There’s a new Acer VR headset on the way. Given the name Acer OJO 500, the headset was announced during the morning of August 29. In many ways, it’s a successor to the previous Windows Mixed Reality headset from Acer, with improved hardware specifications and a few other new features that seem influenced by other VR headsets in the market.
Virtual Reality hasn’t really gone anywhere lately. There was a pretty significant period of hype and excitement, the prediction that it would revolutionize the tech industry. As it stands, virtual reality remains a specialist, hobbyist device. That isn’t preventing tech firms from continuing to develop it, however, as is the case with Acer. The OJO 500 is hoping to be an improved successor to the original Windows Mixed Reality headset developed by the company.
The biggest new feature that Acer is pushing with the new Acer VR headset is the “detachable design.” The bulk of the device with the lenses itself can be removed from the rest of the frame in order to make cleaning easier. There’s also a new IPD adjustment technology — IPD stands for interpupillary distance, and is the measurement of the distance between the centers of each of your pupils. It’s important that this distance is taken into account when using VR to ensure a clear picture, and Acer has addressed this by providing an accompanying Android app that calibrates the IPD of your Acer VR headset for you.
As well as this, Acer has clearly taken inspiration from the competition in a few of the OJO 500’s features. There are now over-ear headphones built into the device, much like that of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and the choice between using a hard or a soft strap to secure the device to your head, depending on your preference. There’s a back dial on the hard strap for adjusting the fit. Acer goes into a little more detail on the specifics in their announcement video, which you can check out below.
