Shadow Creator, a Shanghai-based headset manufacturer, today announced their upcoming headset Shadow VR will be the newest hardware partner to adopt HTC’s Vive Wave platform. The standalone VR headset, which supports six degrees of freedom (6DOF) for both headset and controller tracking, is slated to launch worldwide on November 11th for $400.

Update (November 10th, 2018): In a previous version of this article the headline incorrectly stated that Shadow VR was the latest of 15 VR headsets to adopt Vive Wave when in reality it is the latest of 15 manufacturers. The headline has been changed to reflect this distinction.

15 total hardware partners, including Pico’s latest Neo headset, have announced their support for Vive Wave and are planning the integration of Wave into their products. Like other Vive Wave hardware partners, Shadow VR will use HTC’s Viveport mobile storefront.

Image courtesy Shadow Creator

Vive Wave is the HTC-developed open platform announced last year that offers interoperability between several classes of mobile VR headsets and accessories, something the company hopes will be a “step forward in bringing together the highly fragmented mobile VR market.”

According to a press statement, Shadow VR 6DOF controllers were developed in-house, and includes a nine-axis gyroscope, and a button layout similar to many VR controllers today.

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At this point it’s uncertain how Shadow VR’s controllers achieve 6DOF, although it’s possible they use a system based on ultrasonics similar to the kind seen on Vive Focus 6DOF controller developer kit, albeit integrated directly into the headset. The company states it does this via “raytracing,” although it’s uncertain what that means in the context of controller tracking.

While there’s currently a product page for Shadow VR, little else is known about the headset beyond the raw specs listed by Shadow Creator, seen below.

Shadow VR Specs

Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Resolution 2,560 × 1,440 (1,280 × 1,440 per lens)
Display Type LCD
FOV ~110
Optics Fresnel
Battery 3500 mAh
Headset Tracking optical 6DOF
I/O USB 3.1, USB Type-C
Audio dual-speaker

 

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • NooYawker

    I have a feeling VR/AR will follow the path of smartphones. Just like how HTC paved the road for android then was crushed by Samsung, I foresee the same when Samsung decides to seriously pursue this market. Meanwhile there will be 100’s of low end badly made devices. And Apple will be accused of being copycats.

    • Konchu

      Though I am excited for Apple to do it cause it will be polished.

  • Lucidfeuer

    The horrible headstrap is a no-go for me, but it’s an interesting step toward hybrid self-tracked headsets.

    • WyrdestGeek

      I wonder if it’s possible for someone to develop a 3rd party harness that lets you use a “strap”-style headset as though it were a flip-up, PSVR-style headset.

      Because it seems clear the flip-up, PSVR thing is obviously better, but yet a lot of companies are sticking with the straps.

      For the lower-end headsets, this may be an issue of keeping the price down. But for the higher end ones, I wonder. Do they not want to lose design recognition? Do they not want to admit PSVR’s is better? Would they have to license it to use it?

      • Lucidfeuer

        It seems really odd that Sony could have obtained a patent for such a design, but it seems to be the case. And it’s no excuse not to licence it when you’re a corporation, or else develop your own better solution.

  • Ariel

    Could someone provide a link to a list of all 15 Vive Wave Headsets? Do any of them also give access to the Google Play Store?

    • G-man

      there are 15 companies working o nhardware. doesnt mean there are 15 headsets available to buy, or even to look at.

      • Ariel

        Thanks for the clarification. What about access to the Android Play Store? It would be so nice to be able to run both Google Cardboard VR apps along with Vive Wave apps. Our school needs to run Google Expeditions (that specific program is in our curriculum) on whatever VR devices we purchase.

        • G-man

          hmm, interesting, i wasnt aware that existed. i’ve been waiting for google earth to be an option for mobile vr headsets, i guess expeditions is the best they have so far. strangeky i cant find anything about it working on any vr headsets, any daydream headsets, or any vive wave headsets. there just doesnt seem to be the content out there to know. we can’t even buy any of these headsets yet anyway so it’s going to mean waiting till they are out, people buy them and we know what they are able to do. unfortunately they seem to end up being way more artificially limited than they should be. so i wont be surprised if the vive headsets cant access the play store vr apps.

          • Ariel

            Since they all run Android, I agree that it seems like an artificial software limitation on things like the Vive Focus, Mirage Solo / Daydream, and Oculus Go. I’m guessing their justification is that the Android Cardboard VR apps were not created for their devices so the experience will not be as good, blah, blah, blah. Daydream does have Google Expeditions, but overall the Daydream store is small and the Mirage Solo is twice as much as the Oculus Go without having 6dof controllers.

  • Virtual Gamesterz

    Hey give them credit, they have 6DOF controllers with it, better to just come out with a date instead of all these promises and hey lets show off this quest that isn’t coming out until spring 2019 if so. There’s always a wait for new stuff, come on now. Give me give me.

  • JesuSaveSouls

    Thats good but software is a issue.We have these expensive ar units like magic ;eap amd hololens but many have no software with the exception the os.Like the mirage solo is loaded with daydream but it some hack could get it to work with oculus mobile software that would be cool.

  • It seems like a nice headset, but I’m not completely convinced. It lacks IPD, the resolution is not top-notch, etc…

  • Nejham Mosquera

    Have you done any follow ups on this headset?