The HTC Vive virtual reality headset sold for $799 when it first launched in 2016, but the price dropped to $499 earlier this year when HTC introduced the more powerful Vive Pro. That price includes the headset, base station, and motion controllers — everything you need to get started except for a computer. So it […]
virtual reality
Google Daydream’s experimental new features include smartphone apps in VR, 6 degrees of freedom
Google jumped into virtual reality in a low-cost, low-key way a few years ago when the company introduced Cardboard: a platform that literally let you put a smartphone into a cardboard headset to experience 360-degree videos and other basic VR content. The company stepped things up a bit in 2016 with the launch of the […]
Firefox Reality: Mozilla’s web browser for VR headsets is here
The makers of the Firefox web browser have versions available for computers, smartphones, and tablets. And now there’s a Firefox Reality browser for VR headsets. Mozilla announced it was working on a VR browser earlier this year, and now the first builds of Firefox Reality are available for Oculus, HTC Vive, and Google Daydream devices. […]
Google launches Chrome web browser for Daydream VR headsets
You can use Google’s Chrome web browser to surf the web, or use web apps to watch videos, play games, and edit documents on computers, smartphones, and tablets. And now you can also use Chrome in virtual reality headsets. Google has launched a version of Chrome for the Daydream virtual reality platform. That means you […]
Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 is a processor aimed at VR and AR headsets
There are already a handful of virtual reality headsets powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, but up until now headsets with Snapdragon chips have basically used the same processors as smartphones. Now Qualcomm has unveiled its first chip designed specifically for virtual reality and augmented reality devices. It’s called the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1, with XR standing […]
Google and LG inch closer to virtual reality displays indistinguishable from real reality
Strap a virtual reality headset to your face and you can be transported to faraway or fantastical places, play interactive games, or explore 360-degree videos. But the realism is a bit tempered by today’s display technology: your field of view is more limited in VR than in the real world, and sometimes it can feel […]
Lenovo Mirage Solo standalone Daydream headset launches for $400
The first standalone virtual reality headset compatible with Google’s Daydream platform is here. After unveiling the Lenovo Mirage Solo in January, Google and Lenovo have announced that it’s now available for purchase for $400. That would probably be a lot more exciting if Facebook’s Oculus Go standalone VR headset hadn’t hit the streets this week […]
Oculus Go standalone VR headset ships today for $199
Facebook’s first standalone VR headset is now shipping. The Oculus Go is a $199 headset that doesn’t need to be tethered to a PC like an Oculus Rift, and which doesn’t rely on a phone for its display and processing power, like a Google Daydream View. The company unveiled the Oculus Go last year, and […]
Firefox Reality is a web browser for VR/AR headsets
When you think of VR headsets today you probably think of gaming, 360-degree videos, or other immersive experiences. But in the future it’s possible that we could use virtual reality or augmented reality headsets for general purpose computing. You can already put on a Windows Mixed Reality headset and interact with Windows apps as if […]
Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 845 VR headset reference design
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chips will probably power many of 2018’s top-tier smartphones. But Qualcomm is also positioning the processor as a solution for other products including Windows PCs and virtual reality/augmented reality headsets. And Qualcomm is introducing a new VR reference platform for device makers that want to build headsets that make use of the […]