Simula One (Linux VR PC) Pricing and Kickstarter Goal
simulavr.com
simulavr.com
Shame about that price though. Now I do understand why it's that high; small company, super high res panels, and linux support. But it's just way above what I can afford. I mean, it's more than a new 16 inch Macbook Pro.
I wish there was a lower tier version without the built in PC or cameras. I just want a "head mounted display" with the same panels, and with near flawless linux support, that I will drive with my laptop.
Most of the value could come from an application (for the first couple of years getting user feedback) and eventually an OS once commodity systems have been rooted.
I am hoping for this kickstarter and the team, but the price point is a big gamble for consumers.
It is roughly what I paid for my RTX 2080 machine and HMD with no screen door effect. I feel I already have the perfect Linux VR hardware, but inferior software like Virtual Desktop that I haven’t been able to adopt as a daily driver.
The backstory: we originally tried to partner with other headset manufacturers for Linux compatibility (literally offering to help do the work for free under NDAs), but got turned down. We thought the greatest kernel of utility we could offer the Linux VR Computing ecosystem was a portable headset, so we went with it.
RE your existing Linux hardware: we will be offering a tethered version of our headset for a lower price which should be compatible with your existing setup. Even without our compute pack, our headset will offer by far the best tethered Linux VR Desktop experience on the market. (Also useful for gaming, if that's your cup of tea).
And then there's the platform bit which is the final nail on the coffin. Let's not kid ourselves here, VR at this point in time is all about the ecosystem rather than hardware and if there is no ecosystem [or backing from the heavyweights], odds are one is going to end up with a very expensive paperweight.
2. The Simula One has a higher PPD than any other portable VR headset on the market. This is one of the things driving its cost, but we think it's worth it when we're trying to build something so good that people will want to work in it for hours a day.
3. Our raw headset (not including the detachable compute pack) is competitive on specs with the Varjo Aero (priced at $2K), but the Aero is tethered and doesn't have Linux support. If you just want a Tethered version of our headset (for tethered Windows gaming, or if you want to provide your own Linux compute), it will be available on our Kickstarter for $2K.
4. Other fully portable headsets with comparable prices to ours: the Hololens 2 ($3,500) and the Magic Leap ($2,300). We're offering a Linux VR Computer with excellent specs for $2,800, without any economies of scale or venture backing.
5. Though our headset is competitive with other portable VR platforms (offering higher PPD, etc), it's in some sense not fair to compare it to them. We're offering something for people to work in. We'd like you to also compare the Simula One to premium laptops, which offer less screen real estate.
It might be best to reproduce a B2B playbook like getting a government contract or one large enterprise contract to fund the next phase. I wonder if there is an under served market that overlaps with your goals.