VR is hot right now but also insanely expensive. Right now we can choose between the Oculus Rift, GearVR, HTC Vive, Google Cardboard and PlayStation VR is coming soon. Except the GearVR every single one of those headsets have the same problems… they are expensive and have to be tethered to a device to work. The AMD Sulon Q looks to change that by including all of the processing power in the unit. We need to wait and see what happens with the price tag.
More details from wired.co.uk:
Sulon Q looks to be a powerful bit of kit, too. The device is based around an AMD FX-8800P processor, a system-on-chip boasting quad-core CPU and octo-core GPU abilities. The 12 total cores share memory to boost performce, AMDclaims. It supports “the latest graphics APIs including DirectX 12 and Vulkan”, and promises console-quality visuals on a 2560×1440 OLED display.
When it comes to AR, it offers a 110° field-of-view, and operates similarly to Hololens. You’ll be able to ‘hang’ application windows in your real-world environment, control opacity, and control them with gestures. The Sulon Q will also come with a wireless keyboard and mouse for more conventional office input.
In many ways, the Sulon Q is shaping up like a powerful laptop for your face. It will ship with Windows 10 pre-installed, have built-in WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 Type A ports, and a Micro HDMI out port. Although it has to combat the years of build-up and excitement surrounding Oculus Rift and even Sony’s PlayStation VR, it potentially has advantages in portability and power, while removing the question mark over whether your PC is powerful enough to actually run VR content.
Right now I still hold that the first one that comes to market at a good price point wins, like VHS vs Beta all over again. That said building a powerful computer into the device could also be a winning combination. Name sucks though.