Panasonic brand Shiftall has revealed the latest prototype of its MeganeX VR headset. Along with the updated design the company has shown off a SteamVR Tracking module to add precision tracking to the headset, along with support for Valve Index controllers. The company says it will be showing off the latest design at the AWE Europe 2022 conference, though it seems the headset may no longer be standalone but rather built for PC VR.
The Shiftall MeganeX VR might have a terrible name but it’s certainly an interesting looking VR headset. Promising SteamVR compatibility, inside-out & outside-in tracking, a high resolution 2,560 × 2,560 (6.5MP) display per-eye—purportedly at 120Hz with HDR support—all in an impressively compact form-factor… it’s a wishlist of impressive features in a PC VR headset.
While only time will tell if the headset is as impressive as it sounds on paper, Shiftall appears to be moving closer to a release despite the headset being delayed from previous estimates of a Spring 2022 launch.
The company has revealed the latest prototype of the MeganeX headset, including the first look at a SteamVR Tracking module that mounts on top of the headset. Shiftall says this will allow the headset to optionally use external tracking in place of its own outside-in tracking solution.
The short demonstration video surely doesn’t look very promising, with clearly jittery tracking, but hopefully this will be tuned up to the standards expected from SteamVR Tracking before the headset’s release.
The company says the final design of the SteamVR Tracking module will have a cleaner look with covered sensors:
Shiftall also confirmed the headset will include an adapter that will not only connect the SteamVR Tracking module, but also add support for Valve Index controllers. And given the interoperability of the SteamVR ecosystem, we expect that means anything that can connect to a standard SteamVR adapter will also work with the headset (ie: Vive wands or Tundra trackers).
Those who have seen prior iterations of the headset will notice the removal of some ‘wings’ on the outside of the lenses, which helps make the headset look a little more compact and goggle-like.
Standalone No More?
Curiously, when the Shiftall MeganeX was first announced the company said it could be used standalone thanks to the addition of a Snapdragon XR1 chip. However the latest info we’re finding on the headset mentions nothing about standalone capability, and instead points to this being a purely tethered VR headset. We’ve reach out to the company for clarity on this front.