WMR Headset prices cut in half on Amazon

[Zenbane]

If you missed the news, or have been interested in any of the Windows Mixed Reality headsets, then now is the time to buy one... from Amazon:


https://differentimpulse.com/wmr-headset-prices-cut-half-amazon/


The price cuts for Dell, HP, and Lenovo are actually more than 50%!

I have high hopes for WMR, but they still seem a ways off when compared to the current competition. As far as I can tell, the only reason to buy a WMR if you already own a high-end PCVR headset, is because you want to be ready when the Exclusive WMR Titles are released. The main franchise that is going exclusive to WMR is Halo.

It's also important to point out Microsoft is planning Mixed Reality exclusives, and it's starting out with a uniquely VR take on the Halo franchise.
https://www.windowscentral.com/htc-vive-vs-windows-mixed-reality-which-should-you-buy

Note that I'm posting this for informational purposes and constructive analysis (there's no need for console-war style rhetoric).

I'm a fan of Microsoft and I think that while the existing WMR product line is lacking, I feel that over time they will prove to be a great competitor. And this type of competition is what leads to greater innovation. I'm also a fan of the Halo franchise, but not much has been released about Halo VR aside from an (unfortunate) underwhelming demo: A Wave shooter where the Player doesn't shoot actual enemies, but "pictures of enemies."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYV0rSCiifg


Of course, it's very early on for WMR so I am going to assume that Microsoft is just trying to release anything (no matter how small) to help add software to their hardware lineup. Their overall approach to VR, however, very much matches that of Facebook-Oculus; where WMR will be able to play Steam VR titles yet also maintain Exclusives through its own Store.

I'm not sure if it's worth the $200 investment yet, but that is a price-point that is certainly enticing! My only reservation is that by the time a true full AAA Halo VR game is released, MS will be on to Generation 2 of their headsets.

EDIT:
Adding the links for the products as of January 22, 2017:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075PVLN2P
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077R65C4D
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077MF8TQ7
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0764GKZ15

[KlodsBrik]

 The more hmd´s sold, the more developers will be interested in making software for that specific platform.
Prolly how they are trying to roll it out ?

[LZoltowski]

It feels like the current WMR headsets are just ME TOO knee-jerk reactions, nothing innovative and sub-par tech. The only stand out is the Samsung Oddysey with high res and AMOLED screens, all other ones are LCD.

HOWEVER .. it is exciting to see VR being adopted more and more by other manufacturers and competition building up.

Also, I cannot for the world of me figure out why it's called MIXED reality when it's basically VR, there is no camera passthrough, it's not AR+VR.

[hoppingbunny123]

They should always be at the buy price because its not as good as the rift.

The WMR home is way better than the default rift home though. Walk around, play with toys etc.

[LZoltowski]

hoppingbunny123 said:

They should always be at the buy price because its not as good as the rift.

The WMR home is way better than the default rift home though. Walk around, play with toys etc.

Have you used HOME 2.0 yet? I love the radio controlled BLIP!

[Anonymous]

Still too much given how shite the headsets are tbh.

[Hiro_Protag0nist]

KlodsBrik said:

 The more hmd´s sold, the more developers will be interested in making software for that specific platform.
Prolly how they are trying to roll it out ?

2 million rubbish HMDs sold - the owners put them away and don't buy any apps or games - not good.

That's another way of putting it.

2 million who might have bought a good quality HMD and splashed the cash on software.

As was said on here in the years 2014 - 2016 - bad VR is the worst thing that can happen to VR.

And, it's 2 million who tell their friends that VR isn't quite there yet...

[Zenbane]

Hiro_Protag0nist said:

As was said on here in the years 2014 - 2016 - bad VR is the worst thing that can happen to VR.

And, it's 2 million who tell their friends that VR isn't quite there yet...

Ah, fair point!

I really wish that things had turned out different with Microsoft's role in VR. I stopped playing consoles in the mid 90's when I discovered WarCraft 2. However, around the year 2000 I returned to console gaming with the Xbox... and all because of Halo. Mostly because of Bungie whom I loved from their lesser known RTS titles.

For me, it would have been great if my first VR Kit had been an MS kit with an epic AAA Halo experience. That would have felt more fitting for me based on my own personal journey with gaming and info tech.

But alas, it seems that MS could be a culprit in giving VR a bad rep due to:

• Sub-par hand-controllers (they are ranked the worst amongst all competitors in terms of comfort)
• Sub-par HMD's (not as immersive as the Rift/Vive)
• Sub-par tracking (Inside-Out Tracking that must be re-calibrated regularly)
• Sub-par gaming experience (didn't launch with Steam VR Support, no quality MS Store titles, and their biggest game is a Wave shooter where you shoot pictures of monsters instead of actual monsters)

I'm hoping MS gets their act together quickly. Hopefully this new price cut will reverberate throughout the entire industry.  Because the $200 price range is small enough that it conveys the message to consumers that the overall experience will in fact be "sub-par" compared to the higher end products (Rift/Vive).

At $200... these headsets are a better option than the GearVR - or at least they will be once better titles come out. GearVR still has the edge due to the Oculus software platform.

[Hiro_Protag0nist]

Those are outrageously good price cuts - hasn't happened on the UK Amazon - hope it does.

Good point on the price equalling the experience but we do have the Vive and Rift.

WMR just didn't have the media coverage and hype that the Vive and Rift had.  I sincerely hope that gen 2 headsets have a tonne of coverage in the mainstream media when they come out or sales could be rather flat.

[kojack]

LZoltowski said:

Also, I cannot for the world of me figure out why it's called MIXED reality when it's basically VR, there is no camera passthrough, it's not AR+VR.

Mixed reality refers to the spectrum of devices ranging from AR to VR.
At the AR end they have the Hololens. At the VR end they have the Immersive Headsets, which are the ones talked about above. They are all part of the same mixed reality ecosystem (same software runs them and they share certain features).

So technically Mixed Reality covers the entire product range. But the way the products are advertised, it does sound like the immersive headsets themselves are mixed reality (the cameras on them don't help the mix up).


To me, the key feature of these headsets is the lack of external tracking requirements.
Pro
- Easy to set up. Just plug headset in.
- Can be used with world scale tracking if you have a backpack computer.
Con
- Less reliable tracking