Great form factor, but is it worth the cost?
Dell joins Acer, Lenovo and HP in producing mixed reality (MR) hardware that brings the price point of Microsoft HoloLens down from $3,000 (consumer version), and $5,000 (enterprise version) down to $350 for the headset, and $450 for the headset and controllers.
I’m unsure how useful the Dell Visor would be without the controllers, so I would probably buy the “bundle.”Keep in mind that the controllers cost $99, so there would be no cost savings by going this route.
Since Microsoft announced a partnership with SteamVR, some of HTC Vive’s games will be available. Besides immersive gaming, there is immersive entertainment and common 2D apps such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
There wasn’t information available about sharing 3D models via a shared conference, but 2D Skype on the headset could potentially be used.
Specs
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Panel |
2.89 inches LCD (RGB subpixel) |
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Resolution |
1440 x 1440 per eye; 760 (pixels per inch) |
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Refresh Rate |
90 Hz |
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Field-Of-View (FOV) |
110 Degrees |
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Lens Adjustment |
Software Inter-Pupillary-Distance (IPD) |
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Tracking Architecture |
6 Degrees-Of-Freedom, Inside-out tracking |
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Tracking Sensors |
Magnetometer, Accelerometer, Gyroscope |
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Headset Tracking Hardware |
Dual Black and White VGA Camera for mapping |
Visor has a cable manager that allows the user to control whether the cable faces forward or backward, and an audio jack for standard headphones on the side. The industrial design aesthetic is enhanced compared to the MR headsets from Acer, HP and Lenovo.
Hardware and Software Requirements
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Windows Mixed Reality Ultra PCs |
Windows Mixed Reality PCs |
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Operating System |
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (RS3) – Home, Pro, Business, Education |
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Processor |
Intel Core i5 4590 (4th generation), quad core (or better) AMD Ryzen 5 1400 3.4Ghz (desktop), quad core (or better) |
Intel Core i5 7200U (7th generation mobile), dual core with Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology enabled (or better) |
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RAM |
8GB DDR3 (or better) |
8GB DDR3 dual channel (or better) |
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Free disk space |
At least 10 GB |
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Graphics Card |
NVidia GTX 960/965M/1050 (or greater), DX12-capable discrete GPU AMD RX 460 (or greater), DX12-capable discrete GPU; GPU must be hosted in a PCIe 3.0 x4+ Link slot |
Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 620 (or greater) DX12-capable integrated GPU |
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Graphics Driver |
Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.2 (7/17/2017 or later) |
Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.2 (7/24/2017 or later) |
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HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 |
HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 |
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Display |
Connected external or integrated VGA (800×600) display (or better) |
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|
USB 3.0 Type-A or Type-C |
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Bluetooth connectivity (for motion controllers) |
Bluetooth 4.0 |
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Expected headset framerate |
90 Hz |
60 Hz |
Bottom Line
The Dell Visor is a good-looking version of the new MR headsets that leverage Windows Mixed Reality OS. It appears the company focused on making it more comfortable to wear, and it shows. Reviewers are saying it is the most comfortable MR headset they have worn. Potential downsides to the Visor are that it weighs more than headsets from Dell, HP and Lenovo; and other brands’ bundles may cost less.
