First up is a look at a partially functional immersion visor from the IRL event

Image: SuperEarthStan/X

At the Visor IRL event, Immersed presented for the first time a finished and (partially) functional version of the lightweight and stylish 4K headset.

The event kicked off with Immersed debunking modern technology skeptics, from David Letterman mocking the Internet to Steve Ballmer’s rejection of the iPhone to Jim Cramer’s doubt that Tesla will ever succeed. The live stream then showed Immersed founder Renji Bijoy standing on stage wearing the compact Visor VR headset. A clear reference to all those who called Immersed’s Visor a scam. However, these voices will not be completely silenced after the presentation.

Why Immersed made a headset

Immersed started as a software developer, releasing a virtual desktop environment for VR headsets in 2017. With the Immersed app running on a Meta Quest headset, it becomes a portable multi-screen workspace with the same performance as PC, Mac or Linux. to which you connect.

Immersed is a virtual desktop application for Meta Quest, HTC Vive and Pico headsets. | Image: Submerged

The only problem was the limited display quality and long-term comfort of the Quest 2. This improved somewhat with Meta’s Quest Pro and took another leap in clarity and usability with the Quest 3.

However, Immersed users wanted more. Immersed runs on Apple Vision Pro, but the premium price limited the number of people who could enjoy the higher resolution screens. Even if you own a Vision Pro, there’s still the weight issue.

The sunken viewfinder is meant to solve all of these problems. Its display technology packs more pixels than the Vision Pro into a goggle form factor that weighs about as much as an iPhone. It’s also less than a third of the price.

Too good to be true?

Since last year’s announcement, some have declared that the Visor is too good to be true. The Immersed team had production agreements that kept many details under wraps for several months.

The Founder’s Edition of the Immersed 4K Viewfinder appears on a black background. | Image: Submerged

Finally, a Visor pre-order required a bit of faith. For Immersed customers, familiarity with the team and its continued dedication to improving VR productivity left little doubt that the Visor was a real product.

For others, the only solution was to wait and see.

The first hands-on with technical problems

The Visor in Real Life (IRL) event was meant to remove all doubt. Unfortunately, the live stream only showed the weight, fit and form factor. There were problems with the firmware on site, so participants were only able to watch a short video inside the Visor and not do a full hands-on test. At least now we know the Visor is a real product.

According to a SuperEarthStan attendee who shared his experience on Discord, “I can’t talk to optics or anything because the device is turned off and hasn’t been connected for any software demos due to software issues that took care of the experience constant for demonstrations. . There was a version running in the corner by the staff, but they’re just working on it.”

Immersive visor front and side views posted on Discord. | Image: SuperEarthStan

SuperEarthStan also posted photos and commented on the comfort, adding “I think I would immediately gravitate towards the full face interface. It’s actually VERY easy. Once the strap is tightened, it practically feels evenly distributed, almost weightless. If you have a bigger nose bridge, it won’t look great without a softer nose piece.”

Additional photos and a short video can be found on Immersed’s Visor Community Discord channel.

Todd Jackson of YouTube’s Q2C VR Gamer posted: “It’s alive!” on X after that live stream ended, adding that the video quality was “super bright and clear. AVP quality video.”

Jackson also said the lenses seemed sharper than the Vision Pro’s, and the FoV was slightly smaller than the Quest 3’s.

An X post from Flat2VRStudios’ Eric Masher confirmed a working Vizor, describing the displays as “amazing and visuals equal or better than Apple Vision pro”.

Details from the event

We already know that the Immersed Visor is a small and lightweight 4K headset with eye tracking, a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip for standalone use, and an external battery with Wi-Fi for wireless connection to a PC or Mac. It also supports a quick boot cable connection.

A person controlling a submerged visor with a pinch gesture. | Image: Submerged

Rather than making a general purpose VR headset, the Visor is meant to be a productivity device. The Visor might get an app and game center, but initially it will only run Immersed, a browser, and a video player.

The product is scheduled to start shipping in 2024. Immersed has financing, so you can pre-order for $400 with a Visor Plus software subscription, or buy the headset for $1,050. More details about the order can be found at the link at the bottom of the article.

After October 1st, the initial cost will increase to $500 with a Visor Plus subscription.

We’ve been covering software specs and plans for the past year, and the Visor IRL event revealed more.

At the Visor IRL event, Immersed gave us a first look at the finished Visor, included accessories, and an optional powered backpack. The visor will come with three removable accessories: a faceplate that hides the sensors, headphones that let you wear it like glasses, and a headband for longer sessions. Immersed will also include a slim carrying case.

The head strap has a top side strap and a back strap. After removing the headset (goggle stems), the strap attaches to the Visor for extended use. It’s much lighter than most VR headsets. Without headphones, the Visor weighs just 186g. Founder Renji Bijoy weighed an Apple Vision Pro (572g), Meta Quest 3 (463g) and iPhone 15 Pro Max (290g) for comparison.

The immersive viewfinder really is as easy as a phone. It’s also lighter than Snap’s latest glasses, which come in at 226g. The thickness is just 41mm. To manage heat in such a small device, it includes dual fans and a magnesium faceplate.

Immersed will also sell a Visor Backpack for $129 with room for a laptop, spare batteries and more. Includes power to charge devices.

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