With the heavy hitting virtual reality devices carrying fairly stout price tags, many point toward mobile VR as the consumer friendly entry point for those that have yet to try VR. The Gear VR and the upcoming Google Daydream are the primary devices in that market, carrying a price between $79-$99. Now, we have a new contender for mobile VR: Xiaomi’s Mi VR.
Since the founding of China-based Xiaomi in 2010, the company has built its reputation on providing quality technology without charging a fortune and building on that quality with feedback from fans of their Mi (mobile internet) line of gear. The Mi VR continues with that foundation in mind, providing a sleek looking device for only $30. The device’s design floats between the Samsung Gear and PS VR, leaning more toward the former and looks to fit quite comfortably. As far as specs, the gadget works with Xiaomi smartphones and is said to include a motion sensor, 16ms latency time (which should alleviate VR sickness), and a motion controller. The Mi VR is following up the Mi VR Play, a device with various stylish customization options and resembles the Daydream’s soft design. The Mi VR app ecosystem is light currently, but Samsung’s recent hardware missteps may open a window of opportunity for growth (over 200 developers are said to be working on new content for the Mi VR store).
The device has no release date yet, but likely won’t be available internationally just yet simply because the smartphones they’re compatible with aren’t available outside of China either.
