Dell has started taking pre-orders for the Visor VR headset and promises that shipments will start on October 17. One will be able to buy the headset from Dell.com, Microsoft.com, BestBuy.com, Best Buy stores and Microsoft stores, and other retailers starting next month.
Dell Visor VR headset is affordable and comfortable
The Dell Visor VR headset was received quite well when it was first showcased at Computex and IFA. Dell’s VR headset just caught the eye not only for its functionality but also for its sleek design and comfort.
“Engineered with a flip-up visor for convenient transitions from virtual world back to real world, there’s an equal emphasis on comfort: from thick, replaceable head and face cushions, to a thumbwheel band adjustment for personalized fit, to weight balancing that takes pressure off the nose and cheeks,” Dell’s description of the headset reads.
The Dell Visor VR headset is made for comfort with cushioned edges that rest on the nose and face. The cushion also has a small vent that allows air but not light to keep the true VR experience intact, notes VentureBeat. Further, the Visor has two holes so that the user can see through them when needed.
The Dell Visor VR comes with Fresnel lenses that offer a 110-degree field of view and a 360-degree panoramic view. Further, the headset comes with six degrees of freedom for inside-out tracking, suggesting that there are sensors on the headset, notes VentureBeat.
“Discover the Windows Mixed Reality headset that delivers an unparalleled experience, with ultimate comfort and a premium design,” the company says.
Better specs than others
Based on the Windows Mixed Reality headset platform, the VR device comes with a price tag of $350. Users can also buy the touch controllers for $100, while the bundle including the headset and controllers costs $450. The Dell Visor VR headset will sell for a lower price than other VR headsets that are currently available, such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Dell is positive that a lower price will make VR more accessible.
An obvious question now is how the Visor will fair against the already-popular HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. At this point, not much is known about the Visor, but based on its specifications, Dell’s product could offer tough competition to both of them. For example, Dell’s Visor offers the advantage of inside-out tracking. Additionally, the Oculus Rift and Vive offer a maximum resolution of 1,080 x 1,200 for each eye, which is somewhat lower than the 1440p promised by the Dell Visor, notes DigitalTrends.
In the Visor headset, Dell has used LCD panels made by Sharp, which come with an RGB subpixel arrangement. This feature will also take the image quality a notch higher and will be more effective than a higher pixel count. Before Dell, Sony used the same tech in the PSVR, which offers a sharper, clearer picture, even with a single 1080p panel, notes Toms Hardware.
Dell has made sure that the Visor works with the lower-tier class of PCs as well. However, the company recommends running an Ultra PC class system to operate the HMD at 90Hz. Dell will also be bundling the headset with the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming laptop with NVIDIA 1050 Ti graphics. The bundle is priced at $1,250 and will include the Visor and controllers.
