It looks like we will soon welcome a new hardware manufacturer to the world of VR. Acer is looking to enter the market, although their headset mainly focuses on mixed reality. This particular device is designed to be used by Windows users and includes a new type of motion controller. For the price of $399, this could prove to be one of the most affordable high quality headset solutions available to consumers.
Acer Is A Valuable Ally For Windows Mixed Reality
It is evident there will be a very competitive market ahead when it comes to virtual and mixed reality. We all know Microsoft has been eyeing this particular sector for quite some time now. Acer is the first of several to-be-announced parts for this new project. In fact, the company told the world Acer will release their Windows Mixed Reality VR headset – including controllers – for $399 later this year.
Comparing that price point to some of the other models out there, it is a more than an affordable solution. Not everyone has nearly a thousand dollars to burn on a VR headset. Moreover, they would still need to own a powerful computer or laptop to boot. While all of this is still required when it comes to the Windows Mixed Reality VR headset, the HMD itself is priced at a range most people can agree on.
Although Acer is one of the multiple manufacturers working together with Microsoft, they are the first to come to market. A demo unit of this same VR headset was displayed during CES 2017. It is believed a developer kit of the device will ship for $299 this Summer, although it will not include the new controllers. The question is whether or not developers will port existing apps to this new platform, though.
Unfortunately, it does appear this Windows Mixed Reality VR headset will need to be tethered to a computer. Additionally, that computer must run the Windows 10 operating system. It sounds like a convenient solution, although it remains to be seen what the exact minimum requirements are right now. No information has been provided regarding GPU requirements whatsoever, which also begs the question how “polished” the content will look and feel.
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