In a surprising move at CES 2024, Sony took the stage to announce its foray into extended reality (XR) with the unveiling of a new XR headset. However, unlike its competitors such as the Apple Vision Pro or the Meta Quest 3, Sony’s XR headset is not designed for the consumer market. Instead, the Japanese tech giant is setting its sights on corporate and professional users, emphasizing its utility in the realm of 3D content creation.
Sony XR Headset and Controllers, Image Credit: Sony
Described as an “immersive spatial content creation system” in Sony’s official press release, the XR headset is positioned to cater to creators working on sophisticated 3D models. This marks a clear departure from the entertainment and productivity focus of mixed-reality headsets currently dominating the consumer market.
The design of Sony’s XR headset bears a resemblance to its consumer-oriented counterparts, featuring a sleek and modern appearance. However, a notable differentiator is the ability of the display and essential hardware to flip up, providing users with a quick exit from the virtual world back to reality. The device also comes equipped with two controllers – a “pointing controller” for the dominant hand and a “ring controller” to be attached to a finger of the other hand, enhancing user interaction.
Specifications:
Under the hood, the XR headset boasts two 1.3-inch OLED microdisplays with a 4K resolution, although Sony has not disclosed the exact resolution. The screens reportedly cover an impressive 96% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Powering the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, recently announced by the company.
Operating System:
While the operating system for the XR headset remains undisclosed, speculations are circulating that it could potentially run on Android. Sony has also revealed a partnership with Siemens to integrate the NX Immersive Designer Software from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, providing designers with a powerful tool for working with 3D models directly on the headset.
Release Date:
Sony has set a tentative release window of “later in 2024” for the XR headset, promising to reveal more information about the launch date, availability, and pricing at a later date. For those eagerly awaiting a consumer-focused XR headset, Sony suggests holding out for Samsung’s upcoming offering, expected to cater to a broader audience beyond 3D model creators.
