If you’ve been keeping up with VRFocus’ coverage of the IFA conference in Germany you’ll have seen Ricoh announce a new 360-degree camera, LG supporting Daydream with the V30 and Dell showcasing its Windows mixed reality (MR) headset. For all those Star Wars fans out there – and there’s certainly a few – the best is yet to come. Lenovo has now confirmed a price plus release window for its augmented reality (AR) headset, the Mirage, which will feature exclusive title Star Wars: Jedi Challenges.
First teased back in July with a brief trailer, further details are now available. The smartphone-powered Lenovo Mirage AR headset, Tracking Beacon, Lightsaber controller and Star Wars: Jedi Challenges have been unveiled as part of Force Friday II which occurs tomorrow. The kit will be available to pre-order tomorrow for $199.99 USD at BestBuy.com and Lenovo online, with Best Buy stores having stock in November. The kit will be available in other markets during November, but there’s no confirmation yet of price or retailers.
“With Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, Lenovo and Disney are bringing Star Wars to fans in ways they could previously only imagine,” said Jeff Meredith, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Lenovo Consumer PCs & Smart Devices in as statement. “Augmented Reality has always been an important part of Star Wars, and it’s exciting to bring these key moments to life by marrying Lenovo technology with Disney’s storytelling.”
As for Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, players will be able to hone their Jedi talents across three separate AR-based experiences. First there are Lightsaber Battles. Using the lightsaber controller, fans can train against legendary dark side villains like Kylo Ren and Darth Vader. Players will then be able to rally the forces of the Republic, Rebel Alliance, and Resistance against the might of the Separatists, Empire, and First Order in battles across their living rooms. Lastly to get that grey matter working there’s Holochess. So now fans can actually direct holographic alien pieces across a board.
“We believe augmented reality will usher in a new era of storytelling and play an important role in the experiences we create for our fans,” said Kyle Laughlin, Senior Vice President, Games and Interactive Experiences, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “With Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, we’re bringing together the latest technology and one of the most recognized franchises in the galaxy to fulfill the wishes of anyone who’s ever wanted to wield a lightsaber or take on the empire forces on the battlefield.”
The videogame supports both Android and iOS smartphones. The Lenovo Mirage AR headset features two built-in fisheye sensors to provide inside-out positional tracking, while the Tracking Beacon is placed on the floor, acting as a stable base for the headset’s sensors to detect the user’s movement during gameplay.
As further details on the Lenovo Mirage are released VRFocus will let you know.