At last year’s CES, Panasonic attracted a lot of attention with a very special pair of VR glasses. Now, the company presents a revised version of the glasses that still attracts attention with an unusual design. Weaknesses of last year’s prototype are said to have been fixed.
The basis of the glasses: last year’s model
The prototype presented last year is clearly the basis of the glasses presented this year. The most sensational feature was the shape of the glasses: they were reminiscent of swimming goggles or early aviator goggles, but had a decidedly futuristic appearance. This clearly distinguished the device from all other VR goggles, which are usually square or rounded overall, but clunky in any case.
The glasses were equipped with a micro OLED display with UHD resolution as well as HDR playback. It featured a refresh rate of 60 Hz and a field of view of about 70 degrees. In addition, it came with in-ear headphones, which provided a good, but not spatial sound. Furthermore, it had an IPD control, with which the lens distance could be adjusted to the distance of the user’s own eyes. The main criticism was the glasses’ lack of ergonomics, which often slipped off the nose due to their very forward center of gravity.
The new glasses
The new glasses pick up on the advantages of the previous model. Above all, Panasonic is sticking to the design. The resolution has been changed to 2,560 x 2,560 pixels, and the refresh rate has been increased to 120 Hz. HDR playback and IPD controls have been retained. Meanwhile, the biggest point of criticism is said to have been eradicated: A new temple end is supposed to ensure that the glasses sit tighter on the head and no longer slip. Panasonic also replaced the in-ear headphones with stereo speakers. In addition, there are now inside-out tracking cameras. However, the glasses still do not have their own processor and consequently rely on another device whose computing power they can use.
The glasses, whose market launch and price are not yet known, were spotted in Japan, where they are exhibited parallel to the CES.
