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VR hardware: Lenovo Explorer Windows Mixed Reality Headset Review

With the advent of augmented and virtual reality software development, the VR hardware is already widely available from companies such as Google, Samsung, HTC, and Oculus VR — meaning deeply engaging, innovative technology that immerses you into an extremely realistic, three-dimensional world. Yet, hardware’s price, screen resolution, cables, and weight were always a pain. Where can you find an affordable headset that won’t be bulky and allow you to spot the smallest details in the scene? Slowly but surely we are heading towards that goal, as we can see a lot of new, low-cost headsets on the market and all you have to do is pick the one that matches your requirements. In this blog, we made a Lenovo Explorer Windows Mixed Reality Headset review to help you see if this is hardware you may opt for.

Imagine you’re getting through the coastal jungles or walking along Britain’s medieval streets while standing in the middle of your living room. And it feels as good as the real thing. Sounds like an ultimate VR goal, doesn’t it?

With Windows Mixed Reality you can easily create a virtual environment in a few minutes. Headset and controllers are all you need to enjoy the best of VR trend, and explore your dream destinations or go on an exciting adventure.

Let’s start with device specifications.

Device Specifications

  • Two high-resolution liquid crystal displays at 1440 x 1440;
  • 2.89” diagonal display size (x2);
  • Front hinged display, so you can flip the headset up while working;
  • Up to 105 degrees horizontal field of view;
  • Display refresh rate up to 90 Hz (native);
  • Built-in audio out and microphone support through the 3.5mm jack;
  • Single cable with HDMI 2.0 (display) and USB 3.0 (data) for connectivity;
  • Inside-out tracking;
  • 4.00m cable.

Price

Priced at $399, the Lenovo Explorer is more affordable than notorious HTC Vive. If you are looking for an affordable high-quality headset — Lenovo Explorer is definitely an option to think about.

A headset is compatible with Windows PC.

Camera Positional Tracking

The headset doesn’t require any hardware on your walls. It is tracked in space from the inside out by two onboard cameras providing precise movement fidelity, and not limiting users to one specific space.

Design

Lenovo Mixed Reality Headset Design

Sleek design and a head strap that carries the weight of the headset make this device pretty comfortable. By tightening the strap around your head with the help of a circle button on the back it is possible to prevent light leakage so that the user could get completely lost within VR.

Resolution

The virtual world in Lenovo headset looks crisp due to LCD panels that provide high resolution and offer vibrant picture clarity. Thanks to the high resolution it’s now easier to read a text in VR, so it is a great fit for VR productivity apps. The Fresnel lenses offer the same quality as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive do.

Motion Controllers

Lenovo Windows Motion Controllers

 

Along with a headset, you’ll get two motion controllers bundled, and they’re identical regardless of which MR headset you get. Lenovo’s advanced motion controller contains a trigger button, a clickable touchpad, a thumbstick, grab and menu buttons.

Drawbacks and Limitations:

  • the headset does not have physical IPD adjustment and software IPD only supports up to 67mm, so if you have larger IPD it might be an issue;
  • sometimes it loses track of the motion controllers;
  • it has smaller lenses, thus this headset isn’t as immersive as it could be.

Upshot

All in all, if you are looking for a headset for gaming or just interested in trying VR, Lenovo Explorer Windows Mixed Reality headset is a nice alternative to high-priced hardware.   Technology that understands your movement in space, has vivid graphics and is comfortable certainly stands out in the market.

If you want to know more about Lenovo Explorer you can visit the Microsoft website where you’ll find more information about headset characteristics as well as customer reviews.

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