Virtual reality is of prime focus at the ongoing international Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018, and there's no shortage of attention from big companies already in the game. Three major players announced their partnership to up the game on the VR front and benefit end users with affordable products.
The renowned disrupter of the tech industry Xiaomi has joined hands with Facebook-owned Oculus and Qualcomm to deliver the next-generation of VR products at "accessible prices to people worldwide." The companies announced two products already – Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone – for international markets and exclusively for China, respectively.
"The standalone VR form factor represents the next significant phase of VR hardware development at Oculus. Through our partnership with Xiaomi, both Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone represent our first step in delivering that sweet spot between mobile and PC VR. These devices will be, hands down, the easiest way to get into VR," Hugo Barra, VP of VR at Facebook, said in a statement.
Both VR headsets are more alike. They are powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 Mobile VR Platform, and free from external cables, sensors, and slide-in smartphones. With dedicated 2K high-resolution fast-switch LCD screen, next-gen lenses and integrated spatial audio as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack, Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone offer immersive viewing experience.
To make things sweeter for consumers, there's a massive library of movies, 360-degree videos and interactive games borrowed from Oculus developers to be made available on Mi VR Store for Chinese users.
"Based on Oculus technology, the Mi VR Standalone system caters to what Chinese users want the most: a powerful video player and a localized social experience. Mi VR Standalone supports both the Oculus Mobile SDK and the Mi VR SDK, making it easy for Chinese developers to support the headset, and giving existing Oculus developers a streamlined path to bring their content to the Chinese market on the Mi VR platform," Xiaomi said in a blog post on Tuesday.
Xiaomi hasn't revealed the pricing of its Mi VR Standalone headset, but Oculus Go's price is set at an effective $199 (around Rs 12,900). The affordable VR headset from Oculus is expected to arrive later this year.
