The cinema you wear on your head

Sony's latest head-mounted display offers a viewing experience equivalent to sitting in front of a 750-inch HD screen. Sony will be demonstrating the headset at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin from Friday, September 6.

The-Sony-HMZ-T3W-Head-Mounted-Display-Photo-AFP

Sony's latest head-mounted display offers a viewing experience equivalent to sitting in front of a 750-inch HD screen.

OK it's not as smart as Google Glass, but unlike the headline-grabbing headset, why a consumer would want or need Sony's HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display is very clear -- the most immersive gaming or movie watching experience possible short of renting out a cinema for personal use.

The gadget is surprisingly lightweight and can stream 3D images (it has an angled screen over each eye for creating proactive three-dimensional imagery) wirelessly for three hours or for seven hours when connected to another device -- say a PlayStation, a computer or a Blu-Ray player, via HDMI cable.

One of the nicest touches though is that because of the way the headset positions the screens, a wearer can still glance down and see his or her hands or what's directly beneath the nose, ideal for PC or console gaming or even tweeting, if that's your thing.

Admittedly, at €1500 it's not exactly cheap, but the average consumer could be looking at more than 10 times that amount if they wanted to build a home cinema with OLED screen complete with 360° surround sound in the lounge.

And even then, it would be impossible to drop it into a bag for use on a train, a flight or in a hotel room. In fact the only minor disappointment is that streaming is in 720p rather than true 1080p HD.

As well as a PlayStation, the HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display can connect wirelessly to a desktop, notebook, tablet or smartphone and is expected to hit the shelves in its native Japan next month and in select markets further afield this November.

For those that can't wait and happen to be in Germany, Sony will be demonstrating the headset at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin from Friday, September 6.