Today at CES Sony revealed a new standalone MR headset equipped with “4K” OLED displays. The headset is yet-unnamed, but the company says it’s aimed at creatives building 3D content and will launch this year.
Sony’s unnamed standalone MR headset is based on Qualcomm’s XR2+ Gen 2 processor and is said to include 1.3-inch “4K” OLED microdisplays. It isn’t clear at this time if Sony means 16MP (4,000 × 4,000) per-eye, or something else, but considering that XR2+ Gen 2 can purportedly power two displays up to 18.5MP (4,100 × 4,100) each, it may indeed be the case. We’ve reached out to the company for clarity.
The Sony MR headset includes passthrough video, a flip-up visor, and a very unique pair of controllers. Well, “pair” is perhaps not the right word as both are very different. One is a pointer-like controller that’s controlled with the index finger while the other is a small ring-like device that’s controlled with the thumb.
Sony is positioning the headset toward 3D creatives, pitching it as a superior way to interact with and create 3D content like models, architecture, and design review. Sony is partnering closely with Siemens to make the company’s NX CAD software compatible with the headset.
While the headset’s OS will undoubtedly be based on Android, it isn’t clear what kind of OS layer Sony will build on top or how flexible it will be. Questions on our mind for instance—will this headset be OpenXR compatible or designed to work only with proprietary implementations?
The Sony MR headset hasn’t been priced but the company says a release date will come this year.
