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$360 or $460 for Dell mixed reality MS headset (1st Gen)

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The Verge

The Dell Visor, Dell’s first headset for Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform, will be available this October for $359.99 or in a bundle with two controllers for $459.99.

Dell announced pricing and the release window today (there’s no specific date yet), after first announcing plans to build a headset back in May, when the new platform was announced. Though Microsoft is calling it “mixed reality,” and there are cameras on the front of the headsets that could theoretically allow for something like an experience halfway between AR and VR, early demoes of the platform have just shown virtual reality experiences so far. And apparently, that’s all we’re going to get from at least this first wave of headsets.

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Also for those that missed it in theory these are the controllers that everyone will use.

 
Mixed Reality is just Window's "fancy" way of saying VR.

also those look terrible

Uhh...Mixed reality is a real hybrid technology of AR and VR that has been around for decades and is being heavily researched and has been used by NASA quite a few times. It really isn't just a fancy way of saying VR.
 
Nice to see more hardware coming into the market. Competition is always good, and that strap setup looks quite nice.
I do wonder what the software backend is going to look like though. OpenVR? SteamVR? Some new proprietary Windows 10-exclusive Microsoft bollocks designed to corner the market?

Those front cameras though.

The "mixed" means Its AR and VR right?

EDIT: Yep, as the article states - it should be able to do both
Technically speaking yes, it can probably do AR similar to how current phones do it- by overlaying stuff on a video feed of real life. 'Proper' AR is more akin to the concept of HoloLens, a.k.a. overlaying stuff on your eyes' view of real life.

The standard definition for MR right now is greenscreening someone over the top of the VR environment they're in using tracked cameras. This new Microsoft definition seems more like Augmented Marketing to me.

It's all semantics really, but I'd call this a VR headset. The Vive has a camera too- it may not be stereo, but there's nothing to stop it from falling under this particular 'MR' definition.
 
Somewhat. Doesn't mean it actually looks good. The Dell one is too plain, and that one is too tacky. I'd say the Vive is a nice middle point. Well, the Oculus might be a better example.
The vive looks like a dimpled blob attached to your face.
 
Somewhat. Doesn't mean it actually looks good. The Dell one is too plain, and that one is too tacky. I'd say the Vive is a nice middle point. Well, the Oculus might be a better example.

Didn't realise these were fashion accessories.
 
honestly vive maybe the better performing headset, but you have to admit its the worst looking. its like some slapped you with a bee hive.
I disagree. It's very sci-fi, and looks the most "Ghost in the Shell" of all the options. I like it.

That said, what your VR headset looks like really doesn't matter.

What does IMHO matter about this announcement is the price. These were positioned as the affordable alternative, and now it's actually more expensive than the current Oculus pricing, and we don't have any idea yet if it actually matches that in experience and functionality.
 
That's a great deal. Now we have so many competing manufacturer at such low prices compared to the start of the VR gen.

Oculus is 499$, Vive is 699$, these headsets are even lower, and we have the 200$ OSVR from Razer, and you have the new 399$ PSVR

You seriously can't have a better time to get into VR.

It'll blow up again guaranteed. It's much much cheaper now, and these were prices everyone wanted to begin with.
 

I like the fact that we're seeing both a trackpad and a stick. Would have maybe liked to see an additional face button but I guess the trackpad could be used as one for the purposes of being compatible with existing oculus touch implementations.

It doesn't look terribly ergonomic though. Leaning more toward vive wand than oculus touch in that respect.
 
Was interested in these until I picked up an Oculus during the sale. The sensors being built into the headset is a nice convenience. Better resolution and higher comfort over Vive and Rift are also pluses. Software and compatibility is the huge question right now. Still might pick one up for the wife's pc
for myself
.
 
The "mixed" means Its AR and VR right?

EDIT: Yep, as the article states - it should be able to do both

No, the same way they misuse the term "holograms" for Hololens, they misuse, or at least try to redefine, the term "mixed reality" for these headsets as a catch all for both AR/MR and VR. These are VR headsets. The cameras are used for tracking and none of them have shown any MR capability.

Mixed reality is virtual content that's made to look like it exists in a real environment (or vice versa). Basically it's what most people think of when they hear the term "augmented reality" though augmented reality is more specifically something like the scouters in DBZ overlaying 2D information on the real world. Pokemon Go right now is technically AR as well since you can't like walk up to the Pokemon and look at it from all sides as if it was in the real world.
 
I got to try on the Dell Visor during a briefing earlier this month — though the headset wasn’t actually turned on, so I was just staring at a dark screen.

This is kind of concerning. Very curious to see how well tracking works.

Edit: Ah, someone posted impressions above. Will check it out when I get home.
 
Didn't they also announce Steam VR would be compatible with these?

I disagree. It's very sci-fi, and looks the most "Ghost in the Shell" of all the options. I like it.


That said, what your VR headset looks like really doesn't matter.

What does IMHO matter about this announcement is the price. These were positioned as the affordable alternative, and now it's actually more expensive than the current Oculus pricing, and we don't have any idea yet if it actually matches that in experience and functionality.

That's promo pricing Oculus is likely taking a loss on though.
 
Uhh...Mixed reality is a real hybrid technology of AR and VR that has been around for decades and is being heavily researched and has been used by NASA quite a few times. It really isn't just a fancy way of saying VR.

The way that microsoft is using the term, it's just a fancy way of saying VR.

Really, really confusing and dumb brand name.

Edit: This is the headset that's using an LED screen, right? It's going to be DOA, unless they developed some kind of new technology they haven't told anyone about. Also, iirc controllers are only tracked while you're looking at them.

Edit2: Also, $350 seemed a lot more appealing before the recent Oculus promotions. I know they said the price drop was temporary, but I have feeling it will only be "temporary" in quotes.
 
The way that microsoft is using the term, it's just a fancy way of saying VR.

Really, really confusing and dumb brand name.

It's less "dumb" than calling a computing programm App.
The difference is way bigger.

But the only important thing is the consumers mind. And an App is something specific and different from a classic Desktop PC programm.

And mixt reality is different from AR.
Why the hell do people hate on this term? It's always better to be percise.
Do people hate on FPS and TPS, while both are just being shooters?



The only dumb stuff is the arguing about this
 
The way that microsoft is using the term, it's just a fancy way of saying VR.

Really, really confusing and dumb brand name.

Edit: This is the headset that's using an LED screen, right? It's going to be DOA, unless they developed some kind of new technology they haven't told anyone about. Also, iirc controllers are only tracked while you're looking at them.

Edit2: Also, $350 seemed a lot more appealing before the recent Oculus promotions. I know they said the price drop was temporary, but I have feeling it will only be "temporary" in quotes.

They already announced a permanent price drop to $500 when the $400 sale ends for the touch bundle.
 
It's less "dumb" than calling a computing programm App.
The difference is way bigger.

But the only important thing is the consumers mind. And an App is something specific and different from a classic Desktop PC programm.

We've been referring to computer programs as "Applications" for long before the iPhone, so I'm not seeing the comparison.
 
No it's not MR was a thing before MS even announced these headsets



http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=80184657&postcount=186

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Me being told that it wasn't a thing 3 years ago

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https://dev.beyond3d.com/threads/sony-vr-headset-project-morpheus-playstation-vr.55521/page-26





How have you been a Junior Member after 5 years? What am I missing?


BACK ON TOPIC.


I like the idea of MR. I always wanted 4k AR. Superhigh fidelity imagery over real world settings. That way the CPU only has to process the action item and not render the entire environment. I think it would be neat.
 
Soapbox Killer said:
I always wanted 4k AR.
You'll need a lot more than 4k to get superhigh fidelity you want.

That way the CPU only has to process the action item and not render the entire environment. I think it would be neat.
The system has to effectively resolve entire real-environment in AR, whatever ends up responsible for it - processing requirements are higher than in VR, not to mention the latency problems being much worse.
 
https://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/2017/08/dell-visor-vr-headset-xps-inspiron/

One drawback is that the Visor works only with apps in Microsoft's store and doesn't currently support Steam or Oculus programs.

DOA.

"In addition, I am thrilled to announce that Steam content will also run on Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Virtual reality enthusiasts know that Steam is a great place to enjoy cutting edge immersive experiences. We can’t wait to bring their content to you."

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2017/08/28/windows-mixed-reality-holiday-update/
 
How have you been a Junior Member after 5 years? What am I missing?


BACK ON TOPIC.


I like the idea of MR. I always wanted 4k AR. Superhigh fidelity imagery over real world settings. That way the CPU only has to process the action item and not render the entire environment. I think it would be neat.

I got Jr'ed for making threads about 4K gaming in 2012 because people didn't think it could happen this generation.
 
I feel like people are confusing Microsoft's Mixed Reality platform with devices that can do both AR and VR. Mixed Reality is the name of Microsoft's platform like OpenVR/SteamVR is Valve's platform. It's one platform that supports both AR and VR hardware/software. The somewhat confusing part is that when they say MR devices they don't mean a device that can do both, but instead a device that supports the MR platform.

In the future it sounds like MS expect AR and VR hardware to converge into a single device, but that isn't here yet.
 
Hmmm, hoped they might be a bit cheaper so I'll wait for reviews. Do we have any idea of when the next generation of Vive/Oculus headsets are likely to appear?
 
So it only works with UWP applications to nobody's surprise since it uses MS middleware. Good luck with that one.
 
This Microsoft blog post from today which is also posted a few posts up from yours says these headsets will have support for Steam content. Since Steam does not use UWP yet this means the headsets are not locked down in this way.

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2017/08/28/windows-mixed-reality-holiday-update/

We don't know. However another scenario would be that Steam supports UWP and All UWPs are able to be used in Windows MR.

While Steam works, it's a different story when optimising content for Windows MR. That'll likely be locked to UWP regardless of place it's coming from.
 
So it only works with UWP applications to nobody's surprise since it uses MS middleware. Good luck with that one.

As long as Microsoft has a distribution advantage over Valve and Oculus. The impact of UWP doesn't matter.


I expect Windows MR to outsell all of PC VR very quickly.
 
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