Dell Visor
PRICE £430 with controllers ON SALE 17 October 2017
Before we go any further, let’s talk acronyms. In the race to separate yourself from the real world, there are three ways you can engage in technological escapism: VR, AR and MR. Virtual reality is a 100% digital world, while augmented and mixed reality merely borrow digital elements to drop into a digitised version of your actual environment. The line between the latter two is so close that, for the purpose of this review, we’ll simply say AR (Microsoft, confusingly, is pushing the term Windows Mixed Reality).
The Dell Visor supports VR and AR. Theoretically, this means it can do everything the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and HoloLens can, but it all comes down to software support. If the VR “experience” was written specifically for the Vive or Oculus then you’re out of luck. (Fear not if you’re a gamer: it does support Steam VR.)
The headset is sleek and even stylish, with its understated white contours complemented by the black handheld controllers. The flip-up visor is engineered for convenient transitions, but it’s a cool sensation just raising and lowering it, like a Star Trek- pimped pair of Ray-Bans. Crucially, the Visor is lightweight and fits comfortably around the head, with plenty of space inside for those who wear glasses – something that current devices frequently overlook.
It also features inside-out tracking cameras, which means the headset can scan the room you’re in and drop it in a virtual world, so it can overlay useful information or objects into the room to interact with. As you’d imagine for a device that’s a sixth the price of the HoloLens, room tracking isn’t as comprehensive as Microsoft’s offering, but that’s a sacrifice I imagine most people are willing to make.
Most industry observers predict that augmented reality will end up being a far bigger deal than VR – just think back to the success of Pokemon Go – so it does seem to make sense to buy a headset that can do both. But, if VR is your big priority, then note the Oculus Rift has dropped in price to £499. ALAN MARTIN
KEY SPECS 2 x 2.89in LCDs with 1,440 x 1,400 resolution per eye 706ppi 90Hz ● ● ● 110-degree field of view READ MORE pcpro.link/278dell
“The Dell Visor headset is sleek and even stylish, with its understated contours complemented by black controllers”