Razers $200 VR Headset Is Not Worthy Razer just announced a bunch of ambitious things here at CES, including an open source initiative to jumpstart the virtual reality ecosystem, complete with its own VR headset to get devs started. Is that headset any good, though? Uh... lets just say its no Oculus. Keep in mind that the headset I just tried is a prototype of an inexpensive development kit, so I wasnt exactly expecting it to be top-notch. Its a tool, not a product. Unlike the Oculus Rift, Razer doesnt intend to sell this device, or have it compete with the likes of the Oculus Rift. But its just so far behind the latest Oculus Rift prototypes, and the Samsung Gear VR, and Sonys Project Morpheus, that I feel kind of sorry for it. Its not that the Oculus Rift lookalike is particularly uncomfortable to wear, or that the screen is bad. Its actually got some really nifty features like fully adjustable lenses and padding made of bamboo carbon microfibers that Razer claims are hypoallergenic and antiseptic, so you can pass it around to friends without worrying (as much) about sharing germs. The aspherical lenses also mean less distortion in images, and the screen can be a shorter distance away from your head, which in turn means the device can be smaller and not stick out quite as much. The two-element lenses weigh more, though, so its not any better balanced on the head. Look ma, no distortion! The problem is that in just about every way that counts, the OSVR prototype is laughably far behind the rest of the pack. The field of view is uncomfortably tiny: I felt like I was boxed in on the sides. 1080p may sound like high-definition, and 60Hz may sound fast for the screen, but competing headsets are already going way beyond both. Whats a fairly glassy, smooth experience with the competition is a bit blurry and pixelated here instead. And the problem with virtual reality is that youre either there or youre not. You feel a sense of presence or you dont. Were updating this post in real time with more details... go ahead and refresh this page in a little bit for more! Welcome to Gizmodos coverage of all things CES 2015! For our comprehensive rundown of everything new and shiny at the years biggest gadgetorium, check out our pop-up site here. ift.tt/1BEyxVq
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 19:28:14 +0000