Today during a press conference in New York, Acer announced an upgraded version of its OJO Windows VR headset which includes a higher resolution, open-ear audio, and an IPD adjustment.

Acer today introduced ‘ConceptD‘ a new high-end product series from the company which is aimed at professional creators. The company revealed an upgraded version of its OJO headset which has been brought under the ConceptD brand.

The ConceptD OJO headset has a total resolution of 4,320 × 2,160, and we expect that it’s actually using a pair of 2,160 × 2,160 displays, very likely the same found in HP’s upcoming Reverb headset, which we recently found to offer leading visual clarity thanks to the jump in pixel density.

The ConceptD OJO has 2.25 times the total number of pixels as Acer’s original OJO 500 headset which had up to 1,440 × 1,440 resolution per eye.

Image courtesy Acer

Supporting the notion that the ConceptD OJO uses two individual displays, Acer says it will include an IPD adjustment which allows users to dial in the sweet spot by adjusting the distance between the lenses to better align with their eyes. The original OJO 500 also includes an IPD adjustment, while the company’s consumer-focused Windows VR device, the Acer Mixed Reality headset, does not.

SEE ALSO
HP's High-res 'Reverb' Headset to Launch May 6th Starting at $600

Also similar to the OJO 500, the ConceptD OJO features a detachable visor design which allows the head-mount to be easily interchanged. The head-mount appears to have been substantially redesigned, and has moved from a halo strap to an overhead strap which looks to share a very similar design to the StarVR One head-mount (another of Acer’s VR headsets).

Image courtesy Acer

New for the ConceptD OJO is open-ear audio through a sound-pipe design. Similar to Oculus’ newest headsets, that means audio will emanate from an opening in the straps near the ears, eliminating the need for over-ear headphones or a separate set of headphones entirely. Open-air audio is convenient but can be less immersive due to lack of sound isolation. Photos of the ConceptD OJO also show integrated over-ear headphones, so optional headphones could be made available.

As a Windows VR headset, we can assume that the ConceptD OJO uses the same inside-out tracking technology as every other Windows VR headset, which allows for full 6DOF tracking without external sensors. The company hasn’t talked about controllers, but we expect it will support the standard Windows VR controllers.

– – — – –

While this is the first time we’ve heard officially about the ConceptD OJO from Acer, we actually saw what was very likely a prototype version of the headset back at CES 2019. While it didn’t have the white visor or new head-mount design, the headset we saw did feature the unmistakable OJO design (with removable visor) and used the same resolution displays (2,160 × 2,160). Interestingly, that OJO headset we saw was running off of a smartphone, so it’s possible that the ConceptD OJO will also be able to plug into certain smartphones, in addition to PCs.

A prototype OJO headset which we spotted at CES earlier this year shared the same resolution as the ConceptD OJO announced today. | Photo by Road to VR

Unfortunately there’s no word on a release date for the ConceptD OJO headset or what the price will be. Considering similar specs and thus likely competition with the upcoming HP Reverb (which starts at $600), we expect the ConceptD OJO will primarily target a non-consumer audience but sell for less than $1,000. The original OJO 500 started at $400.

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • Nosfar

    The only Innovation these companies seem to be offering is a higher resolution that’s a 1.5 upgrade as a owner of the pimax 5K Plus I can assure you in my opinion field of view is a very important factor that needs to be addressed when I play a game in the 5K I sometimes forget I’m wearing a head-mounted display because the field of view is so all-encompassing any headset – a standalone like the Oculus Quest and it only gets a pass this generation that is less than 140 degrees field of view in my opinion is dead in the water

    • Muzufuzo

      VR needs wider Field of View and higher Pixel Count as soon as possible. Both of these need to keep improving at the same time. Of course radial blur, god rays and chromatic aberration have to go away. Most often I hear complaints about image clarity when showing VR to people but they also talk about tunnel vision.

      • Nosfar

        I do not disagree but at the risk of sounding like a fanboy the 5kplus resolution is more then clear enough as there is barely any screen for and is only perceivable if you look for it and the clarity is as good as a 1440 screen to my perception.

        • Arashi

          I highly disagree, I find the SDE (and pixel pattern) in the 5k+ way too obvious and it’s distracting me. To me SDE free VR is more important than wide FoV. But sure, the gen after this should come with bigger FoV

        • mellott124

          But there are other image artifacts in the PiMax. I have the 5k as well. FOV and resolution are nice but there’s too many other issues. Blurring, residual distortion, and update issues at the edges are a few.

          • Nosfar

            I know there was a lot of complaints about little issues with pimax I must have been one of the lucky ones the absolute only issue I have is a slight distortion where the two lenses converge in the center which is caused by the foam being too thin and it’s sitting too close to your face I found if I wear a sweatband cuz I play a lot of beat saber it solves that issue as far as the distortion on the outer edges I play on large field of view and it’s not bad enough to even be mildly distracting for me vive Pro, as well as the Samsung Odyssey Plus and though the screen is not as clear as the Plus it’s comparable to me so for me I stand by my original statement the field of view is such a phenomenal difference that the mild inconvenience is are barely worth noting by the way this is the original poster NOSFAR I just got logged out of my account and it feel like dealing with it

        • motowntom

          Fanboy, Pimax will be out of business in 18 months, have fun.

          • NOSFAR

            And I will still have my 170fov headset that has a highrez screen and a damn cool useless blue cyborg light up front, but no worries if it breaks I’ll switch over to the vive pro I have becuse the oddesy plus I own fits weird I guess worse comes to worst I could use my Vive or psvr that I own as well becuse honestly tech aside psvr is killing it. Enjoy what you have as well I’m trying to give an opinion on the future development of VR that turned into a breif discussion, You dont have to be an ass simply becuse ya can man.

    • That’sright

      You should advertise for pimax cause now I want one

      • MrGreen72

        Plot twist: He does!

        • NOSFAR

          No I dont ,I just own a product I enjoy. I can care less if you buy one or not I have mine. I hope you enjoy what you own. Everything is not a grand conspiracy on the intranet. Sometimes just sometimes people just like to discuss things the like and dislike with people on the same page.

          • MrGreen72

            That… was a joke…

          • NOSFAR

            I apologize. Apparently if you speak well of pimax on here your a idiotic fanboy who doesn’t know real vr”even though I own most of them” so i might have been a bit defensive ,once again my apologies.

          • MrGreen72

            No worries mate! :-)

  • gothicvillas

    No mention of FOV. I assume its the same old then..

    • Moe Curley

      No one is going to take two steps forward before anyone else does when they can take one step with less investment, have an advantage, sell a bunch, take another step later and sell a bunch more then.

      • gothicvillas

        As far as I know upcoming Index has 140 fov and high res displays.. we will know for sure next month

    • dk

      only the index(not confirmed) and the pimax ….and it doesn’t really matter …if it matters for u get those

    • Adrian Meredith

      As a pimax owner, its not as big a deal as i thought it would be. Image quality is waaaaaaaaay more significant, which if you can hit the sweet spot on the 5k+ is really excellent.

      • Ellie 187

        This is what I tried to tell everyone on these VR news sites… FOV while nice, its not as important as big jumps in Resolution and lower ghosting.

        but the masses really keep pushing the idea that more FOV is going to revolutionize everything.. it won’t. Higher and higher resolution, eye tracking and foveated rendering is what is going to improve the experience.

        • Muckylittleme

          Depends. For sims and some shooters etc higher FOV is important for spacial awareness and also sense of speed.

      • Foreign Devil

        Exactly . .when I use Rift . my first wish was higher resolution . having a bigger field of view was never top of mind.

      • Rob H

        Completely disagree. After getting a Pimax, no way I could go back to this gens ‘normal’ FoV.

      • NOSFAR

        I have to respectfully disagree. WIDE FOV is as important as resolution for me. I get completly lost in the 170 offered by 5k , I can hardly play my other headsets now due to it lol.

  • Moe Curley

    If anyone over at HTC or Facebook are still on the fence about whether it was a good strategy to sit on their laurels and just do a minor resolution bump I think Valve, HP and Acer might just eat their lunch while they’re making up their minds.

    • Jim Cherry

      Lenovo isnt exactly blameless as it’s at least 50% their design.

      • Adrian Meredith

        True, but they would have been working under orders though. Oculus almost certainly told them to adapt their existing headset and make it as cheap as possible

    • dk

      it’s pretty safe to assume the cosmos is 2160×2160 per eye

      • Adrian Meredith

        Its going to be really interesting to see which is better between the cosmos and the index

        • dk

          they will be pretty different depending on some stuff
          but reverb/ojo/cosmos will be pretty similar

        • Ellie 187

          Considering how Valve does hardware, my money is on Gabe Newell in this fight. reasonable prices, incredibly strong build quality. I love my steam controller. I love my steam link… I can’t fault their hardware designs at all.

    • HybridEnergy

      These headsets have no hardware out there to push high end gaming at these resolutions , still stuck at old FOV, and one of the worst tracking methods (other than PSVR) on the market with lack luster controls for hte price of far better gaming over all packages like Oculus or Vive. Sorry, but you are wrong unless all you want to do is see porn clearly on it.

      • Moe Curley

        Like I said, one step at a time is all we’re going to get. Don’t even talk about PSVR if your not happy with fidelity. You say we can’t push higher res but you want wider FOV too? So do I but for now you just enjoy your screen door.

        • HybridEnergy

          No, I’m saying that if you are going to start naming off + and – about it be honest. If you are going to increase the res then fov should get some love too. To be honest, the res is nice but these seem lack luster for gaming. Kind of a step forward and 2 steps back.

          • Moe Curley

            I agree. We all want the same thing. To have VR that is indistinguishable from… “R” :)

          • HybridEnergy

            You can say that again lol

    • Andrew Jakobs

      Except the tracking of the Rift S is much better, and the pricing is about $200 lower, that’s not something to overlook. Also no idea what this new headset is gonna cost, and as from the article it is targeted at ‘professionals’ not consumers..
      Also no pricing on the Valve index yet (not any real news on the specs too).

      • Moe Curley

        If leaks are to be believed it will be interesting to see how they mitigate the graphics demands of higher resolution AND wider field of view on the Index.

        • Andrew Jakobs

          Expect the index to have the same type of displays as the current HTC Vive Pro.

          • Moe Curley

            That would suck. Especially if there is a FOV bump. LESS PPD?

          • Andrew Jakobs

            I agree with you.. So I hope I’m wrong, but we’ll have to wait a few weeks before we really know, unless ofcourse some dev breaks it’s NDA..

    • kakek

      It’s NOT what they did.
      The choice was to aim for a larger audience before trying to push the tech. So controlled price, easier setup, and same required rig. All with a lot of optimised software.

      Currently there’s still very few (if any) AAA VR titles. And upgrading from my HP headset would also require upgrading my 1060 6GO to a 600$ CG, to play nothing more.

      Not pushing the hardware (at least resolution) seems like a rational decision.

      • Moe Curley

        Most of the people you show current headsets to are turned off instantly by the low resolution. I won’t use current gen headset because the screen door breaks the immersion for me.I had a Vive sold it. had a GO sold it.Current resolution is not ready for prime time. I don’t want to go back to gaming on a monitor that can’t even match a 1280 x 1024 monitor from the 1990’s.

  • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

    “What the world needs now, is another, [vr headset], like I need a hole in my head.”

    • Arashi

      Are you sure you don’t already have a hole in your head?

      • IanTH

        Given they think their cat is a flea, I think the odds are high that they have experienced some extensive head trauma. Hole in the head seems plausible.

      • iThinkMyCatIsAFlea

        “You Really Got Me”

    • Jistuce

      Gotta have a few holes in your head for eating and breathing.

  • MrGreen72

    “The ConceptD OJO headset has a total resolution of 4,320 × 2,160, and we expect that it’s actually using a pair of 2,160 × 2,160 displays”

    You expect? I think that’s a pretty safe assumption :-P

    • IanTH

      I think the “expect” bit is aimed more at it being two screens instead of one, not that they know there are two screens and therefore the resolution of each is a known quantity.

      • MrGreen72

        There’s hardware IPD Adjustment…

        • IanTH

          My understanding was that IPD adjustment moved the lenses, not the screens. If that’s the case, I can’t see why IPD adjustment would necessitate there being two screens. Perhaps that requires two screens for it to function properly, but I can’t seem to use my google-fu to come up with a clear answer.

          • dk

            technically u don’t need 2 screens if u have a wide screen outside of what the lens is seeing …but that’s just a waste of screen and expensive which is why they r splitting it in 2 and moving the screen with the lens

  • mfx

    This is basically the htc vive cosmos, but WMR system version.

    • Jistuce

      We think. All we know about Cosmos right now is that it exists.

      • brubble

        Well that and the guarantee that itll be overpriced and the warranty and customer service will suck.

        • Jistuce

          Granted. I guess we know a lot about it.

        • HybridEnergy

          You think 650+ for WMR tracking, LCD, and nothing other than a higher res bump is not over priced?

  • Kenny Thompson

    Psssst: How about a controller that allows for easy grabbing, dropping?

  • Tommy

    Same WMR 1.0 tracking and controllers?
    Automatic fail.
    The Cosmos, Rift S, and even the Oculus Quest will have better tracking.

    • dk

      it’s pretty safe to assume the cosmos is 2160×2160 per eye

      • Andrew Jakobs

        The only thing we know for sure about the displays for the cosmos is that they will be RGB and better than what the current HTC headsets are using..

        • dk

          the rgb is a safe guess just like 2160×2160

      • Tesla

        Would be good. I don’t believe it though. I would like. It would mean the jump from shit resolution to 2k per eye is inevitable and its happening.

        • dk

          u know the basis for the guess right ….their site was saying something like the clearest display yet…..when they announced it will have optional phone support …..the next day qualcomm had a demo of their reference design of phone powering a headset where they teamed up with acer and the acer headset looked like the old ojo design and had 2160×2160
          …..the annoying thing is if htc uses that panel their price will be way more than the hp…..but they still might use lower resolution

    • brandon9271

      From my experience the WMR tracking is fine on the HMD itself. The controllers can be pretty sketchy at times but for an enterprise solution where all they want to do is visualize some CAD models or architectural designs I think it would be sufficient. I guess it depends on the application. I’d love to see these high res HMDs combined with SteamVR tracking.. come on, Valve Index!!

      • GordoSan

        Yeah, that’s the thing. The headset itself tracks fine. They don’t particularly need more cameras on the headset either, imo. What if Microsoft designs a new reference method of controller tracking? Maybe they put cameras on the actual controllers or something like that? Maybe some other tracking method. Maybe Knuckles compatibility. I don’t know. They could just make it so whatever new controller is backward compatible with all WMR headsets. This would be really cool, and would give people a lot of choice.

  • oompah

    Desirables:
    A counterweight must be provided, its so difficult to put any kinda headset on ur head with odd centre of gravity (looks like all headset engineers failed in their mechanics class, other than hololens designers).
    In order to provide the counterweight (similar to hololens) they can put a processing unit at the back of head & it can be powered by lightweight USB C cable, which could be either direct or thru powerbank.
    In order to reduce processing power, foveation can be provided.

    Remember , besides the technology, the ergonomics & user comfort is the
    MOST IMPORTANT

    • dk

      it’s not confirmed that the ojo has virtuallink and phone support and if it did it most likely would have to use the vive mobile platform I’m guessing so that sounds a bit weird …and if it had it it’s an optional flexibility otherwise it’s a standard desktop headset so no excessive weight at the front like the quest ….and the quest have it there because it’s convenient cheaper and no chance of failing

    • Moe Curley

      I don’t know, counterweight is MORE weight. Unless they put some of the electronics back there.

    • Mike

      I agree, though a user can always attach their own custom counterweight, like I do.

  • dk

    virtuallink and optional phone support?

  • These next wave of WMR headsets are getting to be quite stunning. I hope the Rift 2 matches these loft stats. The VIVE is going to have to step it up a notch soon as well.

    What I’m not seeing are the important next-gen features, like eye tracking, and a controller tracking update.

    • Ellie 187

      I’m looking to the Valve Index as an upgrade path from Vive, regardless of what HTC puts out, I’m not tied to the eco system of HTC, i’m tied to the ecosystem of SteamVR… any headset and controllers that work with SteamVR will be Rift’s bigger competition.

      • Andrew Jakobs

        uhh.. but the rift also works with SteamVR and was even the first headset that officially got support.. (ok the DK2 and the DK1 were the first)

        • mongo

          I don’t remember playing Elite Dangerous on Steam? My DK2 was never supported on Steam. And the Rift didn’t deliver its first pre-order until after the Vive was released. I know this because I canceled my Rift for a Vive for this very reason. But yes, steam vr does support Rift.

          • Hivemind9000

            The DK2 has been supported on SteamVR since its inception in 2014. HL2 was even released that same year with VR support. ED has been on Steam for years (incl. VR version).

          • Annabelle

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    • dk

      by the time the rift 2 is out the there will be a few generations of wmr headsets …this is just small updates

    • Tesla

      There is the Rift 2 already. It is HP Reverb. Looks the same, behaves the same, just super high resolution per eye. and affordable price of 550 USD.

      • Michael Hoffmann

        But super Bad Tracking. So not for Gamer.

        • Tesla

          Total bs. Did you even play it, ever? I have Odyssey+ and the tracking is very good. It is ONLY a matter of well lit room without blank walls. If you are in a well lit room with things inside camera can track against there is no single problem. So stop spreading fairy tales, okay?

      • gothicvillas

        Gen 2 headset must have gen 2 controllers. So far only Knuckles have gone that way..

        • Pre Seznik

          Touch controllers were already a gen beyond Vive’s wands.

      • Frank Oldale

        Unfortunately for me the IPD adjustment will make this awesome headset which I had planned to buy not an option :(

        • The Bard

          Acer. Check out this Acer then as it is the same as Reverb, but with manual IPD. I guess Samsung will not let the competitors do what they want to do. I am expecting some “unexpected” reveal from Samsung soon. Odyssey 2 with OLED and resolution bump? I wish..

          • Frank Oldale

            That’s my plan :)

  • MosBen

    What benefit is there for the open ear sound, versus the on ear headphones of the Rift? Sure, I’d take the open ear sound over the need to plug in a separate set of headphones, but I can’t think of many VR experience in which I would want to share the audio with other people nearby, but not share the video on a mirrored TV/monitor, and if you’re mirroring the video you may as well mirror the audio through that source as well. I just can’t think of any way in which these audio solutions are superior.

    • Andrew Jakobs

      They say this is for ‘professionals’ so I think it’s more to do with designers etc being able to talk to each other while wearing the headset.. WIth over-ear headphones that’s a lot more difficult.

      • MosBen

        Is it really a “lot” more difficult? Sometimes when I’m using my Rift and I’m waiting for someone to arrive at the house or generally need to be able to hear I’ll move one of the headphones forward off my ear. That’s pretty easy.

        • Andrew Jakobs

          It’s not comfortable to wear one headphone for a longer periode over one ear, and how important is headphones when you are working/designing with others? audio is only really necessary when you are really playing a game/experience, not really when you are designing.. And as stated, it seems there are optional over the ear headphones available, so you can choose what you want (not sure ofcourse if they come in the box or if you have to pay for them extra).

          • MosBen

            Fair enough. For an HMD in a design environment maybe headphones really aren’t so useful that they’re necessary, but this design is being incorporated into consumer targeted devices as well, like the Quest, and it just doesn’t make much sense to me.

          • Andrew Jakobs

            Yep I agree with you, I also don’t think it’s the best design and would also rather have over-ear headphones.

    • Candy Cab

      I would bet its probably more about cost than anything else.

      • MosBen

        You’re probably right, but though I definitely don’t know how to evaluate it, it doesn’t seem like this should be a ton cheaper than the headphones on the Rift. Maybe it’s just easier to manufacture, or maybe the headphones have been an RMA issue.

  • HybridEnergy

    One of these WMR companies should do this 4k RGB but get ahead of the pack with an OLED instead. I can’t stand LCD.

    • Andrew Jakobs

      Yeah the wireless vive adapter may be fucking awesome, but it’s also very expensive..

      • HybridEnergy

        Worth every penny.

    • Arashi

      OLED 4k RGB will come soon. BOE is already mass producing them. Wireless 4k seems more challenging though, I don’t think there’s a chip on the horizon that can do that.

      • HybridEnergy

        I don’t know what you mean, the wireless adapter for the vive can already do it, it can super sample well past and push the pixels to the headset with the 60ghz signal.

        • Arashi

          Hmm seems you’re right, supposedly it can do dual 4k@60hz already. Interesting.

          • Mradr

            The problem is the headset would be around 75- 90Hz – not 60Hz –

        • Tesla

          The problem of that thing is HEAT and weight. Listen, 5G phones can transmit 1-4 GBit/s data to receivers hundreds of meters away. I bet 5G tech will land soon in these headsets and 8k per eye streaming will not be any problem.

    • Tesla

      This is the ultimate thing we all wait for I guess. 180 FOV, OLED, high resolution AR (!!!) and VR headset in one. I wonder only if it will take months or 2 years to release it. Nobody knows.
      https://www.patentlymobile.com/2019/01/samsung-invents-next-gen-gear-vr-headset-that-provides-a-curved-display-for-a-more-natural-field-of-view-and-more.html

    • Captain Midnight

      The problem with OLED is pixel density. You can’t bet OLEDs contrast though becasue unlike LCD they can turn completely off. The best solution will be micro-led.

  • Tesla

    Why 1000? No logical sense. Should cost the same as Reverb. 500-600.

  • So the new wave of WMR headset is being composed by very similar headsets as it has happened with the gen 1. Anyway, this resolution is pretty interesting

    • cataflic

      a herd of sheep…no way someone’s doing something out of the chorus
      one new display…mass adoption…ok, we’ll wait for the next one 4k in 2021….

  • Andrew Jakobs

    uhm. you’re talking about a completely different group, not designers (as in designer for houses, cars etc). You’re talking about game development, and yes with gamedevelopment you need to hear the ingame audio… Someone who is using the headset for designing and showing a car, house or whatever doesn’t need to have any audio..

  • Muzufuzo

    Before VR become GOOD ENOUGH for an acceptable price, average consumer won’t use it like smartphones or laptops are used today. I have an idea what exactly ‘good enough’ means, which is constant since 2011. We are far from it at this point and it may take 15 years to get there. The biggest problem is imo QUALITY, $500 may be acceptable for good quality but things like HTC Vive are far from it.

  • Steve G

    Too bad there is no word out yet on this unit, I want this over the HP Reverb due to the IPD adjustment feature but will go with Reverb if Acer can’t get this out.