Zeiss VR One: A New Competitor

Recently, a new technological trend has risen from the innovative minds of today's computer and software engineers: portable virtual reality. In other words, a virtual world where one can actually see the virtual environment as if one is there already, and is commonly, if not always, done with a headset. Its not unusual as to how this got so popular, especially when society has become so mobile, so active that many stationary displays, no matter how better the pixel density is, or the deeper contrasts, if they cannot provide the in-depth immersion of a virtual reality headset. One company that dominates this industry is Oculus, recent bought by Facebook, and their Oculus Rift, creating a gaming experience a television cannot achieve, and inspiring the development of other virtual reality equipment. But allowing one company to monopolize an entire market can cost many people lots of money. There are competitors out there, but one virtual reality set offers the cheapest option for these headsets without looking too ridiculous, or working to a specific platform. It's called the VR One, developed by Zeiss, which can work with a variety of phones, including over priced iPhones. Despite the fact that it has the potential to fit in a variety of phones, the device requires that the phone be put in a specific tray for that phone for optimized viewing experience; however, the only trays available at this time are the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphones. The device is fully compatible with Unity3D's software development kit, allowing application developers to create android and apple apps compatable with the VR One. The specs are limited, as many of the functions the headset should provide are already provided by the smartphone, but they include a 100 degree field of view and a tinted translucent screen that blocks some light while allowing the camera to function. VR One also has a media app available to allow users to take first person videos and pictures, and they can their pictures by tapping on the sides of the headset. VR One is even compatiable with Google's street view, with 360 degree panoramas and the ability to move around the street by tapping the front of the screen. The VR One costs $99 and is currently in pre-order phase. To see more about the VR One, click the following link: http://www.gizmag.com/zeiss-vr-one-headset/34287/