Oculus has released Oculus Go, a stand-alone VR headset that does not require a PC. Even in Japan, the 32GB version is on sale for 23,800 yen and the 64GB version for 29,800 yen.
Equipped with the same functions as a mobile VR headset that can be combined with a high-performance smartphone, it is simple to use as soon as you put it on, and has a 2560 x 1440 high-speed switching liquid crystal with a higher resolution than the Oculus Rift for PC and the latest optics. It is characterized by a system and clear image, light and easy-to-wear materials and design, and above all, overwhelmingly cheap.
Oculus Go is a standalone VR headset announced by Facebook's VR division Oculus in the fall of 2017. A mobile VR headset that can be inserted with a Galaxy series smartphone Gear VR is an integrated type that does not require a smartphone (*). Product. (* A smartphone is not required for the operation itself, but the Oculus app is required for setup and app management. Compatible with iOS or Android)
The software runs the mobile version of the Oculus Store, similar to Gear VR, which Oculus was originally responsible for the software platform. In short, since it is compatible with Gear VR, there are over 1000 types of applications and games at the time of release. A limitation compared to other more expensive VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift is that it doesn't support positional tracking, which reflects the user's head (and body) position in VR space. (3-axis degree-of-freedom (3DoF) tracking that corresponds to the direction of the neck is not supported. 6DoF tracking that can reflect movement up, down, left, right, front and back) It does not support movements that involve looking or moving your head or body to avoid it. (Of course, you can create VR games where you can "crouch, avoid" and move around with the controller, but this means that the actual position of your head and arms will not be reflected.) The included remote control is also a type that can be used like a laser pointer. Unlike PC VR hand controllers, there is no function that reflects the position of the arm as it is, so there are restrictions on stretching the arm to grab and dance. Oculus Go is a product that aims to make conventional so-called mobile VR simple and easy, and to popularize 360-degree VR images and VR games and VR applications that do not require position tracking. Especially in live-action 360-degree VR video, even if you have an advanced PC VR headset with position tracking, the viewpoint is fixed where the camera was at the time of recording, so you can only look up and look around3. The experience is the same for mobile VR headsets with axial degrees of freedom.
On the other hand, it's not "just" the cheaper Gear VR + Galaxy, it's the latest generation product that has higher performance, improvements, and ease of use than the Gear VR and Oculus Rift for PC. There are also points. The biggest difference in performance is the adoption of a 2560 x 1440 pixel high-speed rewritable liquid crystal display and the latest generation lens. (Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are 2160 x 1200, PS VR is 1920 x 1200 organic EL)Galaxy smartphones compatible with Gear VR and many VR headsets adopt organic EL due to rewriting speed etc., but Oculus Go Adopt a high-speed rewriting type liquid crystal display optimized for VR. The reason for adopting the liquid crystal is to reduce the cost, but together with the adoption of the lens that is "common with the next generation Oculus headset", ・There are fewer gaps between pixels than organic EL, and a lattice like a screen door Reduced visibility (screen door effect) ・No need for sub-pixel correction for conventional organic EL, light processing ・Glare reduction by lens (blurring as if strong light leaked) ・Reduced blur around the field of view It improves the image. Drawing is 60Hz or 72Hz. The processor is Snapdragon 821. It's not as good as the processors used in more expensive mobile VR headsets or modern smartphones, but it's on par with the original Google Pixel, ZenFone AR, LG G6, and more. In addition, due to the characteristics of the liquid crystal, the drawing overhead is reduced compared to devices that use organic EL, and the new drawing technique Fixed Foveated Rendering (FFR), which lowers the resolution of the peripheral vision, reduces the drawing load more than before. According to Oculus, FFR, which divides the field of view into tiles and lowers the resolution in the periphery where the eyes are less sensitive, is expected to improve performance (that is, reduce load) by up to 25%. Improvements in the main body design include making it slightly lighter than the Gear VR + Galaxy because it is not necessary to attach and detach the smartphone, improving the breathable cloth material, and improving the cushion shape of the part that touches the face. Like the Gear VR, it is designed to be used while wearing glasses, but we also have an optional spacer that makes it easier to use with glasses. In addition, prescription lenses for Oculus Go will be available as an option at a later date so that they can be worn with the naked eye. The sound is also different from Gear VR and Oculus Rift. Oculus Go supports 3D audio on its own and can be used without headphones. (Because Gear VR was dependent on smartphones, it was necessary to listen in monaural on the stored smartphone side or wear earphones). The sound from the built-in speaker can be heard by people around you, but this also reduces the weaknesses of VR, where you have no idea what the wearer in front of you is looking at or what part of the content it is. If you have trouble with sound leakage, you can attach your favorite headphones to the headphone jack. The main hardware used is a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 high-speed switch liquid crystal, Snapdragon 821 processor (same as the first Google Pixel, ZenFone AR, LG G6, etc.), 32GB or 64GB internal storage, etc. The battery is about 2 hours and 30 minutes for video playback, and about 2 hours for games and apps.
Oculus Go is a product that makes mobile VR easy, so I want to use advanced VR games and PC apps! In that case, you can't replace an expensive PC with an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. However, for applications such as watching videos, the image quality is equal to or higher than that of general PC VR headsets. Also, even though it is the same mobile VR, there is a big difference in image quality and apps from cheap “smartphone VR” goggles that attach smartphones and iPhones that do not consider VR. Since it has some improvements over the latest generation Gear VR, it is the perfect product for watching VR videos and carrying around VR content that does not require a PC. If you ignore the improvements in the lens and body design and try to have the same environment as a second-hand product, the Gear VR with compatible software is originally a peripheral device of about 10,000 yen, so it is possible to change the model little by little and lose its shape. Although it is cheap to buy second hand, it is more expensive than a new Oculus Go because you can't buy the essential Galaxy S7 or later for 20,000 yen, and you also need a remote control separately. (In the case of a smartphone combined type, there is a natural advantage that "you can use it as a smartphone if you remove it", but if you use the main smartphone as a VR, you can remove it one by one to check incoming calls or a little non-VR application, or you can use the headset structurally. It's easy to get dust between the side lens and the smartphone, and it's super annoying, and I'm worried about the battery running out, so it's easier to have a dedicated VR.)
In terms of mobile VR products, stand-alone products that also support position tracking, such as Lenovo's Mirage Solo, which uses Google's VR platform Daydream, are beginning to appear.
Lenovo Mirage Solo landed in Japan. Will it be a real hit for athletic VR devices?
Mirage solo is 51,200 yen. Also, since Daydream is a latecomer, there are currently considerably fewer apps than the Oculus Store, and even fewer are compatible with Positra. Oculus also released a standalone headset prototype Project Santa Cruz that supports position tracking, but so far there is no announcement of the product version.