Believed to be the next big step in gaming and optical entertainment, virtual reality is quickly becoming one of the most coveted gaming platforms, to the point where its technological capabilities aren’t keeping up with demand. Granted, virtual reality is still in its early stages of development, these optical devices have their fair share of persisting issues like pricing, performance, and setup.
Two virtual reality brands that have shown signs of improvement in these regards come from DisplayLink XR and TPCast, both of which showcased their latest models at the 2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. Despite each brand of virtual reality containing their own set of improvements, both brands also served as reminders of the nagging flaws that aren’t exempt from any form of virtual reality.
Both brands performed well at MWC, and didn’t exhibit much lagging, which has been a glaring issue for many virtual reality devices. Although DisplayLink claims to endure about 5ms of delay, it’s something the company is looking to improve upon moving forward. Both versions of virtual reality transmit video over 60 GHz, however it’s unclear if either or both models use 802.11ad/WiGig. Another common trait DisplayLink and TPCast shared was their use of wireless transmitters. TPCast used a transmitter attached to a wall that was mounted in a similar fashion to a room sensor. DisplayLink XR’s headset used a PCI card in the PC that ran the game, and had a transmitter that was built into the ceiling, which the company claims shouldn’t have any issues sending a signal through walls.
Both headsets use a wired battery that slides into your pocket or can clip onto a piece of clothing. DisplayLink is developing another battery that’s smaller than their latest version, and can be mounted onto the headset. One of the areas where the two brands shared the most disparity was battery life. While the DisplayLink XR head-mounted battery ran for 180 minutes, TPCast’s ran for half that time (90 minutes).
In terms of overall readiness, DisplayLink XR’s prototype has a more intricate design but isn’t as close to being ready as TPCast’s latest model. TPCast is also aiming to sell components needed for virtual reality technology to headset or accessory makers, and expects these resources to be ready by the end of the year.
One of the mutual shortcomings of both headsets was the lack of wireless video transmission, which is something that DisplayLink XR is working hard towards perfecting for future models. Their core software has already matured in this regard. On the flipside, both models have eliminated the burden of using wired virtual reality headsets, but one of the additional issues these brands face is balancing these technological innovations with price, as TPCast’s additional accessories are believed to cost at least $200 alone. It’s estimated that both headsets are going to be priced in the $400-600 range at the very least, and could cost much more with their new accessories and improvements.
Filed Under: Virtual reality • VR, M2M (machine to machine)