam adjustable headstrap

Positional Tracking

Lighthouse Based tracking

The company says it will begin sending out a limited number of emails each day to reservation holders, following the chronological order based on their reservation date.

Notably, each reservation holder is eligible for one purchase, which can include multiple VR1 units, essentially allowing the user’s unique ordering code to be used once to limit queue jumpers.

There isn’t a time limitation when you must make your purchase, the company says, which was designed to give customers time to complete purchases later, however units are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you haven’t reserved already, new reservations are being accepted up until July 10th. The company will be opening orders to everyone on July 12th alongside its full-day Somnium Connect event in Prague, Czechia. There, the company will be holding presentations, demos of Somnium VR1, and a keynote speech by Artur Sychov, Founder & CEO of Somnium Space.

Filed Under: News, PC VR News & Reviews, pcvr headset, somnium pcvr, Somnium Space, somnium vr1

Some Users Won’t Need to Wear Vive Trackers Soon Thanks to Upcoming AI Body Tracking Update

June 12, 2024 From roadtovr

HTC has teased that some users may not even need to wear their latest Vive Ultimate Trackers soon thanks to an upcoming AI-powered body tracking update.

HTC’s Vive Ultimate Trackers are capable of inside-out body tracking thanks to the inclusion of two on-board cameras that track its own position in space, requiring you to strap them to your elbows, feet, or hips for full-body tracking.

Now the company has shown off a video about how its Vive XR Elite headset, Face Tracker module, and Vive Ultimate Tracker pucks can be useful in physical therapy. In it, we get a look at a single Vive Tracker pointed at a user doing a sit-up, with the device placed on a nearby tripod, ostensibly making sure the user is executing the right moves.

“In addition, the incoming AI body tracking doesn’t require the patients to wear the trackers,” the company says in the video. “This will lead the rehabilitation experience to a new level.”

While it’s clear the update is being positioned for enterprise use, when the company first showed off is AI body tracking at GDC 2024 back in March the company said the new feature would service “VTube, Arcade, healthcare and more” with the OpenXR-supported device capable of tracking 26 joints, suggesting it will be broadly released as an integral software update.

As shown in the GDC 2024 demo, it seems to be primarily targeting non-VR use cases, working essentially like a webcam attached to an AI pipeline. We’ve reached out to HTC for more clarity on when/how the update will work, so check back soon.

Released in late 2023, the $200 Vive Ultimate Trackers are the company’s first to make use of inside-out optical tracking, departing from the SteamVR base station ecosystem that drives its various PC VR headsets and Vive Tracker 3.0 released in 2021.


Thanks to Antony ‘SkarredGhost‘ Vitillo for pointing us to the news.

Filed Under: ai body tracking, htc, htc ai body tracking, htc vive, htc vive ultimate tracker, News, PC VR News & Reviews, Vive Tracker, vive ultimate tracker

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