These hand-held VR kits work on modern smartphones. As you might expect from an entry-level device, experience varies wildly. Some more recent viewers include plastic/metal construction and decent quality lenses.
First to market with a good consumer VR solution + content network, Gear VR works with Samsung's premium phones. Soon to release a lightweight $99 version.
The Belle of the Ball and focus of most VR hype. Purchased by Facebook for US$2Bn, it releases the first consumer version in 2016, after two populsr hardware development kits.
Deeply integrated with the Steam gaming platform and notable for using volumetric virtual space. Which means you can move around the room with controllers.
A modular, open-source VR headset solution. Not so much a retail product as an ongoing development kit for enthusiasts.
This Kickstarter campaign is the first to develop eye-tracking. One to watch, as this innovation greatly enhances both animation speed and the impression of virtual immersion.
Formerly known as Project Morpheus, this headset comes with handheld controllers to integrate with Sony's PlayStation 4 games console.
Extremely ambitious augmented reality headset from Microsoft. Early demonstrations include integration with the company's Minecraft game, but with initial development kits costing US$3k, initial applications are likely to be in manufacturing.
Another AR solution partly funded by public/private investors including Google, Alibaba and Qualcomm. Purported to project light-field images directly onto the retina, early demonstrations have been greeted with wild enthusiasm.
These interfaces allow VR users to interact with virtual interfaces right now. Think Minority Report.
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