Smart glasses are on the verge of taking off thanks to companies like Qualcomm, Nreal and Ray-Ban but what they actually offer can vary wildly. Smart glasses startup Viture is firmly focused on one particular aspect to gain customers and that’s gaming, and it seems to be working very well considering the Kickstarter it’s running has surpassed $2 million USD, easily smashing its initial goal.
The Kickstarter launched at the end of April looking to raise $20,000 USD (£16k GBP) and is currently sitting on $2.7 million (£2.1 million) with a few days left to spare. So what are the Viture One XR Glasses and why have they created so much buzz. Well, even though they say XR (eXtended Reality) which suggests augmented reality (AR) capabilities so they can interact and are aware of the environment around you, this isn’t the case. Instead, the Viture One is more akin to wearing a giant 120″ virtual screen on your face, offering 1080p resolution, 60 fps, spatial sound, 5G/Wifi and streaming features.
It’s that latter part which really sets these smart glasses apart and why Viture has been heavily leaning on the gaming aspect of the device. Because this allows owners to stream content from their PlayStations or Xboxes straight into the glasses, giving them a big-screen viewing experience wherever they are.
To manage all of this the Viture One’s don’t pack all the features inside the glasses themselves, there’s an additional unit that hangs around your neck and connects via a magnetic cable. The neckband houses the heavier components like the battery (3200mAh) so that the Viture One’s are lightweight and comfortable, weighing in at 78g. The neckband has its own controls to cycle through menus while the glasses themselves house myopia adjustment (so you don’t need your glasses) and the ability to dim or brighten the front electrochromic film (for better immersion).
“Portable gaming is on the rise, and we wanted to be the first XR solution that truly made sense for gamers — something that looked great, was stylish, lightweight and affordable while handling any AAA games on the go,” said David Jiang, co-founder and CEO of VITURE. “The VITURE One will be to XR what the iPhone was to smartphones.”
But it isn’t just about play-anywhere gaming. The Viture One neckband includes most major video streaming services pre-installed such as Disney+, Apple Tv, Hulu, Prime Video, and more.
While the final retail price of the Viture One will start from $549 when it goes on sale later this year – slated to be October 2022 – backing the Kickstarter campaign can save you up to $150 on the final price. For example, the Cloud Pack Early Bird (best for cloud gaming) tier costs $529 rather than $678.
With the Kickstarter campaign a success, gmw3 will keep you updated on how well Viture’s story progresses.