While virtual reality is not quite taking over the living room just yet, the experience is quickly finding its place in arcades and theme parks. With this in mind, Sensics is finally releasing its VR headset for public venues. The design of these goggles reportedly brings a more hygienic and comfortable experience while also sporting a higher resolution than consumer headsets.
Sensics, co-founder of Razer’s Open Source Virtual Reality, had certain features in mind in order to differentiate their public headsets from the consumer-grade HDK 2. First and foremost is hygiene. In a public setting, headsets come into contact with a lot of different faces. Not only does Sensics include a machine-washable, hypoallergenic face mask, it also is designed to physically separate from the display. This allows attendees to strap in and get comfortable before clipping into the display portion. This cuts down on time spent cleaning the headset between uses since the display attaches to each individual strap. Then, as the attendee enjoys the virtual world, the used straps can be properly sanitized. No longer will users have to don a wet headset after a particularly sweaty round.
In an effort to cut down on sweat, Sensics has added silent dual fans that blow air through the headset. This helps remove the excess humidity and prevent the lenses from fogging up.
Aside from hygiene, Sensics’ VR headset expands on the highest resolutions currently available in the market. Both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive run a dual 1,080 x 1,200 resolution OLED display, which leaves a sort of screen-door effect during use. To cut down on this effect, Sensics uses dual 1,440 x 1,600 LCD displays. That is a 70 percent increase in pixel count.
For tracking purposes, the headset uses an integrated nine-axis orientation tracker. While this is something that headsets use for basic head-tracking only, Sensics states that its headset will work with “hundreds of peripherals including wide-area tracking systems.”
Pre-production units of Sensics’ public VR headsets are currently on sale on the Open Source Virtual Reality store. Ideal for arcades, museums, and theme parks, the headset comes in two different display options. At $2,160, the headset features a similar display as the Vive and Rift. For the increased pixel count, the headset jumps up to $2,590. Shipments are scheduled for later this year.
