Skip to main content

These XR gaming glasses just raised more on Kickstarter than the Oculus Rift

When the original Oculus Rift landed on Kickstarter, it managed to raise over $2.43 million. But now, there’s a new name in town — at least when it comes to futuristic gaming.

The Viture One mixed reality (XR) glasses allow you to play games or watch movies from basically anywhere — and it just surpassed the Oculus Rift’s astonishing original fundraising effort on Kickstarter.

Related Videos

Viture, a San Francisco-based startup, was founded by Google and Apple veterans, and it’s managed to raise over $2.4 million on Kickstarter in just a month and a half, greatly surpassing the original $20,000 funding goal.

Just over 4,000 people are backing these new AR glasses, a far cry from the 9,522 that backed the original Oculus Rift campaign. Why the difference? Well, the Oculus Kickstarter offered many smaller tiers of backing that started at just $15 and included just a poster for backing. Viture’s campaign starts with pledges at $429, which includes the actual product itself.

The Viture One itself was designed intentionally to look like a stylish pair of sunglasses. The thought is that it’s supposed to be something people would want to wear daily, unlike a hefty virtual reality headset. Viture partnered with design firm Layer to help create the actual look of the glasses, which come in three color options: Black, blue, and white.

The two lenses combine to form a 120-inch 1080p virtual screen. Viture says that the pixel density is equivalent to a Mac Retina display (300 pixels to 400 pixels per inch) and that the image quality surpasses any VR headset.

The lenses also contain an electrochromic film that adjusts depending on environment. That electrochromic film has two modes: Immersive and ambient. Immersive allows the virtual screen to occupy most of your field of vision. Ambient mode minimizes the screen to the bottom corner to allow you to see the real world.

For those nearsighted folks who already wear glasses, the Viture One actually includes a dial to adjust the prescription of the lenses up to -5.0.

A visualization of the Viture One glasses, showing the internals.

The glasses can be combined with a special neckband that powers the glasses and contains a control pad for the Android-based operating system. Viture touts the fact that the neckband weighs only 170 grams, which makes it lighter than the Bose Soundwear and Sony SRS-NS7.

Soundwise, there are embedded directional speakers in the stems of the glasses to provide private audio. Virture says it partnered with a “prestigious speaker company” to design the audio, though it didn’t specify the name of the company.

Viture One XR glasses showing the internal speakers.

Outside of the hardware, the Viture One’s greatest feat is being able to stream games and media from anywhere using Wi-Fi or cellular.

Console games can be streamed using remote play apps like PlayStation Remote Play and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The Viture One includes support for both Xbox and PlayStation controllers. PC games can also be streamed using apps like Steam Link, AMD Link, Rainway, Parsec, or Shadow.

Because it runs Android, popular streaming apps such as Apple TV +, Disney+, and HBO Max come preinstalled. The company mentions that even 3D movies are supported.

For Switch owners, there is a separate attachment that acts as both an HDMI dock and battery pack. There’s even a “multiplayer mode” that allows two pairs of Viture One glasses to play on the same Switch using the two JoyCons.

Connecting Switch to Viture One dock.

Finally, the Viture One is compatible with any USB-C device with video output. That would include Android smartphones, USB-C iPads, Macs, laptops, and even the Steam Deck.

The price starts at $429 for the Early Bird pledges and includes the glasses only. You’ll have to move up to $529 to get the neckband included. Those who want everything, including the dock, will have to shell out at least $629. Viture says the headset will sell for a retail price of $549.

Viture plans on shipping the first units to backers in October of this year.

Obviously, while the idea and concept itself sound exciting, Kickstarter claims are just that. Claims. All the same suggested rules around crowdfunding apply here, so we’ll have to see if the Viture One lives up to those claims.

Editors' Recommendations

USB-C charging laptops: Here’s what you need to know
Close up on the USB-C ports on a Macbook Pro.

The arrival of USB-C and USB-C laptop chargers has been a game-changer for many electronics. You can use the connection to charge devices and transfer media, and it's conveniently reversible. The best laptops no longer need a big power brick -- you can just use USB-C. But there are some precautions you should take when charging over USB-C. Here's everything you need to know.
USB charging and laptops

You have probably already used USB connections to charge smaller devices either from your computer or from an outlet. That works well because past USB connections had enough wattage to successfully power up those smaller batteries. Prior versions of USB could only handle a limited amount of power, which is why laptop chargers have typically retained their larger, bulkier cables.

Read more
PC gamers are flocking to Windows 11, new Steam survey says
Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the Alienware 34 QD-OLED.

According to the latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey, more PC gamers are switching to using Windows 11. Although Windows 10 continues to top the charts, it's slowly losing users to Microsoft's newer operating system, as Windows 11 now compromises over a third of all operating systems in Steam's monthly survey.

It's happy news for Microsoft as Windows 11 continues to inch forward in the Steam Hardware Survey. While the survey doesn't include the software and hardware utilized by each and every gamer on the platform, it still shows us some significant averages. Microsoft has continued to push Windows 11 for new PCs, and the latest survey from Steam suggests that the effort is working.

Read more
Apple’s XR headset could get one of the Mac’s best features
Apple VR Headset Concept by Antonio De Rosa

Apple is known for the strong ecosystem that lets all its devices work pretty seamlessly together. A new patent suggests the company’s upcoming Reality Pro headset will be a full-fledged member of this ecosystem -- and get one of Apple’s best features in the process.

According to the patent, Apple might bring its Continuity system to its upcoming mixed-reality headset. That means you’ll be able to send work from one device to another with just your eyes, all through the power of the headset’s augmented reality tech.

Read more