As you know, Vision Pro will go on sale on February 2 at a very high price for a device with 256 gigabytes of memory. However, we did see a potential rival in the form of the $699 Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses. Thanks in part to the new Snapdragon chip designed specifically for what is now called spatial computing, we can expect excitement over new mixed reality headsets at a variety of price points.

Headphones from Sony and Siemens

Sony and Siemens came together to announce their own devices using the same Snapdragon chip. So far the upcoming innovation does not have a name. As with Xreal glasses, how strong the competition between the two companies will be for Vision Pro headphones depends on who buys the product and for what purposes. CNET reports that it will be a “high-end” device for industrial designers, engineers, businesses, spatial content creators and more. It is not yet clear whether it will be offered to regular users for entertainment and daily tasks like the Vision Pro.

• This will be a mixed reality headset with a pop-up viewfinder that will free up peripheral vision so the user can see what’s going on to the side when necessary, while in normal use their eyes will focus on the screens in front of them. .
• The kit will also include a pair of insertion tools to be worn on the hands. CNET calls these “pencils and rings,” but they’re not the kind we’re used to. They can be used to manipulate and work with 3D objects. As in similar analogues, they will read the position and inclination in space thanks to special sensors, allowing interaction with the virtual interface.
• The hardware, arriving in late 2024, includes Sony’s own microOLED displays with impressive 4K resolution per eye (something similar to what we’ve seen from Apple).
• The heart of the device will be the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 processor.

The gadget has a very interesting design:

Mixed reality headset from Sony and Siemens / Photo: Sony and Siemens

Sony and Siemens’ mixed reality headset will have a hinged front panel / Photo: Sony and Siemens

Headphone controllers / Photo: Sony and Siemens

The price, release date and even the name of the product have not been announced yet. All we know is that the device will be released later this year.

glasses from Asus

A slightly different form factor awaits us in Asus’ device, which will look more like ordinary glasses. Rumor has it that Apple will eventually bring its technology to a similar form and may even consider the option of abandoning the launch of Vision Pro this year in order to offer smaller glasses in a few years.

AirVision M1 glasses / Photo: Asus

At this year’s CES, Asus showed off several displays, including the front. AirVision M1 is a pair of glasses with a screen that displays content from a connected phone or computer.

The glasses are equipped with a Micro OLED screen with 1080p resolution and a 57-degree viewing angle in vertical perspective, turning it into a large screen in front of your eyes.

Visualization of AirVision M1 glasses / Photo: Asus

• Asus glasses have built-in speakers and use them Wired connection to transfer content to the display via DisplayPort.
• The left handle has a built-in touchpad so you can control the content on the screen. It is not clear how wide such possibilities will be, because it is unlikely that a large number of functions can be programmed for a few gestures and presses. You’ll probably need mouse control when streaming from your computer to the glasses, but the company doesn’t say anything about that.
• You can also lock the virtual screen in place so it doesn’t move with your head.

Asus did not announce the price and release date of AirVision glasses. If you look at some already released analogues, the price may be around $ 400-500.