Tag: CES

From a technical standpoint, virtual reality is nothing new. It has, up until now, largely been limited to certain niche markets, rarely making its way to the home entertainment sector. That said, with their latest product, Maryland based VR developer Sensics is attempting to change this; debuting the world's first Android powered, VR headset. Code named Project Natalia, these goggles differ from traditional virtual reality technology in a number of ways. First and foremost, unlike existing VR, these goggles can operate as a standalone device, without the need to be hooked up to a computer or other external video source. Project Natalia packs a dual core 1.2ghz CPU on board, along with the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system, dual SXGA OLED displays, and built in bluetooth and wifi functionality.

A second unique feature to the headset is the addition of a series of motion sensing cameras to the front of the device. With these cameras, hand tracking is now possible, as well as head tracking. According to Sensics, this opens up the possibly of a motion controlled VR simulation. Imagine, for instance, playing Fruit Ninja. Using Natalia, the flagship set of Smart Goggles, one could play the game in full range, high definition 3d, and could do so with a chopping motion, similar to Halfbrick's Kinect version of the game. As of this writing, Sensics did not have any announcements regarding potential partnerships with gaming manufacturers for Natalia enabled games.

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Earlier this week, at the CES Unveiled Press Preview, Mad Catz displayed an upcoming premium wireless headset for the Xbox 360. This new headset, the Tritton Warhead, is a Dolby Surround capable unit with true 7.1 channel audio output. As the result of a unique licensing partnership with Microsoft, the Warhead is the first ever third party developed headset that does not require the use of a loopback audio cable. As such, the Warhead is the only non-first party headset to be completely wireless.

Additional features include a fully adjustable headband, 5.8ghz wireless transmission frequency, an ergonomic design, in-base battery storage, and the ability to hear your own voice with Selective Voice Monitoring (SVM) technology. Exact pricing information is not available at this time. That said, as the Warhead is designed as a top-tier headset, expect the price to reflect this accordingly. The Tritton Warhead is slated for release sometime next year, exclusively for the Xbox 360. According to Mad Catz, more information is forthcoming at the International CES this January.