Nolo Sonic
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| Nolo Sonic | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Standalone VR |
| Developer | NOLO |
| Manufacturer | NOLO (Beijing Lingyu Intelligent Control Technology Co., Ltd) |
| Announcement Date | 24 May 2021 |
| Release Date | 2021 (pre-sale in China from 24 May 2021; on sale from 1 June 2021) |
| Price | CN¥1,999 (launch price, China); $470 (AliExpress listing, June 2021) |
| Website | https://www.nolovr.com/Hardware/Info/371 |
| Successor | Nolo Sonic 2 |
| System | |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 64 GB; microSD (TF) card slot |
| Memory | 6 GB |
| Display | |
| Display | LCD, single 4K panel made by BOE |
| Resolution | 1920x2160 per-eye |
| Refresh Rate | 72 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 101° horizontal, 90° vertical |
| Horizontal FoV | 101° |
| Vertical FoV | 90° |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Fresnel lenses |
| Passthrough | Yes ("See Through", activated by double-tapping the headset) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 6DoF inside-out; two front cameras for the headset, ultrasonic tracking for the controllers |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Two built-in speakers; 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Connectivity | |
| Ports | USB Type-C, 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD (TF) card slot |
| Battery Capacity | 4500 mAh (9000 mAh with optional battery head strap) |
| Battery Life | About 2.5 hours; about 5 hours with the optional battery head strap |
| Device | |
| Weight | 500 g (headset body, per a Sina Zhongce review) |
| Sensors | Infrared proximity sensor for wear detection |
| Input | Two NOLO M1 6DoF controllers |
Nolo Sonic is a virtual reality head-mounted display released in 2021. It is a standalone headset made by the Beijing company NOLO (Beijing Lingyu Intelligent Control Technology Co., Ltd), and it was the company's first all-in-one headset with inside-out six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) tracking.[1][2] The headset runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and has a 4K LCD panel from BOE with a total resolution of 3840x2160 and a 72 Hz refresh rate.[3][4]
NOLO announced the Sonic at a launch event in Beijing on 24 May 2021 and priced it at 1,999 yuan in China. Pre-sales opened the same day on JD.com and Tmall, and the headset went on sale on 1 June 2021.[3][1] The headset tracks its own position with cameras, while its two NOLO M1 controllers are tracked with ultrasound.[5][6] NOLO also sold it as a way to play PC VR games: its NOLO HOME software streams SteamVR content to the headset over a cable or wirelessly.[4] The Nolo Sonic 2, which NOLO first showed at CES 2023, is the upgraded second-generation model.[7]
History
Background
NOLO was founded in 2015 by Zhang Daoning, who was 25 at the time.[7][8] The company started out making tracking add-ons for mobile VR rather than complete headsets. At CES 2017, Road to VR reported on its planned US$99 kit that added positional tracking and motion controllers to mobile VR headsets. The kit combined optical, acoustic and radio signals, a hybrid method that the developer called PolarTraq.[9] Writing about the Sonic launch, the blog The Ghost Howls said that NOLO had begun making standalone headsets of its own as 3DoF mobile VR declined.[6]
At the Sonic launch, NOLO said it had completed a US$20 million Series B funding round. CEO Zhang Daoning said that more than 100,000 people were using the company's mobile 6DoF products.[1] Earlier NOLO hardware reviewed at the event included the NOLO X1 standalone headset and the NOLO CV1 Air and NOLO CV1 Pro.[1]
Launch
The launch event took place in Beijing on 24 May 2021.[3] NOLO set the consumer version's debut price at 1,999 yuan. Zhang said the figure was a nod to the 1,999-yuan launch price of Xiaomi's first smartphone.[3] Pre-orders came with six built-in 6DoF games, which ZOL said were worth 155 yuan, including a rhythm boxing game and X-燃脂原动力.[3][1] NOLO also said it would release an enterprise version of the Sonic in July 2021, and it offered a cross-brand trade-in subsidy of up to 400 yuan.[1] ZOL described the Sonic as the world's first 6DoF inside-out standalone headset priced under 2,000 yuan.[3]
Outside China, The Ghost Howls reported in June 2021 that the headset was already on sale through AliExpress for $470.[6]
Successor
NOLO announced the Nolo Sonic 2 at CES 2023 in January 2023 and said it would be available in February 2023. NOLO's press release listed LCD screens with a resolution of 3664x1920, a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, a 92-degree field of view, and gesture tracking.[8] An August 2023 interview with Zhang in VRAR星球 described the Sonic 2 as an upgraded version of the first-generation Sonic.[7] NOLO's website still lists the original Sonic alongside the Sonic 2.[4]
Hardware
Display and optics
The Sonic uses a single 4K LCD panel made by BOE with a resolution of 3840x2160 (1920x2160 per eye), a pixel density of 807 PPI and a refresh rate of 72 Hz.[3][1][4] The retail box lists a 101° field of view.[2] The lenses are Fresnel lenses.[2] A 2022 review on Sina Zhongce described the panel as 5.5 inches and said the headset has no adjustment for interpupillary distance.[10]
Processor, memory and battery
The headset uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.[3] The Sina Zhongce review lists 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, expandable with a microSD card of up to 256 GB.[10] The built-in battery holds 4500 mAh and lasts about 2.5 hours. An optional head strap adds another 4500 mAh battery, for 9000 mAh in total, and extends use to about five hours. The strap connects through a separate port, so the USB Type-C port stays free for wired streaming while it is attached.[1][3][2]
Tracking
The Sonic has inside-out 6DoF tracking for both the head and the hands. Qingting described the setup as dual-camera optical tracking for the headset and ultrasonic tracking for the controllers.[5] The Ghost Howls noted that the headset has only two tracking cameras, but that the ultrasound beacons in the controllers should give good tracking coverage.[6] NOLO's product page brands the positioning technology as SodarTraq and describes it as millimeter-level, 360-degree tracking.[4] In its unboxing review, 52audio counted four positioning sensors on the front of the headset and one on each side, and six positioning sensors on each controller's tracking ring.[2]
NOLO says users can define a play area of up to 10 by 10 meters.[4][3] The headset shows the real surroundings automatically when the user leaves the play area.[4][1] Its "See Through" feature shows the outside view when the user double-taps the side of the headset, without taking it off.[3][4]
Controllers
The NOLO M1 controllers each contain a wideband linear vibration motor with a frequency response of 0-1000 Hz and a response latency below 10 ms.[3][2] NOLO presented the M1 as the first VR controller to use a wideband vibration motor. At the launch, Zhang said the technology had been developed by a team that had previously worked on Apple's iPhone and Apple Watch product lines.[3] In a 2023 interview, he repeated that the Sonic was the first product to use a wideband vibration motor for controller haptic feedback.[7]
The controllers have triggers, joysticks, menu and Home buttons, A/B/X/Y function buttons and grip buttons. Each controller runs on one AA battery.[2]
The controllers can also measure heart rate. In NOLO's fitness app NOLO MOVE, the user holds a controller against the chest for a few seconds to take a reading. The app also estimates calories burned.[3][2] Zhang contrasted the function with the photoelectric heart-rate sensing used by devices such as the Apple Watch and said NOLO's version was achieved through innovation in its algorithms.[1][3]
Design
The headset has a white body. The power switch, the back, confirm and Home buttons, and the USB Type-C charging port are on top, and the volume buttons, 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD (TF) card slot and a microphone opening are underneath. Two speakers sit on the sides, and an infrared proximity sensor inside the face mask wakes the headset when it is put on and puts it to sleep when it is not worn.[2] The face mask is removable, and two are included in the box, along with the M1 controllers, wrist straps, a power adapter and a data cable. 52audio listed the model number as NS-01.[2]
Specifications
| Specification | Nolo Sonic |
|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845[3] |
| Memory and storage | 6 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, microSD up to 256 GB[10] |
| Display | BOE 4K LCD, 3840x2160 total, 807 PPI[3] |
| Resolution | 1920x2160 per-eye |
| Refresh Rate | 72 Hz[3] |
| Field of View | 101°[2][6] |
| Lenses | Fresnel[2] |
| Tracking | 6DoF inside-out; optical for the headset, ultrasonic for the controllers[5] |
| Play area | Up to 10 x 10 m[4] |
| Controllers | NOLO M1 with wideband vibration motor (0-1000 Hz, under 10 ms latency), one AA battery each[2] |
| Battery | 4500 mAh, about 2.5 hours; 9000 mAh with optional battery head strap[1] |
| Ports | USB Type-C, 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD (TF) slot[2] |
| Weight | 500 g (headset body)[10] |
| Price | $470 (AliExpress, June 2021)[6]; 1,999 yuan launch price in China[3] |
Software and content
NOLO HOME, the company's PC streaming software, is built into the Sonic at system level and supports wired and wireless SteamVR streaming. NOLO says this gives access to more than 6,000 SteamVR titles, and its product page names Half-Life: Alyx, Beat Saber and Blade & Sorcery as examples.[4][3] At launch, ZOL reported that NOLO HOME had over 100,000 users worldwide and had been adapted to more than 30 VR and AR headsets.[3]
For standalone use, NOLO says its app store for the Sonic holds more than 100 built-in VR games, including shooting, puzzle, casual, action, adventure and fitness titles.[4] At the launch, NOLO said it was opening the store to third-party apps, planned to add 30 new games in June 2021, and expected about 150 games by the end of that year.[1] It also introduced a VR video player supporting 12 video formats, external subtitles and 4K and 8K video; a VR browser with WebVR and voice input; and a phone assistant app for iOS and Android that transfers photos and videos to the headset and handles app purchases.[1] 52audio's review found the iQIYI VR video service and apps such as Mango TV and Migu Video on the headset, and noted wireless screen casting to a TV or computer.[2]
Reception
In its launch coverage, Qingting (青亭网) wrote that the 1,999-yuan price was well below other headsets with the same dual-6DoF design, such as the ultrasonic-controller iQIYI Qiyu 2 Pro at 3,399 yuan. In its hands-on at the event, the controllers' wideband motors did not feel clearly different from Quest controllers, and it said the headset was aimed mainly at PC streaming users because it had few launch games.[5] It called the Sonic a product that pushed prices down, but judged that its experience and content did not yet reach the level of the Pico Neo 3.[5]
The Ghost Howls wrote that the Sonic "seems a good device", citing its 4K resolution, 101° field of view and 72 Hz refresh rate, and said it looked like a refreshed HTC Vive Focus Plus. It added that the headset did not seem to be on par with the Oculus Quest 2, "but as a first device by Nolo, it is not that bad."[6]
52audio's December 2021 review praised the sharpness of the 4K display and the fine vibration feedback of the M1 controllers, and found the adjustable head strap and soft face mask relatively comfortable.[2] The Sina Zhongce reviewer reported roughly one-to-one motion tracking and simple PC streaming. The same reviewer noted that controllers could lose tracking when held too close to the headset or pointed at a white wall, a limitation the reviewer attributed to standalone headset controllers on the market in general, and found the 500 g headset front-heavy in intense games without the optional rear battery strap. Other complaints were stiff physical buttons, no support for NAS network storage, and a face mask that did not absorb sweat.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Sun Yue (孙悦) (2021-05-25). "仅1999元！NOLO Sonic推VR一体机，手柄能检测心率" (in Chinese). Zhidx (智东西). https://zhidx.com/p/272896.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 Wen5 (2021-12-17). "NOLO Sonic VR一体机评测：超高性价比6DoF VR一体机，沉浸式游戏影音体验" (in Chinese). 52audio (我爱音频网). https://www.52audio.com/archives/98894.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 "NOLO Sonic VR一体机震撼发布：搭载高通骁龙845芯片" (in Chinese). China.com. ZOL (Zhongguancun Online). 2021-05-26. https://m.tech.china.com/digi/digi/20210526/20210526786127.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 "NOLO Sonic" (in Chinese). NOLO. Beijing Lingyu Intelligent Control Technology Co., Ltd. https://www.nolovr.com/Hardware/Info/371. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "NOLO Sonic VR一体机发布，骁龙845平台，售价1999元" (in Chinese). HOS学院 (reposted from 青亭网). 2021-05-25. https://www.hossky.com/article/4465.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Skarredghost (2021-06-07). "The XR Week Peek (2021.06.07): Facebook working on Quest 2 Pro, Nolo and Arpara announce new VR headsets, and more!". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2021/06/07/quest-2-pro-nolo-sonic-arpara/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Vivi (2023-08-29). "对话 NOLO CEO 张道宁：坚持自主研发，创新要"敢为天下先"" (in Chinese). VRAR星球. https://www.vrarworld.cn/renwuzhuanfang/2537.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "NOLO Unveils Two Game-changing VR Headset Models- HMD That Wears Like Glasses, 6DoF VR Headset With Hand and Finger Tracking". Yahoo Finance. ACCESSWIRE. 2023-01-06. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nolo-unveils-two-game-changing-190000782.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Paul James (2017-01-02). "NOLO VR Promises $99 Positional Tracking and SteamVR Gaming on Any Mobile VR Headset". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/nolo-mobile-vr-positional-tracking-system-compatible-steamvr-ces-2017/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 小雨的科技生活 (2022-06-19). "千元VR搅局者？NOLO Sonic轻体验" (in Chinese). Sina Zhongce (新浪众测). https://zhongce.sina.com.cn/iframe/article/view/136412/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.