During its CES 2020 livestream, Samsung casually showed off AR glasses- without formally declaring it to be an upcoming product or even acknowledging anything remarkable about showing such a device.
The segment was downright bizarre. Rather than actually being an announcement of AR glasses, it was a demo of a system called Gait Enhancing & Motivating System (GEMS), an exercise analytics and training platform.
The company representative wore an exoskeleton around their legs and body. This contains sensors which report health and activity data while exercising.
And then- without warning- “I’ll put on my AR glasses”. The hardware resembles Nreal Lite in form factor, relatively slim but not quite regular glasses. Somewhere between thick sunglasses and ski goggles. The employee uses hand gestures to select their exercise routine and a virtual instructor appears in front of them.
If this is a product, the name was not shown, no specs were given, no details were provided, and it wasn’t mentioned whether it was standalone or powered by a smartphone. However, the employee did connect a cable from their chest to the glasses before starting, suggesting an external source of compute and power.
No tech company has yet launched compelling consumer AR glasses. The technology is very early in its development. Reports indicate that Apple and Facebook are investing billions researching AR and intend to launch lightweight glasses some time in the next 3-5 years.
But Samsung might just be beating them to market with an earlier, less mature product. Whether the tech giant will be capable of delivering an experience which people want to actually use beyond as a tech demo is yet to be seen, but we’ll keep a close eye on Samsung to find out what exactly they’ve just teased.
At CES 2020 Nreal is claiming that its upcoming AR glasses can pin your phone’s regular Android apps in your physical environment.
Nreal is a China-based company founded in 2017 with the goal of delivering lightweight consumer AR glasses before the major tech companies. Their first product is called Nreal Light. Instead of having on-board processing, the Nreal Light glasses are tethered to either a high end recent Android phone or an Nreal compute pack.
Specifically, the company claims the glasses will work with any Android phone which uses the Snapdragon 855 processor. That should include the Samsung Galaxy S10, Google Pixel 4, OnePlus 7, Galaxy Note 10, and more.
Nreal opened preorders back in November for a “developer kit” which includes the glasses and compute pack, for around $1200. The glasses alone are expected to be priced around $500 to consumers.
Nreal planned to ship the Nreal Light in 2019, but delayed until 2020. They now intend to ship the Nreal Light to consumers in the spring of 2020.
Nebula: Your Apps In Real Space
The company’s big announcement at CES 2020 is Nebula: a software system which it claims lets users pin and use their regular Android apps in real space.
Nreal describes Nebula as supporting “all their favorite mobile apps”. If true, this would allow for use cases such as watching Netflix in bed on a floating virtual screen.
The company claims that the software will remember what apps you’ve placed in a room when you re-enter it so they’ll be in the same position you left them. Multiple apps are said to be supported at once, so you could theoretically create an “infinite workspace” which could give you the effect of having many monitors.
A visualization provided by Nreal of its Nebula system.
For users who opt to use Nreal’s compute pack instead of their phone, such as those who use an iPhone, it is unclear how this feature will work. Such a compute box would likely not have access to Google Play — the platform has a strict device certification process which does not include AR glasses yet. It may be that Nreal is planning to have its own store of 2D Android apps, we’ve reached out to clarify.
A supported tethered smartphone can be used to interact with apps as a rotational laser pointer, similar to the Oculus Go‘s controller. Based on our experience with 3DoF controllers on 6DoF headsets, this would likely be an awkward experience.
If you want full 6DoF positional controllers, Nreal claims support for the upcoming FinchShift controllers, expected to retail for around $200.
AR Is Still Primitive
While Nreal Light and the Nebula system sound great in theory, it is important to note that AR glasses are still in the very early stages.
AR glasses are a massive technological undertaking with enormous leaps in miniaturization and input needed to achieve true consumer appeal. Facebook, for example, has thousands of people working on VR and AR to make those breakthroughs and its top researcher still says compelling AR hardware is perhaps half a decade away. Nreal’s field of view, like all current AR glasses, is only 52°- around half of a typical virtual reality headset. This means that you only see the digital objects and apps within a small rectangle of your view rather than all over the glass.
A specific shortcoming of Nreal is we believe it does not support occlusion. Occlusion refers to when a digital object is placed behind a real world object. If a system doesn’t support occlusion, the digital object will be rendered on top of the object, breaking the illusion. Both HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap One support it.
When we went hands-on with Nreal at MWC 2019 we were somewhat impressed with the size of the gear and sharpness of the image, but only tested it in very limited controlled conditions. We should get an updated demo at CES 2020 so check back for updates.
Don’t forget to check out our CES 2020 Coverage Hub right herefor all of the latest announcements for VR and AR tech from the show!
The PlayStation VR has proved to be a success for Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) since its launch in 2016, so much so that the company releases sales figures from time to time. During Sony’s press conference at CES 2020 in Las Vegas today it was revealed that 5 million PlayStation VR’s have now been sold.
While 5 million may not sound like a lot in comparison to the 106 million PlayStation 4’s sold, the figure still represents a sizable consumer install base where virtual reality (VR) developers are concerned.
It’s difficult to compare to rivals like Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest or HTC Vive for example because neither of those companies ever reveal hardware sales figures. The closest idea of PC VR used figures comes from the Steam Hardware Survey which is entirely optional to opt into, so the results can vary and certainly don’t proved actual headset numbers.
The success of PlayStation VR has been intertwined with the success of PlayStation 4, with so many consoles in people’s homes its an easy add-on for gaming fans. While PlayStation VR’s ease of use, comfort and library of videogames are its biggest plus points, VR has advanced considerably in the last three years. This makes PlayStation VR’s technology look a little dated in comparison to rivals, especially where PlayStation Move is concerned.
SIE was also ensured PlayStation VR’s sales continue by offering lots of new deals, bundling the headset with new videogames or slashing the price – like the recent Black Friday sales which saw a sub £200 offering.
For the meantime PlayStation VR’s future is still secure, as the headset has already been confirmed as supporting the upcoming PlayStation 5 console due to arrive at the end of the year. Patents have surfaced regarding possible PlayStation VR 2 designs including built0in cameras for inside-out tracking or wireless options.
PlayStation VR will need to be updated eventually but at the moment SIE doesn’t seem to be rushing into anything whilst the headset is still popular and selling well. VRFocus will continue its coverage of PlayStation VR, reporting back with the latest content announcements and more.
At CES 2020, Sony gave a first look at the PlayStation 5 game console's logo. There's no surprises here. The PS5 logo follows in the footsteps of its predecessors with a familiar font and style.
Sony just kicked off its CES 2020 press conference with an update on PSVR sales. The headset has now surpassed over five million units sold.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) President and CEO Jim Ryan confirmed as much on-stage (livestream here). This is the first update on PSVR sales we’ve had in a while; last March Sony said the kit had reached 4.2 million units sold. If Ryan’s comments are on track, that means the kit sold 0.8 million units in the past eight months.
Other major VR headset makers don’t reveal sales stats, so we can’t say for sure if this figure beats the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, let alone Oculus Quest or Valve Index, but given PSVR’s popularity there’s a very, very good chance it does.
Ryan also confirmed that PS4 itself had now reached 106 million units sold, with 1.15 billion PS4 games sold, 103 million monthly active users and 38.8 million PS Plsu subscribers. All-in-all everything seems pretty rosy in Sony land, then.
But that wasn’t quite it; Sony did also reveal the official logo for its next console, the PS5. It looks, like you might expect, like the PS3 and PS4 logos… with a 5 at the end. No change of getting a V on this one, then.
Sadly that’s about all the new information we learned on the PS5 front. The console is coming to market during the holiday 2020 period. We know that it will support the original PSVR headset and be backwards compatible with PS4 content. But we’re still waiting to see what Sony’s plans are for a potential PSVR2. We do know at the very least that such a device probably won’t launch alongside PS5 this year.
What do you think of the latest PSVR sales update? Did the PS5 logo somehow move you in any certain way (really)? Let us know in the comments below!
Sony just kicked off its CES 2020 press conference with an update on PSVR sales. The headset has now surpassed over five million units sold.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) President and CEO Jim Ryan confirmed as much on-stage (livestream here). This is the first update on PSVR sales we’ve had in a while; last March Sony said the kit had reached 4.2 million units sold. If Ryan’s comments are on track, that means the kit sold 0.8 million units in the past eight months.
Other major VR headset makers don’t reveal sales stats, so we can’t say for sure if this figure beats the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, let alone Oculus Quest or Valve Index, but given PSVR’s popularity there’s a very, very good chance it does.
Ryan also confirmed that PS4 itself had now reached 106 million units sold, with 1.15 billion PS4 games sold, 103 million monthly active users and 38.8 million PS Plsu subscribers. All-in-all everything seems pretty rosy in Sony land, then.
But that wasn’t quite it; Sony did also reveal the official logo for its next console, the PS5. It looks, like you might expect, like the PS3 and PS4 logos… with a 5 at the end. No change of getting a V on this one, then.
Sadly that’s about all the new information we learned on the PS5 front. The console is coming to market during the holiday 2020 period. We know that it will support the original PSVR headset and be backwards compatible with PS4 content. But we’re still waiting to see what Sony’s plans are for a potential PSVR2. We do know at the very least that such a device probably won’t launch alongside PS5 this year.
What do you think of the latest PSVR sales update? Did the PS5 logo somehow move you in any certain way (really)? Let us know in the comments below!
CES 2020 has raised the bar on gaming monitor quality. That's awesome. Except for one problem: They're way too expensive. We saw a parade of ultra-high-end monitors most gamers just can't afford.
Pico Interactive, the company behind a number of enterprise-focused standalone VR headsets, unveiled their newest line of Neo 2 headsets, one of which includes integrated eye-tracking from Tobii.
Neo 2 has been floating around for a few months now in its prototype form, albeit without the newly unveiled addition of eye-tracking. Venture Beat’s Jeremy Horowitz points out that headset made a few public appearances late last year when it was featured using Qualcomm’s Boundless XR streaming tech, which allows content streaming from a VR-ready PC over wireless 2X2 MIMO 802.11ac 5G link with a MIMO 5G router.
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor with Boundless XR, the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) Pico Neo 2 line of standalone headsets includes both the Neo 2 Standard and Neo 2 Eye. Both are said to ship later this year, with Neo 2 Standard priced at $700 and the Neo 2 Eye at $900.
Image courtesy Pico Interactive
Tobii, the Sweden-based eye-tracking firm, says its integrated eye-tracking in the Neo 2 Eye allows for both improved graphics and longer battery life thanks to its dynamic foveated rendering, which is said to increase framerates “by up to 66% and reduces shading loads by up to 72%.”
Eye-tracking in VR allows for a few other things too outside of foveated rendering though. Knowing where a user is looking can unlock some insights into user behavior, something Tobii says can be used in a variety of use cases such as training and assessment, simulation, knowledge and skills transfer, and customer research. Other uses include eye-based UI input and enhancement of avatars for social VR interaction.
Neo 2 Specs
Resolution – 3,840 × 2,160@75Hz, PPI: 818, 5.5 inch x 1 VR TFT
FOV – 101 degree，Fresnel lenses
IPD – Adaptive, 55mm – 71mm
Tracking – Inside-out 6DOF Head tracking and Guardian System
Connections – USB-C 3.0 Extendable 3.5mm Power DC Jack
Eye Tracking (Neo 2 Eye) – Gaze data output frequency (binocular), 90Hz refresh
We have feet on the ground in Las Vegas for CES 2020, which takes place January 7 – 10. Check back soon for all things AR/VR to come from one of the world’s largest consumer electronics shows.
This week at CES 2020, VRgineers, makers of the enterprise-focused XTAL headset, plan to debut the latest version of their ultrawide FOV headset which will use a 4K display for each eye, which the company calls “8K,” and bring improved lenses and a video passthrough add-on.
VRgineers introduced their ultrawide XTAL headset two years ago and have been regularly tweaking it with improvements since then. The latest version of the headset, which the company says will debut this week at CES 2020, will bring “significantly better picture quality and readability.”
That’s thanks to new high resolution LCD displays which offer 4K resolution per-eye, which the company calls “8K.”
Quick note: We’re putting the “8K” in quotes because here it doesn’t refer to the same 8K that would come to mind for most of us when thinking of TVs or monitors. While the headset’s total horizontal resolution is claimed at 8K pixels, that’s split across each eye, meaning the effective resolution is 4K horizontally, and shorter vertically than you’d expect from an 8K TV resolution. We think this is confusing, so as with other headsets that use similar nomenclature, we put “8K” in quotes to help our readers understand that it’s being used differently than they might expect.
VRgineers says the new XTAL headset also has “improved lenses,” a pass-through video add-on for AR applications, and a version with a helmet-mount to attach the headset to helmets for simulator applications.
Image courtesy VRgineers
Aside from those changes, the latest XTAL appears to use the same hulking design and include the same features as earlier versions: a claimed 180 degree field of view, eye-tracking with automatic IPD adjustment, SteamVR Tracking, and Ultraleap hand-tracking. Ostensibly the newest version of the headset will be priced at the same €6,190 as the prior version, but we’re awaiting confirmation.
Alongside the news of their upgraded XTAL headset, VRgineers also says a software update planned for late Q1 will benefit the new and existing XTAL headsets with a “new warping algorithm with precise depth and size perception,” which will hopefully address the distortion issues we’ve seen consistently on XTAL headsets in the past.
Before the holiday season, Pimax announced a new VR headset called Artisan that looks to fill the low-price gap in the company’s product offerings. Although the headset is able to use Valve’s SteamVR tracking standard, a model is set to arrive with a NOLO VR tracking and controller kit, a move that’s meant to appeal to entry-level users without SteamVR base stations or controllers.
The Artisan headset itself is said to reduce costs by including less expensive RGB stripe LCD panels, which features dual 1,600 × 1,440 displays clocked at 120Hz refresh, and a diagonal 140 degree horizontal (170 diagonal) field of view.
Talking to MRTV’s Sebastian Ang, Pimax COO Kevin Henderson detailed the company’s two upcoming versions of Artisan: a standard model without accessories or integrated audio, and a version with Nolo VR tracking base station, Nolo controllers, head tracking marker, and a flexible head strap with integrated audio—the later of which Henderson compares to the company’s previous “4K” headset in function.
Pimax “4K” with integrated audio, Image courtesy Pimax
Both versions of Artisan feature compatibility with SteamVR tracking, however Henderson explains the move to include Nolo VR tracking was a way of letting users play 6DOF PC VR games out of the box at a cheaper all-in price than something like Valve Index whilst simultaneously leaving an upgrade path for users looking to adopt Valve’s tracking standard later down the line. When purchased separately a pair of SteamVR 2.0 base stations and Index controllers alone costs $580.
While Pimax is couching Artisan as an entry-level solution, it’s still unclear what either Artisan versions will cost, or when they’re slated to arrive. Pimax is showing Artisan at CES 2020, so we’re hoping to find out more when we stop by their booth on our haunt through the convention’s massive halls.
Nolo VR, a Beijing-based company, offers its $200 6DOF tracking kit which is typically paired with 3DOF headsets such as Oculus Go or Samsung Gear VR in order to ‘convert’ them into 6DOF headsets, replete with 6DOF head and controller tracking.
Image courtesy NOLO VR
Nolo VR does this wirelessly by way of its PolarTraq technology, which is based on an optic-acoustic-radio-signal tracking technology developed by the company.
Henderson tells MRTV that support for Nolo VR is also going to be baked into Pi Tool, Pimax’s compatibility layer for their range of “8K” and “5K” wide field of view headsets.
Nolo VR’s solution is by no means perfect, as it suffers from the same sort of occlusion issues that any single base station tracking standard might, however it seems to be popular enough to garner the company with continued investments, the latest of which arrived to the tune of $15 million in June 2019. We’re looking forward to find out just how far Nolo VR has come in terms of reliability and latency, two sticking points for the system when it was first introduced in 2017.
We have feet on the ground in Las Vegas for CES 2020, which takes place January 7 – 10. Check back soon for all things AR/VR to come from one of the world’s biggest consumer electronics shows.
