Ghostwire: Tokyo, Pragmata, and more PS5 titles get new launch windows at CES
Sony revealed new launch windows for several upcoming PS5 games, including Ghostwire: Tokyo and Pragmata.
Asus’ massive 43-inch HDMI 2.1 display is half TV, half gaming monitor
Thanks to HDMI 2.1, Asus' new desktop monitors are versatile enough to support PC gamers as well as console players on Microsoft Xbox Series X or Sony PlayStation 5.
Lenovo’s bevy of new Legion gaming laptops go all-in on Ryzen 5000
Lenovo unveiled its refreshed Legion laptop lineup at CES, and the company is turning to AMD's latest Ryzen processors -- rather than Intel -- for gaming.
New Design Appears at CES 2021 for Panasonic’s VR Glasses
During CES 2020 one of the most surprising virtual reality (VR) related reveals came from Panasonic with its VR Glasses. Shown in early prototype form, for CES 2021 this week a slightly tweaked design has appeared alongside several specs.
Still, without a decent name, the new Panasonic VR Glasses have distinctly chunkier arms which look to house cameras as the company now states the device uses: “optical technologies used in LUMIX digital cameras.” Those bigger arms no longer tuck behind the ears like normal glasses, gripping the back of your head instead. There’s no mention if this is adjustable though.
In fact, overall details are still fairly sparse when it comes to the new design. Panasonic has said the VR Glasses feature 2.6K micro-OLED panels for each eye with High-Dynamic Range (HDR) capability. These come from Kopin which announced its Lightning 2.6K x 2.6K OLED display (2560 x 2560 resolution) last year. The duo-stack OLED has 10-bit colour control so users can enjoy UHD high-quality images without the dreaded screen door effect hampering the experience.
And just like before it’ll be employing acoustic technologies from its Technics audio products with an ‘original dynamic driver’. Whether this means built-in speakers or merely headphones remains to be seen – previous marketing images did show cabled in earphones.
The glasses will connect to either PC’s or 5G-capable smartphones to deliver content via a USB-C cable so you’ll be able to enjoy UHD visuals wherever you go. However, the design doesn’t support the wearing of actual glasses but there will be diopter adjustment options alongside that bridge wheel for adjusting Inter-Pupillary Distance (IPD). VRFocus found it work quite well when testing the prototype in 2020.
As for availability and price? Well, you’ll have to wait for those, Panasonic has yet to even indicate a possible release year let alone how much the VR Glasses will cost. Maybe it’ll do a 5G smartphone bundle like Neal Light? As and when further details are released, VRFocus will let you know.
Lenovo Targets Mid-2021 For ThinkReality A3 AR Glasses
This week as part of CES 2021, Lenovo announced its new model of AR glasses, the ThinkReality A3.
The A3 is a successor to the ThinkReality A6 headset from 2019, which was an enterprise-focused AR headset aimed at taking on similar offerings from Magic Leap and Microsoft’s HoloLens.
“The smart glasses are part of a comprehensive integrated digital solution from Lenovo that includes the advanced AR device, ThinkReality software, and Motorola mobile phones,” said Jon Pershke, Lenovo Vice President of Strategy and Emerging Business. Like the A6, the A3 is an enterprise-focused AR device.
Inside the ThinkReality A3 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1, stereoscopic 1080p displays, an 8MP camera for 1080p video and dual fish-eye cameras for roomscale tracking. The headset will tether to a PC or select Motorola smartphones via USB-C, depending on the edition of the glasses.
The A3 PC Edition can tether to a laptop or PC in order to “enable users to position multiple, large virtual monitors in their field of view and use Windows software tools and applications.” Lenovo says the virtual monitors are “optimized and compatible” with its ThinkPad laptops and other mobile workstations that use Intel and AMD processors.
The A3 Industrial Edition will tether to Motorola smartphones that have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series or better, providing “hands-free, AR-supported tasks in complex work environments … supported by the ThinkReality software platform, which enables commercial customers to build, deploy, and manage mixed reality applications and content on a global scale.”
Lenovo says the ThinkReality A3 glasses will be available “in select markets worldwide starting mid-2021,” with no word on pricing.
The 15 coolest gadgets at CES 2021
Just because CES 2021 has gone virtual doesn't mean there's a shortage of new tech to ogle. Here, we've rounded up some of the coolest gadgets shown so far.
Google Stadia and GeForce Now cloud streaming services are coming to LG TVs
Two major cloud streaming services are coming to LG TVs later this year, signaling a healthy outlook for the technology's future.
Wild new haptic feedback VR vest looks like something out of Ready Player One
The TactSuit x40 vest from bHaptics uses sound to add a sense of feel to virtual games -- and it look like something straight out of Ready Player One.
OtterBox’s new Xbox mobile gaming accessories signal a cloud gaming revolution
OtterBox has a new line of mobile gaming products designed around Microsoft's cloud gaming service.
SenseGlove Compacts its Force-feedback Tech Into the ‘Nova’
When it comes to data gloves with force-feedback haptics they tend to be big bulky, mechanical devices. This was very much the case with SenseGloves’ first product in 2018 with its striking blue mechanism. Today, for CES 2021, the company has unveiled a far more compact and user-friendly design, the SenseGlove Nova.
Designed primarily for virtual reality (VR) training use cases, the SenseGlove Nova moves away from the exoskeleton look of the original – which will still be available for VR research – with a mechanism inspired by human tendons. Force-feedback is applied by four magnetic friction brakes attached to wires running down the thumb and three fingers. Each of these brakes can deliver up to 20N of force allowing users to feel the form factor of digital objects. SenseGlove say this force is: “equivalent to the weight of a 2 kg brick on each finger.”
Adding to the sensory feedback, the Nova gloves also feature voice coil actuators for vibrotactile haptics in the thumb and index finger. These allow users to feel textures and other sensations, such as pressing a button on a dashboard or using a tool. Plus the SenseGlove Nova is now easier to put on as you don’t need to strap each individual finger in. Thus it should take a few second to don each one.
“Unlike research applications, VR training projects are all about quick implementation. Based on customer feedback, SenseGlove has created a new glove using stretchable, easy to put on material. The ability to experience digital worlds through intuitive real-world behaviours along with the price of $5,000 US make the SenseGlove Nova the most accessible device for the future of work and a new sense in VR training,” said Gijs den Butter, SenseGlove CEO in a statement.
Since the original SenseGlove was released the company has worked with over 100 institutions including Volkswagen, Airbus, Scania and Honda. “The next big step towards truly immersive VR training is to have haptic interactions. Therefore, Volkswagen collaborates with SenseGlove to make this vision of scalable haptic VR training a reality,” adds Malte Hedemann, Referent Digital Realities (VR /AR) at the Volkswagen Group.
SenseGlove is showcasing the working prototype during CES 2021 this week with plans to ship the first pairs of Nova gloves during March. For further updates keep reading VRFocus.