Somnium Space, the Czechia-based company behind the upcoming Somnium VR1 headset, announced that orders for its long-awaited PC VR headset will be opening on June 20th, coming first to reservation holders.
It’s been a long time coming for Somnium VR1, which we last saw at CES 2023 when the company showed off a dev kit version of the headset. If you’re memory is fuzzy, at the time Somnium, which also runs its own social VR platform Somnium Space, was also hoping to release a standalone version of the headset at some point. Due to supply chain constraints though, the company decided to sideline the standalone version to focus on the soon-to-release Lighthouse-tracked PC VR headset.
We’re getting very close to that now; in addition to the order date announcement, the company detailed its full line-up, which includes eight variants available for order starting on June 20th:
- Classic Edition
- Visionary Edition (Eye-tracking)
- Striker Edition (Hand-tracking)
- Titan Edition (Eye/Hand-tracking)
- Specter Edition (Mixed Reality + Hand-tracking)
- Ultimate Edition (Mixed Reality + Eye/Hand-tracking)
- Translucent Limited Edition (Mixed Reality + Eye/Hand-tracking)
- Military Edition – TAA Compliant (Mixed Reality + Eye/Hand-tracking)
That’s a pretty hefty launch lineup, however VR1 is built with modularity in mind, allowing users to choose what factory-installed modules they want, with the Classic Edition starting at €1,900 (~$2,060 USD).
Check out the specs below, noting that optional add-ons to the base version are highlighted in red:
Display |
|
| Type |
QLED Mini-LED Fast LCD
|
| Resolution |
2 x 2,880 x 2,880 pixels
|
| Brightness | 210 nit |
| Local Dimming | 20000:1 (HDR) |
| Color Gamut | 100% NTSC |
| Refresh Rate |
72 Hz / 90 Hz / 120 Hz / 144 Hz (Experimental)
|
Optics |
|
| Lens Type |
Dual-lens aspheric modules (two lenses per eye-box)
|
| Peak Fidelity | 35 PPD |
| Coating |
Anti-reflection & Anti-scratch coating
|
| Field of View (FOV) |
Horizontal: 130°, Vertical: 105°
|
| Diopter Lenses (Optional) |
Magnetically attachable, from VR Optician
|
| Pass-through Cameras (Optional) |
2 X 12 Mpx 4,056 x 3,040 (foveated transport), FOV 125° x 100°
|
| Eye Tracking (Optional) |
120Hz single-point calibration, VR & XR foveated rendering, Gaze analysis, heat-map visualization
|
| Hand Tracking (Optional) |
Ultraleap 170° x 170° FOV, 120Hz refresh rate
|
| Interpupillary Distance (IPD) Adjustment |
Manual 58 mm – 76 mm
|
Dimensions & Weight |
|
| Dimensions (excl. headstrap) |
191 mm x 124 mm x 94 mm (W x L x H)
|
| Weight (incl. headstrap) |
700g – 850g (depending on variant)
|
| Material |
IR-transmissive matte polymer with anti-fingerprint surface texture
|
Connectivity |
|
| Cable |
Single all-in-one USB Type-C, 6 meter (20 ft) hybrid ADC cable, DisplayPort (32 Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power functionality
|
| Modes |
Native wired PC Mode (Lossless), Native SteamVR & OpenXR support
|
| Audio |
3.5 mm Headphone jack, High-quality stereo
|
| Ports |
3 x USB-C (3.2 Gen 2) 10 Gbps for external accessories, 3.5 mm Headphone jack
|
| Anchor Points |
4 modular customizable and 30 printable anchor points, M2.5 imbus flat head screws
|
| LEDs |
2 x Programmable RGB status LEDs
|
| Headstrap |
Double-knob memory foam adjustable headstrap
|
| Positional Tracking |
Lighthouse Based tracking
|
The company says it will begin sending out a limited number of emails each day to reservation holders, following the chronological order based on their reservation date.
Notably, each reservation holder is eligible for one purchase, which can include multiple VR1 units, essentially allowing the user’s unique ordering code to be used once to limit queue jumpers.
There isn’t a time limitation when you must make your purchase, the company says, which was designed to give customers time to complete purchases later, however units are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you haven’t reserved already, new reservations are being accepted up until July 10th. The company will be opening orders to everyone on July 12th alongside its full-day Somnium Connect event in Prague, Czechia. There, the company will be holding presentations, demos of Somnium VR1, and a keynote speech by Artur Sychov, Founder & CEO of Somnium Space.