The mighty Oculus Quest 2 may be getting some steep competition in the standalone VR headset space.
VR headset manufacturer Pimax just announced its forthcoming Reality 12K QLED headset via a live stream event called Pimax Frontier. The Reality is chockful of high-end features that have yet to be seen in a consumer-grade virtual reality headset. It also offers pseudo-standalone functionality that could place it in direct competition with Facebook’s Oculus Quest line.
The Pimax Reality 12K QLED headset boasts 5.7K per eye resolution and a 200-degree horizontal field of view, along with a 135-degree vertical field of view. This nearly matches the normal field of view available to humans and majorly outpaces what is available with other virtual reality headsets. The Quest 2, for instance, offers a rendered FOV of 104 degrees horizontal and 98 degrees vertical.
Pimax also claims that the headset will feature an array of internal cameras that enable facial expression tracking and full body tracking. Fully standalone body tracking, without the need for external cameras, is a first for the industry.
The standalone functionality works differently from that of the Oculus Quest. You’ll need a souped-up PC, but the Pimax Reality will stream content via Wi-Fi, similar to Oculus’s Air Link or Virtual Desktop services.
The company also plans on selling gaming console-like “VR Station” PCs that offer full compatibility.
Of course, with great power comes great financial responsibility. The Pimax Reality 12K QLED VR headset launches in late 2022 at $2,399. The company says pre-existing customers will be able to trade in current headsets for a discount to help offset that steep price tag.
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