Razer, the gaming peripherals maker, is making a foray into the virtual reality space with the OSVR Hacker Dev Kit that it just demoed at CES. OSVR is a new coalition formed by hardware and software companies to promote interoperability around virtual reality gaming, and Razer is one of its founders along with Leapmotion, Ubisoft, Reload, and SMI.
The dev kit comes with a fully functioning headset for play-testing games and peripherals, complete with a gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass. There’s a surround-sound codec onboard, so you can add 3D audio to your creations. The internal display runs at 1080×1920 and the optical elements are adjustable. It also has USB ports for connecting any controllers or other devices you want to add to enhance the experience. And since it’s open-source hardware, all of the circuit boards are modular, and Razer says it will make the both the schematics and the 3D files freely available for download, so you can print and build your own goggles or customize the design.
Razer’s OSVR Hacker Dev Kit will cost $200 when it’s released to the public in June of 2015. The company is also allowing some access to developers now on a strictly limited basis.
Razer makes it clear that OSVR and Oculus Rift aren’t even competitors. In fact, apps and games for the OSVR will also work on the Oculus Rift.
