Windows 10 VR standard announced. IHVs creating headsets from $300

Davros said:
Why the need for usb 3, does the display not connect via a traditional display output
Click to expand...

Because you need at least the MEMS sensors' (accelerometer and gyroscope) input to get head rotation. And for Microsoft's solution, you also need the inside-out sensors (which I'll bet it's a bunch of IR emiters + cameras).
Also, I don't know if it's enough but the USB could also be used to power the whole thing.
 
It needs HDMI as well according to the specs, so it's not using USB3 for video (1.4 for 1080p60, 2.0 for higher res).

It suspect it's more power than anything. I'm assuming they're using MS's holographic chip to do all the heavy positional lifting and just sending the calculated position through to the PC.
 
I would have assumed a big part of keeping costs down is that all of those calculations would be offloaded to the PC. If you're already committed to having a tether you may as well leverage it as best you can.
 
The hpu is really modest and very efficient though. It's 65m transistors to do all of Hololen's tracking, using half its processing power.
 
hughJ said:
I would have assumed a big part of keeping costs down is that all of those calculations would be offloaded to the PC. If you're already committed to having a tether you may as well leverage it as best you can.
Click to expand...
Depends on what they want to accomplish.

I am sure MS wouldn't mind having some of their partners to foot the bill on a run of their custom hpu chips and I am sure they wouldn't mind getting back data from the hpu and their tracking hardware / software to further improve HoloLens and their vr offerings in the future.
 
cheapchips said:
It needs HDMI as well according to the specs, so it's not using USB3 for video (1.4 for 1080p60, 2.0 for higher res).

It suspect it's more power than anything. I'm assuming they're using MS's holographic chip to do all the heavy positional lifting and just sending the calculated position through to the PC.
Click to expand...
the rift also uses a single usb 3 and hdmi. The whole of the rift is powered by that usb. So I am sure its the same in the case of these headsets
 
cheapchips said:
It needs HDMI as well according to the specs, so it's not using USB3 for video (1.4 for 1080p60, 2.0 for higher res).

It suspect it's more power than anything. I'm assuming they're using MS's holographic chip to do all the heavy positional lifting and just sending the calculated position through to the PC.
Click to expand...

I could certainly see it transmitting the infrared feed though USB back to the computer, however. Unless the depth processing is done on the unit itself. And even then it'd need to feed that information back to the computer X times per second.

It's also likely using an array of cameras and not just a single one. I believe HoloLens uses 2 cameras as part of its inside out tracking. The Oculus prototype uses 4 cameras for inside out tracking. It's possible that Microsoft may have bumped things up a bit from HoloLens' 2 cameras to 4 cameras in order to make tracking smoother and more robust. That might benefit from using USB3 rather than USB2.

And since the cost is so low, it's entire possiblely that rather than doing the processing on the unit itself, the headsets will be expecting the computer to do some or all of the processing. Either way there's a significant amount of data going from the headset to the computer for inside out tracking.

Regards,
SB
 
Windows Mixed Reality dev kits shipping this month
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsex...-dev-kits-shipping-month/#Rmq7h10yzd7JwPuf.97

"At Microsoft, we are building Windows 10 to be the most complete platform across the broadest range of mixed reality devices and experiences. We believe that mixed reality can empower new waves of creativity and should be affordable and attainable for everyone.

As we announced last year, we’re partnering with leading device makers including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and 3Glasses on a wide range of headsets that pair with your Windows Mixed Reality-ready PC. These are the first mixed reality headsets to deliver built-in inside-out tracking, meaning there is no need to purchase or install external trackers or sensors in the wall. Moreover, you don’t need to bother with a complicated setup, just plug and play.

Today, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, we shared the next step in our mixed reality journey. As we continue to build on the momentum of the past year, starting this month we will begin to ship developer edition headsets created in partnership with Acer to our developer partners.

To empower even more developers to create in mixed reality, we gave a “golden ticket” to game developers who attended our Windows Mixed Reality session at GDC, and those developers will receive the Acer developer edition headset in the coming months. Game developers interested in building content for Windows Mixed Reality can sign up for ID@Xbox. All other developers can learn about the Windows Mixed Reality program here.

We’re also excited to share that Windows Mixed Reality experiences will light up on other devices over time, beyond desktop and Microsoft HoloLens. Our plan is to bring mixed reality content to the Xbox One family of devices, including Project Scorpio, in 2018.

When we begin the phased rollout of the developer kits this month, the kits will include the Acer headset, along with documentation and access to Windows 10 Insider preview builds and the software development kit (SDK) to enable developers to build mixed reality applications.

The specifications for the Acer Windows Mixed Reality Development Edition headset include:
  • Two high-resolution liquid crystal displays at 1440 x 1440
  • Display refresh rate up to 90 Hz (native)
  • Built-in audio out and microphone support through 3.5mm jack
  • Single cable with HDMI 2.0 (display) and USB 3.0 (data) for connectivity
We can’t wait to see what our developer partners build with our expanding platform, which currently delivers more than 20,000 Universal Windows applications, including mixed reality apps and games as well as the ability to stream Xbox games to your Windows 10 PC. Not only will you enjoy spectacular, immersive experiences, but also the things that you do most with your Windows PC – in mixed reality. Here’s a video we created to give you a glimpse of what is possible with Windows Mixed Reality:


I look forward to sharing more about our mixed reality journey at our //build conference in May. If you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @akipman. I’m excited to build this future together with you!

Thanks,

Alex"


Even XBO will get some sort of VR support. Apps, simple games, video, my bet
 
So, a slight resolution bump from current PC VR headsets and 90 Hz refresh, that's good. It's going to be interesting to see how well the inside out tracking works. Looks like just 2 cameras used for that Acer unit. IIRC, I "think" that HoloLens also uses 2 cameras for its inside out tracking.

I wonder how much the unit will cost when it eventually goes on sale to consumers.

Regards,
SB
 
Silent_Buddha said:
So, a slight resolution bump from current PC VR headsets and 90 Hz refresh, that's good. It's going to be interesting to see how well the inside out tracking works. Looks like just 2 cameras used for that Acer unit. IIRC, I "think" that HoloLens also uses 2 cameras for its inside out tracking.

I wonder how much the unit will cost when it eventually goes on sale to consumers.

Regards,
SB
Click to expand...
Hololens has 6 "Cameras":
Sensor_bar.jpg

  • 1 IMU
  • 4 environment understanding cameras
  • 1 depth camera
  • 1 2MP photo / HD video camera
  • Mixed reality capture
  • 4 microphones
  • 1 ambient light sensor
Click to expand...

One of the reasons why HoloLens is still nearly 10X more expensive that those HMDs
 
Ah, yeah now I remember. 5 cameras for its inside out tracking.

I'm interested to know if what Acer is using is some derivative of that by Microsoft, or if it's using tech from another company. But more importantly whether it's worse or better WRT positional head tracking.

It certainly has a much simpler design goal for VR inside out tracking versus HoloLens which needs to build an entire 3D environment map of what it can see.

Regards,
SB
 
Silent_Buddha said:
Ah, yeah now I remember. 5 cameras for its inside out tracking.

I'm interested to know if what Acer is using is some derivative of that by Microsoft, or if it's using tech from another company. But more importantly whether it's worse or better.

It certainly has a much simpler design goal for VR inside out tracking versus HoloLens which needs to build an entire 3D environment map of what it can see.

Regards,
SB
Click to expand...

From my understanding the Acer (and other OEM) HMD is essentially doing the same thing as HoloLens: mapping the entire environment in which the user is located. The big difference here is that all the computing is done on the PC to which the HMD is tethered and that there a less cameras/depth sensors on those HMDs (but they will most probably try to compensate that with the built-in Gyros etc). In terms of HW there's nothing really crazy besides the depth cams (the "miniaturized Kinect") which are probably sourced from MS (and built buy some Chinese/Japanese ODM like Foxconn/Toshiba) I mean Intel is essentially doing the same thing with Project Aloy using their own RealSense depth cams.
 
Last edited:
Acer's ~$300 headset:

C8BJyXg.jpg


https://virtualrealityspot.com/headsets/acer

- 1440*1440 per eye (dual screens)
- 90Hz
- HDMI + USB 3.0 + audio jack in one cable (I'm guessing the audio jack works as an extension for an analog signal coming from a soundcard).
- Inside-out tracking
- Cameras also used for "mixed reality"
- Screen + lenses module can be "flipped up" so people can look around without having to detach the whole thing (damn how I wish I had that in my VR headset).
 
Microsoft has hired Elizabeth Hamren, the former CMO of Oculus VR at Facebook, to run a new dedicated Mixed Reality marketing team.

Team,

One of the biggest bets Microsoft is making for the future of computing is the development of a new world of mixed reality, led in large part by our pioneering work on Microsoft HoloLens. We have been on this journey from the unveil of HoloLens back in January 2015, to the announcement from our OEM partners of the first headsets capable of mixed reality last October, to the release of the first Windows 10 Mixed Reality dev kits this month. As we gear up for this coming holiday, we enter a new phase of bringing mixed reality to everyone.

To match the industry-defining technical work of our engineering team and to build on the broader work to establish the category of Mixed Reality, I am excited today to announce some changes within our team to enable us to accelerate our market presence.

1) Acknowledging the growing importance of this category, I am creating a dedicated Mixed Reality Marketing Team, separating it from the Surface devices team, and taking it as a direct report.

2) With support from Chris and Satya, we created a CVP level role to head this effort. I am thrilled to announce that after a thorough search, we have found an ideal leader in Elizabeth Hamren, the former CMO of Oculus VR at Facebook. Liz will be joined by Jeff Hansen, Sandhya Thodla and their teams, who have been doing great work driving our progress to date.

3) We are going to ramp up our sales efforts by investing in a dedicated set of sellers and TSPs for FY18. Combined with the significant marketing investment we are making for this coming holiday with mixed reality headsets marketed on Windows 10 PCs by the Windows 10 marketing team, we are set up to have an acceleration of our mixed reality initiative.

As CVP of Mixed Reality Marketing, Liz will be responsible for driving the global business and marketing strategy, working closely with our internal partners in engineering, Windows product marketing, integrated marketing, the MCB and Commercial teams, and external partners around the world. We have big, bold goals for mixed reality and the impact it can have on our overall Windows and Devices Group ambition to create more personal computing.

Liz is an industry veteran with extensive experience in product marketing, management, and development across a range of devices, spanning over 20 years. Prior to her role as CMO of Oculus VR, Liz served as the Vice President of Marketing at Dropcam, a cloud-based Wi-Fi video monitoring service, acquired by Nest Labs. She oversaw all aspects of marketing, including brand and advertising, product marketing, channel marketing, public relations and social media, as well as web and subscription sales. Liz has also served as Vice President of Marketing at Plantronics and Vice President of Marketing at Jawbone. Previous leadership positions have included posts at OQO, Mayfield Fund and Microsoft (which she left in 2002). She also served as a Director of Cozi Group, Inc. Liz has a BSE in Civil Engineering and Operations Research from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

I am looking forward to learning from Liz and adding her extensive industry experience to our WDG Marketing Leadership Team. It's an exciting time as we push forward in this critical area for the company. Liz officially joins Microsoft today, just in time to join the Exec Retreat, and she will join the team in the office soon. Please welcome Liz to the team.

Yusuf
Click to expand...
 
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsex...-10-fall-creators-update/#MbE16vZTRpYjqY6G.97
Microsoft's just announced their MR controllers which will use a mix of IMUs sensor tracking and IR tracking (when they are in the camera's FOV)..this is definitely the best they could do now with inside-out tracking but will most probably not be as robust as Lighthouse tracking. The whole bundle (HMD + 2 controllers will retail for $399 this fall for the Acer bundle and $429 for the HP) More news to coming during E3.


Specs:
https://blogs.windows.com/buildinga...kits-available-pre-order/#aI5BblYxTwhDqpVb.97
 
RoadtoVR weren't very impressed with Acer's headset. It's using LCDs, so no low persistence. It's fine when still but blury when moving. Hopefully some of the other Headsets fair better.
 
I think the key point is to drive this closer to a consumer friendly price point. 399 USD is still fairly hefty, but a lot cheaper than either the Rift or Vive. And nothing prevents another OEM or even Acer/HP from offering a more upscale VR headset at a higher price point with better displays.

I don't think 399 is going to drive mass adoption, but hopefully for VR it'll increase the VR user footprint.

One thing that is nice to see is that no one is adopting the Vive Wand or PSVR Wand as a way forward for VR controls. The upcoming Steam VR controller will be abandoning the wand form factor in favor of something that appears to strap onto your wrist and fit into the palm of your hand so you don't actually have to hold it.. And Microsoft has basically opted for something similar to the Oculus touch controllers which are quite nice.

Regards,
SB
 
I do like the look of the MS controllers. Hopefully the two hmd cameras provide a pretty wide field of view. It would be a shame if it can't handle sweeping tilt brush type movements.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
Microsoft acquires Simplygon
Replies
1
Views
3K
tuna
T
F
Is the X86 architecture a good option for Next-Gen handhelds? (Microsoft Xboy?)
2
Replies
31
Views
8K
corysama
C
F
  • Locked
The PLAYSTATIOn3 and the game industry !!! Part1...
Replies
4
Views
4K
overclocked
O
H
IBM backstabbing sony and neglected Apple ? (long read)
5 6 7
Replies
126
Views
45K
Fox5
F
A
Full transcript of John Carmack's QuakeCon 2005 Keynote
3 4 5
Replies
98
Views
32K
nemisis
N
Back
Top