VRgineers XTAL
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| VRgineers XTAL | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | PC VR |
| Platform | PC, SteamVR |
| Creator | VRgineers |
| Developer | VRgineers |
| Manufacturer | VRgineers |
| Announcement Date | 26 June 2018 |
| Release Date | 2018 (first deliveries in September 2018, per VRgineers) |
| Price | US$5,800 or EUR 4,900 (2018 launch price) |
| Website | https://vrgineers.com |
| Versions | Original lenses (170 degree field of view, 2018); revised lenses (180 degree diagonal field of view, from December 2018) |
| Requires | PC with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or better graphics card for a standard setup |
| Predecessor | VRgineers VRHero 5K Plus |
| Successor | VRgineers XTAL 8K |
| System | |
| Operating System | Windows |
| GPU | Host PC dependent |
| Display | |
| Display | 2 x Quad HD high-density OLED |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 per eye (5120 x 1440 combined, "5K") |
| Refresh Rate | 70 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | Up to 170 degrees (2018 launch lenses); 180 degrees diagonal (lenses introduced December 2018) |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Patented custom aspherical non-Fresnel lenses |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | Automatic (AutoEye, eye-tracking based lens alignment) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | External 6DoF: SteamVR Lighthouse, AR Tracking, OptiTrack |
| Eye Tracking | Yes (used for automatic IPD adjustment) |
| Hand Tracking | Yes (embedded Leap Motion sensor, 180 x 180 degree range) |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Built-in sound card with spatial 3D sound |
| Microphone | Built-in, with voice recognition software |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | DisplayPort, USB and power cables to the host PC |
| Device | |
| Dimensions | 299 x 123 x 140 mm |
| Weight | 770 g |
| Material | Artificial leather face cushion |
| Input | Leap Motion hand tracking, voice commands, HTC Vive controllers, AR Tracking controllers |
The VRgineers XTAL is a professional-grade virtual reality head-mounted display developed by VRgineers, a company based in Prague, Czech Republic. VRgineers unveiled it on 26 June 2018 as a headset for professional designers and engineers, with 5K resolution, a 170-degree field of view, patented non-Fresnel lenses, automatic lens alignment through eye tracking (branded AutoEye) and an embedded Leap Motion hand-tracking sensor. It cost US$5,800 and was designed for demanding professional applications in simulation, training, automotive design and aerospace.[1][2][3] The headset is notable for its patented custom non-Fresnel lenses and integrated eye tracking.
The headset uses two 2560 x 1440 OLED displays, one per eye, for a combined resolution of 5120 x 1440, and refreshes at 70 Hz.[4][5] In December 2018 VRgineers replaced its lenses with a new design rated at a 180-degree diagonal field of view, and offered the new lenses free to existing owners on its professional support package.[1] The XTAL was succeeded at CES 2020 by the VRgineers XTAL 8K, which used 4K LCD panels.[6]
History and Development
VRgineers Company
VRgineers designed the XTAL for professional users such as designers, engineers, pilots, doctors and trainers, who need high image quality, a wide field of view and data security.[7][8] Its earlier headsets were the VRgineers VRHero 5K and the VRgineers VRHero 5K Plus. Writing about the earlier VRHero, Road to VR's Ben Lang said he "couldn't ignore the impact that its bulk had on immersion and practicality of use."[9]
Professional Focus
The XTAL was designed from the ground up for enterprise users rather than consumers, with emphasis on visual accuracy and simulation fidelity.[2][10] At its unveiling, CEO Marek Polcak said the company had spent "hundreds of hours talking to our enterprise users across industries" over the previous year. Co-founder Martin Holecko explained that "XTAL is a short way of writing crystal", a reference to the clarity of the image.[2]
Announcement and release
VRgineers announced the XTAL on 26 June 2018 and opened orders the same day. Road to VR reported that it was smaller and lighter than the VRHero and that its US$5,800 price was lower than the US$9,000 of the earlier headset.[9] According to VRgineers, the XTAL went on sale in July 2018, first deliveries followed in September, and the price was US$5,800 or EUR 4,900.[11] Press reports gave other figures: VentureBeat and UploadVR described it as a US$5,500 headset in December 2018, Tom's Hardware listed it at US$6,000 in January 2019, and Road to VR reported in January 2020 that the earlier version had been priced at EUR 6,190.[12][13][5][14] Tom's Hardware wrote in January 2019 that the XTAL had "just started shipping this month".[5]
In August 2018 VRgineers announced three planned upgrades for existing and new owners: software-based inside-out tracking, an eye-tracking upgrade that would open the internal eye cameras to developers for uses such as foveated rendering, and a high-resolution pass-through camera module called RealEye. The company planned them for the end of 2018.[11]
Lens upgrade (December 2018)
In December 2018 VRgineers announced a revised XTAL with new proprietary non-Fresnel lenses, and showed it at the Showstoppers press event at CES 2019 in Las Vegas on 8 January 2019.[15] The company said the lenses gave a 180-degree maximum diagonal field of view, up from 170 degrees, a 50 percent larger "super-focused" picture area, a 20 percent larger eye box and reduced distortion. Polcak said they would deliver "a wider field of view and binocular overlap, a bigger sweet spot, and much less distortion compared to the existing model."[1] New orders shipped with the new lenses, and owners of the earlier version on the professional support package could have them swapped free of charge.[1][12]
AR module prototype (2019)
On 27 May 2019 VRgineers announced a prototype augmented reality vision and tracking module for the XTAL. The company said the module weighed 42 grams, used wide-angle camera sensors and added hand tracking, inside-out tracking and switching between virtual and augmented reality, so that users could see their real hands and physical objects such as cockpit or dashboard prototypes inside a virtual scene. Research partners in aerospace, automotive and simulation were to receive a beta version later in 2019.[16]
Consumer version discussions
In December 2018 UploadVR reported that VRgineers was gathering feedback from VR YouTubers on a lower-cost "Gaming Edition" of the XTAL for PC gamers, and a company representative confirmed it had "started cooperation with selected VR youtubers, enthusiasts and superusers."[13] At CES 2019, co-founder Martin Holecko told Tom's Hardware that the company was open to licensing its technology to another firm for a gaming headset, but would not build one itself: "We don't want to fight with the big guys."[5] In a February 2019 interview with The Ghost Howls, Polcak said competing with established gaming brands would be very hard and that a partner would likely be needed.[10]
Successor
At CES 2020 VRgineers introduced the next XTAL generation, later known as the VRgineers XTAL 8K. UploadVR summarized the original model as having "dual 1440p OLED panels, 70Hz refresh rate, custom lenses with 180° field of view" for US$5,800, while the new model moved to 4K LCD panels.[6] VRgineers' own press release said it had introduced "the original XTAL headset two years ago".[7] In April 2020 VRgineers released a new XTAL driver for both the XTAL 5K and the XTAL 8K, with reworked lens warping, static foveated rendering (in the XTAL Unity plugin and C++ SDK) and a new settings interface.[17]
A 2023 VRgineers retrospective calls the XTAL its second-generation headset, dates its launch to 2019 and says it used "2x Quad HD fast-switching LCDs, connected via one USB and one display port". These details differ from the company's 2018-2020 product page and from contemporary press, which described OLED displays and a 2018 launch.[18][4][19]
Design and Hardware
Display System
VRgineers' product page listed two Quad HD high-density OLED displays and promised "true colors":[4]
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 per eye
- Total: 5K combined resolution (5120 x 1440)
- Refresh rate: 70 Hz[5]
Field of View
The XTAL launched with a field of view of up to 170 degrees.[4] The lenses introduced in December 2018 raised this to 180 degrees diagonal, and a May 2020 archived copy of VRgineers' product page listed a field of view of "Up to 180°".[1][19] At the time, UploadVR noted that the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR offered around 100 degrees.[3] In his hands-on, The Ghost Howls author found the horizontal field of view strong but the vertical one less impressive.[20]
Optical System
The XTAL utilizes patented custom-made aspherical non-Fresnel lenses rather than the Fresnel lenses of most consumer headsets.[3][4] VRgineers said it developed them through VR Optics Inc., a joint venture with an Israeli consortium that develops and manufactures VR and AR optics, using thick-lens injection molding, and that the lenses were exclusive to VRgineers.[1] VentureBeat noted that VR lenses tend to show distortions such as blurring and god rays, and reported that the December 2018 lenses cut distortion.[12]
Form Factor
- Weight: 770 grams, which Road to VR reported as a 12 percent weight reduction over its predecessor; citing VRgineers, Road to VR compared this with 550 grams for the HTC Vive Pro.[9]
- Dimensions: 299 x 123 x 140 mm (height x width x depth).[5]
- Materials: Artificial leather face cushion and a redesigned head strap.[4]
- Glasses: VRgineers said the headset was designed to work with glasses.[4]
- Design: The XTAL was designed with Stedina Design Studio of Prague and won a Red Dot Award: Product Design in 2020.[8][21]
Connections and audio
The headset connects to the PC with DisplayPort, USB and power cables.[10] It has a built-in sound card for spatial 3D sound and a built-in microphone used with voice recognition software for voice commands in VR.[4] UploadVR described the cable as "extremely bulky".[3]
Eye Tracking
The XTAL includes a proprietary eye tracking system.[11]
Features
- Automatic IPD: AutoEye detects the user's eyes and moves the lenses to match the interpupillary distance, which VRgineers said simplified switching between users.[2]
- Use at launch: At CES 2019 Tom's Hardware reported that the eye tracking was used only for setting the IPD, unlike the in-application eye tracking of the HTC Vive Pro Eye.[5]
- Planned upgrade: VRgineers planned to open the internal eye cameras to developers, giving access to raw camera images and detected retina centers for uses such as foveated rendering, marketing research, medical diagnostics and locking the headset to one user.[11]
- Foveated rendering: The April 2020 driver added static foveated rendering, in which the size and quality of the foveated area can be adjusted at runtime.[17]
Hand Tracking
The XTAL has an embedded Leap Motion sensor for hand tracking over a 180 x 180 degree range, which lets users interact with a VR scene with their bare hands.[2] VRgineers described it as the first headset on the market with an embedded Leap Motion sensor.[1]
Tracking
The XTAL relies on external tracking systems. VRgineers listed AR Tracking, OptiTrack and SteamVR Lighthouse 2.0 among the supported systems, and planned to combine them with inside-out tracking and the headset's internal gyroscope and accelerometer data.[11] The demo units used by UploadVR and The Ghost Howls were tracked with an attached Vive Tracker.[3][20] Supported controllers included HTC Vive controllers and AR Tracking controllers.[4]
Software Compatibility
Platforms
- SteamVR[5]
- Unity and Unreal Engine SDKs[5]
- XTAL C++ libraries for integration into proprietary render engines[5]
- Headset configuration utility[5]
Tom's Hardware reported that VRgineers recommended a PC with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or better graphics card for a standard setup.[5]
Professional Software
- Autodesk VRED, with a plug-and-play integration that VRgineers promoted on its product page[4]
- VRgineers said it worked with Autodesk, Dassault Systemes and ESI on integrating XTAL into their software, and that the headset was optimized for NVIDIA Quadro professional GPUs[2]
Professional Applications
Pilot Training
UploadVR reported in January 2020 that "the original XTAL is already being used by the USAF for pilot training".[6] At CES 2019 VRgineers showed Tom's Hardware an animation of a helicopter piloting simulation.[5]
Automotive Design
In January 2020 VRgineers said the XTAL was in use with "leading global automobile manufacturers".[7] VRgineers named Skoda Auto, part of the Volkswagen Group, as a customer at launch, and quoted Leos Cerveny, its virtual reality and digital factory coordinator, as saying that "the VRgineers headset is the only choice on the market achieving such quality standards".[2] In August 2018 the company said Audi, BMW and VW used its headsets.[11]
Defense
VRgineers said in January 2020 that the XTAL was already in use with the U.S. Department of Defense and major national aircraft simulators.[7]
Reception
Hands-on reports praised the image quality. In a hands-on published in August 2018, UploadVR's David Jagneaux called a high-quality car model in the headset "extremely impressive", but said the XTAL felt heavier than other headsets and "looks downright silly".[3] Tom's Hardware, which tried it at CES 2019, wrote that it "has so much of what we hope for in consumer VR" and found the hand tracking fast, though it could not follow a Vulcan salute; it also noted that the 70 Hz refresh rate was below the 90 Hz of the Rift and Vive.[5] The Ghost Howls, which tested it at VRgineers' offices in Prague, found the screen door effect minimal and the resolution very high, but reported distortion in the outer parts of the image and neck strain from the weight, calling it "an interesting experimental headset".[20]
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display Type | 2 x Quad HD OLED[4] |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 per eye (5120 x 1440 total)[4] |
| Refresh rate | 70 Hz[5] |
| Field of View | Up to 170 degrees (launch); 180 degrees diagonal (from December 2018)[1] |
| Lenses | Custom non-Fresnel (patented)[4] |
| Eye Tracking | Yes (AutoEye automatic IPD)[2] |
| IPD Adjustment | Automatic (eye tracking)[2] |
| Hand Tracking | Embedded Leap Motion sensor[2] |
| Tracking | External 6DoF (SteamVR Lighthouse, AR Tracking, OptiTrack)[11] |
| Audio | Built-in sound card; built-in microphone[4] |
| Connections | DisplayPort, USB, power[10] |
| Dimensions | 299 x 123 x 140 mm[5] |
| Weight | 770 g[9] |
| Launch price | US$5,800 / EUR 4,900[11] |
| Target Market | Enterprise/Professional |
Product Line
VRgineers has expanded the XTAL line:
- VRgineers VRHero 5K (earlier model)
- VRgineers VRHero 5K Plus (predecessor)
- VRgineers XTAL 8K
- VRgineers XTAL 3
- VRgineers XTAL 3 Mixed Reality
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "We Just Made VR Even More Real with Brand New XTAL Lenses". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. 2018-12-12. https://vrgineers.com/2018/12/12/we-just-made-vr-even-more-real-with-brand-new-xtal-lenses/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 "VRgineers Unveils XTAL, a New Smart Headset for Professionals Packed with Novel Technology". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. 2018-06-26. https://vrgineers.com/2018/06/26/vrgineers-unveils-xtal-a-new-smart-headset-for-professionals-packed-with-novel-technology/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 David Jagneaux (2018-08-15). "Hands-On: VRGineers XTAL Is A 5K, 170-Degree FOV Headset With Hand-Tracking". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/hands-on-vrgineers-xtal-is-a-5k-170-degree-fov-headset-with-hand-tracking/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 "VRgineers XTAL, high-resolution VR headset for professionals (archived 30 November 2018)". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20181130132347/https://vrgineers.com/xtal/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 Scharon Harding (2019-01-09). "$6,000 XTAL Headset Has What VR Needs: Hands-On". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/xtal-vr-headset-price-specs-consumer-hands-on,38404.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 David Heaney (2020-01-08). "CES 2020: XTAL Enterprise Headset Updated With Dual 4K Panels, Foveated Rendering, $8K Price, And More". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/ces-2020-xtal-8k-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "VRgineers unveils the next generation of the XTAL professional VR headset with the industry's best resolution". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. 2020-01-07. https://vrgineers.com/press-release/vrgineers-unveils-the-next-generation-of-the-xtal-professional-vr-headset-with-the-industrys-best-resolution/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Xtal". Red Dot. Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG. 2020. https://www.red-dot.org/project/xtal-44894. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Ben Lang (2018-06-26). "VRgineers Reveals Improved 'XTAL' Professional VR Headset with Auto IPD Adjustment & Leap Motion". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrgineers-reveals-xtal-professionla-headset-price-release-date-weight/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Skarredghost (2019-02-07). "Interview with VRgineers: we want to push XR forward, but we're not manufacturing a consumer XTAL". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2019/02/07/interview-vrgineers-vr-ar-consumer-xtal/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 "VRgineers XTAL's Planned Upgrades: Inside-out Tracking, Eye-tracking, and XR Cameras (archived 18 August 2018)". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20180818200612/https://vrgineers.com/vrgineers-xtals-planned-upgrades-inside-out-tracking-eye-tracking-and-xr-cameras/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Jeremy Horwitz (2018-12-11). "VRgineers brings sharper, wider lenses to $5,500 VR headset XTAL". VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/business/vrgineers-brings-sharper-wider-lenses-to-5500-vr-headset-xtal. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 David Heaney (2018-12-18). "VRgineers Exploring An Affordable Consumer Version Of High End 'XTAL' Headset". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/vrgineers-xtal-gaming-edition-reports/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Ben Lang (2020-01-06). "VRgineers to Debut Upgraded "8K" XTAL Ultrawide VR Headset at CES 2020". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/vrgineers-debut-8k-xtal-vr-headset-ces-2020/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Scott Hayden (2018-12-11). "VRgineers Reveals Improved 'XTAL' Professional Headset with Wider FOV". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/vrgineers-reveals-improved-xtal-professional-headset-wider-fov/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "VRgineers Reveals Augmented Reality Module Prototype That Makes XTAL the First Enterprise Mixed Reality Headset Capable of Total Immersion (archived 23 July 2019)". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. 2019-05-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20190723063825/https://vrgineers.com/vrgineers-reveals-augmented-reality-module-prototype-that-makes-xtal-the-first-enterprise-mixed-reality-headset-capable-of-total-immersion/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "VRgineers introducing XTAL 5K & 8K software upgrades". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. 2020-04-20. https://vrgineers.com/2020/04/20/vrgineers-introducing-xtal-5k-8k-software-upgrades/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "From VR Hero to XTAL 3 Mixed Reality: The Evolution of Vrgineers' Headsets". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. 2023-08-31. https://vrgineers.com/2023/08/31/from-vr-hero-to-xtal-3-mixed-reality-the-evolution-of-vrgineers-headsets/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "VRgineers XTAL, high-resolution VR headset for professionals (archived 13 May 2020)". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20200513222901/https://vrgineers.com/xtal/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Skarredghost (2019-02-06). "XTAL hands on: an interesting glimpse to Virtual Reality 2.0". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2019/02/06/hands-on-xtal-vrgineers-vr/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "XTAL headset from VRgineers wins Red Dot for outstanding design quality". VRgineers. VRgineers, Inc.. 2020-03-30. https://vrgineers.com/2020/03/30/xtal-headset-from-vrgineers-wins-red-dot-for-outstanding-design-quality/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.