Lenovo Mirage VR S3
| Lenovo Mirage VR S3 | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Standalone VR |
| Platform | ThinkReality |
| Creator | Lenovo |
| Developer | Lenovo, in conjunction with Pico Interactive |
| Manufacturer | Lenovo |
| Announcement Date | June 1, 2020 |
| Release Date | Q3 2020 |
| Price | Under US$450 |
| Versions | 6GB RAM / 64GB storage |
| System | |
| Operating System | Android |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 64GB (expandable via microSD up to 256GB) |
| Memory | 6GB RAM |
| SD Card Slot | Yes (microSD) |
| Display | |
| Display | Dual LCD |
| Resolution | 1,920 x 2,160 pixels per eye (3,840 x 2,160 combined, marketed as 4K) |
| Refresh Rate | 75Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 101 degrees |
| Optics | |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| Passthrough | No |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 3DoF (rotational only) |
| Rotational Tracking | Yes |
| Positional Tracking | No |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Integrated audio |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Ports | USB-C |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Battery Capacity | 4,200 mAh |
| Battery Life | Up to 3 hours |
| Device | |
| Weight | 470g (1.04 lb) |
| Input | 3DoF controller, hands-free head control |
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Lenovo Mirage VR S3 is a standalone virtual reality headset developed by Lenovo in conjunction with Pico Interactive and aimed at enterprise and education customers. It was announced on June 1, 2020, and made available in the third quarter of that year, paired with Lenovo's ThinkReality software platform for managing devices, applications, and content across an organization.[1][2]
The Mirage VR S3 is a three-degrees-of-freedom (3DoF) device, meaning it tracks the rotation of the user's head but not movement through space. It was positioned as a successor to consumer-oriented 3DoF headsets such as the Oculus Go and as a more affordable, lower-powered enterprise companion to the higher-end six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) headsets that Pico shipped under its own brand.[3] It is distinct from Lenovo's earlier consumer standalone headset, the Lenovo Mirage Solo, which was the first standalone headset built on Google's Daydream platform.
History and development
Lenovo announced the Mirage VR S3 on June 1, 2020, during the VR/AR Global Summit Online Conference.[1] The headset was co-developed with Pico Interactive, a technology company specializing in virtual reality and enterprise solutions.[1][3] At the time, Pico was shipping its own higher-end Neo 2 and Neo 2 Eye enterprise headsets, which used a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 6DoF tracking. The Lenovo device used the less powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and 3DoF tracking, occupying a lower-cost tier of the same enterprise market.[3]
Lenovo positioned the Mirage VR S3 for workforce training and development, citing applications such as employee onboarding, safety training, and other immersive learning scenarios.[1] It was also offered as the hardware component of Lenovo's VR Classroom 2 education package, a bundle of hardware, content, device management, training, and support intended for schools.[2] The headset was scheduled to become available in the third quarter of 2020 in North America, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain, with North American pricing starting at under US$450.[1][2][3]
Hardware
The Mirage VR S3 is a self-contained headset that runs on an Android-based operating system and requires no external computer or cabling for operation.[4] It is built around the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip and was offered with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card up to 256GB.[4][3]
The headset uses dual displays with a resolution of 1,920 x 2,160 pixels per eye (3,840 x 2,160 combined), marketed as a 4K display, running at a 75Hz refresh rate.[2][4] The most commonly cited field of view is 101 degrees, the figure carried by Lenovo's retail listings and reported by outlets such as VentureBeat, although some early coverage gave a figure of 110 degrees instead.[3][2][4] The device weighs about 470 grams (1.04 pounds) and is designed to be worn over eyeglasses.[3] Power is supplied by an integrated 4,200 mAh battery charged over USB-C, rated for up to three hours of use.[2][5]
Tracking is limited to three degrees of freedom for both the headset and its bundled controller, so the system registers head and controller rotation but not positional movement.[2][3] The headset can be operated hands-free with head-based control, or with the provided 3DoF controller.[1] It includes integrated audio and Bluetooth connectivity.[4] Reflecting its intended use in shared environments such as classrooms and training facilities, the Mirage VR S3 features a removable, easy-to-clean and hygienic face plate suitable for repeated use by different people.[1][5]
Software
The Mirage VR S3 was sold alongside Lenovo's ThinkReality platform, which Lenovo described as a device- and cloud-agnostic AR and VR platform that lets commercial customers build, deploy, and manage applications and content across a global fleet of devices.[1][4] ThinkReality provides enterprise integration and an IT management portal for administering users, applications, and devices, which Lenovo presented as a key advantage of the Mirage VR S3 over consumer-oriented headsets for organizational deployments.[1]
Reception
Coverage at launch framed the Mirage VR S3 as a pragmatic, lower-cost enterprise device rather than a cutting-edge headset. VentureBeat noted that the device traded the Snapdragon 845 and 6DoF tracking of Pico's own Neo 2 line for a cheaper Snapdragon 835 and 3DoF tracking, while still offering 4K-class displays, a 101-degree field of view, and more than three hours of battery life in a relatively light housing.[3] Road to VR described it as a successor of sorts to 3DoF standalone headsets like the Oculus Go, targeting the enterprise and education segments with the backing of Lenovo's ThinkReality management software.[2] Outlets including 9to5Toys and KitGuru emphasized the headset's enterprise focus, its cleanable face plate for shared use, and its sub-US$450 starting price as the main selling points.[5][4]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Lenovo Mirage VR S3 Standalone Headset with ThinkReality Is Ready to Empower Global Enterprises and Their Workers". June 1, 2020. https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/lenovo-mirage-vr-s3-standalone-headset-with-thinkreality-ready-to-empower-global-enterprises/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Lenovo & Pico's Standalone 'VR S3' Headset for Enterprise to Launch in Q3 2020". June 1, 2020. https://www.roadtovr.com/lenovo-classroom-vr-headset-standalone-launch-date/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Lenovo and Pico announce Mirage VR S3 all-in-one enterprise headset". June 1, 2020. https://venturebeat.com/mobile/lenovo-and-pico-announce-mirage-vr-s3-all-in-one-enterprise-headset/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Lenovo introduces the Mirage VR S3 headset with ThinkReality". June 1, 2020. https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/joao-silva/lenovo-introduces-the-mirage-vr-s3-headset-with-thinkreality/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Lenovo's Mirage VR S3 headset offers 4K screens and 3 DoF". June 1, 2020. https://9to5toys.com/2020/06/01/lenovo-mirage-vr-s3/.