CES 2018: Xiaomi, Facebook-owned Oculus announce Mi VR Standalone headset

Facebook-owned Oculus on Monday announced a partnership with Chinese handset maker Xiaomi to build a new standalone virtual reality headset. The device, called Mi VR Standalone, will be exclusively available in China.

According to Oculus, Mi VR Standalone has same core hardware and design philosophy as Oculus Go. It also supports Oculus Mobile SDK allowing existing developers to optimise their content for Mi VR device. Xiaomi said that it will be working with Oculus developers to customise some of the content from the Oculus Store and bring it to Mi VR store in China. The device will be powered by Qualcomm's mobile VR platform.

"Both headsets have the same advanced technologies, including a 2K high-resolution fast-switch LCD screen, next-generation lenses and integrated spatial audio. Adding to these features is a vast content library of movies, 360° videos and interactive games available through the Mi VR Store," said Xiaomi in a blog post.

"Mi VR Standalone features integrated spatial audio technology developed by Oculus. The audio drivers are built directly into the headset, making getting in and out of VR much faster and making the headset easy to share with someone else. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack for a more private listening experience."

Xiaomi's former VP Hugo Barra joined Facebook in January last year to spearhead the social networking giant's Virtual Reality foray. While Oculus has been one of the top names in the VR segment, the company last year announced a Oculus Go, a standalone affordable virtual reality headset. The device is priced at $199 (₹12,960 approximately) and is expected to launch later this year.