Panasonic subsidiary Shiftall announced it’s releasing a new version of its MeganeX PC VR headset along with the next generation of its HaritoraX wireless body trackers.

The company calls its next SteamVR headset ‘MeganeX superlight’, which is said to be around 50% lighter than the original MeganeX headset.

In contrast to the original, the new MeganeX superlight also appears to be a cheaper, easier to produce version of the device, which previously included onboard optical tracking in addition to a mountable SteamVR tracking module.

The ‘superlight’ version is said to include the same display specs: dual 2,560 × 2,560 1.3-inch micro-OLED displays (120Hz), however it reduces the size from 385g to around 200g.

 

Image courtesy Shiftall

The new version is also more barebones, as it omits inside-out cameras, speakers, and glasses-style struts, and adopts an all-plastic lens. That, and the only 6DOF tracking method will be through Valve’s external SteamVR base stations, similar to what will no doubt be its main competitor, the $1,000 Bigscreen Beyond.

MeganeX superlight is expected to release sometime in 2024; the company hasn’t mentioned pricing yet. The original, which soft launched last September at an eye-blistering $1,700, still hasn’t been released outside of Japan.

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Shiftall is also releasing what it calls ‘HaritoraX Wireless R’, its next wireless full body tracking device fuses its inertial measurement unit (IMU) tracking with an external camera, promising around 20 hours of battery life. Like the original HaritoraX Wireless, it provides six-point tracking, including chest, hip, knees, and ankles.

Image courtesy Shiftall

“It maintains the IMU method’s benefits of being lightweight, having long battery life, and not being affected by obstructions, while also achieving the drift-free accuracy characteristic of optical systems,” Shiftall says in a press statement.

HaritoraX Wireless R is also slated to release sometime this year, although pricing is similarly still under wraps.

Additionally, Shiftall is releasing ‘mutalk 2’, a $200 wireless soundproof microphone that is designed to prevent voice leakage and ambient noise for use in both VR and standard devices. The company has already launched pre-orders, with launch slated for May 2024.

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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.
  • Stealth Ico

    I wonder if they’ll actually ship this one to consumers. Yes I am aware of the lottery system where select few could buy one in Japan, but that is very limited and basically a paper launch

    At least other niche prosumer VR companies ship their products

    • Nevets

      Yes, like Xreal. I own the original Air and it’s well designed, and great for watching YouTube or movies.

    • Cless

      Yeah, I was on the fence to buy one at the time to be honest, had the site filled up and everything, but I felt I didn’t want to throw money at it without testing the final unit first… and the store was in Tokyo to test it… and I’m not about to get in a train for 4h to test it…

  • ViRGiN

    Yes, cause PCVR needs more hardware to choose from.

  • What an interesting looking headset! Would love to try that one :D

    • Cless

      I did, not the final version though. Its pretty nice tbh.

  • Nothing to see here

    I read that name as Shitfall. Anyone else?

    • John Grimoldy

      The Shitfall MigraineX

    • xyzs

      Yeah everyone does, but they persist…

    • Jistuce

      Everyone does, and has since Panasonic first announced the name. But apparently by the time anyone that speaks english saw the name, they were already married to it.

  • Rogue Transfer

    Actually, this is basically the same headset’s internals, just in a nicer outer covering, with some parts removed(cameras, struts) to make it lighter. But, with a rubbishy strap – which hopefully can be replaced with something more wearable.

    All in, it’ll come down to price now, and their prior price ended up far too high. This does look like it’s aimed at a much younger group, which implies a lower price, but I’m not expecting it to be reasonably priced.

    Hopefully, they’ll surprise us all! But, I’ll wait until we hear what it turns out like. They’ve got to make sure to iron this one out and actually produce it well.

    It’s better than most 6DOF AIO for weight – less than half the Quest 3’s. Plus, no short battery limit or need to constantly recharge every day, using a displayport 1.4 cable for lower latency, higher bandwidth visual quality.

    • Cless

      It could be decent if they release at a similar price point than the beyond, even slightly higher.
      Having those mOLED@120hz full resolution does make a difference after all.

  • XRC

    One concern for new headsets using steamVR lighthouse tracking, in 2023 Valve licensed HTC to start manufacturing 2.0 base station in Taiwan. Prior to this HTC could only manufacture 1.0 base station.

    Unclear if Flex is still manufacturing 2.0 base station for Valve at their facility in Buffalo grove Illinois, or if this has wound down as Valve move to inside out tracking for next generation (which data mining seems to indicate is undergoing prototype development).

    This could leave vendors bringing steamVR lighthouse tracked headsets and goggles very reliant on HTC….

  • Cless

    Good to hear, hopefully this time they release it internationally as well. It was kind of undercooked for what I could tell last, so this might do it. Plus, it might bring down its price since the screens won’t be that cutting edge by then.

  • RumRummer

    That photoshop is not inspiring my confidence in this product… Seriously, who releases an official VR headset release promo of their headset photoshopped onto a person?

    Also, I DARE YOU to look up the Mutalk 2 and not laugh at the form factor.

  • Mike

    All I want is a light weight pcvr only headset with 120 field of view, inside out tracking, 90hz oled or microled displays, eye tracking, glass optics, haptics, wireless connectivity options with a hot swappable battery that i can put in my pocket or where around my waist with enough power for maybe up to 6 hrs. of use. it seems no one can hit the nail on the head. products get close to great but always seem to mess it up with some stupid design decision.