Lovers of tech gadgets, especially those of my generation, grew up reading science fiction. We’ve been waiting all our lives for the kinds of things we read about, with virtual reality being pretty near the top of the list—right after transporters, but before lunar cities.
Vuzix, “the world leader in video eyewear technology,” has paired their iWear headphones with the NVIDIA shield as a step in the virtual direction. The setup looks pretty slick, a little like Geordi’s glasses on steroids.
Tech Times went hands-on with the combo and described it as feeling “less like a full-on VR experience than one of those private displays.” The one-piece device system fits over your head. and blocks out ambient sound better than light. It does, however, have the advantage of shipping earlier than any of the competition; the Avegant Glyph, with which it most directly resembles, has resolutely resisted shipping. It’ll run you $450, but you’ll have it sometime this fall.
So not exactly eye-popping virtual technology. Unless, of course, you try to walk to the kitchen with it on and fall on your face.