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Since the immensely successful Kickstarter in Fall 2021, the European mixed reality contender Lynx launched their first headset today. Named Lynx R1, the VR and MR headset is positioned as an alternative to the Quest Pro, Pico 4 Enterprise, Lenovo Thinkreality VRX and HoloLens 2. So let’s see what this impressive headset has to offer.
| Lynx R1 | |
| Resolution | Dual 1600×1600 LCD with 18 PPD (Pixels Per Degree) |
| Field-of-View | 90° Circular |
| Video passthrough | Full-color RGB with real time image processing |
| Optics | 4-Fold Catadioptric Freeform Prism |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 6, and USB-C |
| Tracking | 6 DoF Inside-out from 2 B/W cameras, 2 infrared cameras, 2 visible light cameras |
| Hand Tracking | Yes |
| Eye Tracking | Yes |
| Controllers | 6DoF custom controllers |
| Battery life | 3 hours of active use |
| Price | $1,099 |
As Lynx R1 is aimed at both professionals and prosumers, the features the mixed reality headset comes with are groundbreaking.
The 4-fold catadioptric freeform prism in R1 enables the headset to act as an augmented and virtual reality headset simultaneously. Incidentally, this also marks the first time a mixed reality headset was released achieving this, as before the R1 this has only been seen in R&D prototypes from the likes of Meta.
The 4-fold catadioptric optics enable the same lightweight and thin form factor as the pancake and waveguide lens. Additionally, this innovative lens is compatible with the R1’s eye tracking cameras, increasing the tracking quality and enabling dynamic foveated rendering.
The Lynx R1 will be centered around values of data and personal privacy. It means no Facebook or Meta account is needed, not even a Microsoft Azure cloud requirement. In fact, the information gathered from the headset is fully accessed by you through a platform agnostic and open SDK platform.
Living up to its mixed reality category, Lynx R1 will process in real-time full-color video passthrough to create a stable and seamless view of the world around you. Similarly, hand tracking from Ultraleap works effortlessly in 6DoF, enabling you to interact with the real world in augmented reality; see the latest demo below.
Lynx R1 Enterprise edition will have a price of $1,099. This puts it between the Quest Pro and Pico 4 Enterprise headsets.
Jakob Pii is the Head Writer at VR Expert and currently lives in the UK. He started his career in VR gaming in 2015 and has stayed in XR since, from exposure therapy in VR to 360-degree video documentaries. He is fascinated by how emerging technologies change how we live, play and work.
