Want... Taiwan's smartphone maker HTC is set to release its first VR (Virtual Reality) headset for US$300 before the end of the first quarter this year, reports our Chinese-language sister newspaper Commercial Times. A VR headset is a head-mounted display or helmet-mounted display (HMD) that shows computer-generated images directly in front of the wearer's eyes.
Oculus VR, a US virtual reality technology company, met with huge success after it launched the Oculus Rift in 2012, a VR headset for 3D gaming that allowed users to step inside a virtual world of their games. The company was acquired by Facebook for US$2 billion in March 2014, the same time Japanese entertainment giant Sony released Project Morpheus, VR glasses designed for PlayStation 4.
To achieve a 3D gaming effect, a VR headset needs high-end image processors for each eye and higher resolution. Other gadgets you might not consider are motion sensors, gyroscopes, accelerometers, and digital compasses. The flourishing development of VR headsets for 3D gaming and entertainment over the past decades has prompted a more affordable price.
HTC announced its expansion into connected devices — including smart home and IoT (Internet of Things) — and the entertainment sector during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. The VR headset will be the first product of its connected entertainment project, which is led by co-founder and CEO Peter Chou.
Besides 3D gaming, HTC is seeking video watching solutions for its VR headset and is likely to demonstrate its project at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, the report said.
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Peter Chou 周永明