Panasonic subsidiary Shiftall announced nearly a year ago that it was set to launch MeganeX sometime in early 2023, potentially making it one of the first in the coming wave of slim and light PC VR headsets. We haven’t heard much about MeganeX since then, and there’s good reason: the company is slowly ramping up production following its recent soft launch in Japan.
First showed off as a prototype at CES 2020, MeganeX bills itself as an “ultra-high-resolution, ultra-lightweight, 6DOF-capable VR headset for SteamVR,” coming equipped with dual 2,560 × 2,560 1.3-inch micro-OLED displays (120Hz) from Kopin, proprietary pancake lens from Panasonic, and both SteamVR tracking and inside-out optical tracking.
It all makes for a pretty compact PC VR headset, which you might compare to its biggest competition, Bigscreen Beyond ($1,000).
While Shiftall quietly launched MeganeX in Japan back in September via a lottery system, it wasn’t sure when we’d see the headset release outside of Shiftall’s home country.
Now Shiftall tells Road to VR that it’s currently working to increase production capacity before releasing in the US, although it’s not certain when.
“Regarding the U.S. market, we are indeed planning to introduce MeganeX there,” a Shiftall spokesperson told Road to VR. “As soon as we are able to manufacture sufficient quantities to meet the high demand in Japan, we will commence sales in the United States.”
According to its website, the consumer version is set to launch at $1,699, while the price for the Business Edition has yet to be determined for the US market. This tracks with the headset’s September soft launch in Japan, which was priced at ¥249,900 (~$1,700 USD), tax included. In Japan, the Business Edition sells for ¥198,000 (~$1,350 USD), tax excluded, as it doesn’t include the modular SteamVR tracking unit, instead solely relying on the headset’s less precise optical tracking.
Meanwhile, the Panasonic-owned skunkworks is releasing a number of other VR products, including its FlipVR SteamVR controller which allows users to fold the controller into a position that doesn’t interfere with using your hands normally for tasks such as typing or grabbing things. FlipVR went into pre-order in the US in November with shipments estimated for April 2024.
The company also produces HaritoraX Wireless, an IMU-based full-body tracking device, and mutalk, a voice-muffling Bluetooth microphone for private conversations in and out of VR.