Philips Scuba: Difference between revisions - VR & AR Wiki - Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Wiki

(3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)

Line 1:

{{Device Infobox

|image =

|image = [[File:Philips Scuba1.jpeg|200px]]

|VR/AR = [[Virtual Reality]]

|Type = [[Head-mounted display]]

Line 92:

===Release===

Philips first teased the device at trade shows in late 1996<ref name="ultragppsg"/> and released the Scuba Virtual Immersion Visor in 1997-1998 at a retail price of $299 USD.<ref name="vrshop"/><ref name="retrovolve"/> This price point was notably $100 more than the launch price of the [[Nintendo 64]], making it an expensive peripheral for the ~~time—roughly~~ $550 adjusted for 2025 inflation.<ref name="retrovolve"/><ref name="ultragppsg"/>

Philips first teased the device at trade shows in late 1996<ref name="ultragppsg"/> and released the Scuba Virtual Immersion Visor in 1997-1998 at a retail price of $299 USD.<ref name="vrshop"/><ref name="retrovolve"/> This price point was notably $100 more than the launch price of the [[Nintendo 64]], making it an expensive peripheral for the time, roughly $550 adjusted for 2025 inflation.<ref name="retrovolve"/><ref name="ultragppsg"/>

===Market Performance===

The Scuba sold approximately 55,000 units during its commercial run before being discontinued in 1999.<ref name="googlearts"/> Despite Philips' marketing efforts positioning it as a virtual reality device with claims like "You hadn't played a game until you'd played it wearing an Immersion Visor," consumer reception was mixed to negative, with many criticizing its poor image quality and misleading VR branding. The molds were later reused for low-cost TV viewers in Asia, while Retinal Displays pivoted toward wave-guide ~~optics—technology~~ that ultimately seeded [[DigiLens]] in the mid-2000s.~~<ref name="retinaldisplays"/>~~

The Scuba sold approximately 55,000 units during its commercial run before being discontinued in 1999.<ref name="googlearts"/> Despite Philips' marketing efforts positioning it as a virtual reality device with claims like "You hadn't played a game until you'd played it wearing an Immersion Visor," consumer reception was mixed to negative, with many criticizing its poor image quality and misleading VR branding. The molds were later reused for low-cost TV viewers in Asia, while Retinal Displays pivoted toward wave-guide optics, technology that ultimately seeded [[DigiLens]] in the mid-2000s.

==Technical Specifications==

Line 200:

<ref name="youtube">YouTube. "Philips Scuba VR headset from 1997 (VIV100) – capacitor test & teardown". February 1, 2024.</ref>

<ref name="vrsarticle">VR Society. "Virtuality – A New Reality of Promise, Two Decades Too Soon". 2018. https://vrs.org.uk</ref>

~~<ref name="retinaldisplays">XVRWiki. "Retinal Displays". Last edited March 6, 2024.</ref>~~

<ref name="reddit">Reddit Gaming Post. "I still own this it was a virtual reality headset". https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1h82oc/</ref>

<ref name="ebaylisting">eBay. "Philips SCUBA A/V Headset VIV100AT". Item 266739527771.</ref>

</references>

[[Category:Vintage Devices]]

[[Category:Vintage VR]]

[[Category:Devices]]

[[Category:Virtual Reality Devices]]

[[Category:Virtual reality headsets]]

[[Category:Philips products]]