bionik Mantis – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

October 27, 2018

Bionik Announces Mantis VR Headphones Now Have Official Licensing

Back in 2017, a company called Bionik released a set of headphones called Mantis that were designed to be integrated into the PlayStation VR set-up and provide high-quality audio without sacrificing the comfort or aesthetics of the device. Now the company has announced that it has concludes an agreement with Sony for the product to be an officially licensed product.

Thanks to the agreement, the Bionik Mantis headphones are now officially licensed for use exclusively with the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Russia, India and Oceania.

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The Mantis design means that the headphones units clip easily on to the headband of the PlayStation VR and can be easily adjusted or removed for different users or situations. The lightweight headphones support a range of positions, or can be easily flipped out of the way if needed. The design and colour scheme also blend well with the design of the PlayStation VR.

The officially licensed Mantis will include audio cable as well as on-ear and over-the-ear attachment options, which allows for more customisation options for PlayStation VR users.

“The Mantis was designed from its inception to complement and enhance the extraordinary PS VR experience as a natural extension of the headset,” said Amir Navid, Bionik’s SVP of Product Development. “We’re thrilled to partner with SIEE on the official licensed release of Mantis, and look forward to serving our SIEE region customers that have been excited for the Mantis’ debut. This kit will include everything you need for customized, integrated, and immersive sound made even richer thanks to PS VR’s 3D Audio capabilities.”

VRFocus previously reviewed the Bionik Mantis, giving it top marks and saying: “Bionik’s Mantis VR is an excellent accessory for the PlayStation VR, offering good functionality, good sound and perfect aesthetics. It is comfortable and lightweight and works perfectly alongside the PlayStation VR headset. Though the lack of noise cancelling will be off-putting for some, for most users this is a superb solution for sound in VR.”

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Further information can be found on the Bionik website. For future coverage on new and upcoming VR hardware and accessories, keep checking back with VRFocus.

August 8, 2017

Review: Mantis VR

The importance of sound in any given virtual reality (VR) experience is one that is often underestimated. Good sound design can elevate a VR experience from merely ‘good’ to ‘excellent’. So with that in mind, it’s important to have a good set-up for sound when immersed in VR. Enter Bionik’s Mantis VR headphones for the PlayStation VR.

Prior to the Mantis VR, PlayStation VR users would need to either plug in a pair of earbuds, or try and wrestle over-head headphones over the PlayStation VR headset. The Mantis VR, however, snaps effortlessly onto the headband of the PlayStation VR headset, matching so well with the PlayStation VR aesthetic that it’s as if they were meant to be there all along.

Some adjustment is necessary to get the headphones into the right position, though they do offer a surprisingly broad range of movement, up to and including the option to flip them out of the way if you need to hold a conversation. The cups can be adjusted horizontally and vertically, and once adjusted to user preference, they stay in place perfectly.

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For a device which most closely resembles the kind of foam-padded headphones that came with 80s-era Walkmans, you would not expect superb sound quality, but that would be an error. The depth of sound from such small, unassuming speakers is astonishingly good, and though not up to the standard of high-end headphones, still offers an excellent dynamic range, from deep bass to high treble. The surround sound experience is also very good, excellently synthesising the feeling of sound happening all around you, particularly effective in horror titles such as Resident Evil 7.

One small issue is that due to the design there is little to no noise-cancellation, so outside sounds can bleed in quite easily. This is not necessarily a problem unless you are trying to play in a a loud environment, but can disrupt the immersion slightly if, say, you phone rings in the middle of an intense gun battle.

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Bionik’s Mantis VR is an excellent accessory for the PlayStation VR, offering good functionality, good sound and perfect aesthetics. It is comfortable and lightweight and works perfectly alongside the PlayStation VR headset. Though the lack of noise cancelling will be off-putting for some, for most users this is a superb solution for sound in VR.

100%

Awesome

Verdict

July 13, 2017

bionik’s Mantis Detachable PlayStation VR Headphones Arrive Next Month

When you buy one of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) PlayStation VR headsets you’re presented with a question. To fully enjoy virtual reality (VR) you also need sound, so you can use the earbuds that are supplied in the box, or – if you have some – a decent set of over-ear cans to enjoy the 3D spatial sound developers have carefully crafted. If you’re in the former camp and are looking to move away from the earbuds to a new set of headphones bionik will be releasing its Mantis solution next month.

Aiming for a happy medium between earbuds and big over-ear cans, bionik’s Mantis headphones have been designed specifically for PlayStation VR, as an integrated – and detachable – solution very similar to that of Oculus Rift. The headphones simply clip onto the headband of the headset and then plug into the audio jack.

bionik Mantis image 2 “Our goal with Mantis was to make the immersive PlayStation VR experience more visceral and profound by blocking out distractions and reducing the amount of gear you need to put on,” said Amir Navid, bionik’s SVP Product Development. “Sound is an integral part of how we experience our surroundings. It taps into our emotions, it changes how we feel about things. The Mantis allows you to experience this powerful new technology with all your senses engaged. It integrates seamlessly with the PSVR hardware with minimal size and weight and allows you to suspend disbelief and focus on the virtual environment created.”

The Mantis headphones will launch on 1st August with a suggested retail price of $49.99 USD, available through Amazon.

Aside from possibly upgrading their audio solution, over the next few weeks PlayStation VR owners will also be looking at expanding their content libraries as a bunch of videogames are coming out. Fantastic Contraption launched this week, with SUPERHOT VR, Dino Frontier, CastleStorm VR, Theseus and Archangel all due out soon.

For the latest updates on PlayStation VR, keep reading VRFocus.