There wasn’t much news for the first 25 minutes of Sony’s CES 2024 presentation, but then the company showed off a new XR head-mounted display and controller… which has no name yet and is aimed at “spatial content creation.” The headset has a matte gray finish and looks like a stripped-down PSVR2, with what appears to be two cameras on the front. There’s also a controller stick and a smaller peripheral that’s about the size of a ring. The new hardware is clearly aimed at creators and artists who manipulate and make products in virtual spaces. The product will be available later in 2024, but pricing will be announced later.
Although Sony didn’t go into detail on stage, it issued a press release after the show that revealed some key specs. This headset is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, which was released at the opening of CES. This means it is a stand-alone device and does not require a computer to operate. The chip can drive dual 4K OLED microdisplays and provide “user and spatial tracking” for mixed reality experiences. Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said it would offer a “clear viewing experience” and “intuitive 3D design interactions,” teasing a device aimed at professionals similar to its professional-grade cameras and equipment.
The device has a “video see-through” function and has six cameras and sensors. A pair of controllers are shown, one is described as a “ring controller” for manipulating objects, the other is described as a “pointing controller” for pointing. Sony envisions creators being able to create 3D models on the fly using both controllers and traditional input devices like keyboards:
“By holding a pointing controller with their dominant hand and attaching a ring controller to the fingers of their other hand, creators can use the controller and keyboard to model 3D objects while wearing the headset.”
Sony also emphasized the balance of the headphones, saying it has fine-tuned the “balance of the center of gravity of the device.” The display portion of the headset also flips up and out of the wearer’s field of view, allowing them to get in or out of work without having to take the headset off completely.
Judging from the works displayed on stage, it seems to be positioned less like a competitor to Vision Pro and more like a creative interpretation of Microsoft HoloLens. Hopefully we’ll hear and see more at the Sony booth later this week. The company showed off a model of a user wearing the new headset tinkering with a bipedal robot, manipulating it to cause damage, while two nearby monitors showed more detail. Sony says you’ll be able to review and collaborate on your work remotely through third-party creative apps.
Updated January 8 at 10:30 pm ET: Added details of Sony’s post-show PR.
We will provide live coverage of CES 2024, which will be held in Las Vegas from January 6th to 12th.Get all the latest news from the show here.
This article was originally published on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/sony-spatial-content-creation-headset-at-ces-2024-013936595.html?src=rss
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