I was skeptical to say the least about the idea of gaming on XR glasses. My head was spinning with questions about how I would use them, why I would use them, and cynical responses to both.
But all those questions faded into the background when I got the chance to actually experience it in person. I’ve had a few days to play with the Viture One XR goggle prototype, a Kickstarter-funded project — and as unusual as the concept may seem, works work.
This isn’t the future of gaming for everyone, but the bells of the early days of VR rang in my head with the Viture One XR glasses. The prototype I tried needs a lot of work, but for all my guesses, they could be the first step in an exciting new gaming category.
A huge screen, wherever you want
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Viture Ones give you the equivalent of a 120-inch screen, and while they don’t have the specs of one of the best VR headsets out there, they don’t have to. You get a pixel density of 55, a full 1080p signal running at 60 fps and a peak brightness of 1,800 nits, according to Viture. Now, I couldn’t attach a brightness meter inside the frame to check 1800 nits, but the screen was bright enough to fight even the direct sunlight coming in through my living room windows.
The edge is a bit blurry, but the screen looks great. It’s sharp and super responsive, and every time I put the glasses on I kept dropping into a game or video. Sure, you can see the surrounding room and it’s obvious you’re not looking at a physical screen, but I’ve never struggled to immerse myself in what I’m doing. The Viture Ones pulled me back, which is shocking considering that I normally wear glasses with a fairly thick diopter.
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Devil May Cry 5 is what alerted me. I played it on my Steam Deck, connected directly to the glasses via a USB-C cable, and it felt like I was playing the game on a normal 60Hz display. Devil May Cry 5 is extremely fast, and the Viture Ones held up extremely well. I also watched a few YouTube videos and a bit of Netflix on my couch, which allowed me to lie down or rest my head while always keeping my media in the center of my field of vision.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Having a screen anywhere is a big plus. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to awkwardly lay my head down while playing a game or watching a movie when I wanted to rest and still be looking at the screen, and it’s generally so uncomfortable that I just don’t do it. The Viture One overcomes that problem unlike any other device you can buy right now, and at just 78 grams, it never feels heavy.
The experience at home is great, but I’d really like to see Viture One in action on a plane. Sunglasses on a plane might look funny, but I can’t stand looking at my phone to watch a movie or my Steam Deck to play a game during the flight. These glasses seem like a big win if you travel a lot.
The Viture One may be a glimpse into the future of gaming, at least for enthusiasts like me who don’t mind strapping crazy tech to their faces. It’s a look into the future, but we’re not there yet.
Growing pains
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Every early prototype comes with a list of issues, and Viture has sent a list of issues it is aware of and working on for the glasses that will ship. I’m more focused on the obstacles that come up when designing a unique product, and I hope to see how Viture solves those problems before launching another version.
Above all, size is an issue. You received three nose pads in different sizes, but none of them fit my (admittedly large) nose. Comfort is not a problem here either. If the glasses are not properly placed on your face, you cannot see the entire screen. I’m well aware of how awkward the glasses look on my face, but it was the only way I could put them on and still see the screen.
There’s a reason regular glasses have so many adjustment points, and it’s hard to have that flexibility with how much technology is in the Viture Ones. The ergonomics definitely need more tuning and more flexibility for larger heads.
The glasses themselves do not have much computing power in them. If you want to access the operating system, you will need to connect the glasses to the neckband. The bracelet is super comfortable and light, and all your controls are easily accessible. Within hours I knew where everything was without thinking.
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The actual computing power resides inside the neckband and is actively cooled. The neckband heats up and you can hear the fan inside trying to keep everything cool with minimal ventilation. It’s not annoying, but with the faint built-in speakers, it feels like the fan noise and the speakers are fighting each other.
I didn’t get to try the optional mobile dock, which is the third part of Viture Ones. This dock is exclusively for the Switch and connects directly to the console. It probably performs as well as the Steam Deck, which is great, and Viture says it can even upscale the resolution from 720p at 30fps to 1080p. The company says 1080p at 60 fps, but we’re talking Nintendo Switch here.
Race to the finish line
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Viture Ones are the first step in what could become a popular category in the next few years, especially as we see glasses like the Lenovo Glasses T1 starting to appear.
There are some usability hurdles to overcome, but Viture has clearly done a lot to get its first version out of the way. The glasses work, and that’s about as much as I can ask for right now.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn