Another Windows 10 VR headset has been revealed over at IFA, and this very smart-looking offering from Asus joins the Dell Visor which was unveiled at the show earlier this week.
The imaginatively named Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset offers a 3K resolution (at 90Hz), and uses inside-out tracking via two cameras on the front of the device, meaning it doesn’t need external sensors (like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift) or any complicated setup. Indeed, the company claims the headset can be up and running in 10 minutes.
Asus has put quite an emphasis on design here, with the Mixed Reality Headset looking very nifty with a 3D polygonal pattern on the visor itself – and that visor can be flipped up conveniently, for when you want to come back into the real world.
As with Dell’s offering, there’s also a premium on comfort levels here, with the headset designed to be comfortable on the face, and to feel nicely ergonomically balanced when worn – plus it weighs less than 400g. The idea is to keep any ‘VR face’ fatigue to a minimum.
Sweat ye not
Hygiene has also been considered, because as Asus noted in its IFA presentation, you may well share this device around between friends, and some of the more adrenaline-fuelled VR experiences could cause users to sweat.
Hence the use of breathable materials in the headset to help keep the skin cooler, and anti-bacterial, quick-drying surfaces have also been utilized here. All of which reinforces the comfort aspect of the design.
As with Dell’s Visor, Asus’ Windows Mixed Reality Headset aims to provide a more affordable entry point to the world of VR than the likes of the Oculus Rift, although it is pitched at a pricier level than Dell’s product, with a retail price of €449 (around £415, $535, AU$675).
Asus did briefly say that there are controllers for the headset, which seems standard for these Windows HMDs, although it didn’t mention any headset and controller bundle, or pricing for the controllers.
No release date has been confirmed yet, either.
- You might be running Asus’ headset on one of our best laptops
