Using the in-progress IFA trade show in Berlin (Germany) as their promotional platform, Sony have unveiled what is apart from ‘smartwatches’ one of the biggest and most unusual pieces of consumer technology present at the event, with the Japanese company revealing the finished product of their third-generation ‘HMZ personal viewer’.
The device, known formally as the Sony HMZ-T3, is a form of ‘headset technology’ that allows viewers to consume content directly in front of their eyes without any distractions, with a projection of the video played appearing as their field of vision when the goggles are worn.
While not as versatile as Google’s planned ‘Google Glass’, the T3 will offer viewers immersive OLED displays in 720p HD (including the screening of ‘wireless 60GHz HD transmissions’), with the dual-display enabling 2D and ‘stereoscopic 3D’ viewing to occur.
Other primary features of the product are noted as including the ability to connect the T3 to an external mobile device to play films ‘on-the-go’, with a lithium battery in the headset for power that can run for three hours when on a ‘wireless HD connection’, and seven hours when an HDMI lead is used to create the connection and consume content.
In a similar manner to previous editions of the HMZ, the T3 is also noted as working with the PlayStation 3 and PCs for gaming purposes, though will most likely be incompatible with the upcoming PlayStation 4 games console, which is set to receive a separate ‘virtual reality headset’ of its own.
Whilst confirmed for sale in the UK for around £1,300 by the end of the month, the product is considered a worthy device for purchase by its creators, who wrote in a company blog post on the benefits of their product: “Sit back, relax… and immerse yourself in a new world of portable entertainment. Whether you’re a movie lover or a dedicated gamer, the new HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display brings your favourite content to life with awesome, super-size HD images and wireless freedom. Slip on the light, easy-to-wear headset and enjoy the show. It’s like taking your own super-size cinema with you on holiday or while you’re travelling. Hook up your console, PC, mobile device or smartphone and enjoy a jaw-dropping view of movies, games and apps with a massive virtual screen size that’s equivalent to viewing a 750-inch cinema screen from 20m away.”
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