Canon MREAL S1

Canon MREAL S1
Basic Info
VR/AR	Mixed Reality
Type	Head-mounted display
Subtype	Enterprise AR
Platform	Windows PC
Creator	Canon
Developer	Canon
Manufacturer	Canon
Announcement Date	January 26, 2021 (commercial launch announcement)
Release Date	February 2021
Price	Open price; about JPY 4 million per system reported in January 2021
Website	https://www.canon-its.co.jp/solution/industry/manufacturing/xr/mr/mreal-display
Versions	Canon MREAL S1
Requires	Windows workstation, interface hardware, MREAL Platform and display application
Predecessor	Canon MREAL MD-20 (earlier flagship; separate model)
Successor	Canon MREAL X1 (later wider-view addition)
System
Operating System	Windows 10/11 host (MREAL Platform 2025)
CPU	Host-dependent
GPU	Host-dependent; see versioned software requirements
Storage
Storage	Host-dependent
Memory	Host-dependent
Display
Display	Stereoscopic display
Resolution	1,600 × 1,200 per eye; some panel area unused
Refresh Rate	About 120 Hz panel drive; camera/CG 60 fps
Image
Field of View	45° horizontal × 34° vertical (nominal)
Horizontal FoV	About 45°
Vertical FoV	About 34°
Optics
Optics	Video see-through
Ocularity	Binocular
IPD Range	About 57-76 mm adjustment
Passthrough	Stereo camera imagery composited with CG
Tracking
Tracking	Head position/orientation from spatial features; marker/external-sensor options
Base Stations	External optical sensors optional; setup depends on tracking method
Hand Tracking	Application/version-dependent; see Software
Rotational Tracking	Yes
Positional Tracking	Yes
Update Rate	Real-time composition
Play Space	Configured review/work space
Audio
Camera	Viewing cameras and dedicated registration camera system
Connectivity
Connectivity	Tethered interface board or Thunderbolt 3 interface box
Ports	Dedicated interface-cable connector
Wired Video	Yes
Power	Interface box: AC adapter; board: PCIe supply
Device
Dimensions	Bare display about 154 × 74 × 37 mm (W×H×D)
Weight	About 137 g bare; 338 g with head mount, excluding interface cable
Headstrap	Adjustable head-mount unit
Color	Black/grey
Sensors	Registration cameras; see Camera system
Input	PC/controller or application-specific hand operation

The Canon MREAL S1 is an enterprise mixed reality headset developed by Canon, released in February 2021. Designed for enterprise CAD visualization and industrial design review, the MREAL S1 enables users to place full-scale 3D models into real environments.

Canon described it at launch as the smallest and lightest device in its MREAL series. Its flip-up mechanism gives direct sight of the surroundings. A separate handheld accessory supports shared viewing.

Reviewed 15 October 2026. Model identity, launch history, manufacturer specifications, versioned software and inherited comparison data; vendor specifications are not independent measurements. About review dates.

History and Development

Canon began MR development in 1997 and offered MREAL systems from 2012.

In 2013, Engadget reported a US launch at $125,000 with $25,000 annual maintenance.

The earlier MREAL Display MD-20 was a flagship for manufacturing and automotive review. Canon announced plans to exhibit a smaller entry-model prototype at IVR 2020, then cancelled its exhibition participation.

The S1 name appeared in Canon's October 2020 announcement of its Good Design Award recipients, before the commercial launch announcement.

On January 26, 2021, Canon announced the S1 for late February at an open price. The entry model reduced equipment size and preparation work and supported mobile workstations.

Canon later identified February 2021 as the release month.

Canon announced the wider-view MREAL X1 on April 21, 2022, with sales planned for early June.

Design Philosophy

The palm-sized display travels with a mobile workstation. Display height and eye spacing are adjustable while worn.

The S1 supports on-site design checks and network sharing of 3D data between remote reviewers. Canon positioned S1 as a lower-cost entry model.

Display Technology

Canon specifies about 120 Hz panel drive and 60 fps camera/CG imagery. Some of the nominal panel area is unused.

Camera System

A computer composites camera views with CG for the wearer. Video see-through allows virtual objects to appear opaque.

The Platform 2025 manual separates main viewing cameras from registration cameras. Adjusting registration exposure changes the image features available for tracking.

Tracking System

Spatial-feature tracking uses image boundaries and corners on fixed structures or stationary objects. The Platform 2025 manual recommends patterned floors or walls and structures with intersecting, angled features. Its S1 setup procedure still initializes the world coordinate system by looking at a default marker; ongoing tracking without installed optical sensors is distinct from a setup requiring no marker at any stage.

The platform also supports marker and external optical-sensor positioning. Color masking can keep a real hand visible in front of CG, while registered masking geometry can preserve the foreground relationship of physical fixtures.

Movable targets use their own registered printed markers or sensors. The manual describes calibration and use of the S1's B button to capture markers. Target tracking is separate from the head-tracking configuration.

Physical Design

The display-plus-mount weights exclude the interface cable and host equipment.

The flip-up mechanism gives direct sight of the surroundings without removing the head mount. The handheld attachment is intended for brief demonstrations and shared viewing.

Pricing

In January 2021, DC Watch reported system installation costs starting around JPY 4 million, varying with the application and including the unit, software, PC and maintenance. This was a system estimate, rather than a fixed headset-only retail price.

Canon lists an open price and quotes hardware, software, PC and peripheral configurations.

A separate Canon IT Solutions offer page, inspected on October 15, 2026, advertised a JPY 300,000 unit price while stocks lasted, against a listed regular unit price of JPY 1.7 million. System costs were additional. This records the advertised offer, not confirmed stock or a complete-system price.

Enterprise Applications

Canon positions MREAL for automotive interface reviews.

CAD review can use a scene server to import models, edit their position and scale, and pass a scene to the player for compositing. Constraints on movement and rotation support simulations of mechanical motion; recorded target trajectories can be replayed from another viewpoint for review of work procedures and tool handling.

Canon proposed checking manufacturing-line layouts and worker routes in existing factories, and showing completed building designs at construction sites. These are intended uses, not measured reductions in cost or training time.

For the planned October 2022 YORU ZEN event at Kenninji Temple in Kyoto, Canon announced an S1 experience superimposing CG over the Daiou-en dry garden, with content developed with CG-ARTS, Hitoshi Taguchi and Rhino Studios.

Software

MREAL Platform connects the display and tracking system to a display application. For Platform 2025, Canon recommends Windows 10/11, a 13th-generation Core i9 with at least 16 cores, 32 GB RAM, and a GeForce RTX 3070 or RTX A5000 or higher. These are software-version recommendations, not the original 2021 requirements.

Visualizer 3.6 separates scene creation from the player, supports controller and hand operation, and offers remote sharing and tablet options. Voice commands may need an additional microphone depending on the display model.

Canon's current platform page describes two-hand tracking for applications supporting the OpenXR extension API. Availability depends on application and software configuration.

The Visualizer 3.6 catalog lists VRML and FBX, plus converter modules for CATIA, NX, Creo, SOLIDWORKS, JT, IGES, STEP, Parasolid and IFC. Supported revisions and required converter licenses vary by format.

Market Availability

The launch-era Japanese report described a corporate system sold by configuration. Its January 2021 price estimate should not be read as a current offer or evidence of worldwide stock.

Comparison with Enterprise MR

The table keeps different display architectures, field-of-view axes, weight assemblies and historical price bases explicit. Values come from the cited manufacturers unless a named contemporary report is indicated. A hyphen means the field is unverified here.

Feature	Canon MREAL S1	Varjo XR-3	Microsoft HoloLens 2	Magic Leap 2
Type	Video see-through MR	Video see-through MR	Optical see-through AR	Transparent-display AR
Resolution	1,600 × 1,200/eye (panel)	1,920 × 1,920 focus plus 2,880 × 2,720 peripheral/eye	1,440 × 936 default render target	1,440 × 1,760/eye
FOV	About 45°H × 34°V	115° horizontal	52° diagonal, Kipman as reported in 2019	Up to 70° diagonal
Weight	About 338 g with mount, excluding cable	594 g plus 386 g headband	566 g	260 g headset; 420 g Compute Pack without cable
Passthrough	Stereo video	Stereo video	Direct optical view	Direct optical view with dimming
PC Required	Yes	Yes	Untethered computer	Separate wearable Compute Pack
Eye Tracking	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
Price	About JPY 4 million system estimate (2021)	US$5,495 plus required first-year subscription from US$1,495 (original December 2020 release)	US$3,500 (2019 announcement)	US$3,299 Developer Pro Early Access, US only (2022)
Primary Market	Japanese corporate launch	Enterprise	Enterprise, multiple initial countries	Enterprise; regional availability varies

Strengths and Limitations

The mobile workstation arrangement supports on-site review and remote participants.

Spatial-feature tracking depends on the surroundings. Canon's environment recommendations and initialization steps remain part of deployment; portability does not guarantee reliable operation in any room or outdoors.

An integrated enterprise system also has a different price basis from a headset-only purchase.

Technical Specifications Summary

Nominal manufacturer values. Headset weights exclude interface cable and host equipment.

Specification	Details
Type	Enterprise video see-through MR
Display	Stereoscopic
Resolution	1,600 × 1,200 per eye; panel value
FOV	45° horizontal × 34° vertical (nominal)
Cameras	Viewing and dedicated registration systems
Tracking	Head position/orientation; spatial features and other configured methods
Weight	About 137 g bare, 338 g with mount
Flip-Up	Yes
Handheld	Optional attachment
PC Required	Yes
Price	Open price; 2021 system estimate above
Market	Corporate Japanese launch documentation

See Also

• Canon
• Industrial AR
• Mixed Reality