Zeiss VR One Connect Brings PC-Powered SteamVR Games to Mobile Headsets

Ahead of IFA 2017, Zeiss and SteamVR have together announced a new VR streaming solution called Zeiss VR One Connect that brings PC-powered VR gaming to smartphones inside mobile VR headsets. Alongside, Zeiss unveiled wireless controllers that will be linked to the smartphone via Bluetooth.

This new technology comes as a breakthrough in the gaming sphere and Zeiss says that it requires iPhone or Android smartphone with 4.7-inch to 5.5-inch display. For the headset, the company recommends its own VR One, however, other wearables can be used too. In order to make this mechanism work, the smartphone needs to connected to a SteamVR-compatible PC with a USB cable (that it ships with). The wearable then works in sync with SteamVR to use the phone's motion sensors and Bluetooth feature to process the game optimally for the user inside the headset.

The wireless Zeiss controllers can be paired with any eligible Android and iPhone devices over Bluetooth, and feature support for three-degrees-of-freedom (3DoF) motion with the help of inertial sensor technology, licensed from a company known as PXL Vision. The hand motion data is then tallied with the sensor's data to figure out the position of the hands in relation to the graphics on the mobile screen. However, room-scale tracking is not available yet.

The Zeiss VR One Connect works seamlessly with the Zeiss app and is scheduled to be released at the end of 2017 and will retail for EUR 129 (roughly Rs. 9,850). The price also includes wireless 3DoF controllers, a USB cable to connect the headset to your computer, a cable clip, and the Zeiss software. When bundled with the Zeiss VR One Plus headset, it will cost around EUR 199 (roughly Rs. 15,000).

"Unlike previous mobile VR solutions, the smartphone hardware is no longer responsible for computing VR content," says Zeiss' product manager Franz Troppenhagen, in a statement He adds, "Instead, data is transferred from a computer straight to your smartphone. In combination with the VR ONE Plus headset, we offer a complete solution."