Category: Panasonic

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The first VR Headset from CES 2022 is the Lightweight, microOLED MeganeX

MeganeX header

CES 2022 officially starts tomorrow (5th Jan) holding both an in-person and online event – CES 2021 was purely online – showcasing the very latest gadgets and gizmos due to arrive over the next 12 months. Today sees the arrival of a new virtual reality (VR) headset from Japanese tech company Shiftall Inc. The MeganeX is an ultra-lightweight 5.2K device that’s SteamVR compatible and slated to arrive this Spring.

MeganeX

A subsidiary of Panasonic, up to now Shiftall is best known for the HaritoraX, a motion-tracking device compatible with SteamVR. The MeganeX takes those VR ambitions up a notch, promising a device that’s not only light but also packs 1.3inch OLED Microdisplays with a 2,560×2,560 per eye resolution at a 120Hz refresh rate. The displays come by way of the Kopin Corporation, which Panasonic previously partnered with for the VR Glasses shown at CES 2020 followed by an update the following year. In fact, MeganeX looks very similar albeit with those extra handles on the side.

Another feature that Kopin might be helping Shiftall with is the lenses. MeganeX features pancake lenses, optics designed to slim down headsets. Kopin revealed last year its latest all-plastic Pancake optics to further reduce weight. Shiftall says its device should weigh in at approximately 250g (8.8oz), slightly heavier than the Vive Flow which also utilises a pancake system.

With its glasses style design the MeganeX features a foldable frame with built-in speakers and because it supports SteamVR, the device has 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) head tracking. This is all powered by Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon XR1 platform – Meta Quest uses the XR2 platform for reference. It’ll also come with its own controller says Shiftall, although no further details were given regarding its capabilities.

Panasonic VR Glasses CES2021
Panasonic VR Glasses from CES 2021

MeganeX Specifications

  • Display – 1.3inch Micro OLED 5.2K (2,560×2,560 per eye) 10bit HDR/120Hz
  • Weight – Approx. 250g (8.8oz)
  • Tracking system – 6DoF, camera based inside-out head tracking
  • Platform – SteamVR and more (future update)
  • Connection – Display Port Alternate Mode on USB-C or Display Port + USB2.0

YouTuber and tech analyst Brad Lynch is at CES 2022 and got an early look at the prototype, offering some positive feedback on the new headset in the video below.

But there shouldn’t be too long to wait to see the final product in action as Shiftall has said the MeganeX will be released in Spring 2022 for under $900 USD – no details just yet on whether that’s worldwide or region-specific. For continued updates on the MeganeX and CES 2022 in general, keep reading VRFocus.

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CES 2022 VR: What To Expect From The Show

CES finally returns to a physical, if somewhat muted show this week. Here’s what to expect on the VR side.

CES was once one of the key events in the VR calendar, but its impact on the industry has waned over time. Meta has its own events for Quest announcements, Sony saves gaming reveals for other showcases, HTC Vive hasn’t held a press conference in a number of years and, as VR has become less and less of a buzzword, we’ve seen fewer big players flaunt the tech on the show floor.

But the Vegas showcase does remain a fascinating display of VR oddities, underdogs and the occasional juggernaut. Here’s just a few things to expect from CES this year. We’re at the show so we’ll be offering full coverage.

CES 2022 VR: What To Expect

bHaptics’ Quest 2 Gloves

Last week the company behind one of Quest’s most popular haptic vests revealed its own haptic gloves, named TactGlove. They use the headset’s hand-tracking with motors at the tips of your fingers to provide a sense of feedback when touching objects in VR. But will they offer a compelling enough experience to justify a $299 price point? Hopefully we’ll get an answer during the show.

Panasonic’s Lightweight VR Returns

MeganeX

As announced earlier today, Panasonic subsidiary Shiftall seems to be working on the first consumer version of the company’s lightweight SteamVR headset, named MeganeX. It’s a bit of a puzzle, given the light form factor is somewhat negated by being attached to a PC via USB, but if it offers a comfortable, high-fidelity experience then it could be a strong new contender for the PC VR market. We’ll look to bring you more as the week goes on.

A First Look At Pimax Reality?

Pimax is one of the many companies to have pulled out of CES proper, with no presence on the show floor. But, as the company confirmed in an update last week, there will still be some media meetings available. Hopefully, then, we’ll be able to bring you a first look at the recently-announced Pimax Reality series, a hybrid, modular headset that promises to spare no expense.

Sony, LG And Beyond?

Everything We Know About PSVR 2 2021

Some of the highlights of every CES include the conferences from big tech companies announcing their range of products for the year to come. Usually it’s all about fridges that can tell your car what you need to buy and robots that can take your bags to the airport. But we do occasionally get a glimpse of surprising new VR announcements here and there. With that in mind, we’ll be watching a lot of shows today, January 4th, including LG’s show at 8am PT, Nvidia also at 8am PT, Intel at 10am PT, Qualcomm at 11am PT, Sony at 5pm PT and Samsung at 6:30pm PT. Again, we don’t expect anything to be revealed at these shows, but each of these companies has dabbled with the VR market to some degree in the past, so we’ll keep an eye out.

As for a potential PSVR 2 sighting? Well, Sony does like to announce some PlayStation news at these shows, like the 2013 introduction of PlayStation Now or, in 2020, the PS5 logo, but it’s not likely. We’d settle for confirmation the headset is definitely coming this year, though.

And that’s what’s happening with VR at CES 2022! What are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!

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Panasonic Announces AR HUD For Cars With Situational Awareness

This week at CES, Panasonic announced a new augmented reality heads-up display (HUD) system for cars, which claims to offer many more features than currently available in typical car HUD systems.

Heads-up displays have been available in cars for a number of years now, however in their current form, they tend to be pretty limited in scope. In most situations, they simply offer basic navigation and vehicle information overlaid on a small static display that is projected from the dashboard onto the windscreen, visible only to the driver.

However, Panasonic’s new AR HUD system aims to offer much more, including a larger display and situational awareness of the area in front of and around the car.

According to Panasonic, the new HUD system “projects 3D, AI-driven key information into the driver’s line of sight to help reduce driver distraction and potentially increase safety on the road.” It promises an “expanded field of view” and a system that uses AI to dynamically rearrange the graphics to adjust with the vehicle’s movements.

Panasonic AR Hud Car

Panasonic provided the image embedded above as an illustration, however this may not be fully representative of the look of the final product.

Panasonic claim that sudden changes to the environment, such as a potential collision or a cyclist on the road, can be detected and marked by the system, with environmental information updating in less than 300 milliseconds. It uses a 3D imaging radar to achieve this, with “full 180-degree forward vision up to 90 meters and across approximately three traffic lanes,” alongside eye tracking that will correct for any inconsistencies between the projected HUD image and the driver’s line of sight.

“Panasonic’s AR HUD solutions cover more of the roadway, with traditional cluster content like speed and fuel in the near field as well as 3D overlays in the far field, showing navigation and other critical driver data mapping spatially to the road ahead,” says President of Panasonic Automotive and Executive Director of Panasonic Smart Mobility Scott Kirchner. “And in a future with more self-driving vehicles, our AR HUD could provide an important added level of comfort and assurance for AV passengers as well.”

Would you be interesting in trying out this AR HUD in your car? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Panasonic Reveals Improved Specs for Its Impressively Compact VR Glasses

At last year’s CES, Panasonic unveiled a prototype of a pretty sleek pair of VR glasses. Only a few journalists got a chance to try the prototype then, noting that they were more akin to a ‘VR viewer’ since they lacked room-scale tracking and was primarily used for watching immersive video whilst tethered to a PC. At this year’s all-digital CES 2021, Panasonic showed off a new and improved version of the device, which packs in some pretty intriguing specs alongside the new addition of optical 6DOF tracking.

Japanese publication AVWatch got a chance to go hands-on with the new headset at an invite-only reveal concurrently held in Japan—something that wasn’t possible at CES due to the ongoing pandemic.

Although there’s no onboard computing or power—it connects to either 5G Android smartphones or PCs via a USB-C cable—it appears Panasonic is actively fleshing out the sleek little headset’s specs to appeal to consumers looking for a lightweight tethered option. It’s also said to work with SteamVR, which means users could hypothetically play games and connect via social VR platforms like Rec Room or Bigscreen.

Image courtesy AVWatch

As for specs, last year’s prototype boasted ultra high definition (UHD) resolution, which means it was likely a total of 4K resolution split between two displays. AVWatch notes that this year’s model features dual 2,560 × 2,560 micro OLEDs with a pixel density 2,245ppi.

The micro OLED panels, which were developed in collaboration with Panasonic and Kopin, are said to support 120Hz as well as HDR. Much like Pico’s G3 prototype, which hasn’t been released yet, Panasonic’s aptly names ‘VR Glasses’ also feature pancake optics, which reduce the overall bulk and weight of the device.

Beyond its basic functionality, there were a few concerns about last year’s prototype, namely its inherently front-heavy design, which made it particularly easy to slip off the nose. AVWatch notes that this year’s model has better weight distribution by both strengthening the device’s arms and improving the shape of the fins to better grip to the user’s head.

Image courtesy AVWatch

Audio is another area of improvement for the prototype, which now features integrated audio built by Panasonics’ subsidiary Technics instead of the previous design’s dangling earbuds. Panasonic didn’t comment on the exact implementation, however it sounds very similar to the way Oculus provides onboard audio in Oculus Quest and Oculus Go.

The VR glasses also include both IPD (interpupilary distance) adjustment and a diopter adjustment mechanism to accommodate near-sighted users—important features to have for such a close-fitting VR headset.

Image courtesy AVWatch

There’s still no clear price or release date in sight. Granted, it’s hard to say whether VR headsets necessarily need to ship out to consumers so quickly though. Microdisplays and pancake optics tend to provide lower field of view (FOV) than dedicated PC VR headsets or standalone devices like Oculus Quest 2, which typically range at or above 100 degrees. This year’s model still doesn’t have a verified FOV spec, but if it’s anything like last year’s it will likely be somewhere around the estimated 70 degrees.

Still, Panasonic’s VR Glasses are an amazing peek at what the near future could bring. Economies of scale could one day reduce the cost of high resolution microdisplays and custom pancake VR lenses, making a tiny pair of 6DOF specs a cheap and cheerful option among a growing sea of VR tech.

The post Panasonic Reveals Improved Specs for Its Impressively Compact VR Glasses appeared first on Road to VR.

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Panasonic Reveals Improved Specs for Its Impressively Compact VR Glasses

At last year’s CES, Panasonic unveiled a prototype of a pretty sleek pair of VR glasses. Only a few journalists got a chance to try the prototype then, noting that they were more akin to a ‘VR viewer’ since they lacked room-scale tracking and was primarily used for watching immersive video whilst tethered to a PC. At this year’s all-digital CES 2021, Panasonic showed off a new and improved version of the device, which packs in some pretty intriguing specs alongside the new addition of optical 6DOF tracking.

Japanese publication AVWatch got a chance to go hands-on with the new headset at an invite-only reveal concurrently held in Japan—something that wasn’t possible at CES due to the ongoing pandemic.

Although there’s no onboard computing or power—it connects to either 5G Android smartphones or PCs via a USB-C cable—it appears Panasonic is actively fleshing out the sleek little headset’s specs to appeal to consumers looking for a lightweight tethered option. It’s also said to work with SteamVR, which means users could hypothetically play games and connect via social VR platforms like Rec Room or Bigscreen.

Image courtesy AVWatch

As for specs, last year’s prototype boasted ultra high definition (UHD) resolution, which means it was likely a total of 4K resolution split between two displays. AVWatch notes that this year’s model features dual 2,560 × 2,560 micro OLEDs with a pixel density 2,245ppi.

The micro OLED panels, which were developed in collaboration with Panasonic and Kopin, are said to support 120Hz as well as HDR. Much like Pico’s G3 prototype, which hasn’t been released yet, Panasonic’s aptly names ‘VR Glasses’ also feature pancake optics, which reduce the overall bulk and weight of the device.

Beyond its basic functionality, there were a few concerns about last year’s prototype, namely its inherently front-heavy design, which made it particularly easy to slip off the nose. AVWatch notes that this year’s model has better weight distribution by both strengthening the device’s arms and improving the shape of the fins to better grip to the user’s head.

Image courtesy AVWatch

Audio is another area of improvement for the prototype, which now features integrated audio built by Panasonics’ subsidiary Technics instead of the previous design’s dangling earbuds. Panasonic didn’t comment on the exact implementation, however it sounds very similar to the way Oculus provides onboard audio in Oculus Quest and Oculus Go.

The VR glasses also include both IPD (interpupilary distance) adjustment and a diopter adjustment mechanism to accommodate near-sighted users—important features to have for such a close-fitting VR headset.

Image courtesy AVWatch

There’s still no clear price or release date in sight. Granted, it’s hard to say whether VR headsets necessarily need to ship out to consumers so quickly though. Microdisplays and pancake optics tend to provide lower field of view (FOV) than dedicated PC VR headsets or standalone devices like Oculus Quest 2, which typically range at or above 100 degrees. This year’s model still doesn’t have a verified FOV spec, but if it’s anything like last year’s it will likely be somewhere around the estimated 70 degrees.

Still, Panasonic’s VR Glasses are an amazing peek at what the near future could bring. Economies of scale could one day reduce the cost of high resolution microdisplays and custom pancake VR lenses, making a tiny pair of 6DOF specs a cheap and cheerful option among a growing sea of VR tech.

The post Panasonic Reveals Improved Specs for Its Impressively Compact VR Glasses appeared first on Road to VR.

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Panasonic’s Slim VR Glasses Add 6DOF And Diopter Adjustment

Panasonic teased major updates to its super slim VR glasses at CES 2021.

We saw the glasses for the first time at the CES last year and noticed some issues with its optics, but it was an early prototype and its weight reduction compared to current VR designs is an incredible achievement. It even featured finely-tuned adjustment for interpupillary distance.

The latest version of the glasses add 6DOF tracking and Panasonic told us via email that the latest design now includes a “stepless diopter adjustment mechanism with each eyepiece adjustable independently”. Diopter adjustment is a feature often seen in cameras and binoculars that adjusts optics to compensate for the differences in a person’s vision. If, say, a camera appears blurry through the lens but images are coming out clear, it might be that the user needs to adjust the diopter to get a clear view through the lens without adjusting the capture itself. Individually different adjusters for each eye in this headset could help users further fine-tune the optics to make it clear for them, then.

A Panasonic website adds that the unit includes “HDR, 2.6K micro-OLED panels for each eye.”

Panasonic VR glasses 2021 CES
2021 CES Panasonic VR glasses

There are also changes to the fitting that Panasonic says should enhance its wearability. Check out the version of the glasses below from CES 2020 to see how it looks compared to the latest edition shown above.

Panasonic VR Goggles
2020 CES Panasonic VR glasses

There’s also a speaker installed at the temple and the glasses should be able to connect to a 5G smartphone to provide processing power for the unit.

Overall, these look like very promising enhancements to the glasses. It is still an open question how much the device might cost if it actually becomes a real product. We’re also curious to see what kind of content might be a good fit for the glasses. It may not compete effectively with something like the Oculus Quest for games, but it might find a market as an ultra-comfortable passive media viewer. That’s speculation at this point, however, as we’ll need to go eyes-in with the new device to get a better feel for it.

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New Design Appears at CES 2021 for Panasonic’s VR Glasses

Panasonic VR Glasses CES2021

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.

Panasonic VR Glasses CES2021

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.

Panasonic VR Eyeglasses
Panasonic VR Glasses CES 2020

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.

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Panasonic zeigt Upgrade der aktuellen VR-Brille

Tower Tag auf Steam

Im Rahmen der CES 2021 hat Panasonic eine überarbeitete Version der aktuellen VR-Brillen gezeigt, an dem das Team intern arbeitet. Dabei handelt es sich um eine Brille mit einer ganz besonderen Form.

Panasonic zeigt Upgrade des aktuellen VR-Prototypen

Scheinbar scheint Panasonic weiterhin an seinem Konzept für eine neue VR-Brille festzuhalten. Nachdem die Brille vor einem Jahr erstmals präsentiert wurde, zeigt Panasonic nun im Rahmen der CES 2021 ein neues Modell, welches wohl viele Verbesserungen mit sich bringen soll.

Der neue Prototyp verfüge über eine Auflösung von 2560 x 2560 Pixel (2245 DPI), neue Lautsprecher, einen besseren Komfort und Kameras für das Tracking bzw. für eine freie Bewegung im Raum. Zudem soll die Brille mit einem PC oder einem Smartphone betrieben werden können.

Sofern es weitere Informationen zur neuen Brille von Panasonic gibt, werden wir euch hier auf VR-Nerds informieren. Was haltet ihr vom Design der Brille von Panasonic?

(Quelle: Twitter, Facebook, mynavi)

Der Beitrag Panasonic zeigt Upgrade der aktuellen VR-Brille zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Panasonic Targets 2021 For Its Slim VR Glasses

Qualcomm today revealed its expectations for wired and eventually wireless VR and AR viewers in the coming decade. As part of the update Panasonic also released a statement indicating the company is targeting 2021 for its lightweight VR glasses.

I tried out the VR glasses at CES in January and left the demo fairly impressed. The glasses were only 3DoF but featured precision adjustment for interpupillary distance. That means the small high resolution screens could be brought into perfect fitting across a wider range of face shapes than many fixed width designs. While the glasses appeared to be a step backward in terms of field of view, Panasonic representatives said at the time that they are looking into putting larger panels inside the glasses. While we also hoped for the addition of cameras for more robust tracking, the latest comment from Panasonic suggests the company may be focusing on the same use cases currently targeted by Oculus Go. That is, a VR-based media viewer of some kind.

“Panasonic has demonstrated the world’s first HDR Capable & Ultra-high definition VR glasses prototype at CES 2020 in Las Vegas and it was very well received by the industry”, said Michiko Ogawa, CTO, Appliances Company, Panasonic Corporation, in a prepared statement. “With the support of Qualcomm Technologies, we plan to optimize these VR glasses to work seamlessly with 5G-enabled smartphones. With a combination of 5G connectivity and compact, lightweight, ultra-high image quality VR glasses, we hope to deliver highly immersive experiences for live music & sports events in 2021 and beyond.”

We’ll provide more updates on the Panasonic glasses as soon as we have them.

The post Panasonic Targets 2021 For Its Slim VR Glasses appeared first on UploadVR.