VR for all

VR One by Zeiss

Carl Zeiss AG, now more commonly known as Zeiss, has been involved in lens technology for over 160 years. The Zeiss VR One is the company’s first HMD.

The VR One idea is simple: provide high-quality lenses along with multiple device compatibility. This is achieved through ‘trays’ that hold a mobile device and slide into the front of the headset. Each tray is designed for a specific phone. To use a Samsung Galaxy S6, for example, you must use the Galaxy S6 tray. However, this design does lead to a unique feature – if you have access to a 3D printer, you can download the CAD files and print a case for your phone! In theory, this means that the VR One will not become obsolete, as Zeiss can release files and cases as new mobile devices reach the market.

Design
Constructed from solid plastic, with a black and white colour scheme, VR One is a fairly deep headset to accommodate the substantial lenses. Zeiss describe the headset as ‘made for all’ with no need for focus adjusting and can be worn with glasses. It could accurately be described as ‘chunky’ because of this. However, it is light and has an excellent padded surround to place against your face. This makes it comfortable to wear and helps you to forget about its size. The slightly textured straps are also comfortable.

Use
As expected, the Zeiss lenses give a clear view when using the headset. In particular The War Of Words VR was very sharp, although this sometimes gave away the reality of the screen being just inches away. With a 100-degree field of view, it is easy to forget where you are and enjoy the experience with a VR One.

App Compatibility
VR One is compatible with Google Cardboard apps as well as apps designed for other VR devices.  It should be noted that it does not feature the headset-mounted trigger button that is required for many Cardboard apps, rendering some of them difficult to use. The recently announced Zeiss VR One GX headset will include a trigger button as standard.

Official Zeiss VR Apps
There are three official Zeiss VR apps: VR One media – a hub keeping VR One compatible apps and videos in one place, VR One Cinema – a virtual cinema in which you can watch downloaded movies, and lastly VR One AR – an app that works with the paper cube included in the box with the VR One headset.

Zeiss VR One SDK
Of interest to developers is the VR One Unity 3D SDK. This allows the creation of VR content tailored to the headset. It also means that developers can create and test their own apps without relying too heavily on software or hardware provided by other manufacturers.

HOMiDO by HOMiDO

The HOMiDO headset is a creation from a new company, HOMiDO. It is similar in a fashion to the VR One, as a mobile is placed in the front of the device, this time within a ‘clip’ on the front of the headset. The clip is designed to hold devices with screen sizes between 4″ – 5.7″.

Where the VR One is ‘made for all’ by being one-piece, the HOMiDO is very customisable as it is not designed to be worn with glasses.
Therefore, the headset features interpupillary adjustment to compensate for the distance between the pupils, distance adjustment that moves the mobile screen and, uniquely, 3 sets of plastic lens holders to compensate for any long or short sightedness. These add varying amounts of distance between the screen and the lenses. The smallest lens holders are designed to be used by those with short sight, for example.

Design
The HOMiDO is compact, black and red and features straps that are perhaps a little less plush than the VR One. Its padding surround is thicker, but not as soft. Despite this, it is comfortable to wear due to its smaller size. It also features large air vents to prevent fogging of the lenses.

Use
Once correctly adjusted for your vision, the HOMiDO headset gives a good VR experience. The view is not as clear as the VR One and in some respects this is an advantage. The Evolution of Verse feels particularly immersive on the HOMiDO, especially with headphones to provide a complete experience.

App Compatibility
HOMiDO’s headset, like the VR One, is compatible with Google Cardboard and other VR apps. However, it also lacks a trigger button, which limits interactivity within some apps.

Official HOMiDO Apps
HOMiDO provide two official apps:

HOMiDO Center provides a portal to VR content that is suitable for the headset. Content can be filtered and bookmarked for easier searching and it keeps all of your downloaded VR apps in one place.

HOMiDO 360 VR Player has been designed for watching 360-degree video curated by HOMiDO for their HMD.