Today during a press conference in New York, Acer announced an upgraded version of its OJO Windows VR headset which includes a higher resolution, open-ear audio, and an IPD adjustment.
Acer today introduced ‘ConceptD‘ a new high-end product series from the company which is aimed at professional creators. The company revealed an upgraded version of its OJO headset which has been brought under the ConceptD brand.
The ConceptD OJO headset has a total resolution of 4,320 × 2,160, and we expect that it’s actually using a pair of 2,160 × 2,160 displays, very likely the same found in HP’s upcoming Reverb headset, which we recently found to offer leading visual clarity thanks to the jump in pixel density.
The ConceptD OJO has 2.25 times the total number of pixels as Acer’s original OJO 500 headset which had up to 1,440 × 1,440 resolution per eye.
Supporting the notion that the ConceptD OJO uses two individual displays, Acer says it will include an IPD adjustment which allows users to dial in the sweet spot by adjusting the distance between the lenses to better align with their eyes. The original OJO 500 also includes an IPD adjustment, while the company’s consumer-focused Windows VR device, the Acer Mixed Reality headset, does not.
Also similar to the OJO 500, the ConceptD OJO features a detachable visor design which allows the head-mount to be easily interchanged. The head-mount appears to have been substantially redesigned, and has moved from a halo strap to an overhead strap which looks to share a very similar design to the StarVR One head-mount (another of Acer’s VR headsets).
New for the ConceptD OJO is open-ear audio through a sound-pipe design. Similar to Oculus’ newest headsets, that means audio will emanate from an opening in the straps near the ears, eliminating the need for over-ear headphones or a separate set of headphones entirely. Open-air audio is convenient but can be less immersive due to lack of sound isolation. Photos of the ConceptD OJO also show integrated over-ear headphones, so optional headphones could be made available.
As a Windows VR headset, we can assume that the ConceptD OJO uses the same inside-out tracking technology as every other Windows VR headset, which allows for full 6DOF tracking without external sensors. The company hasn’t talked about controllers, but we expect it will support the standard Windows VR controllers.
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While this is the first time we’ve heard officially about the ConceptD OJO from Acer, we actually saw what was very likely a prototype version of the headset back at CES 2019. While it didn’t have the white visor or new head-mount design, the headset we saw did feature the unmistakable OJO design (with removable visor) and used the same resolution displays (2,160 × 2,160). Interestingly, that OJO headset we saw was running off of a smartphone, so it’s possible that the ConceptD OJO will also be able to plug into certain smartphones, in addition to PCs.
Unfortunately there’s no word on a release date for the ConceptD OJO headset or what the price will be. Considering similar specs and thus likely competition with the upcoming HP Reverb (which starts at $600), we expect the ConceptD OJO will primarily target a non-consumer audience but sell for less than $1,000. The original OJO 500 started at $400.