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The thing you didn’t even know you wanted is here: SimulaVR has worked hard to bring Linux into the world of VR and the result is the SimulaVR One and, well, it looks pretty cool.
Now you might be thinking, do we need Linux in a VR headset? That’s a good question and the answer, in our opinion, is why not. The year of Linux has been around for a while, and SimulaVR may just have found the missing piece.
According to SimularVR’s tech preview, Intel’s NUC is used by Simula as the core of the One, specifically an 11th gen Intel NUC with a quad-core i7, integrated Iris Xe graphics, Wi-Fi 6 and 3-4 USB, Thunderbolt, and two DisplayPorts, although I / O is still under discussion.
On the actual VR side, Sharp provided two 2448 x 2448 panels, which when paired with an innovative three-lens design, deliver a 100-degree, 36.2-pixel-per-degree (PPD) field of view that SimulaVR is quick to note the beats the Valve Index and Oculus Quest 2.
The year of Linux is finally here
But let’s get to the heart of the matter: the SimulaVR One is first and foremost a Linux virtual reality headset and it runs Simula, a desktop environment that runs on the Godot game engine. The operating system is capable of running any desktop application, which is pretty neat.
You can install Simula OS, available for download on Github, on other VR headsets, including the HTC Vive and Valve Index.
We’ve attached a GIF below to show you what this looks like in practice. Without actually using the headset, it’s hard to say how good the choice of Linux over other operating systems will be, but it’s certainly interesting.
If you’re keen to buy the SimulaVR, you’re unfortunately out of luck right now, as the company hasn’t set a release date on the device yet and we don’t expect to see it anytime soon. Getting VR to work is really tough – just ask Oculus – and we applaud SimulaVR’s tenacity, so hopefully we can try it out soon.
Via Tom’s Hardware
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