Mixed reality roundup from IFA 2017

How does Microsoft's platform compare to Oculus and HTC?

Last year, Microsoft promised that its 'mixed reality' platform would be just what the VR industry needed to - finally - reach mainstream adoption, with a variety of OEM partner headsets starting at prices as low as $300.

That was a really compelling offer 10 months ago, but since then Facebook's continued lowering of the Oculus Rift's price has been a bit of a slap in the face to Microsoft. The Rift and controllers now stand at $500, while the HTC Vive is $600.

OEM Mixed Reality headsets range from $300 to $400, with controllers adding another $100 or so on top of that - so what do you get for your money?

For a start, build quality and specs are pretty similar all round. The headsets are built to a standard, and don't tend to exceed that. We didn't see any headsets limited to 60Hz; it appears that everyone is shooting for the 90Hz refresh rate specified in the Mixed Reality Ultra spec, which Microsoft announced the Monday of IFA week.

Asus used an interesting polygonal design

Regular MR PCs, which can use integrated graphics, will be capable of driving headsets at 60Hz and are limited to three VR apps open at once. MR Ultra PCs will reach 90Hz VR and are not limited on app use. They also (we assume) have higher-fidelity graphics.

Also part of the Microsoft announcement was the news that Steam games will be playable on MR headsets, which will be a huge boost to the content offering of Microsoft's platform.

We had the chance to test devices from Dell, Acer, Asus and Lenovo at the show. On a first impression, they are all 'fine' for consumers - but serious users should look elsewhere.

Big Brother Microsoft is watching you

Let's start with the good: tracking. The in-built cameras (one on either side of the visor) do an excellent job of locating and positioning the user in the virtual world; dodging bullets and landing punches was no problem. This technology can genuinely be called a game-changer for VR, as it avoids the irritation of mounting sensors around a room: just pick up, walk around the edges of your space so the cameras can define borders, and play.

On the negative side, the sensors used by more expensive VR platforms enable full-body tracking at all times. The MR products require you to have the controllers (which are tracked using computer vision, focused on the LEDs studded across them) near to, if not directly in, your line of sight for their movements to be registered by the front-facing cameras.

Dell's headset looked like a white box

Companies like HTC have said that they want to ditch the external sensors, but today the Vive's tracking is simply more reliable. Is that a worthwhile trade-off for convenience?

The controllers themselves (when they were being tracked) performed very well. Movement was the through the (by now widely-used) point-and-click teleportation method, which utilised the joystick on either control. Trigger, side-grip and Windows keys are also built in, although the latter is a bit awkwardly placed; we hit it by accident a few times, exiting our game sessions, and saw other journalists do the same thing. Aside from that minor complaint, performance was smooth and reliable.

Mixed reality roundup from IFA 2017

How does Microsoft's platform compare to Oculus and HTC?

All on display

The displays in each headset, as far as we could tell, are identical at 1440 x 1440 and 90Hz. Once again this falls under the heading of 'good enough'; our major complaint is the narrow field of view in each model.

Field of view is an important feature for VR - as much as resolution or refresh rate. A wide FoV means that users see more in their peripheral vision, which helps to combat motion sickness (we got dizzy just watching a 360° video). It also makes the entire experience more immersive. Standard FoV for VR is 90° - 110°. We couldn't pin down any manufacturer on the FoV of the MR headsets, but it felt much smaller: a circular edge to the display was clearly visible.

During our hands-on time with the headsets, we also observed a small sweet spot (where action is very clear) and pronounced edge smear; this was most obvious in the Dell model, although we can sort-of forgive that, as it was a pre-production unit. Still, accept that you won't be getting the visuals of the Oculus or Vive.

A bright spot for the displays was the subdued screen-door effect (visible pixels), which was present but less noticeable than competing headsets.

So...what's different?

Not much, really. Each of the headsets we trialled uses the same basic design, with some minor modifications. Asus, for example, uses a '3D polygonal' design on the faceplate, creating certainly the most visually interesting example. Acer's headset looks like something from Tron; Lenovo's might be worn by Cyclops; and Dell's (pre-production, remember) is a simple white box.

Acer: providing an 80s throwback

Asus made a great deal of fuss about the way that its 400g headset distributes weight evenly, avoiding 'VR face', but we just ended up with a crushed nostril and a light-leaking gap at the bottom of our vision; hopefully that won't be an issue for users who have time for proper adjustments. The most comfortable model was actually produced by Dell, which has installed a weight at the rear of the headset strap to counterbalance the weight of the visor.

Both Dell and Acer have realised that the MR platform doesn't lend itself to hardware differentiation, and have decided to distance themselves from the competition with their content offerings. As written above, Microsoft and Valve are opening up the Steam game library for MR customers, and there will also be entertainment from the likes of Hulu, Sony and Sliver.tv. Dell and Acer are additionally working with unique partners to create exclusive content.

Ready for the holidays

If you want to enter the world of VR, but don't have money to burn, the MR platform is a great starting point. With low specifications for the basic 'Mixed Reality' PCs and a comparatively low price on the headsets themselves, the barrier to VR entry is lower than ever. On the other hand, end users whose first VR experience is sub-standard risk being turned off of the technology for good.

Microsoft and its partners clearly have something with Mixed Reality; even the price drops on more premium headsets make it difficult to argue with the much lower processing power the platform requires. Other manufacturers would do well to watch and learn.

Prices

Acer: $400

Asus: €400 (includes controllers) - note Euro pricing

Dell: $350 ($450 with controllers)

Lenovo: $350 ($450 with controllers). Release date: October.