Xiaomi has unveiled the Mi VR, a brand new and cheap VR headset that also boasts a dedicated controller.
The Chinese hardware manufacturer officially debuted the successor to its Mi VR Play, with it featuring an incredibly low price tag of just $29. Considering that the headset also features a controller, a major selling point due to the lack of mobile VR headsets currently bundled with one, this looks to be a major player in the VR market when it releases. The 9-axis motion controller will boast touch functionality, similar to Google’s recently announced Daydream View VR headset, though it hasn’t been confirmed if it will be compatible with Google’s upcoming platform.
The Mi VR is also pretty impressive under the hood. With a latency of up to 16ms, the headset can therefore more adequately prevent the motion sickness many feel when utilizing a mobile VR headset, which are typically less capable of evading VR-induced nausea than their more high-end counterparts. Xiaomi is also providing early adopters with content to play around with right out of the gate, with over 500 panoramic videos and more than 30 VR apps appearing on its newly unveiled MIUI VR store.
The Mi VR is also much more attractive than its predecessor, with it adding a similar headband to the PlayStation VR. The PS VR is widely regarded as the more comfortable VR headset on the market, so this is no bad thing, with the Mi VR also including a similar cushioned lining around its headband.
Unfortunately there is no confirmed international availability for the Mi VR, with its release presumably restricted to China upon launch. Though it’ll work with all the latest Xiaomi smartphones including the Mi Note 2, Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus and Mi 5, Xiaomi hasn’t revealed whether it will be made available for other smartphones, either. Hopefully the company revises its plans in the future, because the Mi VR is shaping up to be an excellent gateway into virtual reality.
