There are headphones for listening to your favorite tunes privately and then there are video headphones such this one from Vuzix, called iWear 720, for viewing videos privately. How’s that for privacy? Vuzix iWear 720 video headphones isn’t the first from the New York-based multinational tech company, or the first in the market, but the thing with iWear 720 is, it runs on OSVR (Open-Source Virtual Reality) platform and the company itself have recently partnered with OSVR alliance that will provide hardware and software support for compatibility with Vuzix VR products. Anyway, with OSVR behind it, iWear 720 is touted as the most compatible VR and entertainment headset, and will work with virtually any device that supports HDMI outputs.
Plus, it definitely look way sleeker than the V-720 which we saw late last year. Never mind the fact that when used as headphones, the band over your head looks ridiculously thick and kind of awkward. At least it looks ‘sophisticated’ when worn as a video eyewear. On the video front, it offers dual 720p video resolution with a display size equivalent to a 130-inch TV viewed from 10 feet. It plays well with 2D, 3D and 360-deg VR movies, and with integrated motion tracking, OSVR, Unity 3D, and Unreal gaming engine support, there is a growing list of games and VR title waiting for you to enjoy. Augmented Reality is possible too, but it will required an optional AR camera.
The Vuzix iWear 720 Video Headphones is expected to hit the market sometime in Q2 this year for around 500 bucks. In the meantime Vuzix will be showcasing it at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA between March 2 and 6, 2015.