Russian state-owned enterprise Roscosmos has unveiled two prototypes of virtual reality (VR) headsets and has announced it will launch further devices later in 2021.
The news comes after the space exploration company said in February it would focus on consumer VR technologies and revealed further teasers of the Roscosmos XR-1 prototype headset.
Russian news website Holographica.space reported in May Roscosmos’ Startup Village event had showcased the XR-1, which aimed at testing several of the space firm’s technologies.
XR-1 Specs
The report revealead the XR-1 will feature two hybrid Fresnel lenses with a diagonal displays of 2.89 and a 107 degree field of vision (FOV), along with a resolution of 2880 x 1440, or 1440 pixels for each eye.
The device will also have a display refresh rate of roughly 90-120 Hz using liquid crystal, and will operate with a tethered computer connection along with miniDP and miniUSB connectors.
It will also have a 5 volt power supply and weighs in at under 500 grammes, and features gyroscope, magnetometer, and accelerometer sensors.
The headset will operate on Windows 10 and SteamVR, and will track eye movements with laser-based beacons, the report added.
The device is unlikely to be released to the public as it is a prototype device.
Roscosmos XR-2 Specs
The Russian company also teased audiences with its next-generation XR-2 set for release later this year.
The XR-2 will boast an impressive 5760 x 2880 resolution and further eye-tracking upgrades along with motion controllers similar to Facebook’s Oculus Touch.
Roscosmos has expended the XR-2’s viewing angle to 157 degrees diagonal and provides a 90-120 hertz refresh rate. Lasers provide unlimited object position tracking area for up to 256 objects.
The device will also support Astra Linux (SE), Windows 10 (with or without SteamVR).
The firm will develop the headset entireley in Russia and plans to release the headset internationally for consumers and corporate buyers.
The news comes as numerous patents have shown Apple is preparing to design and release a lineup of mixed reality (MR) headsets aimed at attracting customers in the next wave of immersive devices.
