‘Firefox Reality’ VR Web Browser to Launch on Pico Headsets Soon

Mozilla announced at CES this week that it’s bringing Firefox Reality, its VR web browser, to Pico headsets soon.

Launched in late 2018, Firefox Reality is a made-for-VR web browser that includes the ability to sync your Firefox Account, send tabs, sync history and bookmarks, and easily browse a curated selection of WebVR content.

Along with Firefox Reality comes Mozilla Hubs, the web-based social VR platform, both of which are said to arrive on all Pico headsets sometime in Q1 2020.

Hubs allows users to simply follow a hyperlink to quickly collaborate in a customized virtual space, replete with the ability to upload 3D assets, chat in VR, and share documents and photos. The web-based, low-poly social space is accessible to both VR headsets and desktop web browsers, making it potential tool for businesses looking for a quick way to shift in-person meetings from the physical to the virtual.

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Pico Unveils Neo 2 Standalone Headset with Integrated Eye-tracking

It seems with the upcoming release Mozilla is making a continued effort to widen its reach into the standalone headset segment, as it most recently brought Firefox Reality to Oculus Quest last summer. Firefox Reality already supports Oculus Go, HTC Vive Focus, and Google Daydream headsets, so its continued push to support newer headsets is a good sign of the overall health of the project. At the time of this writing Firefox Reality has yet to launch on Steam for PC VR headsets as it was previously announced in April 2019.

The announcement was timed with Pico’s unveiling of the 6DOF standalones Neo 2 and Neo 2 Eye on Monday. Like its name suggests, Neo 2 Eye includes integrated eye-tracking, so it will be interesting to see whether Mozilla will be accommodating that functionality into both the web browser itself as well as Hubs.

The post ‘Firefox Reality’ VR Web Browser to Launch on Pico Headsets Soon appeared first on Road to VR.

Pico Unveils Neo 2 Standalone Headset with Integrated Eye-tracking

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​
  • Controllers – 6DOF haptic controllers​
  • Audio – Integrated Spatial stereo speaker, Dual Mic EC/NR, 3.5mm Jack​
  • 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.

The post Pico Unveils Neo 2 Standalone Headset with Integrated Eye-tracking appeared first on Road to VR.

CES 2020: Pico Neo 2 Pricing Revealed Alongside New Eye Tracking Model

China-based VR hardware company Pico Interactive announced the specifications and planned prices for its upcoming Neo 2 standalone VR headset. The company also revealed a new model in the line called the Neo 2 Eye which incorporates eye-tracking technology in partnership with Tobii.

The Neo 2 line is a successor to the original Pico Neo headset and the company plans to market this one toward businesses. The Pico Neo 2, now called the Pico Neo 2 Standard, was first revealed in March of 2019 but specifications for the device weren’t revealed until now. The headset is priced around $700 while Pico also plans to sell the Neo 2 Eye for around $900 offering the same specifications with the addition of eye tracking.

The company claims the headset includes a display with 4K resolution, 105 degree field of view and a 90Hz refresh rate powered by a Snapdragon 845 alongside 128 GB storage. Pico also says it is going to separately sell the Pico Stream Box using a 60 GHz wireless connection to play PC VR games via a nearby computer.

pico neo 2 eye

Pico claims the Neo 2 Eye model will use eye tracking technology from Tobii to “improve daily enterprise operations and applications.” Tobii is the same company that provided the eye tracking technology for the HTC Vive Pro Eye. We gave our impressions of the technology back at CES this time last year, and Tobii later went on to launch their eye-tracking SDK at GDC a few months later.

The Neo 2 headsets will employ full 6 degrees of freedom with inside out tracking and the company says it uses “electromagnetic” tracking with its controllers, pictured below.

pico neo 2 controllers

This tracking technology may benefit from resistance to occlusion but may be heavier to hold. We’ll plan to see the device at CES in Las Vegas and hopefully report back more details and impressions.

The post CES 2020: Pico Neo 2 Pricing Revealed Alongside New Eye Tracking Model appeared first on UploadVR.

Pico Neo 2 mit PC-Streaming vorgestellt

Gerade findet in den USA die GDC 2019 statt und auch Pico nutzt die Bühne, um eine neue VR-Brille vorzustellen. Die Pico Neo 2 folgt dem VR845 Referenzdesign von Qualcomm und dementsprechend kann die kabellose VR-Brille auch Daten von einem PC empfangen.

Pico Neo 2 mit PC-Streaming vorgestellt

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Die Pico Neo 2 soll in der zweiten Hälfte des Jahres auf den Markt kommen. Einen Preis nennt der Hersteller noch nicht, jedoch kostet das Development Kit von Qualcomm 1600 US-Dollar und die Pico Neo 1 kostete zum Start 749 US-Dollar.

Wenn die VR-Brille autark betrieben wird, kann sie auf den Viveport M zugreifen und den Content aus dem mobilen Store von HTC nutzen. Wird die Brille drahtlos mit einem PC verbunden (60-GHz-Verbindung), kann der Viveport und dessen Inhalte mit der Pico Neo 2 genutzt werden. Ein Support für SteamVR ist noch nicht offiziell angekündigt, jedoch ist es sehr wahrscheinlich, dass sich die Brille mit SteamVR verwenden lassen wird.

Aktuell gibt es noch keine Bilder von der Pico Neo 2 und noch keine weiteren Details zur Hardware. Wir halten euch auf dem Laufenden.

(Quelle: Upload VR)

Der Beitrag Pico Neo 2 mit PC-Streaming vorgestellt zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!