Dream Glass 4K Plus
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| Dream Glass 4K Plus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | AR Glasses |
| Developer | DreamWorld |
| Manufacturer | DreamWorld |
| Announcement Date | 14 July 2020 (Indiegogo campaign launch) |
| Release Date | 2020 |
| Price | $799 |
| System | |
| CPU | 1.8 GHz quad-core "AI chip" |
| GPU | Mali-T864 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| Memory | 4 GB |
| Display | |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 per-eye |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 90° diagonal |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Angled lenses with a semi-reflective coating and a 10-layer optical coating |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 3DoF head tracking (1000 Hz); optional 6DoF tracking set |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Two speakers; 3.5 mm jack; Bluetooth audio |
| Camera | Front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, hotspot |
| Ports | Additional USB 3.0 port on the headset for external sensors |
| Battery Capacity | 8000 mAh |
| Battery Life | About 5 hours of continuous play (manufacturer claim) |
| Device | |
| Weight | 185 g (without cable) |
Dream Glass 4K Plus is an augmented reality head-mounted display released in 2020. It was developed by DreamWorld (Dreamworld USA Inc.), a company founded in Silicon Valley in 2016 and based in Millbrae, California, which sells its headsets under the Dream Glass brand.[1] It is the higher-specified of two versions of the Dream Glass 4K. DreamWorld describes the 4K Plus as having all the functions of the regular 4K version, with upgraded RAM, more storage and an extra USB port for accessories such as an RGB recording camera, hand-gesture cameras like Leap Motion, or the company's 6DoF tracking set.[2]
The headset shows a virtual screen that DreamWorld markets as a 200-inch image at 3 meters, with a 90-degree field of view and 1080p resolution per eye. It plugs into phones, tablets, computers, game consoles and drones.[1] DreamWorld aimed the Plus model at buyers with "professional applications or serious gaming needs" and said it was working with partners in education, gaming and healthcare.[2]
Specifications
The following specifications are those that Display Daily listed for the Dream Glass 4K Plus in May 2021, when models were priced between US$599 and US$799.[1]
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920x1080 per-eye; described as "4K", 1080p per eye (3840x1080 total) |
| Pixel density | 868 ppi |
| Field of view | 90 degrees |
| Virtual image | 200 inches at 3 meters; aspect ratio 18:9 |
| Display modes | 2D or 3D; 3D accepts side-by-side and top/bottom formats |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz |
| Head tracking | 3DoF; 1000 Hz high-speed tracking |
| CPU | 1.8 GHz quad-core "AI chip" |
| GPU | Mali-T864 |
| Memory | 4 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| Battery | 8000 mAh lithium-ion; about 5 hours of continuous play |
| Weight | 185 g without the cable |
| Audio | Two speakers; connection by Bluetooth or 3.5 mm jack |
| Camera | Front-facing camera |
| Expansion | USB 3.0 port on the headset for external sensors (hand-gesture, RGB or IR cameras) |
| Connections | HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, hotspot |
| Software development | Unity SDK |
The listing also says the headset has enough eye relief for users to wear their own glasses underneath, and that it ships in a zip-up hard travel case.[1]
Announcement and release
DreamWorld's previous headset, the Dream Glass Air, raised more than US$1 million in August 2019. The Dream Glass 4K was announced on 14 July 2020 and was offered through Indiegogo.[3] The campaign, listed in San Mateo, California, ran from 14 July to 18 August 2020.[4] A "Dream Glass 4K Plus" perk cost US$599, against a listed retail value of US$899. A "DG 4K Plus + 6DOF Tracking Set" perk cost US$799, with a listed retail value of US$1,310. Both perks gave an estimated delivery date of September 2020.[4]
Display Daily reported that 929 backers pledged US$470,741 during the August 2020 campaign. DreamWorld described this as the most funded augmented reality glasses project in crowdfunding history. According to Display Daily, by May 2021 the company had fulfilled all reward commitments and was running an InDemand campaign to bring the Dream Glass 4K into full production, which had raised US$547,023 from 1,042 backers at the time of Display Daily's report. The same report said the product was in early production and that the company intended to start shipping shortly after the InDemand campaign ended.[1] During the InDemand phase in November 2020, Indiegogo listed a "Dream Glass 4K Plus Special" perk at US$799 (listed retail value US$999) and the 4K Plus with 6DOF tracking set bundle at US$999 (listed retail value US$1,499).[5]
Pricing
DreamWorld's online store listed the Dream Glass 4K Plus at a sale price of US$799, down from a regular price of US$999. It sold a bundle of the 4K Plus and the 6DOF tracking set for US$999 (regular price US$1,499), and the tracking set alone for US$200.[6] The store's product description for the tracking set read "Dream Glass 4K Plus and Dream Glass Developer Kit".[7] The same US$799 sale price for the 4K Plus appeared on the store in May 2021.[2] A March 2024 copy of the company's later store page, titled "Dream Glass 4K/4K Plus", still offered the Dream Glass 4K at US$599 and the Dream Glass 4K Plus at US$799.[8]
| Offer | Date of listing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Indiegogo "Dream Glass 4K Plus" perk | July 2020 | US$599 (listed retail value US$899)[4] |
| Indiegogo "DG 4K Plus + 6DOF Tracking Set" perk | July 2020 | US$799 (listed retail value US$1,310)[4] |
| DreamWorld store, Dream Glass 4K Plus | September 2020 | US$799 sale price (regular price US$999)[6] |
| DreamWorld store, 4K Plus + 6DOF Tracking Set | September 2020 | US$999 sale price (regular price US$1,499)[6] |
| Indiegogo InDemand "Dream Glass 4K Plus Special" perk | November 2020 | US$799 (listed retail value US$999)[5] |
| DreamWorld store, Dream Glass 4K Plus | March 2024 | US$799[8] |
Design and hardware
Like the standard Dream Glass 4K, the 4K Plus has two main parts. A control box holds the battery, the computer and ten interface buttons, and a cable connects it to the glasses. The glasses project the image downward, and a semi-reflective coating on a set of angled lenses reflects it into the user's eyes. This optical see-through arrangement lets the wearer see the outside world through the virtual image. An optional dark shade clips over the front of the lenses to block the outside view and give a virtual reality experience.[1] DreamWorld says the lenses use more than 10 layers of optical coating to reduce blue light and glare.[2]
What separates the Plus from the base model is its memory, storage and expansion. DreamWorld names upgraded RAM, more storage and an extra USB port as the differences.[2] Display Daily lists the 4K Plus with 4 GB of memory, 64 GB of storage and a USB 3.0 port on the headset for sensors such as hand-gesture, RGB or IR cameras.[1] The company pitched this port for attaching recording cameras, hand-tracking cameras such as Leap Motion, or its 6DOF tracking set, an add-on for positional tracking beyond the headset's built-in 3DoF head tracking.[2][7]
Software and features
The headset connects to other devices over HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a hotspot connection. According to Display Daily, it works with Android and iPhone smartphones, Android tablets and iPads, Mac and PC computers, the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox consoles, streaming boxes and DJI drones.[1] DreamWorld sold a Nintendo Switch adapter with a built-in battery as an accessory, and it promoted the see-through view as a way to fly a drone while watching its first-person video feed.[2] Content can be shown in 2D or in stereoscopic 3D from side-by-side or top/bottom sources.[1]
For developers, DreamWorld offered a Unity SDK.[1] In his July 2020 review of the standard Dream Glass 4K, Loz Blain of New Atlas wrote that the headset starts up into DreamWorld's own Android-based interface, with apps such as Netflix and YouTube available through the Aptoide TV and Puffin TV apps. He also noted that its front-facing camera, microphone and 3DoF head tracking allow the glasses to run augmented reality software, but that this depends on developers and only some demo software was available at the time.[9]
Reception
New Atlas reviewed a pre-production unit of the standard Dream Glass 4K, which DreamWorld says shares all of its functions with the 4K Plus.[9][2] Blain found the screen bright and sharp, with rich colors and good contrast. He called the resolution terrific except toward the edges of the image, and he found the picture sensitive to how the headset sat, becoming blurry or distorted if the angle was slightly off. He questioned the "200-inch" screen claim, since matching the image size on his 65-inch television required standing about 1.8 m away. He called the cable and control box "cumbersome enough to be an issue" and the button-controlled interface "simply not yet pleasant to use". His overall verdict was that the headset "still feels more early-adopter than game-changer".[9]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 Arthur Berman (2021-05-05). "The Dream Glass 4K AR Headset has Started to Ship". Display Daily. https://displaydaily.com/the-dream-glass-4k-ar-headset-has-started-to-ship/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Dream Glass 4K/4K Plus (archived copy, 6 May 2021)". Dream Glass. Dreamworld USA Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20210506041413/https://www.dreamworldvision.com/dream-glass-4k-4k-plus. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "DreamGlass 4K - Portable & Private Augmented Reality Glasses Launched". PR Newswire. Dreamworld AR. 2020-07-14. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dreamglass-4k---portable--private-augmented-reality-glasses-launched-301092973.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Dream Glass 4K-Portable & Private AR Entertainment (archived copy, 16 July 2020)". Indiegogo. https://web.archive.org/web/20200716142340/https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dream-glass-4k-portable-private-ar-entertainment. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Dream Glass 4K-World's 1st Portable&Private AR HMD (archived copy, 1 November 2020)". Indiegogo. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101020412/https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dream-glass-4k-world-s-1st-portable-private-ar-hmd?utm_source=kickbooster-direct&utm_medium=kickbooster&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=c39c7130. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Dream Glass 4K/4K Plus (archived copy, 22 September 2020)". Dreamworld AR. Dreamworld USA Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20200922051012/https://www.dreamworldvision.com/dream-glass-4k-4k-plus. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "6DOF Tracking Set (archived copy, 22 September 2020)". Dreamworld AR. Dreamworld USA Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20200922032654/https://www.dreamworldvision.com/product-page/6dof-tracking-set. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Dream Glass 4K/4K Plus (archived copy, 1 March 2024)". Dream Glass online store. Dreamworld USA Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20240301052939/https://www.dreamworldvision.com/products/dream-glass-4k. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Loz Blain (2020-07-26). "Review: Dreamglass 4K straps a big-screen TV to your noggin". New Atlas. https://newatlas.com/wearables/review-dreamglass-4k-ar-glasses/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.