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Comment by Freaken | Hacker News Reader

I see people have issues with the price tag, and while it is by no mean cheap, since it's actually a full blown computer AND a VR headset all in one, it is somewhat justified. The computer specs match my Framework laptop and the headset is, on paper, on par or better than other high-end VR headsets (and a miles ahead of my Meta Quest 2 and other consumer-grade VR headsets).

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We pushed hard on our specs; I appreciate you noticing =] We actually compared the Simula One to the Framework Professional Edition in an earlier post, so the comparison is apt.[1] We have also created a $100 discount code ("DISCOUNT_HN") for this thread to help out somewhat on the price.[2]

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29923197 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30441454

It feels strange to be used as a reference point, but we’ll take it! Like other folks on this thread, I’m interested in seeing what you do with Simula One. I agree that it is the sort of ambitious though likely niche product that is worth testing the wide open future of VR with.

I like the concept of the Framework, and we're similarly big on being open/repairable/etc.

The standalone tethered headset is $2k — that makes it a significantly higher price than other options, especially given the risk involved.

It has amazing specs, but $2k for a tethered headset is way too high. It needs to be below $1000 for the tethered, bring your own compute option.

Well people say the Index is expensive at $1K (full kit) this thing is 2-5x that. Will be interesting.

Also this scene of him being outside typing while using VR ha. It'll be interesting, the shot using it in a coffee shop too hmm.

The keyboard is Durgod Fusion btw (non-split one).

> Well people say the Index is expensive at $1K (full kit) this thing is 2-5x that. Will be interesting.

Isn't the Index just the headset? This is a headset + attached computer, different type of beast.

Yeah they have a tethered version too, 2x cost. I'm saying if people think the Index is expensive for what it is/was, this thing is way up there. But hey not everyone drives Lamborghinis but that's still a market.

Anyway I preordered one (half up front), I'm down, will practice on my Index in the mean time. I am curious about their choice of Godot in case I ever get to the level to mess with rendering. Would be nice to have curved panels, maybe that snap together vs. floating square ones. Excuse to learn a new language I guess.

Godot was mostly chosen for expedience and hackability. With e.g. StardustXR existing now, it's not impossible we'll do something new down the line.

Curved panels etc are doable. We primarily use Haskell as a "scripting" language for at least some type safety, but it should be fairly manageable to get into.

Sweet. Yeah I am not talking from experience at all. Just think it would be C# or Unity or something cliche like that. Anyway I'm going to try out your Simula repo on my Index.

> The keyboard is Durgod Fusion btw (non-split one).

There's a split one?

Yeah it's towards the bottom of the page (60% down the page), right side, he's wearing it on this apron-looking thing.

> Compute with freedom of movement

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