advertisement
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit

[CES 2015] Razer enters the VR fray with its own ‘hackable’ headset

Gaming peripherals company Razer has entered the virtual reality ring with its own VR headset, called the OSVR Hack Dev Kit. The kit was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show currently underway in Las Vegas, as reported by Engadget. OSVR, in case you’re wondering, stands for Open Source Virtual Reality, which means that Razer has every intention of making using and developing for its headset as easy as possible.

To that end, Razer has made their headset entirely hackable. That means everything from the software to the physical design can be customised by developers, allowing for VR headsets that are more comfortable for a wider variety of physical face features, and more flexible to develop. The design even accommodates screen and optics replacements, handy for easily upgrading the headset as technology advances.

Right now the OSVR headset has a 5.5-inch 1080p screen, an accelerometer and compass, an adjustable head strap and comfort foam that resembles what you find in ski goggles, as well as head-tracking tech. It can’t track where your head is, though, only that it’s moving, but apparently Razer has indicated they have plans to incorporate a wider range of head-tracking options in the future. The OSVR is also compatible with the Oculus Inc.’s DK2 development kits and software, as well as experimental VR software for Android and Linux.

Razer joins other big-name companies like Oculus Inc., Samsung and Sony in their efforts to develop and perfect virtual reality headset technology, with the ultimate aim of releasing commercial versions of their headsets that can be used to let people enjoy their entertainment in all-new, delightfully immersive ways.

While neither Oculus nor Sony are talking release dates or pricing for their VR tech, Razer indicated at CES 2015 that their headset will be out sometime this year and sell for just $199, which in South African terms is around R2 400.

With so many companies hard at work on their own virtual reality headset technology, the future of VR is looking brighter than ever. For a detailed rundown of CNET’s hands-on impressions of the OSVR, check out Scott Stein’s in-depth article here.

For more from CES 2015 click on this link.

[Source – Engadget, CNET]

advertisement

About Author

advertisement

Related News

advertisement