Eric Ravenscraft
Last week, the $200 Oculus Go headset launched, bringing standalone VR down to a reasonable price point. Then the standalone Lenovo Mirage Solo launched for twice the price.
The Lenovo Mirage Solo is a Google Daydream headset that, like the Oculus Go, doesn’t require a smartphone to use. Unlike the Oculus Go, it’s $400 which puts it into the prohibitively expensive category. While both the Oculus Go and Google Daydream headsets are working from a limited VR library compared to some of the more expensive options like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, the Mirage Solo is only $100 cheaper than the Vive, which makes it hard to stomach the limitations.
Of course, expensive VR headsets still require fancy gaming PCs to get the most out of them, so the price comparison isn’t entirely fair. And to its credit, the Mirage Solo includes some limited positional tracking—meaning it can tell where you physically are in space, not just where your face is pointed—so it’s a little more powerful than the Oculus Go.
Still, the Verge took a look at it and they weren’t impressed. At a glance, neither are we. Positional tracking is only useful if VR apps support it and so far, few Daydream headsets have even had the option. Therefore, developers aren’t making use of it just yet. It’s great that a Daydream headset finally has positional tracking, but if you’re just looking for something to play with at home, you’re probably better off getting the cheaper Oculus Go than taking a chance on the Mirage Solo.
Source: Ars Technica
