HP Launch Wearable VR Backpack PC In India

Companies are always seeking new markets to sell their products. Technology companies are definitely no exception. India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, and has recently seen a growth in the immersive technology sector. HP are looking to capitalise on this by launching its wearable VR PC in the country.

The HP Z VR Backpack was described on its initial launch as ‘The World’s first professional wearable VR PC’. Designed for the professional sector, its advanced capabilities can be used in areas such as product design, architecture, entertainment and industry.

HP Z VR Backpack

The HP Z VR Backpack was created to be lightweight, at 4.6kgs, with a durable mesh harness. It boasts an Intel Core i7 vPro processor, Nvidia Quadro P5200 GPU and 32Gb of DDR4 system memory.

The package available in India comes with the HP Z backpack PC, along with harness, dock, hot-swappable batteries, battery clips and power adapter. The batteries provide approximately one hour of high-end VR on a full charge. The VR head-mounted display will need to be bought separately.

The docking system allows users to move easily between wearable VR and standard desktop functions, even supporting two 4K displays. The PC comes with a variety of ports to provide versatility: 4 USB 3.0 Type-A ports, USB Type-C port, HDMI 2.0 port, a mini-DP 1.3 port, audio combo jack, HMD power jack and standard power port.

Though the HP Z VR Backpack was launched in other regions in 2017, it is only now being made available in India. Other VR-ready PCs from HP are also going on sale, such as the HP ZBook 17 laptop, though the ultra high-end Omen X Compact Desktop is yet to see a launch in India.

The HP Z VR Backpack costs Rs 3,25,000 and is available directly from HP. For further news on product launches for VR equipment and accessories, keep checking back with VRFocus.

Arizona Sunshine On A HP Z Backpack PC

One of the downsides to high-end virtual reality (VR) on the PC is the amount of wires and cables that are required to make it work. This can sometimes pull you up sort if you twist around the wrong way, or try and walk too far. One solution for this issue is to take your PC with you. As Intel demonstrates.

The demonstration video features popular zombie shooter Arizona Sunshine running on a backpack PC. Specifically the HP Z backpack PC, powered by an Intel Core i7 7820 HQ. The video features David Nassau from the Intel Corporation talking about the advantages of the backpack PC setup for VR experiences such as Arizona Sunshine.

“This new HP Z backpack is the next step in working on new innovative products together. As a result of this hardware we’re able to offer extremely immersive experiences like Arizona Sunshine. Gamers can get the most realistic gaming experiences with Intel processors.” Nassau said, “Having an untethered VR experience allows you to get the most immersive experience possible. Being able to turn on a dime and not risk damaging your computing or bringing you out of the immersion of the game.”

He continued: “Intel’s been engaged with developers in the virtual reality space and non-virtual reality space and by doing so we’re enabling the most engaging, immersive experiences on Intel platforms.”

The video demonstrating the HP Z backpack PC is available to view below. More information on that hardware can be found at the HP website.

VRFocus will continue to report on new hardware for VR.

HP Z VR Backpack PC Full Specifications Revealed

Earlier this month Hewlett Packard (HP) revealed the latest addition to the company’s range of virtual reality (VR) ready PC backpacks, the HP Z VR Backpack PC. Set to release next month, the full specifications of the device have now been revealed.

Backpack PCs are becoming ever more popular as an interim solution to untethered VR. The HP Z VR Backpack PC is most definitely designed to fit into the high-end range of the spectrum, set to retail for $3,299 USD. Aimed at business use cases, the lightweight PC backpack boasts hot swappable batteries and a docking station for immediate transfer to a standardised PC format.

Compatible with both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, as would be expected, the HP Z VR Backpack PC sports a Intel Core i7 7820HQ processor (2.9GHz, upto 3.9GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, 8MB cache, 4 cores) and a NVIDIA Quadro P5200 (16GB) graphics card. Miracast for wireless external display broadcast is also included.

The full specification for the HP Z VR Backpack PC follows below, verbatim from HP, and VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest VR compatible backpack PCs coming to market.

Operating System Windows 10 Pro 64–HP recommends Windows 10 Pro.

Processor Family 7th Generation Intel® Core™i7 processor

Processors Intel® Core™i7-7820HQ with Intel® HD Graphics 630(2.9GHz, up to 3.9GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, 8MBcache, 4cores)

Chipset Intel® QM175

Maximum Memory 32GB DDR4-2400 non-ECC unbuffered SDRAM (Transfer rates up to 2400MT/s)

Memory Slots 2 SODIMM

Internal Storage 256GB up to 1TB

Available Graphics Discrete: NVIDIA® Quadro® P5200 (16GB)(With Miracast for wireless external display.)

Expansion Slots 1 M.2 PCIe Gen3x1 (For WLAN/BT M.2 module only)

Ports and Connectors Top: 1 HMD power port; 2 USB 3.0; 1 HDMI 2.0; 1 mini DisplayPort™ 1.3; 1 Thunderbolt™ (USB Type-C™ connector); 1 headphone/microphone combo Bottom: 1 dock connector; 2 external battery power ports Right side: 2 USB3.0 Left side: 1DC-in power connector

Networking LAN: Realtek RTL8153B10/100/1000Mbit WLAN:Intel® Dual BandWireless-AC8265802.11a/b/g/n/ac(2×2) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 4.2Combo

Audio RealTek ALC3866-CG with integrated DTS Headphone:X®

Power 330W up to 92.6% efficiency, activePFC

Software HP Performance Advisor; HP Remote Graphics Software(RGS)7.1; HP Client Security Software; HP Velocity; HP Client Management Software Suite

Dimensions (WxDxH) 13.11 x 9.29×2.39in, 33.3 x 23.6 x 6.09cm

Weight 10.25lb 4.65kg (Weight includes Backpack plus the HPZ VR Backpack harness and external. Weight will vary by configuration.)

Energy Efficiency Compliance ENERGYSTAR® certified and EPEAT® registered configurations available

Environmental Low halogen

HP’s New Commercial VR Backpack PC Smartly Docks to Double as VR Desktop

Scheduled for release in September starting at $3,300, the HP Z VR Backpack G1 Workstation is aimed at the commercial market, with high-performance components including an Intel Core i7 CPU and Nvidia Quadro GPU. It features a smart docking design for use as a VR backpack computer as well as a VR desktop, and includes two hot-swappable batteries for continuous tether-free VR use.

Unlike their gamer-centric Omen X VR Backpack (which was introduced last year as a concept and is now about to launch as the ‘Omen X Compact Desktop‘), the new Z VR Backpack adds to HP’s family of VR-Ready workstation-class PCs, making it suitable for business applications such as product development and employee training. Announced at SIGGRAPH 2017 this week, the system is described as “the most powerful wearable VR PC ever created”, and “the world’s first professional wearable VR PC”.

The professional-grade specifications centre around the vPro-enabled Intel Core i7-7820HQ processor, and Nvidia Quadro P5200 GPU with 16GB VRAM. The system can be configured with up to 32GB RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD.

Despite the seemingly imminent wireless VR revolution, HP believes there is still a market for this form of wearable solution, perhaps for applications where it is unsuitable or difficult to mount a wireless transmitter, or where many VR users are operating in close proximity.

The aggressive cut in the video between dock and backpack in the footage perhaps highlights the rugged design of the system, which has been built for “extreme durability with 120,000 hours of HP testing” and is designed to pass MIL-STD 810G tests (a US Military Standard).

Image courtesy HP

Much like the recently-announced Omen X Compact Desktop, part of the Z VR Backpack’s appeal is the dual-purpose design, meaning that it can quickly transition between desktop dock—which is capable of dual 4K monitor output—and backpack, for untethered, high-end VR. That makes it a much more practical purchase than an expensive VR backpack PC which would otherwise require lots of plugging and unplugging each time you want to switch between backpack mode and use as a regular computer—not to mention that mounting it upright saves plenty of desk space.

A full overview of the system and its specifications is available on HP’s website.

“Virtual reality is changing the way people learn, communicate and create. Making the most of this technology requires a collaborative relationship between customers and partners”, says Xavier Garcia, vice president and general manager, Z Workstations, HP Inc. “As a leader in technology, HP is uniting powerful commercial VR solutions, including new products like the HP Z VR Backpack, with customer needs to empower VR experiences our customers can use today to reinvent the future.”

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