Dell visor windows mixed reality headset

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Основная информация

Шлем VR Dell Visor (именно так его назвал сам производитель) — новинка, для компании-изготовителя этот девайс обозначил старт нового модельного ряда устройств виртуальной реальности. Шлем Dell Visor разрабатывался в партнерстве с компанией Microsoft, что обуславливает его полную совместимость с программным обеспечением.

Он предназначен для создания у пользователя ощущения присутствия в виртуальном мире, существующим в виде зрительной и слуховой информации. Она подается на наушники и два экрана (линзы), обеспечивающих стереоскопическую подачу изображения, что обеспечивает объемное представление картинки.

Конструктивно шлем относится к гарнитурам типа PSVR. Он не имеет полностью закрытого корпуса наподобие мотоциклетных шлемов, а состоит из головного обруча, на котором укреплены провода и сама гарнитура, представляющая собой род массивного козырька, установленного на уровне глаз пользователя. Удобна функция откидывания козырька на 90°, если понадобилось прерваться на некоторое время и выполнить какие-либо действия в обычном, реальном мире.

Основным достоинством шлема является отсутствие внешних датчиков. Помещение не нуждается в установке дополнительного оборудования — камер, маяков и прочих устройств. Нет необходимости развешивать по всей комнате провода, превращая ее в некое техническое помещение.

Устройство не является самостоятельным источником, оно лишь транслирует определенную информацию, поступающую от компьютера. Поэтому результат будет зависеть не только от шлема, но и от производительности и качества процессора и прочего «железа», участвующего в передаче потока данных. Шлем позволяет играть, просматривать видеоролики.

Имеется возможность знакомиться с туристическими программами, виртуально присутствовать на спортивных матчах. При желании, можно просто установить рабочий стол и работать с нужными програмами, используя вместо мыши определенные контроллеры.

Большинство возможностей шлема близки по уровню к характеристикам близких по качеству и набору функций гарнитурам Lenovo Explorer или Acer. Они оборудованы такими же линзами и матрицами, поэтому разница состоит в деталях конструкции и дизайна.

Комплектация гарнитуры

В комплект гарнитуры входит сам шлем, два контроллера (на западных торговых площадках можно приобрести шлем отдельно). Как вариант, может быть использован специальный пульт управления. Прилагается специальное ПО, инструкция пользователя. У разных продавцов может быть своя комплктация гарнитуры, поэтому при покупке надо уточнять стандартный состав набора.

Актуальные цены в разных магазинах

Все продавцы в разных интернет-магазинах на редкость единодушны в отношении шлема Dell Visor — на ЯндексМаркет, Formula-iQ, Virtuality-Club и прочих площадках, имеющих в продаже эту гарнитуру, цены одинаковы— 29900 руб.

Скорее всего, такая ситуация образовалась в силу недавнего появления устройства на прилавках и отсутствия единого мнения у покупателей. Таким образом, для заинтересованных в приобретении этого девайса задача несколько упрощается — не надо искать, где дешевле, достаточно найти, где быстрее можно получить желаемый товар.

Внешний вид шлема

Шлем Dell Mixed Reality — гарнитура обычного вида, обладающая высокой степенью элегантности и качества. Производитель подошел к дизайну изделия весьма добросовестно, предоставив пользователю продукцию с высокими эстетическими качествами. Он имеет блестящую лицевую панель, которая отлично сочетается с матовой отделкой остальной, головной части шлема. Белый цвет шлема позволяет ему выглядеть стильно и изящно, выделяясь среди остальных деталей одежды или окружающих предметов.

При первом же знакомстве устройство создает впечатление качественного, дорогостоящего девайса, чем оно и является. Головной обруч изнутри проложен мягким материалом, увеличивающим комфорт и исключающим возможность нежелательного перемещения устройства.

Вес распределен таким образом, чтобы у пользователя не возникало ощущения дисбаланса или неудобства. Кабель выходит из козырька с дисплеями в верхней части, около крепления и сразу уходит назад, чтобы не создавать помех для движений пользователя.

Процесс настройки и работы

Только что приобретенный или доставленный шлем необходимо подключить к компьютеру и настроить под себя. Основная задача — установка нужного программного обеспечения, настройка пользовательских параметров, индивидуальных для каждого человека.

Процедура опознания и настройки девайса начинается сразу после подключения разъемов. Весь процесс занимает около 10 минут и ничем не осложняется, если все оборудование исправно. Необходимо обновить Windows до версии 1709 или более свежей, а также — установить Windows mixed reality.

Проблема состоит в невозможности настройки межокулярного расстояния (IPD), что доставляет неудобство для людей с большим или меньшим расстоянием между зрачками глаз, чем обычно. Сам шлем можно подогнать по размеру, для этого на задней части имеется специальное колесико.

Универсальность шлема проявляется также в способности отлично воспроизводить игры для контроллеров Oculus Touch или HTC Vive, которые обычно плохо взаимодействуют на одном устройстве. Удобной особенностью гарнитуры является способность запоминать пространство игры, если она однажды была запущена на устройстве.

Управление

Управление шлемом производится либо подачей голосовых команд, либо с помощью жестов. Может быть использован отдельный пульт управления, дающий возможность быстрого переключения меню игр, сохранения или выполнения других, специфических команд (смена оружия или инструмента, фонарик, режимы движения и т.д.).

Ориентация шлема производится при помощи специальной камеры, обеспечивающей обзор на 360°, что позволяет сохранять контроль за положением в любых условиях. Есть возможность наклона влево или вправо, приседания и движения на корточках и прочие варианты.

Основные технические характеристики

Рассмотрим рабочие параметры шлема Dell Visor:

• Разрешение дисплея — 1440 пикселей на каждый глаз.
• Диагональ ЖК-экрана — 2.89".
• Частота обновления — 90 Гц.
• Операционная система — Windows 10.
• ОЗУ — 8 Гб минимум.
• Видеокарта — NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, AMD Radeon R9 290 или более свежие модели.
• Необходимо Bluetooth-подключение.
• Вес (без кабеля) — 600 г.
• Разъемы для коммуникации с компьютером — HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, 3.5 мм jack (для подключения наушников).
• Методы управления — жесты, голосовые команды, возможно подключение пульта управления, приобретаемого отдельно.
• Угол обзора в неподвижном состоянии (без поворота головы) — 95° (по другим источникам — 105°).
• Размеры устройства — 15.24•33.02•12.7 см.
• Устройства позиционирования — 2 камеры, установленные на лицевой стороне шлема.
• Устройства, обеспечивающие динамические измерения — Акселерометр, Магнитометр, Датчик приближения, Гироскоп.

Для более свежих версий шлема некоторые показатели могут быть изменены, что является следствием отработки качества продукции и улучшения его рабочих характеристик.

Отзывы пользователей

Наиболее достоверную информацию о качестве, возможностях шлема Dell Visor можно получить только из первых рук, то есть от людей, непосредственно пользующихся устройством. Отзывы, которые удалось отыскать в сети, свидетельствуют о комфорте, удобстве размещения на голове, отсутствии перекосов или дисбаланса.

Единственным недостатком эргономики устройства пользователи считают лишний вес, что соответствует действительности — шлем Dell Visor весит немного больше, чем подобные устройства от других производителей. Отмечается удобство и качество контроллеров, отсутствие необходимости развешивать по всей комнате маяки с проводами.

Отмечаются и некоторые недостатки. Некоторые пользователи жалуются на короткий провод от шлема — всего 4 метра, для некоторых этого мало и приходится думать о приобретении удлинителей. Кроме того, недостатком устройства называют относительно слабую цветовую насыщенность.

Имеются также нарекания к поддержке SteamVR, которая требует отладки и дополнительной доработки. Немного хромает точность движений — если в игре приходится что-то бросать, результат не всегда соответствует ожиданиям. Но основным недостатком шлема практически все считают цену, которая, с учетом дорогостоящего компьютера, слишком высока.

В целом, пользователи принимают новинку вполне благосклонно, хотя и отмечают некоторые изъяны как в конструкции, так и в программном обеспечении. Все пользователи единодушны в том, что при снижении цен устройство станет одним из наиболее востребованных среди приверженцев виртуальной реальности.

Шлем Dell Mixed Reality, несмотря на относительно недавнее появление на рынке, прочно занял свою нишу среди подобных устройств. Он имеет свои достоинства и недостатки, но эта гарнитура — первенец в линейке Dell, поэтому следует ожидать появления следующих, более сложных моделей с повышенными возможностями. Остается надеяться только на снижение стоимости, которая пока несколько ограничивает спрос среди большинства пользователей.

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Content

• Dell Visor Design and Features
• Configuring Windows Mixed Reality
• Microsoft’s dirty blended marketing frenzy
• Market Truths of Mixed Reality
• Controller problems
• Windows Mixed Reality Home
• Another walled garden?
• SteamVR is working! [Updated]
• Should you buy a Dell visor?

Our verdict Dell Visor Mixed Reality Headset:
The innovative tracking system has a few glitches, but it will suit most users and most users. With the inevitable SteamVR support, the Dell Visor is a viable alternative to other high-performance kits, although the Oculus Rift still represents the best value for money.

have been on the market for over a year, having received numerous price cuts. The Oculus Rift is now just $ 400 with dual cameras and motion controllers. The Vive costs $ 600. The Dell Visor sits at the low end of $ 450 with motion controllers.

Note: This review has been updated as we got access to the SteamVR preview and had the opportunity to play the Rec Room to really test the system. You will find the updated text below in the SteamVR section, or you can watch our update video below.

Dell Visor Design and Features

• Weight: 1.3 lb (0.6 kg)
• 1440 x 1440 pixels per eye via individual 90Hz LCD with RGB subpixels.
• Fresnel lenses with a maximum field of view of 110 degrees.
• 3m USB / HDMI combo cable with stereo jack on the side of the headset.
• Rigid headband with fold-down display.
• Inside-out tracking system with two cameras on the headset that does not require external sensors.

Hard headband protects the headset and looks a lot like PlayStation VR

Although heavier than the Rift, it is more comfortable as the weight rests on the top of your head rather than pulling the headset over your face. The hard strap is easy to adjust and tighten with the dial on the back.

Since headphones are not built-in, you will need to supply your own. This is where I ran into my first problem: the hard head strap that sat just above my ears and was wide enough to prevent my headphones from actually touching my ears.

The headset screen can flip over, giving you quick access to the real world. Anyway, in theory — if you wear glasses like me, you may find the bottom of the visor snaps into place on your glasses, preventing them from fully rising.

However, it should be noted that IPD is not hardware configurable. Both the Oculus Rift and Vive have a physical scale for adjusting the interpupillary distance; Dell doesn’t. It has software control, but it was difficult to detect and no instructions were given during installation.

Another slight inconvenience: there is no Bluetooth adapter in the box, which is necessary to connect the controllers. This is hardly a problem for laptop use, but most desktops don’t have a built-in Bluetooth controller. Other high performance headsets include a Bluetooth controller in the headset itself. The fact that the Dell Visor doesn’t make the controllers feel a little detached from the headset — as if they were designed entirely by someone else and just thrown into the box as an afterthought.

Configuring Windows Mixed Reality

Before you can start using the Dell Visor or any of the new MR headsets, you need to update Windows to the so-called Creator’s Update.

or, more technically, «Windows Feature Update 1709». This is a massive update that introduces some fundamental changes to your system and may break. We strongly recommend that you make a full backup first. You may also need to clear up disk space and it took me about an hour to download and install.

You will be prompted to install this update automatically after plugging in your headset, if you haven’t already. In fact, I had to go through several restarts and updates before it finally worked as I hadn’t turned on this computer for over a week. (Yes, Windows is updated almost daily nowadays, whether it is installing security patches or disabling your favorite settings, such as the one that disallows ads in the Start menu).

After all this is done, the setup is pretty smooth. You can trace the boundaries of your room scale by walking along the edge of the headset to your computer. It’s a little weird to do it this way — using controllers would be much more natural, as Oculus and SteamVR do, but it works independently. Alternatively, you can simply use your device offline, without borders.

At this point, I ran into several obstacles.

First: like most desktop PCs, there is no Bluetooth on my machine. Luckily, I found one in the drawer that I knew would come in handy one day.

Second, the cable is ridiculously short, only 3 meters. I moved my virtual reality room to a very modest 2 x 3m play space and I couldn’t even make full use of that. I tried to use the HTC Vive link box to lengthen the cable a bit, but the headset complained that it was not USB3 (it was).

You won’t be able to move a lot unless you rotate the computer so that the ports are in the front.

Then it failed to recognize that the controllers were turned on and paired. Although this step was successful during installation, they obviously were not added. I needed to open Windows settings and manually link each one using the generic 0000 as the pairing key. After that, everything was fine.

A short introductory sequence later, and you’re in a Windows mixed reality environment.

Don’t move anything in your room, though. I must have moved my bob bag at some point, and after the next time I put on the headset, he said he couldn’t recognize the environment and I would need to set boundaries again.

Microsoft’s dirty blended marketing frenzy

The term «Mixed Reality» has been misappropriated by Microsoft for marketing purposes. Until now, it has been widely used in virtual reality circles for positional tracking video camera for green screen virtual reality shooting. The producer can then blend the recorded game footage from the camera’s perspective with real-life footage of the person. Here’s an example (however, if you buy the Dell Visor, you won’t have access to anything on SteamVR until Christmas at the earliest):

Microsoft, however, says Mixed Reality is a generic term for all the holographic, VR, and AR products they (so far) release. But the first generation of Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets is really just virtual reality. They don’t «mix» anything from the real world and don’t even have the ability to go through a simple video stream like the HTC Vive does. Make no mistake, the Dell Visor is a VR headset. Mixed reality is just a marketing term.

Market Truths of Mixed Reality

Over the next month, you’ll see a handful of first-generation Mixed Reality headsets, all of which have identical specs — with the exception of the Samsung Odyssey. In fact, they even have exactly the same sticky controllers. The headset hardware is manufactured by third parties: Dell, Acer, etc.But the design is essentially Microsoft dictated, as are the tracking systems and controllers. That is why, if they are not great, we can and should directly place the blame on Microsoft’s feet.

For the first time, Oculus began testing its own experimental room-scale tracking system, which required at least two cameras.

And now we have first-generation Windows Mixed Reality headsets that are moving in a slightly different direction. Designed with the belief that setting up security cameras or base stations is too much of an effort for the average consumer (they are probably right about that), these WMR headsets use a new kind of inside-out tracking called SLAM, or Simultaneous Localization and Mapping.

Cameras are built into the headset itself. They do not track the location of the headset, but how the environment changes as you move. When paired with a standard set of gyro sensors, the software knows that if it sees a wall moving up or approaching, it’s because you were looking down or moving toward the wall. I suspect this is a very smart system that will eventually become the future of all VR and AR headsets. Oculus has already demonstrated similar technology in its high-end standard system, codenamed Santa Cruz.

It’s not perfect and tracking can be easily broken if you know how, but for most interactions, we found it to be good enough.

Controller problems

Mainly, it is the controllers that pose the problem. The inside out tracking system can only track what the camera sees. This is done with two cameras roughly positioned in front of your eyes. This is fine for the headset itself, but the controllers are not always visible. If you place your hand behind your back or to the side, they will disappear from the field of view of the headset’s tracking cameras or get stuck in place, creating a mismatch between real-world activities and virtual representations. The system makes a correct guess using gyroscopic data for a short time, so that a temporary wobble of the arm behind you causes your virtual arm to match the movement. But this only works for a short time before the tracking is completely lost.

With a ring of tracking LEDs, the controllers were just as badly hit by bright sunlight as the Oculus Touch. Despite reliable positional tracking on the headset, I had numerous tracking issues with controllers that would often jump a meter or so in front of me. Don’t think you can solve this problem by playing in the dark: black and white cameras need light!

Having tried it in a multiplayer game environment, I can confirm that the controller tracking is good enough to be competitive. It will depend on the game though: Rec Room uses a magnetized pick-up system, so you don’t have to fully bend over or crouch to pick something up, just keep your hand in a predetermined bubble around the object.

Windows Mixed Reality Home

Welcome to your virtual home. Hope you like it because this is the only one you got at the moment. It is not quite luxurious, but beautiful and spacious, with a large underground cinema. I must point out that there are much better apps for watching VR movies on SteamVR and the Oculus store.

You can’t paint the walls, but you can decorate your home with various widgets, or as Microsoft would like you to call them «holograms.» I was very pleased that I could face the giant burger in the center of the hallway. Some include short animations when you click on them. Actually, though, they’re all a little rubbish. Simply put, this is exactly what I expected from Microsoft for virtual reality.

The point is, SteamVR does the same thing, but better. You can get special items from games you own or through achievements.They have a meaning associated with them, something unique that you can brag about — and you can invite your friends to a hangout. What Microsoft is offering is a mindless repository of 3D animated curiosities. If it’s related to your Xbox accomplishments, it might make sense. But now it’s just silly.

Softly funny for all 5 seconds.

Obviously, you’ll get a lot more value from Windows Mixed Reality if you invest heavily in apps in the Windows Store. For example, stock trackers — might that be cool? Weather widgets. These are all neat, performance-focused ideas. Oh-oh-oh-oh, a huge table of quarterly performances stuck on the wall next to your cinema. Sounds fun! Having to move your virtual avatar around your real home environment for multitasking sounds much more efficient than alt-tabbing on a flat screen monitor. Opportunities … are calculated on the one hand.

The point is, I would like to make sure that general computation takes place in a virtual reality environment, but if this is the best we can think of, I don’t think it is. VR is fantastic for creativity

, for education, for games. I can’t figure out going back to flat screen gaming; even in 2D games like Civ I am currently playing in SteamVR cinema mode. But spreadsheets? Edge browser? Skype? Yeh!

Not.

Just what you’ve always wanted: Edge browser in VR! He’s just as cheesy as he is in 2D.

But remember: this is a mixed reality. Once we get the ability to overlay these widgets onto the real world environment with some augmented reality headsets, general computing starts to make much more sense. This does not exclude the use of keyboard and mouse: it complements them.

Another walled garden?

There is also the issue of exclusivity. From what we know, Windows Mixed Reality is only compatible with WMR headsets. Neither Vive nor Rift will have access. There is a possibility that this could change, but Microsoft has given no indication that they will be allowed, and it looks like it would have done so if it had been. Of course, this is no different from the Oculus home environment now, but this exclusivity has been a bone of contention in virtual reality circles for some time now. Many enthusiasts choose not to support Oculus on this basis alone.

In addition, the Windows Store is unlikely to receive exclusive meaningful games, unlike Oculus, which has them in droves.

SteamVR is working! [Updated]

When we initially reviewed this device, the choice of available content was extremely limited. The Windows Store contained the disappointing Halo tier, as well as several VR games released over the course of a year or so on other platforms. Microsoft has pledged support for SteamVR and it now looks like a preview of this event will take place on November 15th. We got early access to the preview and are happy to report that the experience we tried worked well.

Halo VR: This is as awful as it sounds.

There were a few bugs in our preview — controller models were showing as Vive sticks and the angle was wrong — but both should be fixed with a software update. Unfortunately for a game like Rec Room, in which the trackpad is widely used for instant rotation, he highlighted how inadequate this aspect of Dell Visor controllers is. After all, there has to be a workaround for this, for example to use a joystick instead.

We’ve also been promised support for Minecraft. Minecraft has been compatible — both officially and unofficially — with the Vive and Oculus Rift for over a year now. However, in Windows Mixed Reality, it can only be played on a flat screen with traditional controls. There is no VR Minecraft for WMR headsets at the time of writing.

Should you buy a Dell visor?

May be.

In terms of hardware, inside out tracking removes the need for external cameras and is ridiculously easy to set up, and while not perfect, it looks like the ultimate future of virtual reality. The headset itself gets excellent positional tracking, but the controllers can feel sluggish. This is enough for basic UI interaction and most games that have your hands in front, but certain types of games can be problematic. Perhaps this will improve with software updates — Oculus Touch controllers have been known to run poorly and it took about 3 months for Oculus to sort out these issues.

The controllers themselves feel cheap and not particularly ergonomic. At one point, I even managed to remove the battery cover when accidentally navigating around the house. The inclusion of the trackpad and joystick implies that they tried to copy the best bits of both the Vive Wands and the Oculus Touch, but failed miserably, instead producing a final product worse than inspiration. Our experience in competitive multiplayer game confirmed that the trackpads were pretty indifferent. Game developers should be able to work around these limitations, albeit through configuration options.

The lack of built-in headphones is disappointing, especially when a stiff headgear even gets in the way of using your own comfortably. The fact that you only need a separate Bluetooth dongle to use the controllers makes it feel completely separate.

The best I can say about the Windows mixed reality environment … is what it promises. It’s nice enough, and being able to leave trailers running in the cinema or play music from within the Groove app while you wander the rest of the house is pretty fun. Some of the virtual parties here can be fun (although there is no social support at this time). But most of it feels … forced? Hologram widgets are boring and there is nothing special about customization. And more importantly, we already have VR apps that do all of these things better.

Moreover, both Oculus and SteamVR also make the virtual environment better. You can change your SteamVR home environment, add 3D objects from your games, and invite friends to visit. The only thing you can’t do is launch multiple windowed applications, although you can still access your traditional desktop.

Oculus will soon release a major dashboard update that will allow you to run multiple desktops in your own Oculus Home environment, as well as customize them using objects. They both have unique avatar options. Of course, they won’t have native access to Universal Windows Apps, but I’m struggling to figure out if this is a good reason for choosing a Windows Mixed Reality environment. Do you really want Excel permanently attached to your virtual wall?

A bit of gothic architecture to customize my beach house.

However, with SteamVR support, Windows Mixed Reality can be completely ignored. If you just want to play your Steam games and use SteamVR, you can.

Would I recommend the Dell Visor over the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive? It’s complicated. This is a viable alternative now, absolutely. Dell Visor wins by a mile for ease of installation. The Oculus Rift is quite labor intensive and requires external security cameras, but the controllers are excellent and you get a ton of fantastic games out of the box — and that remains the best value. The Vive is the most expensive but has superior tracking and is the most open system with over-the-air updates and new controllers coming soon.