When it comes to television sets, bigger is usually best, but not everyone can fit a 70-inch behemoth in their living room – let alone their bedroom – so we've recently seen the rise of an alternative solution in the form of glasses which feature high-res screens that give the impression of viewing a large-format TV.
We've already been hands-on with the Dream Glass 4K, an Android-powered unit which makes it seem like you're viewing a 200-inch TV. We came away impressed, but the unit was let down a little by the fact that it requires a bulky battery pack to function, which limited its usefulness; it was also quite a large headset, which also reduced its appeal.
Both of those concerns appear to be answered by the GodView V5, a new 5K-resolution headset with a 90Hz refresh rate which weighs just 55 grams and doesn't require an external power source. The device is currently live on Kickstarter where it has already secured an impressive £136,153, and, like the Dream Glass 4K, a big part of the pitch is focused on gamers who want that big-screen experience with their console.
We've been lucky enough to test an early version of the unit, and we can certainly confirm that it's much more comfortable to use than the Dream Glass – or a conventional VR headset, for that matter. You simply connect the unit to your Switch dock via a Micro-HDMI cable and you're away – the only catch is that the GodView V5 doesn't have any audio output whatsoever, so you'll need to use a Bluetooth adapter (like the Genki) and some wireless headphones to get sound during gameplay.
While the Switch naturally can't take full advantage of the 5K resolution offered by the GodView V5, the display is nonetheless utterly pin-sharp, and the OLED screens are bright and colourful. While we're not totally convinced we'd pick this over a proper big-screen TV if we had the choice between the two, the fact that you can use it whenever there's a plug socket to connect the Switch dock to (or any other console, for that matter) is still rather impressive.
Because the headset is so light, using the GodView V5 for prolonged periods isn't a problem – although we're not entirely sure we'd be comfortable walking around in the public wearing it, as some of the models are shown doing in the promotional video above. By attaching a special WiFi-enabled unit (which we didn't get the chance to test), you can even pair the GodView V5 to your smartphone or tablet.
The catch? The GodView V5 isn't cheap; even when taking advantage of the early bird rate on Kickstarter, it's going to cost you $459; while that's less than the project RRP of $699, it's still a lot of cash to hand over (a 1080p model, the V1, is also available and is cheaper).
Are you tempted by one of these headsets, or do you think they're a technological dead-end? Let us know with a comment below.
[source kickstarter.com]
Comments 41
No sound is a deal breaker sadly. The lag you get with bluetooth those bluetooth dongles is too much of an annoyance. Otherwise I think this looks actually would be great.
No sound can be worked around, as stated in the article, the price however...
lol... people seem to forget, again, that the Switch has a built in screen...
@sanderev And that's fine, but there are a lot of instances where playing on a TV in docked mode offers a better experience, especially when you consider that handheld is limited to 720p.
That is crazy look at how tiny this things is!
@Damo And strapping a 5K screen to your face will improve that quality? Try running a 1080p image on a 4K TV and then go sit right in front of it. Also for this price, your better of buying a VR headset with HDMI input.
I really like the look of this kind of thing but this early iteration still looks a bit primitive. Maybe by version 2 or 3 it will be worth having.
@sanderev I run 1080p signals through my Sony Bravia 4K TV and it does a fantastic job of upscaling the signal. A lot of TVs don't, but there are some that handle HD signals really well.
And this isn't like strapping a screen to your face - this unit is really lightweight and comfortable, much more comfortable than any VR headset I've ever used.
But ultimately the world is about having options; what doesn't suit you personally might be perfect for someone else.
@Damo humble brag
@Damo "But ultimately the world is about having options; what doesn't suit you personally might be perfect for someone else". Very good quote.
It looks like those shades in 'Back To The Future Part 2' the future McFly kid's were wearing at the dinner table. Also, they gotta design them around a cooler looking sunglasses design. As they are now they make you look like a dweeb.
@Damo
Native upscaling on 4K TV sets like that usually add latency.
Which is why TV sets usually have dedicated gaming modes to eliminate as much latency as possible for gaming systems; by displaying an unprocessed HDMI signal.
So you gotta pick between image quality and latency.
They look cool! Would be nice if the switch pro could output at 4K.
These kinds of things are so pointless imo.
@Damo But let me get this straight: In that Switch docked mode, even with these glasses, you'd still be confined to wherever the device is plugged into anyway, right?
So, if you're on the go then just use the frikin' Switch in proper handheld mode, which is literally the entire point of its dual design. And if you're not on the go then output it through your living room TV, which you and everyone else almost certainly already have, and save yourself the $700 on these gimmicky glasses.
What am I missing here--the random occasion you might prefer to plug everything into a USB/socket while on a plane (or similar) and play with these glasses rather than the device's high quality 720p screen that's literally built into the device right there in front of you at arm's distance anyway?
The price? Not for me as it appears to be unsorted still.
The sound issue is a problem as well. It would not sync well with the video which would cause all types of aggravation.
That ending shot of the two them sitting in the park tho 🤣
A shiny advert with an amateur director tells me to steer clear. Not that I'd be forking anything like the amount of money out they're asking.
@Damo Yes, they're clearly much smaller and lighter than any VR headset, but VR actually offers experiences and levels of immersion you simply cannot replicate on any other device or medium (show me any other device where you can pretty convincingly stand on the moon with the environment completely wrapped around in full 360 degrees, in full stereoscopic 3D, to real-world 1:1 scale, running at 75 fps-144 fps, covering 90-200 degrees filed of view, with motion-controller-based or actual hand-tracking-based hand interaction, and fully dynamic 3D positional audio....)
These glasses are just a projected/floating screen, which you will usually be using when sitting next to or in front of another device with a screen that could show the exact same content anyway (be it on your Switch or your living room TV or PC monitor or whatever).
These glasses are, imo, the kind of [$700] gimmicky device you might use for a little while and then probably just go back to the normal display anyway after a few weeks and rarely touch them again. VR is something that is literally the next paradigm-shifting leap in gaming and interaction and entertainment (and that's true already even in basically only gen 1.5 of this wave of VR, and will only be even more so going forward with each new generation of VR headsets).
I'll take a slightly more uncomfortable VR headset over these slightly more comfortable glasses any day of the week.
@impurekind The glasses give the impression of a much, much larger display - that's the selling point here. I admit that's not a practical bonus for a lot of people, especially given the cost, but it looks a damn sight sharper than the 720p display on the console itself.
And I never compared this to VR - I only mentioned VR as that's a good reference point to indicate just how lightweight this headset is. It's a million times more comfortable that any VR headset I've ever used.
That's pretty cool. I'd actually be interested in the 1080p one if it has similar qualities.
You’d be better off buying 2 next gen consoles than buying this!
@RupeeClock Sony TVs support integer scaling. Quite ironic that they achieve the greatest upscaling in the business by literally using the most basic possible method.
@Braok
It's taken the industry a surprisingly long time to figure out that the best way to display 1080p images on a 4K display is with nearest-neighbour integer scaling.
Intel have adopted it in later generations of their integration graphics too.
Not wowed by tech like this anymore. I'd be wowed by a breakthrough in battery tech for sustainable electric cars, less recharging of all your gadgets and actually MORE social interaction, especially now that everyone is deprived of it.
@RupeeClock
“ unprocessed HDMI signal” is better because most 4K sets these days use integer scaling since 720x3=2160 and 1080x2=2160, this is the reason 480 and 720 often looked bad and required processing on 1080 sets as it would blur the 720 image when scaled up using interpolation. Integer scaling presents games with pixel perfect sharpness and has made 4K a favorite for retro gamers.
Impressive. Most impressive.
Does it work for people already using glasses without making contacts mandatory? Cheers!
They need to redesign the frame. I’m getting Revenge of the Nerds vibes.
@sportvater According to the blurb on kickstarter: "near-sighted users can see clearly and comfortably without wearing their everyday glasses or contacts", although this seems to be an optional extra.
@ROBLOGNICK Exactly what I think. Maybe they can think about designing it as bone condution.
@ThevisThai My understanding is that if I'm myopic I can choose the myopia-adaptive version, if I'm not, I can pick standard. Better ask the creator directly...ddd
@sanderev true, but big screens are gonna be very different. Trying Zelda on a d*mn huge screen is so intriguing...
@InAnotherCastle It seems they enabled V1 with 6 dof, 3 dof, and hand tracking. Their superb early bird will be acceptable to give it a try...if available.
Hello @Damo, will you be hands-on with V1 later?
[doesn't require an external power source]
So how does it work for playing on gaming consoles? (Switch, PS4/5 etc)
It draws power from the mini-HDMI cable?
@gamekill seems so.
@TeslaTro_oper I'm not sure, probably only the V5 in this case.
@gamekill Yep, the cable provides power.
@TeslaTro_oper I'll following this closely for sure. A product like this is exciting because it offers a new type of experience without changing the content. I'd prefer to know the confirmed release date before making any order or commitment and only wonder what the final price will be.
@InAnotherCastle MSRP of V1 will be $499... a bit beyond my affordability. The team claimed to have some promo next week, let's see what's coming. Better if they could provide more information about it.
@TeslaTro_oper Yeah you're right, more information would be good. That's not an impulse buy price.
@SalvorHardin Most? Not sure about that... I wish it were most, but most still force blurry scaling.
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