Xiaomi Mi VR
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| Xiaomi Mi VR | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Standalone VR |
| Developer | Xiaomi, Oculus VR |
| Manufacturer | Xiaomi |
| Announcement Date | 8 January 2018 (CES 2018) |
| Release Date | 31 May 2018 (launch); on sale 1 June 2018 (China only) |
| Price | ¥1,499 (32 GB), ¥1,799 (64 GB) (launch prices, China); no longer sold by March 2024 |
| Versions | 32 GB, 64 GB; Super Player Edition (December 2018) |
| System | |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 |
| GPU | Adreno 530 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 32 GB or 64 GB |
| Display | |
| Display | Single LCD binocular |
| Resolution | 1280x1440 per-eye |
| Refresh Rate | 60 / 72 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | Not specified in cited specifications |
| Horizontal FoV | Not specified in cited specifications |
| Vertical FoV | Not specified in cited specifications |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Fresnel lenses |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | 63.5 mm fixed[1] |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 3DoF |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Built-in near-field spatial audio speakers; 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Connectivity | |
| Battery Capacity | 2600 mAh |
| Device | |
| Weight | 425 g (excluding strap) |
| Input | 3DoF wireless controller |
Xiaomi Mi VR is a virtual reality head-mounted display released in 2018. Sold as the Mi VR Standalone (Chinese: 小米VR一体机), it is the China-only version of the Oculus Go, developed by Xiaomi together with Facebook's Oculus VR. Oculus described it as "a VR headset based on Oculus technology exclusively for the Chinese market" that shares the same core hardware features and design as Oculus Go.[2] Xiaomi was also the hardware partner that manufactured the Oculus Go for the global market.[2][3]
The headset is a standalone device that needs no phone or PC. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, has a 2560 x 1440 fast-switch LCD and a 3DoF controller, and uses Xiaomi's own Mi VR store instead of the Oculus Store.[4] Xiaomi launched it on 31 May 2018 at ¥1,499 for the 32 GB model and ¥1,799 for the 64 GB model.[5] A March 2024 report documented an end to sales and problems with the companion app; its account of service availability is discussed below.[6]
Announcement and release
Background
Before the standalone headset, Xiaomi sold phone-based VR headsets, including the Mi VR Play, the Mi VR Play 2 and the Mi VR headset (小米VR眼镜).[5] In January 2018 Xiaomi said it had sold 1.2 million of its older VR headsets and that users spent an average of 29 minutes per day in them. Those headsets used Xiaomi's own Mi VR SDK, which supported Unity and Unreal Engine, and could not run apps built with the Oculus Mobile SDK.[7]
Announcement at CES 2018
Oculus and Xiaomi announced their partnership at CES on 8 January 2018. Xiaomi became the hardware partner for the global rollout of Oculus Go, and the two companies unveiled the Mi VR Standalone for China at the same time. Both headsets use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 Mobile VR Platform, and Oculus said it had worked closely with Qualcomm on performance for the standalone category.[2] Xiaomi's version has a white housing, which Road to VR noted as the visible difference from Oculus Go.[3]
At the announcement, Tang Mu, vice president of the Mi Ecosystem, emphasized performance and price. Hugo Barra, then vice president of VR at Facebook, described standalone headsets as the next phase of Oculus hardware development.[3]
Launch and pricing
Xiaomi presented the Mi VR Standalone at its launch event in Shenzhen on 31 May 2018, alongside other products such as the Mi Band 3.[8][4] Sales began at midnight on 1 June 2018 through Xiaomi's online store (Mi Mall), Xiaomi Youpin, Tmall and JD.com, and in 22 Mi Home retail stores on the same day. Each purchase included games worth ¥169.[5]
| Version | Storage | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 32 GB | ¥1,499 | From 1 June 2018[5] |
| Standard | 64 GB | ¥1,799 | From 1 June 2018[5] |
| Super Player Edition | 32 GB | ¥1,799 | Listed on Xiaomi Youpin in December 2018[9] |
| Super Player Edition | 64 GB | ¥1,999 | Reported price; not yet listed as of 23 December 2018[9] |
Road to VR converted the launch prices to about US$235 and US$280. It suggested that the gap with the US prices of the Oculus Go (US$200 and US$250) was likely due to China's 17 percent value-added tax.[4] Tang Mu said the Super Player Edition came about after the team spent dozens of days and nights negotiating with content companies worldwide.[9] Xiaomi advertised that edition as including 21 games valued at ¥700.[10]
Sales
In June 2018, Road to VR reported that the headset sold out on Xiaomi's official store in three minutes, and that the 32 GB version sold out on JD.com within the first few hours. XR research firm Greenlight Insights estimated first-day sales at 30,000 units. More than 50,000 users signed up for restock notifications: 33,300 for the 32 GB version and 24,000 for the 64 GB version.[11] In 2022 the Chinese tech outlet Zhidx reported, citing industry sources, that total shipments were about 250,000 units, far below Xiaomi's expectation of sales in the millions.[12]
Design and hardware
The Mi VR Standalone uses the same hardware platform as Oculus Go.[2] It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with an Adreno 530 GPU. Xiaomi said the chip could automatically overclock for VR use, and that an aluminum alloy front cover and a U-shaped heat pipe handled cooling. It also cited an ATW algorithm for smoothing over dropped frames.[5]
The display is a single fast-switch LCD with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and a pixel density of 538 PPI.[4] Xiaomi said the panel supports a refresh rate of up to 72 Hz to reduce smearing and latency.[5][9] Xiaomi describes the optics as an Oculus-tuned diffractive optical system with custom-shaped Fresnel lenses, meant to reduce glare.[5] Xiaomi specifies a fixed lens spacing of 63.5 mm.[1] For comparison, Oculus gave 61.5-65.5 mm as the best-fit interpupillary distance range for Oculus Go, while warning that comfort varies with anatomy. Its separate description of Go's field of view as slightly larger than the original Oculus Rift was also specific to Go, rather than a numerical measurement of Mi VR.[13]
Xiaomi specifies a headset weight of 425 g excluding the strap.[1] Xiaomi fitted a removable, washable face cushion shaped for Asian faces, a strap made of breathable fabric, and a large eye frame for glasses wearers, with a separate accessory for people who wear glasses.[5] Built-in near-field speakers send sound to the ears through ducts on both sides of the headset, so headphones are not needed for spatial audio.[5] There is also a 3.5 mm headphone jack.[14][8]
The battery capacity is 2600 mAh. Like Oculus Go, the headset tracks only rotation (3DoF), for both the head and the single wireless controller.[1][4] Xiaomi describes neck displacement simulation for the headset.[1]
Specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, Adreno 530 GPU[5] |
| Display | Single LCD binocular (fast-switch LCD, 2560 x 1440, 538 PPI)[4] |
| Resolution | 1280x1440 per-eye (2560 x 1440 panel)[4] |
| Refresh Rate | 60 / 72 Hz[1] |
| Optics | Diffractive optical system with custom-shaped Fresnel lenses (manufacturer description)[5] |
| Field of View | Not specified in Xiaomi's technical specifications[1] |
| IPD Range | 63.5 mm fixed[1] |
| Storage | 32 GB or 64 GB[5] |
| Battery | 2600 mAh[1] |
| Weight | 425 g excluding strap[1] |
| Tracking and input | 3DoF headset tracking; 3DoF wireless controller[1][5] |
| Memory | 3 GB[1] |
| Wireless networking | Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, 2 x 2[1] |
| Controller | 40 g excluding battery; inertial sensor, Home and Back buttons, touchpad and trigger[1] |
| Audio | Built-in spatial audio speakers; 3.5 mm headphone jack[14] |
| Price | ¥1,499 (32 GB), ¥1,799 (64 GB) at launch in China; no longer sold by March 2024[5][6] |
Software and content
The headset launched with Xiaomi's own VR platform and store rather than Oculus's.[11] At launch it supported the Oculus Mobile SDK, so apps made for Samsung Gear VR or Oculus Go could be adapted for the Mi VR store. It did not support the Oculus Avatar SDK or Platform SDK. According to Xiaomi's developer FAQ, the standard revenue share on the Mi VR store was 70 percent to developers, and Xiaomi aimed to pay 100 percent throughout 2018 for fully localized titles, offering help with voice actors and translators.[7] Oculus said Xiaomi worked directly with Oculus developers to localize popular Oculus Store titles for the Mi VR Store.[2]
At launch Xiaomi advertised more than 1,000 Oculus games and 360-degree videos.[14] Launch content partners included iQIYI VR, Youku VR, Jaunt China, Within, Felix & Paul Studios and Asmik Ace.[4] Asmik Ace supplied a 360-degree Ultraman special-effects production. Games came from more than ten categories, including shooting, adventure and character-raising games.[5]
Xiaomi also advertised a built-in VR web browser.[15]
For video, the headset included the SKYBOX local player, which could play files stored on the device and read content from Xiaomi routers, NAS devices and other hardware over DLNA and Samba. A Mi VR multiplayer cinema let friends watch films together with voice chat and on-screen bullet comments. The Mi VR phone app handled device management, remote downloads and purchases through Alipay.[5]
Later history
Reported team layoff
In August 2019 the VR blog The Ghost Howls reported, citing an unnamed source and labeling the report a rumor, that Xiaomi had laid off the Mi VR Standalone team of about a dozen employees because of "disappointing sales and usage".[16] In a statement added to VentureBeat's report on 6 August 2019, Xiaomi denied reports that it had closed VR projects because of poor sales and usage, and said Mi VR Standalone production and sales continued normally. The statement did not settle whether a team change had occurred for another reason. Facebook separately said it was still producing and selling Oculus Go.[17]
End of sales
Zhidx reported that Xiaomi took the headset off sale on 3 July 2020, and that Xiaomi released no further VR hardware in the following years.[12] The same report said that in 2022 ByteDance acquired Beijing Bolizi Technology (北京波粒子科技), a company founded by Ma Jiesi, the former main lead of Xiaomi's VR project, bringing him and about 50 employees into the PICO VR social team. Xiaomi's former design director Nan Dier also joined ByteDance in July 2022.[12]
Service status
In March 2024 the Chinese outlet New Yellow River reported that owners had complained since 2022 that the Mi VR app, without which owners said the headset could not be used, had stopped receiving maintenance and had been removed from app stores. On 7 March 2024 the app could not be found in the Apple or Xiaomi app stores. Some owners who complained were offered Mi Mall vouchers of ¥30 or ¥100 as compensation. On 10 March 2024 a Xiaomi technical staff member said the headset was no longer sold in stores or online, but that he did not know whether production had ended. He denied that service had stopped and supplied download links for the app: the Android link was flagged by a Xiaomi phone as an unlisted app that had not passed Xiaomi's security review, and the iOS version could only be installed as a beta through TestFlight.[6]
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 1.13 "小米VR一体机参数". 小米商城. Xiaomi. https://www.mi.com/mivr-1o/specs. Retrieved 2026-10-16.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 The Oculus Team (2018-01-08). "Oculus Go Update: Announcing Our Partnership with Xiaomi and Qualcomm at CES". Meta Quest Blog. Meta. https://www.meta.com/blog/oculus-go-update-announcing-our-partnership-with-xiaomi-and-qualcomm-at-ces/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Scott Hayden (2018-01-08). "CES 2018: Xiaomi to Bring Oculus Go to China Under Its Own Brand". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/ces-2018-xiaomi-brings-oculus-go-china-under-own-brand/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Scott Hayden (2018-05-31). "Oculus Go Launches in China Under Xiaomi Branding". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/oculus-go-launches-china-xiaomi-branding/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 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 5.16 拉风的极客geek (2018-05-31). "小米联合 Oculus 推出小米 VR 一体机 售价 1499 元". GeekPark. https://www.geekpark.net/news/229758. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "1799元小米VR一体机变"板砖"？官方补偿100元代金券用户难接受". Sina News. Sina (report by New Yellow River). 2024-03-12. https://news.sina.cn/sh/2024-03-12/detail-inanaarp0540713.d.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ben Lang (2018-01-30). "Xiaomi Mi VR to Support Oculus Mobile SDK, 100% Rev Share in 2018 for Localized Apps". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/xiaomi-mi-vr-to-support-oculus-mobile-sdk-100-rev-share-in-2018-for-localized-apps/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Duncan Elder (2018-05-31). "Xiaomi announces Mi Band 3, Mi VR standalone, and its largest ever LED TV". Android Authority. https://www.androidauthority.com/xiaomi-mi-band-3-mi-vr-mi-tv-4-871229/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 随心 (2018-12-23). "小米VR一体机超级玩家版上架小米有品：1799元". MyDrivers. https://news.mydrivers.com/1/608/608463.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "小米VR一体机 超级玩家版". 小米商城. Xiaomi. https://www.mi.com/mivr-1o-superplayer. Retrieved 2026-10-16.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ben Lang (2018-06-06). "China's Oculus Go Variant Sells Out in Minutes, 50,000+ Await More Stock". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/china-oculus-go-xiaomi-mi-vr-standalone-sold-out-in-minutes-with-50000-wait-more-stock/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 徐珊 (2022-09-13). "消失的小米VR". Zhidx. https://www.zhidx.com/p/345150.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Ben Lang (2019-03-29). "Everything We Know (Officially) About the FOV and IPD of Rift S & Quest". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/oculus-rift-s-supported-ipd-range-fov-quest-go/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 随心 (2018-05-31). "小米VR一体机正式发布：1499元/2K/防眩晕". MyDrivers. https://news.mydrivers.com/1/578/578981.htm. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "小米VR一体机". 小米商城. Xiaomi. https://www.mi.com/mivr-1o. Retrieved 2026-10-16.
- ↑ Antony Vitillo (2019-08-05). "Xiaomi may have laid off its Mi VR standalone team: what's the future for Oculus Go?". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2019/08/05/xiaomi-lay-offs-mi-vr-oculus-go/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Jeremy Horwitz (2019-08-05). "Xiaomi reportedly disbands Mi VR team, but Facebook is still backing Oculus Go". VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/2019/08/05/xiaomi-reportedly-disbands-mi-vr-team-but-facebook-is-still-backing-oculus-go/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.