Dreamworld Readies AR Headset Comparable to HoloLens but at <US$400
May 20, 2017

​The AR market is currently populated by companies that offer nice results at very high costs. A new Chinese startup, however, is prototyping a new solution that is intended to be comparable in performance to the big players for a fraction of the price. Dreamworld Vision has 10 employees and has raised only $2 million in funding — a pittance when compared to the cash that the big name AR companies like Magic Leap, Microsoft and Meta has. And yet, despite these limited resources, the Dreamworld team created something aimed at rattling the cages of its biggest competitors: a pair of AR glasses with abilities that compare to these $1000 + units that will be sold for less than $350. Dreamworld’s inaugural AR headset is being called the Dreamworld Glass. The Glass comes in two form factors. The first is a smaller, lighter model that was used primarily to show off the headset’s large field of view and basic head tracking. The second is significantly larger and is outfitted with “over the counter” depth sensors and cameras to achieve basic positional tracking. A Dreamworld representative says that the final version will be comprised of custom-designed components and will be much more similar to the form factor of the smaller unit.
 
Both headsets seem smaller and lighter than either the Meta 2 or Microsoft HoloLens. The headsets connected to an android smartphone via a USB-C connector.
According to Dreamworld, the Glass will begin shipping in limited supply and in limited markets this holiday season. This seems quite ambitious for a product that is reportedly just now finishing up its industrial design for manufacturers. That’s the timeline they stuck with, however, a final price has not been set but Dreamworld says that it will be under $350. For reference, the HoloLens developer kit that is currently available costs $3000 and the Meta 2 can be pre-ordered for $950. Maintaining that low price point is a key goal for Dreamworld which views keeping things cheap and simple will be essential to driving its success. The Glass will be officially unveiled at CES Asia, which kicks off in June.
 
 

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