Change the common sense of VR with your smartphone! Verify the appeal of "Xperia View" where you can experience 8K

"Xperia View" can be used as an HMD by setting "Xperia 1 II" and "Xperia 1 III"

[Tech Magic # 087 by Hidenori Kimura] VR headsets are likely to become more familiar in 2022. Sony's Xperia visual headset "Xperia View" announced at the end of last year is quite complete and gives us a sense of this future. Speaking of conventional visual headsets (headsets without a video display function), I had the impression that many of them were simple and difficult to use. On the other hand, Xperia View is highly integrated with the app and has a wide viewing angle. Currently, there is little content, but the usability is at the same level as Oculus. I would like to introduce the performance of Xperia View, which can not be underestimated even though it is a visual headset. ● Structure that utilizes the resolution of Xperia, which has a wide viewing angle and is hard to get sick. The first thing that catches the eye is the lens with a new structure. Normally, the HMD has a lens only in the window where you look into it, and the viewing angle is narrow. Therefore, the spatial sense that is established by the visual field and the sense of balance tends to collapse, and many people get VR sick. Recent HMDs have a mechanism that makes it difficult to get sick because there is almost no delay, but many people are still not good at it. In that respect, Xperia View realizes a wide viewing angle of 120 degrees diagonally by adopting a structure that integrates a conventional aspherical lens and a Fresnel lens. Since the content can be seen as a field of view in the Fresnel lens part around the part you are looking into, it has a structure that makes it difficult to get sick. With a structure that takes advantage of the 21: 9 cinema wide display that the Xperia 1 II and III, which have a large display, are proud of, I like the fact that they are pursuing practicality beyond the framework of simply using a smartphone to experience VR. rice field. ● Comfortable operation without a controller, and a good impression of the built-in application The next thing to worry about is the feeling of operation. Headsets that use smartphones tend to be complicated, even if VR is technically enjoyable, such as switching content. This point is also exactly built in Xperia View. By using the dedicated app, you can operate without removing the smartphone, such as selecting by facing the face and deciding with the shutter button, which is comfortable. Also, if you use the app with your smartphone, you can watch it without goggles. It is a mechanism that the two-lens viewing display is displayed only when it is attached to the goggles using the proximity sensor of the smartphone. Such a UI is also practical because it goes beyond the use of VR as a trial. Usually, when you want to enjoy smartphones and VR contents, you can use it with HMD and 2 roles, so it will expand the base to those who have not been interested in VR until now. For those who want to focus more on operability, there is also a method of pairing and using the PlayStation controller. It will not be easy, but it may be suitable if you want to enjoy switching various contents for a long time, or if you want to travel using landscape VR. ● Enjoying 8K HDR is a unique feature of using smartphones. It is also good to use the high-resolution display of smartphones to differentiate it from dedicated devices. It is undeniable that a normal visual headset is a low-priced version of a dedicated machine, but Xperia View has a value that exceeds that of a dedicated machine in terms of resolution alone. The maximum resolution is 8K (7680 x 4320 dots), the color gamut of BT.2020, and the HDR standard are also supported, so it is a spec that can be considered as a rival horse for dedicated machines such as Oculus as an option. In addition to the 360-degree mode, you can also select the 180-degree mode with the dedicated app, so you can experience the depth of parallax. Unfortunately, we did not provide the built-in content, but if you load the content shot with the newly released Canon twin-lens VR lens, you may be able to enjoy deep high-resolution images. In addition, it is also good that Xperia View can respond to future high resolution in stages. If a higher-definition display is installed in the Xperia 1 series in the future, it will be possible to benefit from it. It can be said that the point that the quality of HMD can be improved just by replacing the smartphone is a good point of two roles. ● The concern is the high price, or I would like to expect future resolution improvements. The lens with a wide viewing angle is wonderful, and the UI / UX is perfect. Officially, it is only compatible with the dedicated application and not compatible with YouTube etc., but it is only troublesome to operate, and in fact you can also watch VR content on YouTube. By focusing on the dedicated application, the operation feeling is considerably improved as mentioned above, and the degree of completion is high. What is worrisome is the price. Despite the standing position of a visual headset that does not have a built-in display, the price of Xperia View is quite high at 29,800 yen. Even considering that the dedicated Oculus Quest 2 is just under 30,000 yen, it is a price setting that hesitates to purchase. Although it is not an accessory of Xperia 1, it is easy to purchase if it is about 9800 yen at the same time, so I would like to expect future development. And even though the display supports 8K, it's not enough to make the dots invisible. Whether or not this dot is visible in VR is a factor that has a great influence on UX. In this regard, I would like to expect further updates in the next Xperia 1 by taking advantage of being able to update the display performance. I hurriedly got the Canon RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE, so I would like to shoot a high quality 180 degree VR and try it. Especially in terms of viewing angle, it seems that it will affect the HMD in the future, and it was a product that I would like to expect continuous support. (ROSETTA / Hidenori Kimura) ■ Profile Hidenori Kimura ROSETTA Co., Ltd. CEO / Art Director, smart home bento brand director, IoT evangelist. A genuine life hacker who usually buys various latest equipment and gadgets and seeks efficiency and automation of work and life. In 2018, he home-hacked a 50-year-old housing complex and released a future housing complex "bento" that almost automated household chores, which was a big hit. He is also a warpapa who takes care of his daughter's childcare and housework in an automated house instead of his wife, who usually works. [New Kimuraya] https://www.youtube.com/rekimuras Introducing more detailed contents and parts that can only be conveyed in the video in the video linked with the article. (The video distribution time may be around the time of article publication)