Biggest VR and AR announcements from CES 2018

As virtual reality and augmented reality continue to grow in popularity, CES remains one of the best places to see what we can expect in the coming year.

This year in particular, we’ve been introduced to some very interesting new headsets aimed at improving the overall experience we have today. A lot of companies are looking to cut the cord, put away the phone, and generally make VR headsets be self-contained wonders. In the world of augmented reality, more and more it feels like we’re returning to the idea that «smart glasses» for specific use cases are the way of the future.

Want to see what made CES even better for VR and AR fans? Here’s what we found.

Lenovo Mirage Solo

Daydream Standalone is finally a reality! No more fiddling with headphones if you don’t want to. This headset is its own computer with its own display, and not only will it play every Daydream game at launch, but it will also offer new and more immersive experiences to take advantage of being able to move around a bit. This is a huge step forward for Daydream, and we’re sure to hear a lot more about it soon.

Everything you need to know about the new Lenovo Mirage Solo

HTC Vive Pro

The second most popular «full-fledged» VR headset in the world now has a cooler and more mature brother. The Vive Pro is meant to be an upgrade from the Vive, not a replacement. It comes with higher resolution displays, a significantly more comfortable headband, more capable in-ear headphones, and a lighter frame.

On top of all this, there’s a new wireless accessory from HTC that allows you to completely ditch the big cable and spend a couple of hours in virtual reality without restrictions.

Test our hands with Vive Pro

Huawei VR2

Not to mention strictly the new headset, Huawei will be bringing its tethered headset to the US, something of a big deal. This headset can connect to multiple sources with a cable, which can mean you have a virtual headset that provides PC and phone enjoyment separately. The headset has a fairly familiar look and feel and could easily be confused with a Daydream headset with some software inside.

We’ll learn a lot more about this headset in the future, but it’s great to see Huawei bring more technology to the US.

Arsenz Thermal glass with FLIR

Being able to mount a FLIR camera on a phone and get quick thermal readings is fun, but in a professional environment it takes time and reliance on the user to keep the software on the phone up to date. Now FLIR is working with Arsenz to fit their miniature thermal smarts into a headset that you wear almost like a Google Glass. This design gives the user a thermal view of the world right in front of them without obscuring their view or occupying their hands.

As far as augmented reality products go, it’s technically exciting and one of those things that will make certain jobs infinitely easier.

Vuzix smart glasses with Alexa

Even though we’ve seen Vuzix at CES for a few years now, there’s never been so much about its smart glasses that truly resemble something that will benefit most people. This year, the new Vuzix Blade goggles pay more attention to aesthetics, looking more like a standard pair of goggles and now also feature Amazon Alexa. This means you have Alexa available everywhere and don’t have to pull it in your pocket to get it, which can be a huge plus for anyone involved in the Alexa ecosystem.

This is a major step forward and a demonstration of how dedicated Vuzix is to the concept of wearable computing.