Somnium VR1 is a new PC VR headset that delivers an impressive field-of-view (FOV) and high-resolution displays, ideally appealing to enthusiasts already in the SteamVR tracking ecosystem looking for an upgrade, or businesses with the cash to splash. I got a chance to go hands-on at the company’s Somnium Connect event held in Prague, Czechia over …

Somnium VR1 is a new PC VR headset that delivers an impressive field-of-view (FOV) and high-resolution displays, ideally appealing to enthusiasts already in the SteamVR tracking ecosystem looking for an upgrade, or businesses with the cash to splash. I got a chance to go hands-on at the company’s Somnium Connect event held in Prague, Czechia over the weekend, giving me my first look at the version heading out to customers that’s said to start shipping sometime this month.

The Prague-based company behind VR1 is best known for its metaverse platform Somnium Space, making it the first in what promises to be a series of large FOV headsets. It’s very well refined for a first device, owing to the company’s close partnership with XTAL, the Czech hardware manufacturer behind a series of high-resolution, high FOV enterprise XR headsets.

  • ffhein@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 month ago

    When I first heard of the Somnium it sounded like perfect specs on paper, but when I saw the price… oof… Pimax Crystal Light has a much more attractive price, but from what I’ve read it seems to have horrible quality control and that it requires buggy proprietary software, which might mean it’ll never work on Linux.

    Hope Valve could make an Index v1.5 which just has updated screens with slightly higher res and keep the the ~€1000 price for a full kit. But with the electronics shortage and inflation which happened since the Index was released it might not be possible.

    • Codilingus@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      3·
      1 month ago

      Valves next VR HMD is in the works, called Project Deckard. Every couple of months a YouTuber who combs through Steam’s code changes and finds bits and pieces of what can only be assumed as features that will be for their new HMD.

      So far it seems like it will be a wireless capable PC VR device, with an optional mobile board that can be attached to use the device as a standalone HMD, like the Quest.

      Now it’s just waiting…Soon™…

      • ffhein@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 month ago

        I read that too, but I suspect that it’s going to be a major update to the Index with a price tag to match. And if course it might take quite some time before it’s finally released, as say…

        Personally I’d be happy with a minor upgrade (resolution primarily) for a lower price and sooner, if that was an option