Earlier this year, Chinese technology company Xiaomi announced it was working with Oculus to create a standalone virtual reality (VR) headset specifically for the Chinese market, which would be based on the Oculus Go. That headset, called the Xiaomi Mi VR has now been launched.
At a launch event in Shenzhen, China, Xiaomi launched the new headset alongside several other new tech products, including several smartphone models and a new android-based operating system.
The Xiaomi Mi VR headset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 system-on-a-chip (SoC), with 3GB of RAM and a Fast Switch LCD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels that is capable of supporting wither a 60Hz or 72Hx refresh rate, with the higher refresh rate helping to reduce latency.
The display comes with Fresnel lenses designed by Oculus that form part of a specially modulated diffractive optical system. There are two models available, one with 32GB of internal storage, and the other with 64GB. The 32GB version is said to be priced at 1,499 (CNY), and pre-orders are already available.
The headset supports 3DoF, and comes with a motion controller, which also supports 3DoF. The headset weighs in at 425g, without the head straps and has built-in 360-degree sound capability. Xiaomi says that there is a library of over 100 videogames and apps already available, which can be accessed through the Oculus Store.
Visually, the Xiaomi Mi VR unit looks almost identical to the Oculus Go, with the same matte white finish and strap placement, only lacking the Oculus branding, and internally the two devices appear to be quite similar.
The new headset forms part of the ongoing partnership between Xiaomi and Oculus, as the Chinese firm was selected to manufacture the Oculus Go. Xiaomi have also proved their ongoing interest in immersive technologies, bringing Google’s ARCore to China with the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S smartphone.
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