Looking at the picture above, you might think that guy fell asleep jamming on his headphones—but you’d be wrong. What you’re looking at is the Avegant Glyph, a new immersive multimedia headset that lets you watch movies and play games on the go. And if you’re feeling not-so-visual, you can just flip the Glyph up and you’ve got a pair of noice-canceling headphones.
Avegant is at CES showing off the final prototype of its headgear following a successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2014.
The Avegant Glyph.
Why this matters: Unlike other video headsets such as the Oculus Rift, the Glyph isn’t aiming to be an exclusively virtual reality device. Instead, it’s designed to be an entertainment device that includes the possibility of using it for VR as well as movies, TV shows, games, and even stereoscopic 3D. That wider focus suggests that VR enthusiasts should stick with the Rift, but anyone looking to watch movies on long plane rides or car trips could be well served by the Glyph (as long as you’re not driving, of course).
The details
The Glyph comes packed with a micromirror array that delivers 1280-by-720 resolution to each eye at a 120Hz refresh rate. Audio is delivered via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm headphone jack and it also has a built-in microphone. The Glyph weighs one pound (16 ounces) and claims a battery life of 3 hours while playing video.
Although Avegant is showing off its final prototype, the Glyph isn’t quite production ready, according to Engadget’s hands-on. Getting the Glyph to fit your face just right when it’s in video mode is apparently a problem, as the headset wasn’t adjustable.
Anyone interested in the Glyph can pre-order their own beta version right now for $500 until January 15. After that, the headset will sell at pre-order for $100 more. If you do pre-order you won’t be charged, just yet as the Glyph isn’t set to ship until the fall.