Goggles turn smartphones into immersive VR displays

The vrAse system is a special smartphone case that lets users watch video, play games and experience digital environments in an immersive, 3D virtual reality setting.

More and more content is being accessed through smartphones, forcing creators to cater to smartphones’ diminutive screens and limited data plans. Hoping to expand the capabilities of the devices, the vrAse system is a special smartphone case that lets users watch video, play games and experience digital environments in an immersive, 3D virtual reality setting.

Designed as a pair of goggles, the case works by slotting a smartphone into the front so that it is facing the users’ eyes. The content on the screen is split into two individual displays and the device features a separate channel for each eye, allowing for crisper picture quality than other methods that combine the information into one image. The vrAse therefore works well for watching 3D films in a private way – useful for traveling or personal home viewing. Using streaming software, PC or computer game systems can be loaded onto the smartphone and since the handset it locked into place through the goggles, the user’s hands are free to use a controller. Augmented reality platforms could also take advantage of smartphones’ in-built sensors to create a richer virtual experience that responds to head movements. The video below shows the device in action:

The vrAse is a step towards making mobile content more engaging and offering a glimpse of the future of true virtual reality. Having completed a successful Kickstarter campaign yesterday, where early backers could pre-order the vrAse for GBP 48. Are there other ways mobile content could be augmented with extra hardware?

Spotted by Murray Orange, written by Springwise