![]() ![]() The layout and design of the Pimax Portal are strongly reminiscent of Nintendo's competition. Pimax Portal: The best of Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck? The Pimax WiGig module for more stable WLAN streaming is also compatible. All Portal consoles feature WiFi-6E, and there is supposed to be an optional 5G mobile module for this. The Pimax Portal's OS is based on Android, which is supposed to make "millions of mobile games" playable. The storage can be expanded up to 1 TB via micro-SD card. In addition, there is 8 GB of RAM and storage space and between 128 and 256 GB. The latter is also used in current mobile VR headsets like the Meta Quest Pro. The device uses an unspecified ARM-based chip and a Snapdragon XR2. In the cheapest variant, Pimax Portal costs $299, while in the most expensive it is listed at $599. Pimax Portal is funded by a Kickstarter campaign. ![]() The display can also be inserted into a VR headset case. The handheld console is WLAN streaming-capable and can be connected to the TV via a docking station or to the computer via an HDMI cable. With Pimax Portal, the Chinese VR headset manufacturer aims to bring together mobile gaming, PC gaming, augmented reality and virtual reality. Is smartphone VR making a comeback?Īt yesterday's Pimax Frontier 2022 launch event, Pimax presented a "Metaverse Entertainment System", or MES for short. And I think my kids feel the same way.Pimax introduces a handheld console that is supposed to combine virtual reality and mobile gaming. But it gave me a weekend I'll always remember. Labo VR isn't perfect, and no, it's not your next killer VR headset. This is, after all, what Nintendo always does best: be weird and fun. But, we had a really great time doing it all, and my kids were entranced and loved every second of it (fighting over the VR goggles, fascinated by the games and worlds, and curious to know more). Yes, it's a novelty, a weekend of folding and tinkering with a few surprises thrown in. Then again, maybe VR is best kept as an experiment, which is exactly what Labo VR is. It shows that Nintendo's wild ideas could apply to VR games. It's a dip-your-face-in-for-a-bit type of experience that feels more like a novelty set of 3D glasses than a fully immersive VR experience. I haven't played those features yet, but I'd expect they're pretty limited (also, you would need to hold Labo VR to your face while playing, which again, is tiring).īut the real question remains if Labo VR is a sign of Nintendo readying itself for the next wave of VR hardware. Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are getting extra updates that work with Labo VR. Would Nintendo pursue that idea? Perhaps. Watch this: Nintendo Labo VR hands-on: This virtual reality gets weird Patient parents and older kids who like to tinker are the best bets for this. The Joy-Con controllers need to be slipped into the Labo VR's elaborate cardboard accessories, and syncing them and removing them gets fiddly. Tapping a little exposed part of the screen near the nose piece can exit out of apps, but it's not immediately obvious. The goggles have a top tap zone that lets you double-tap the cardboard to select things, much like Google Cardboard did with its single button. Some of the VR controls can get confusing too. This isn't ideal, and it's just another example of how the Switch isn't optimized for VR. But the motion controls need to be recalibrated sometimes, which requires you to lay down the Switch on a flat surface to recenter. ![]() That's good news because it limits the possibility of injury and staying seated or standing is easier to do. The Switch uses its own gyro and motion sensors to allow head turning (called 3DoF in VR circles), which means no leaning in or walking around. Then again, my kids both played for a long time at a stretch and wanted to keep going. The Labo VR software encourages players to take a break every few minutes, and I agree. Its battery life is pretty short (under 3 hours) and its controllers aren't necessarily designed for VR, either, so while they're wireless and have great haptics, they're clumsy to use at times.Īll the Labo VR creations are made to be used without any head straps, so you have to hold the bulky, heavy goggles-plus-Switch to your face, which gets really tiring for more than 5 minutes, and the display sometimes has a fair amount of lag, too. The Switch has a low 720p resolution screen so when it's used for VR the display's pixels are really large and slightly blurry. Building Labo with the step-by-step instructions takes a lot of time, but at least it's clearly explained. ![]()
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