DPVR
| DPVR | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Virtual Reality |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Chen Chaoyang (Sunny Chen) |
| Headquarters | Shanghai, China |
| Notable Personnel | Chen Chaoyang (founder and CEO) |
| Products | VR headsets, AR smart glasses |
| Parent | Shanghai Lexiang Technology Co., Ltd. |
| Website | https://www.dpvr.com |
DPVR (formerly DeePoon) is a Chinese Virtual Reality hardware company that designs and manufactures VR Headsets, including standalone and PC-tethered models, along with a line of Smart glasses. The company is based in Shanghai, China, and operates as the consumer-facing brand of Shanghai Lexiang Technology Co., Ltd.[1][2] It was founded in 2015 by Chen Chaoyang, who also uses the English name Sunny Chen and serves as the company's chief executive.[3][2]
DPVR sells its headsets to both consumers and businesses, and the company says its products are used in more than 100 countries for applications that include gaming, education, training, simulation, and entertainment.[4] In recent years the company has leaned increasingly toward the Enterprise VR and commercial market, positioning headsets such as the P2 and P1 series for sectors like education, staff training, and healthcare.[5]
History
The company traces its roots to the brand DeePoon, which was developed under Shanghai Lexiang Technology Co., Ltd. Its early head-mounted display was unveiled in mid-2015, and the company reported strong demand in the domestic Chinese market during the first wave of consumer VR.[1] In December 2015 DeePoon raised a B-round investment reported at around 30 million US dollars, with backing from the technology firms Xunlei and KingNet.[1]
At the 2016 International CES in Las Vegas, DeePoon showed an all-in-one (standalone) VR headset, the M2, which combined a Samsung 2K OLED display with an Android-based system and an onboard processor so the device could run on its own or connect to a PC. The headset was described at the time as performing comparably to Samsung's Gear VR.[1] The company has cited the M2 as one of the first mass-producible standalone VR headsets.[3]
Over the following years the brand moved to the DPVR name internationally. On 28 March 2017 the company, described in its announcement as "previously known as DeePoon," launched the E3, a PC-tethered headset, at an event in Beijing. The E3 used a Samsung-authorized AMOLED panel at 2560 by 1440 resolution with a 110-degree field of view, weighed 297 grams, and offered an optional "Polaris" dual-eye laser positioning system for room-scale tracking. It was priced at 2,299 RMB for the basic edition and 4,999 RMB for the package that included the positioning system.[6]
In 2017 DPVR signed strategic cooperation agreements with Dell and worked with chipmaker AMD, and the company reported a roughly 24 percent share of the mainland China VR market that year.[4][6] Subsequent products adopted Qualcomm mobile processors: the P1 and P2 standalone lines used Qualcomm's XR1 platform, and the P1 Ultra 4K, introduced in 2021, was built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip.[4][2]
Funding and ownership
DPVR is the consumer brand of Shanghai Lexiang Technology Co., Ltd., a private company.[1] Beyond its early Xunlei and KingNet backing, the company completed a later funding round announced on 17 June 2022. That round was led by Huaqiang Equity, with participation from prior investors including Qianyi Equity and Lianxin Funds Management; DPVR said it held hundreds of technology patents at the time.[3][2] Founder Chen Chaoyang said the new capital would go toward advancing the company's core technology, funding new products, and hiring technical staff, and he previewed a 6DoF PC gaming headset.[3]
Technology and products
DPVR's catalog is organized into a few main lines. The E series consists of PC-tethered headsets aimed at gaming and commercial use; the P series consists of standalone (all-in-one) headsets that run without a PC and are marketed largely to enterprise and education customers; and the G series consists of AR-style Smart glasses. The company also operates a VR content platform branded 3DBoBo.[4]
The DPVR E4, a consumer-oriented PC VR headset, was revealed in late 2022 with preorders opening on 30 November 2022 at an early-bird price of 499 US dollars and a regular price of 549 US dollars, and it began shipping in January 2023.[7] The E4 uses an LCD display, a high refresh rate, and inside-out 6DoF tracking with integrated cameras so it works without external base stations, and it is compatible with SteamVR and other PC VR platforms.[7][8]
In 2024 DPVR introduced the P2, an enterprise-grade standalone headset built around what it calls the Marathon Kit, aimed at education, staff training, medical simulation, and other business uses.[5] At CES 2024 the company exhibited a range of models, including the enterprise P1 Pro and P2, the arcade-focused E4C and E3C, and the consumer E4, alongside joint solutions for education, arcades, simulation, and healthcare.[9]
| Product | Year | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeePoon M2 | 2016 | Standalone VR headset | Shown at CES 2016; Samsung 2K OLED display, Android-based; cited as an early mass-producible standalone headset[1][3] |
| DPVR E3 | 2017 | PC-tethered VR headset | AMOLED 2560x1440, 110-degree FOV, 297 g; optional Polaris laser positioning; launched in Beijing[6] |
| P1 series | 2019 onward | Standalone VR headset (enterprise) | Built on Qualcomm XR1; P1 Ultra 4K (2021) used Qualcomm Snapdragon 845[4][2] |
| DPVR E4 | 2022 (announced), 2023 (shipped) | PC VR headset | LCD display, inside-out 6DoF tracking, SteamVR compatible; from 499 US dollars early bird[7][8] |
| P2 | 2024 | Standalone VR headset (enterprise) | Marathon Kit; targeted at education, training, and healthcare[5] |
| G series | 2020s | AR smart glasses | Lightweight wearable display line (G1 to G6)[4] |
Market position and reception
In its home market, DeePoon was an early leader during China's first consumer VR boom; the company reported a domestic market share above 60 percent in 2015 and around 24 percent of the mainland China market in 2017.[1][4] Internationally, DPVR has been a smaller but persistent presence, focusing on affordable PC VR and on commercial deployments rather than competing directly with the largest consumer platforms.[3]
The company's hardware has been recognized in design and industry awards, including an iF Design Award in 2019 for a wireless VR headset and a Golden Finger award at the China Online Game Industry Summit in 2018.[4] Reviews of the consumer E4 described it as a capable and lightweight PC VR headset with a good display and a competitive price, while noting some technical rough edges typical of a smaller manufacturer.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "DeePoon all-in-one VR headset debuts at 2016 International CES". 2016-01-09. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/tech/2016-01/09/content_23008033.htm.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Shanghai-based VR device manufacturer DPVR announces completion of multimillion dollar round of funding". 2022-06-21. https://www.auganix.org/shanghai-based-vr-device-manufacturer-dpvr-announces-completion-of-multimillion-dollar-round-of-funding/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "DPVR Completes a New Round of Multimillion-Dollar Financing, and Its New Gaming VR Headset Is Coming Soon". 2022-06-17. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dpvr-completes-a-new-round-of-multimillion-dollar-financing-and-its-new-gaming-vr-headset-is-coming-soon-301570205.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "DPVR - Learn More About Our History & Achievements". https://www.dpvr.com/en/about-us/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "DPVR Launches P2: The Marathon Kit Enterprise-Grade VR Headset For Dynamic Business Solutions". https://www.dpvr.com/en/dpvr-launches-p2/.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "China's DPVR Launches New PC Helmet E3". 2017-03-28. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinas-dpvr-launches-new-pc-helmet-e3-300431159.html.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "DPVR E4 VR headset review". https://www.pcgamer.com/dpvr-e4-vr-headset-review/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Initial thoughts after testing the new VR commercial-grade headset: DPVR's E4". https://www.mxtreality.com/post/initial-thoughts-after-testing-the-new-vr-commercial-grade-headset-dpvr-s-e4.
- ↑ "DPVR Showcases Collaborative Solutions At CES Las Vegas 2024". https://www.dpvr.com/en/dpvr-showcases-collaborative-solutions-at-ces-las-vegas-2024/.