2022 looks to be a big year for VR technology, with several new headsets set to be released.
There’s no doubt that virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are here to stay. In recent years, VR technology has come a long way and shows no signs of slowing down. According to the 2021 report by Grand View Research, the global VR market is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.0 percent from 2022 to 2030. The technology’s growing use in instructional training is propelling market growth.
While the technology has been around for decades, it has only recently become accessible to the average consumer. Thanks to technological advancements, VR headsets are becoming smaller, lighter and more affordable. With the release of the Oculus Quest 2 and the HTC Vive Cosmos, there are now more choices than ever before for VR headsets. If you’re thinking about getting one, or are just curious about what’s on the horizon, here are the three most anticipated VR headsets of 2022:
Project Cambria
Project Cambria is an ambitious effort by Meta (formerly Facebook) to create a next-generation high-end VR headset that PC connectivity is no longer mandatory. The company announced Project Cambria during its Meta Connect conference in October 2021, and the headset will be released sometime in 2022. At the conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the device would be a different “high-end” product, but it would not replace their Quest 2 or Quest 3 headsets.
Project Cambria will have the much-anticipated face, body and eye-tracking feature that will allow your virtual avatar to reflect your facial expressions through sensors. The sensors will track your eye and lip movements to help recreate realistic avatars. The headset will also feature high-resolution, full-color video Passthrough technology (which allows users to view the real world through goggles but with limited peripheral vision). This contrasts with Oculus Quest 2’s hazy, monochrome Passthrough feature, which only provides a black and white view of real-life objects. Hence, Cambria may be utilized in various settings outside of work, including mixed reality fitness.
PlayStation VR 2
The PlayStation VR 2 (PSVR 2) is Sony’s second-generation VR headset, which promises to deliver an even more immersive gaming experience than the first-gen PSVR 1. At the Game Developers Conference 2022, Sony debuted a playable PSVR 2 demo, which has impressed developers with its updated design and improved technology. Working exclusively with the PS5 games console, the headset will include exciting features, like haptic feedback, eye tracking, foveated rendering (a VR approach that improves the clarity of what the user is focusing on) and a wider field of view (FoV). Unlike other headsets that require an external camera to track your movements, the inside-out camera tracking feature in PSVR 2 will help track the user and controller with integrated cameras. The PSVR 2 is anticipated to hit the market in late 2022, and official confirmation on the price point is still pending.
Pimax Reality 12K QLED
U.S.-based VR hardware manufacturer Pimax unveiled the Pimax Reality 12K QLED headset at its Frontier virtual event held in October 2021. The headset provides its users with an immersive VR experience, a 12K resolution, 200-degree FoV and a 12mini-LED display (1200 PPI). It can be used standalone and connected to a PC.
The headset has a higher-resolution display than the company’s current flagship headset, the Pimax Vision 8KX (4K per eye resolution). Pimax has also partnered with Tobii, a leader in eye-tracking technology, to boost performance on high-resolution displays by incorporating its technology into all future Pimax headsets, including the 12K QLED. The eye-tracking cameras can help with foveated rendering, considerably enhancing VR rendering performance. The Pimax Reality 12K headset is Pimax’s attempt to get a foothold in the metaverse. It will be available for preorder in late 2022 for US$2,399.
So, there you have it! Some of the upcoming VR headsets could potentially be game-changers. If you are excited about the future of VR, then keep an eye out for these three new models.
Also read:
- Virtual and Augmented Reality: Gateway Into the Metaverse?
- What Are the Different Kinds of “Realities”?
- Virtual Reality in Combating Dementia
- What Are Mixed Reality Headsets and How Do They Work?
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