Update: Dell has reached out to UploadVR to clarify that both its headset and bundle will actually be $10 cheaper than originally planned. This story has been changed to reflect the new pricing.
The Windows VR headset landscape is starting to get pretty crowded and it hasn’t even really begun yet. Both the HP and Acer are available in dev kit form with another on the way from ASUS, but now we know the Dell VR headset (known as the Dell Visor) is just around the corner.
Today, Dell is announcing that their immersive Windows VR headset will go on sale starting October 17th, 2017, for $349, along with the Windows VR motion controllers for $99. Bundles will also be available for $449.
Hands-On Impressions
In terms of comfort and build quality the Windows VR Dell Visor is very similar to the HP Windows VR headset. It has the same padding on the front and back of the headband making it very light and comfy while resting around your head. There is a knob in the back as well for easy tightening and loosening similar to the HP and PSVR as well. Also, just like the HP and Acer, the front of the visor can flip upwards to allow you to easily see the real world which is helpful for talking to people or typing on your keyboard.
In fact, the only difference really between the Dell and HP is that the HP has a breakaway attachment where the cable plugs in (so you can detach and roll it up for traveling) and the Dell has a clip on the back to run the wire to the rear of the headband instead of on the side, which is often annoying.
Visually the exterior design is attractive and the pure white finish actually looks really nice. It’s a good contrast in comparison to the black Rift, Vive, and HP headsets. The PSVR has a nice balance of black and white colors. The camera placement looks less like a toaster in comparison to the Acer and less like Robocop in comparison to the HP, but evokes a sort of bug-eyed appearance in my opinion. Not any worse or off-putting, just different.
During my demo I was relegated to only seeing the Windows VR home interface, not any actual games or apps, but everything looked crisp and worked great. That’s likely due to the fact that it has the same 1440 x 1440 display that the HP and Acer have as well.
Content and Controllers
During the demo we also got the chance to check out the upcoming Windows VR motion controllers, which are expected to arrive at the same time as the Dell headset for $99. For in-depth thoughts on how they felt and performed you can read those hands-on impressions here.
In addition to the news about the headset today we’ve also learned that not only will there be a whole suite of apps and games, such as a new Halo experience, launching on the Windows Store for Windows VR headsets like the Dell (as well as Acer, HP, and ASUS) but we also found out the devices will work with SteamVR too. That opens up a ton of doors for content.
What do you think of the Windows VR Dell Visor? Other than visual design and some cord placement differences it’s virtually identical to the $329 HP headset and slightly better than the $299 Acer headset. You’ll reportedly be able to get one in just a few months (October 17th) for $359 reportedly at the Dell website, Best Buy website, and select Microsoft and Best Buy retail locations. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below!
Microsoft today announced that 343 Industries, the studio tasked with overseeing the Halo franchise, will be creating Halo-themed experiences for the company’s lineup of VR headsets.
The information, revealed by HoloLens’ chief inventor and ‘Mixed Reality’ project lead Alex Kipman, comes alongside the news that Microsoft’s VR headsets and controller bundles will be launching this holiday season for $399.
“…it’s my pleasure to let you know that we are working with 343 Industries to bring future Halo experiences into mixed reality. We are not providing specifics right now, but it is going to be a lot of fun to work with them,” said Kipman.
Alex Kipman, image courtesy Microsoft
It’s uncertain at this time whether the Halo-themed VR experiences will be necessarily tied to the Windows Store, making them defacto exclusive to the Windows Mixed Reality platform. The company’s VR headsets will however have access to content published on Steam, allowing owners to download all supported VR titles, which thanks to the fairly standard button layout of the Windows VR motion controller may mean the full catalog of Vive/Rift games and experiences.
When it comes to input mechanisms for virtual reality it’s really a two horse race at the moment. The HTC Vive nailed roomscale tracking first with its lighthouse base station system and wand-like motion controllers while the Oculus Rift released its Oculus Touch controllers less than a year ago. We prefer the Touch controllers from a pure comfort, ergonomics, and usability perspective, but the lighthouse tracking system is more versatile and scalable.
Meanwhile Sony’s PlayStation VR platform is chugging away with mostly gamepad experiences and a smattering of PS Move controller apps, but those controllers are by far the least advanced part of that setup. As a result Microsoft is hoping to shake up the marketplace with the launch of their Windows “Mixed Reality” VR motion controllers. You can see the reveal video below:
I put “Mixed Reality” in quotes previously because that’s what the company is labeling the entire market consisting of VR, AR, and other technologies. Practically speaking though these are just VR motion controllers to use with either the HP, Acer, or Dell headsets (as well as the upcoming ASUS device.)
Hands-On Impressions
At a private Dell-focused press event in San Francisco earlier this month I got the chance to go hands-on with the Windows VR motion controllers for myself in conjunction with the Dell VR Visor. You can read more about my thoughts on the Dell VR headset here (as well as HP vs Acer) to get the full picture, but for this article we’ll focus strictly on the controllers. Here’s a very unflattering shot of me looking like a fool:
Regardless of which Windows VR headset you get these controllers are expected to work seamlessly. The great thing about the Windows VR platform is the ease-of-use and setup from the consumer angle. You’ll be able to plug directly into your PC or laptop using the one cable from the headset itself that branches into a USB and HDMI plug. That’s it. No base stations or tracking cameras required.
From there the Windows VR controllers communicate with the headset wirelessly and you’re good to go. At my demo I didn’t get the chance to try any games or apps with the controllers, but instead just walked around the Windows VR home space. This let me see how it felt to move around using the motion controllers and I was able to see how well the tracking worked. They were represented digitally in the world much like Vive wands are during the SteamVR home interface as well.
Visually they look like a combination of the current Vive wands and the Oculus Touch controllers. Microsoft was able to cram both a tiny little touch pad and a thumbstick onto a single device, as well as side grip buttons and a trigger, plus a menu and Windows button. Theoretically these should work great for pretty much any type of VR app you’d ever want to run.
They were comfortable to hold and felt very sturdy; luckily they weren’t as top-heavy as they appear. Since I didn’t get to try any actual content my demo was quite limited, but I did put the controllers through their paces in the home interface. One of the biggest questions facing these controllers coming into my demo was whether or not the tracking would hold up if the headset’s tracking cameras could notsee them. As you know the Vive and Rift both have external cameras to track their controllers, but that isn’t the case here.
Based on my hands-on experience the answer is yes, the Windows VR motion controllers work just fine even whenthe headset’s cameras cannot see them.
Testing this was very easy in my demo. The controllers were modeled digitally inside VR and they had laser pointers extending from the tips. To answer my question I held each controller out in my hands, extending my hands to the sides, and then curled my hands up to point them inward. The laser pointer followed and I could easily move them around accurately. I did the same test by putting the controllers behind my back, clearly out of the headset camera’s sight, with the same result. I did notice if I was overly erratic there was some hiccuping, but as far as I know these are still dev kit devices so that could be fixed with software and firmware updates over time.
This was an important threshold to meet because tons of VR apps and games have users swinging controllers around and pointing in various directions, so if the cameras needed to see the controllers at all times it’d have been a deal breaker. Luckily that was not the case, at least not with the Dell headset.
Release Info
According to Dell and Microsoft the Windows VR motion controllers are expected to be available for purchase later this year on or around October 17th, 2017, for $99. As stated, they should work perfectly regardless of whether or not you choose the Dell, HP, or Acer Windows VR headset.
What do you think of these controllers thus far? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below!
Microsoft today announced a bevy of information regarding their upcoming Windows VR headset launch, which will see headsets from Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo coming this holiday season starting at $400. Revealed today by HoloLens chief inventor and project lead Alex Kipman, the Windows VR headsets have been confirmed to work with at least 67 apps—including games, experiences, and 360 video platforms.
Apps and Companies Supporting Windows VR Headsets:
This isn’t by any means a comprehensive list, as we’ve edited out some of the elusively Chinese-centric apps that don’t seem to offer multilingual support.
Windows VR headsets will also support SteamVR, as we suspect Valve and Microsoft are currently collaborating on an OpenVR driver that would allow for developers to more easily push support for games already designed for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
The time has arrived. If you’re a software developer that’s interested in getting started with the Windows Mixed Reality platform, specifically via the Windows VR immersive headsets, then you’ve come to the right place. Both the HP and Acer Windows VR headset devkits are on the market and available for purchase to any interested developers. The Acers is going for $299 while the HP is coming in at $329. We did a detailed comparison of the two right here and you can read more impressions of the HP headset or the Acer headset at those links.
Both headsets are identical so you don’t need to worry about functionality when deciding, it really just depends on which look you like and how important comfort is to you. For the sake of developing though, they’re both pretty much the same. Once you get your hands on one and start exploring the Windows Mixed Reality home interface, this is what you’ll see:
Microsoft designed the home space to look a lot like a home with some nice backdrops and visuals to surround you. Once they launch for consumers there will be a lot more stuff to do but for now actually creating things for people to do and use is up to people like you — the developers!
We’ve put together some of the best need-to-know details to help you get started on your path towards Windows Mixed Reality and Windows VR development. We’ll be focusing on the VR headsets (referred to as “Immersive Headsets” by Microsoft).
Check Requirements
The first thing you should do is visit the official Microsoft Developer portal where you can find the System Requirements for Windows VR headset development:
Minimum Requirements:
Notebook Processor: Intel Mobile Core i5 7th generation CPU, Dual-Core with Hyper Threading
1x available graphics display port for headset (HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 for 60Hz headsets, HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 for 90Hz headsets)
Display resolution
Resolution: SVGA (800×600) or greater Bit depth: 32 bits of color per pixel
Memory
8 GB of RAM or greater
16 GB of RAM or greater
Storage
>10 GB additional free space
USB Ports
1x available USB port for headset (USB 3.0 Type-A) Note: USB must supply a minimum of 900mA
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 4.0 (for accessory connectivity)
Download The Updates
Now even if you have the right hardware that doesn’t mean the headsets will work right out of the box for you. Before you can even use a Windows VR headset right now you have to jump through a few hoops. If you’re already developing for HoloLens or keep your PC updated with all of the latest patches and test branches then you might be good to go already, but if you’re new to this then you probably have some updates and waiting periods to get through first.
If you aren’t running a dev environment currently, the whole update process will take a while and involves lots of updates and restarts. Microsoft has a great Immersive Headsets setup page, but we’ve summarized some of the key bits here:
Make sure you have Windows 10 Creators Update installed and enable Developer mode. Remember: these are devkits after all,
Wear a some nice headphones, none of the Windows VR devices have built-in audio solutions but some of them should have mics. A lot of the Windows VR interface and Home area uses voice control,
Make sure you’ve got a keyboard and mouse ready for seated VR or an Xbox One Gamepad for seated and/or standing. Eventually, there will be motion controllers too.
Once all of that is good to go you’re ready to get started. To actually create content for Windows VR headsets, here’s what you need:
The best way to make apps for Windows VR right now is Unity. You’ll need the Unity 5.6 Mixed Reality Technical Preview and Windows Store .NET Scripting Backend. You may need to contact a Microsoft account manager to gain access.
Also, Visual Studio 2017 with Universal Windows Platform development and the Game Development with Unity workload.\
You can find more details here for what to do with Unity and Visual Studio 2017 to get started.
Developer Thoughts
That’s about it for making sure you’re ready. Now, since I’m not a developer, I decided to also reach out to members of the development community to see what they thought of developing for the Windows Mixed Reality platform. Both of them are using the Acer Windows VR headset.
Shachar Weis: “The Acerheadsets requires Unity 2017.2 Beta to build and run custom apps. No other version will work. Being a beta, 2017.2 is very unstable and can be frustrating to work with. I spent a few hours making a simple “hello world” app, consisting of a few floating textured cubes, and I had to restart my system twice. The headset stopped responding completely after the first build attempt. The second time I got a very weird “double vision” effect, where my app was visible twice inside the VR world, one in front and another in the back. I can’t explain that one, because it didn’t happen again after a restart. Overall it works, but it’s finicky and unstable at the moment.”
Sean Ong: “I’ve been a HoloLens developer since they were first released during Wave 1, so feel right at home developing for the Acer. Unity and Visual Studio is all you need! I’ve also started creating apps that network the two devices together, so the HoloLens can see the Acer and vice versa (I’ve got a short video on my twitter!). The development process is now unified, so that when I create an app for the HoloLens, it now works on any MR headset and vice versa. There’s a bit more creativity involved – for example, I need to compensate for the fact that the MR headsets don’t have spatial mapping or hand gestures, but those are fairly simple restrictions from a developer perspective.”
For the past year and a half the world has known two primary PC VR ecosystems: the Oculus Home-powered Oculus Rift (and Touch controllers) and the SteamVR-powered HTC Vive (although the Rift works on SteamVR too, but that’s beside the point sort of). There have been a handful of others that popped up, like OSVR, but for the most part the PC VR world has been a two headset (or two platform) race.
Microsoft is looking to change that with their “Windows Mixed Reality” initiative. We’re still waiting to try the controllers though and we don’t know if the Windows headsets will work with SteamVR yet either.
The Specs
For the sake of this comparison we won’t be talking much about the Windows VR platform itself because we covered that already and it’s identical on both HP (images of that headset here) and Acer (developer impressions here). The Acer is the cheapest Windows VR headset we’ve seen yet, with its devkit coming in at just $299, whereas the HP is a bit more at $329.
The only differences between these two headsets as far as we can tell is literally just the look and feel. But before we get to that, here are the shared specs:
Both lenses are 1440 x 1440 bringing the full resolution to 2880×1440 combined,
2.89” diagonal display size (x2),
Two cameras embedded on the front for inside-out positional tracking,
95-degree horizontal field of view,
Up to 90Hz refresh rate,
Front-hinged display, similar to the PSVR,
Built in mic and audio jack for headphones,
Single cable with HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectivity points,
Four meter-long cable.
As a result, the only difference between the two is that the HP has a “double-padded” headband and adjustment knob (as opposed to a strap-design on the Acer) and the HP’s cord can be detached, just like the PSVR. HP has also said previously there is more nose room in theirs too and the Acer is $30 cheaper. Other than that they’re basically the same and operate using the same “Windows Mixed Reality Platform” on your PC.
The Look
Maybe I’m shallow and close-minded but I can’t shake the feeling that the Acer headset looks like a cheap toy to me. In my office I’m surrounded by sleek black and/or white devices like both versions of the Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift CV1, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. The HP fits in right alongside those with a small, compact design ripped right out of RoboCop. Then you’ve got the Acer with its bright blue color and microwave-meets-toaster visual appearance. The novelty might appeal to some, but not to me.
When you look at them each side-by-side (shown at the top of the article) the difference is even more clear. One of them looks like a >$300 device (the HP) and the other looks like an imitation of an old Viewmaster (Acer). There is probably a market for a device like that, but I’m not sure professional applications of VR is that market.
Going beyond the color though even the shape feels a bit off. All other headsets I’ve worn have tried to maintain a sleek design that fits naturally and rests comfortably. Even though the Acer headset is as comfortable as can be expected the shape just looks a little bit off.
And on the back you can see the biggest difference. The HP has a knob like the PSVR that lets you tighten and loosen the band around your head easily (shown below), whereas the Acer has a clicking strap like the kind on roller blades and some swimming goggles. In short, it feels cheaply made.
The Fit
As someone that needs to wear glasses at all times (even when inside VR) I’m used to discomfort. The only headset on the market that fits comfortably and doesn’t make me feel like my face is getting squished is the PSVR because of its headband design. Luckily, both the HP and Acer adopted similar fits.
They work pretty much the same in practice. You loosen the headband, place it around your head, then tighten. The difference is that that the HP has an easy to use knob whereas the Acer uses a clicking snap with a button you press to slide it back and forth. It’s not hard to use, but it’s not as convenient as the HP’s knob. Thankfully my hair never got stuck in the Acer strap like it does with swimming goggles, but I could see it happening to someone with very long hair.
Also, the backstrap for the Acer is literally just a plastic strap that gets tightened around your skull. The HP has actual padding all around the headband keeping it cushioned and comfortable on all sides which is, again, like the PSVR, and it’s a lot more comfortable as a result. Thankfully both are hinged and let you lift them upwards to easily see the real world quickly if needed, which is great while developing.
Clearly some cost-cutting measures were made for the Acer, which is fine for people that might not care too much about added comfort, but for me it’s just as important as any other feature a headset could tout and the difference is clear in this regard. For storage and ease of use I’ve also gotta say that the breakaway cable on the HP is really nifty.
Verdict – Which Windows VR Headset is Better?
The prices are almost the same, the specs are identical, and they both run the exact same platform. Honestly it just comes down to whether or not you think extra comfort and a sleeker look is worth the additional $30. Unless you’re looking to cut costs absolutely anyway possible, I’d say yes, the HP Windows VR headset is better than the Acer. The HP headset looks like a professional product instead of a cheap toy, has extra padding, and just feels sturdier. For the small upgrade fee you can have a headset that really feels much better overall.
However, it needs to be stated clearly that neither of these are consumer products yet. They’re both devkitsstill which means only developers interested in creating content should purchase them right now. If you’re a normal consumer then you’re gonna find yourself bored very quickly at this stage.
This isn’t the end of the Windows VR headset comparisons though. We’re still waiting to get our hands on the Dell and Asus devices too, so the Windows VR ecosystem is already heating up and we don’t even have all of the devkits in our hands yet.
The HP Windows VR headset is in our hands — you can see tons of pictures and read over 2,000 words of our thoughts (plus a full 9-minute video exploring the home space) to get an idea for what it’s like. But we don’t have the Acer version just yet (you can read some thoughts on the device here from back in April though.) The HP and Acer headsets are the only dev kits currently shipping for the Windows VR platform (Asus and Dell are coming soon) so tons of people are getting their hands on both right now. Our Acer should arrive any day now, but until then, we decided to reach out to the immersive technology development community to see what they think so far.
We spoke with three different developers that have all had their hands on the Acer Windows VR dev kit for some time now and they were all kind enough to share their thoughts. If you’d rather see it in video form then you can see a thorough impressions video from developer and author Sean Ong. His book, “Beginning Windows Mixed Reality Programming: For HoloLens and Mixed Reality Headsets,” is available now.
“The Acer is definitely one of the lightest headsets on the market, giving it a special edge when using it over longer periods of time,” writes Ong via Twitter Direct Message. “It’s lighter than the HP mixed reality headset, and FAR lighter than the Rift or Vive. It’s got a fun, approachable robotic retro look and feel. The head strap is probably my least favorite part of the Acer. The lack of padding on the rear of the head strap causes it to slip up over time, and doesn’t provide a secure fit, even when tightening it hard.”
Compared to the HP, which does cost ~$30 more, I can definitely see the inferior headstrap of the Acer sticking out. The padded visor design with adjustable knob on the HP really stands out as a big bonus in terms of wearability and comfort.
“There are only a handful of 1st party applications, and only one 3rd party application,” writes VR developer Nima Zeighami via Twitter Direct Message. “It’s a pre-release developer device.” Zeighami also explained that the facial interface “looks and feels cheaper” than that of either the Rift or Vive and the stability when tightened is much lower. Again though, it’s worth emphasizing that this is 100% a development device and is not targeted at consumers yet.
And due to the way that the inside-out tracking cameras function on the Acer headset, Zeighami explains that he found out the tracking “does not work” in a low-light room, only having success in a well-lit space. However, when well-lit, tracking was far from being an issue.
Many of the issues highlighted by Zeighami are echoed by Shachar “Vice” Weis, a software developer at Packet 39, blogger, and VR evangelist. “The unit is light (which is good) but feels really cheaply constructed,” writes Weis via email. “The strap is minimalist and not very comfortable, consisting almost entirely of hard injection molded plastic. The forehead rest has some cushioning, thank goodness.”
We’ve reached out to Microsoft about the possibility for running non-Windows apps and interfacing with the likes of SteamVR, but right now it seems unlikely. “Being Microsoft, the headset will only run UWP apps,” states Weis. “For anyone hoping for an OpenVR bridge or driver, this is a problem. UWP is all about layering, security and sandboxing. It might be very tricky to convince this headset to run OpenVR or SteamVR applications.”
And for a detailed tear down of components in the Acer Windows VR dev kit, check out this blog post from Shachar Weis.
One of the biggest barriers to entry for anyone interested in getting involved with the PC VR landscape right now is price (which the discounted Rift and these cheaper Acer and HP headsets will hopefully soften) and the need for a super-powered PC rig, which also comes back to price. Luckily, these Windows VR headsets aim to be much more accessible.
“One of the most amazing aspects of the Acer is that it can run on less-powerful computers,” writes Ong. “I’ve got it running on my Surface Pro 4 with integrated graphics and also my desktop using an old NVIDIA GTX 645 graphics card…The original message from Microsoft about these devices was about the low cost of entry and lower-end hardware required. I hope that original vision is realized.”
Overall, the Acer Windows VR headset seems to satisfy the desire for something super easy to setup and use, with serviceable performance and comfort, at a fraction of the cost of the Vive and Rift. Development is easy to get used to, especially for devs already familiar with the HoloLens ecosystem.
If you’re curious about the Windows VR platform itself then you can read more about that in my hands-on impressions of the HP headset right here. Both the HP and Acer support the same software and interact with your PC in the exact same way.
We’ll have a more detailed comparison of both the HP and Acer headset later this week. In the meantime, let us know your questions and thoughts down in the comments below!
This week we got our hands-on the first development kit edition of the HP “Windows Mixed Reality” VR headset. Right off the bat let’s clarify that verbiage. Microsoft is using the term “Mixed Reality” as an umbrella to encapsulate VR, AR, and all other related devices. The HoloLens, for example, is Microsoft’s AR platform while the HP and Acer headsets are their VR platform (although they refer to them as “Immersive” headsets in documentation, but whatever, they’re clearly VR headsets.) So it’s a little confusing, but just know that these are VR headsets, not mixed or merged reality devices.
Both HP ($329.99) and Acer ($299.99) are working on their own dev kits (as well as ASUS and Dell) that share essentially the exact same technical specifications. According to the product listings they eachfeature:
Both lenses are 1440 x 1440 bringing the full resolution to 2880×1440 combined,
2.89” diagonal display size (x2),
Two cameras embedded on the front for inside-out positional tracking,
95-degree horizontal field of view,
Up to 90Hz refresh rate,
Front-hinged display, similar to the PSVR,
Built in mic and audio jack for headphones,
Single cable with HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectivity points,
Four meter-long cable.
As far as I can tell (having not tested the Acer dev kit yet, our package is out for shipping) the only difference between the two physically is that the HP has a “double-padded” headband and adjustment knob (as opposed to a strap-design on the Acer) and the HP’s cord can be detached, just like the PSVR. HP has also said previously there is more nose room in theirs too. Other than that they’re basically the same and operate using the same “Windows Mixed Reality Platform” on your PC.
Setup
The HP Windows VR headset is very much a dev kit right now. When I opened the box all I found was the headset in a mesh baggie, surrounded by some padding, and then some safety papers tucked underneath the cardboard lining. That’s it. No instruction manuals or anything like that. If you’re a consumer then you shouldn’t buy one of these yet. These are for developers first and foremost that want to get started making applications for the headsets and the platform themselves.
On that note the setup process was frustrating, at least for me personally. At first all you have to do is plug it in and the window for the Windows Mixed Reality Portal will automatically pop up and let you know if you need to update. As it turns out, not only do you need to enable your Microsoft account to be in the “Windows 10 Insiders” program to get pre-release versions of Windows 10, but you need to make sure the most up-to-date version of Windows (The Creator’s Update) is installed as well. If you’re working off of a relatively new machine like I was and hadn’t bothered updating in a while then this might be a major speed bump for you too. Luckily there is a handy checklist online to get ready. After several hours of updates and multiple restarts, I was finally good to go though.
For reference, I am currently using the HP headset on an HP Omen machine, which has a GTX 1060 GPU and Intel i5-7400 CPU with 8GB of RAM. That easily falls into the range of system requirements. I tried using it on my relatively lower end laptop with an AMD FX-9830P Processor and Radeon RX 460 GPU. According to the Setup Wizard the GPU wasn’t powerful enough.
Once the Mixed Reality Portal was open I started the setup process, part of which is shown in the purple image above. It was a lot like setting up SteamVR for the first time since I could pick a roomscale option or a seated/standing option. If I picked roomscale then it had me point the headset at the screen (cameras facing out) and then trace the entire room, just like I’d do with the motion controllers for a Rift or Vive. For seated, I’d just point it at the screen and then I’d be good to go.
After doing that I turned on my Xbox One controller (it only supports that or a keyboard and mouse right now) and plopped the headset down onto my face. The loading screen asked me to look around a bit before placing me inside of my default office nook environment.
The Windows VR Platform
Once inside things were pretty easy to get the hang of — you can see what the default Home environment is like, plus a few of the apps, in the video above. However, please be aware that when inside VR the resolution looks much crisper and all of the visuals are much better. Since I was recording the output feed on my desktop it’s of noticeably lower quality and is not representative of what it actually looks like inside the headset. Using my gaze I could look around and select things like the Holograms app on my wall. After picking it I could look around and place virtual objects to decorate the space. Now I have a cute little dog looking at me from the corner so it feels like home.
As far as I can tell the only apps you can use are those that come from the Windows store. If I press the Windows button on the keyboard or the center Xbox button on my controller then it brings up a Start menu-style interface (shown above.) I can pick some pre-selected apps here like Microsoft Edge for web browsing, a Photo viewer, a Video client, and more. Among those suggested are games as well, like Candy Crush, and Minecraft. If launched, they appear in a floating window just like other 2D apps.
All of these windows can be moved around freely in the environment so I can really customize what my version of “Home” feels like inside Windows VR. Pinning stuff, like you would on your Windows 10 Home menu, works great and lets you keep things easily accessible. The loft area is really spacious and has a lot of wall real estate so I could easily see myself putting a few Edge windows in one room for web browsing, then placing a couple games in another room.
For a dev kit platform the interactions and performance feel really, really good. Using the left stick on my controller I can press forward to bring up a teleportation node wherever I’m looking and use the right stick for snap turning and rotation. When I accessed the “Movies & TV” app it even auto-loaded a 360 video section. When I picked a video it auto-launched all around me without having to load up another 360 video player app of any kind.
And, well…that’s really about it right now while the development world is busy making stuff. The most robust experience I found was called HoloTour, which was similar to the “Welcome to Virtual Reality” videos I’ve seen on the Samsung Gear VR. I got to go on a virtual tour of Rome and marvel at the potential of VR tourism.
Finally, there is a heavy focus on voice-controlled interaction during some of the intro and setup processes. Cortana greets you for the “Mixed Reality Platform” welcome application and I can do things like open the Home Start menu with my voice, or select things. During HoloTour I could even respond to the program and initiate events that way. Tapping into Cortana’s potential and mixing that with immersive worlds could be a really fun use case that helps Windows VR stand out a bit from competitors.
The HP VR Headset’s Design
When you wear the HP VR headset there’s no other way of describing it: you look like Robocop. This is a very good thing in my book. Especially compared to the Acer, which kind of looks like a toaster and a microwave had a baby. As a huge fan of the PSVR from a design perspective, I greatly enjoyed wearing the HP headset. The headstrap fits around my head easily and the knob on the back works just like the PSVR’s for adjustment. My only gripe is that it’s lacking a slider for the actual lens part of the headset itself, which causes it to hang just a little bit too far from my face. It’s comfortable, but I’d have liked to get my eyes a little closer to extend the field of view. As it stands, I can clearly see the black edges around the lenses in my peripheral vision and it feels sort of like looking through a tunnel at first. That goes away and I ignored it after a while, but the lack of ability to adjust lens distance feels like an oversight. The only way to change the IPD is via an option in the platform’s settings. Hopefully those features are streamlined for a consumer version.
Resolution is a step up from the other headsets on the market, which is great. Since the Windows VR platform is being positioned as a bit more of a productivity suite with the app pinning and web browser-focused access higher resolution is extremely important, especially for reading text. There is still a screen door effect but it’s about the same as on the Rift and Vive in my experience, while it still maintains the same need of finding a “sweet spot” near the center of your view to see everything clearly. Interestingly I noticed more vertical pixel lines than I did horizontal, but text was much more clear with the HP Windows VR than on either Rift or Vive.
It’s also worth noting just how light the whole thing is. Oh, and I can flip it up using the hinge design to easily look around and check things outside of VR with no hassle.
From a design perspective HP has done a really nice job. It’s comfortable, it’s high-quality, and it feels appropriate given the use-cases. The cord is long enough to let you walk around freely, but it does still get in the way. With a few tiny adjustments this could become one of the comfiest headsets on the entire market.
Tracking
I tried using the HP Windows VR headset in both full roomscale and standing/sitting configurations with great results. Since you don’t need to setup any lighthouse base stations (like with the Vive) or plug in tracking cameras (like with the Rift) I’m honestly shocked the tracking works so well. Using the two embedded cameras on the front of the device, the HP VR headset always knows where you are inside your environment.
The framerate was smooth and it tracked my movement without issues. That alone makes this device an impressive piece of tech and I hope this solution is used going forward. Since the controllers aren’t out yet it’s hard to tell what the full system will be like, but an inside-out PC VR headset for $299-329 is a pretty good deal, even without motion controllers, especially as a dev kit.
Final Thoughts
Since this is a newly launched dev kit, there are still a lot of questions. I’ve asked our rep at Microsoft’s PR firm if non-Windows Store apps will work easily (I was able to navigate to my desktop in a pinned window and access things like Slack and Steam, but it wasn’t intuitive or ideal,) if SteamVR will ever be accessible like it is on Rift and Vive, and what the ETA for the Windows Mixed Reality Motion Controllers is looking like. You can see those in action in the video above.
To get started with creating content for the device you don’t actually even need the dev kit. Microsoft released a Windows Mixed Reality Simulator to test apps for their “Immersive Headsets” similar to the HoloLens Emulator they released previously. They also recommend building apps with Visual Studio 2017 and Unity’s Mixed Reality Technical Preview build (although it looks like you’ll need to contact a Microsoft Account Manager for access to that.)
The biggest strength of the Windows VR platform though is perhaps the mere fact that it doesn’t require a bunch of third-party programs to work. You plug it in with a USB and HDMI connector and you’re good to go. It runs off of Windows itself and that’s it. No cameras, no trackers, no Steam, no Oculus Home. It’s just Windows in VR. There’s something really appealing about that simplicity.
As of now, that’s all there is to it! Let us know what you think of the HP Windows VR (or Acer’s Windows VR) headset dev kits so far down in the comments below and ask us any questions you might have!
Correction: A previous version of this article stated there was no way to adjust the IPD. It’s been updated to reflect that the setting is found within the program, not on the headset itself.
Wenn es nach Microsoft geht, dann wird Windows eure neue Heimat in der virtuellen Realität. Microsoft ist eine Partnerschaft mit HP, Lenovo, Dell, 3Glasses, Asus und Acer eingegangen, damit es zukünftig VR Brillen gibt, die ohne zusätzliche Software unter Windows 10 verwendet werden können. Das Besondere an den Brillen für Windows ist, dass diese über ein Inside-Out Tracking verfügen und nicht auf externe Kameras oder Sensoren zurückgreifen müssen.
Microsoft gibt weitere Einblicke
Auf dem Unity Vision VR/AR Summit 2017 sprach Brandon Bray, Principal Program Manager bei Microsoft, über die Zukunft von Windows und VR (Video – 1:33:27). Wie Bray auf der Bühne bestätigte, wird es das „Cliff House“ auch in die virtuelle Realität schaffen und es soll euch demonstrieren, was in einem virtuellen Haus alles möglich ist. Ihr könnt beispielsweise eure Apps frei in dem Haus anordnen oder euch gleich ganze Räume für bestimmte Aktivitäten einrichten.
Das Cliff House kennen wir bereits von verschiedenen HoloLens-Vorführungen und Microsoft scheint das Konzept komplett in die Virtual Reality zu übertragen. Im Vergleich zur HoloLens besitzen die VR Brillen für Windows jedoch kein System für das Tracking der Hände, wodurch die Interaktionen natürlich abstrakter werden. Microsoft setzt bei der Fortbewegung durch das Cliff House auf den Xbox One Controller, welcher nicht im Raum getrackt werden kann. Zudem sollt ihr nicht durch das Haus von Microsoft mit dem Stick des Controllers laufen, sondern lediglich eine Stelle auswählen, an die ihr euch teleportieren wollt. Wir hoffen, dass Microsoft zukünftig auch andere Optionen anbieten wird.
