Oculus and Xiaomi Team Up To Launch Mi VR in China
Facebook owned Oculus partnered with Chinese electronic giant, Xiaomi to manufacture the Oculus Go. The new standalone VR headset will be brand in China under Xiaomi brand. The Xiaomi Mi VR is said to incorporate all hardware as Oculus Go, while content will be branded under Xiaomi’s own Mi VR content store.
Image courtesy: Xiaomi
According to an official announcement, Mi VR standalone headset will be available only in China, while Oculus Go will be available for the rest of the globe. To this date, Oculus has yet officially offered the Rift in China. Similarily, Xiaomi, the world’s top leader in smartphone manufacturer has relatively low market share in the western market.
The headset include 2K resolution fast-switch LCD screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 mobile processors, Oculus developed integrated spatial audio, and next-generation lenses.
“We are excited to work with Oculus on these standalone devices that exceed expectations in terms of performance at a very attractive price. Xiaomi has always relentlessly pursued the best user experience and price-to-performance ratio. For the best experience, we consider every minute detail. Through our collaboration with Oculus, we have integrated world-class technologies and craftsmanship to produce a VR standalone that lets people immerse themselves in another world without being connected to smartphones or computers.” says Tang Mu, VP of Mi Ecosystem and head of Mi Lab.
Image courtesy: Xiaomi
Hugo Barra, VR of VR at Facebook tells that
“the standalone VR form factor represents the next significant phase of VR hardware development at Oculus. Through our partnership with Xiaomi, both Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone represent our first step in delivering that sweet spot between mobile and PC VR. These devices will be, hands down, the easiest way to get into VR.”
Barra was a previous Google VP of Android, and join Facebook prior to his position as Global VP at Xiaomi.
As of now, we still do not have a release date available, but recent FCC listing shows that the headset is approved for sale. Oculus promised deliver in Q1 this year.
