This is the first standalone headset with an open ecosystem. That's a big deal.

Meta Quests & Apple Visions require developer verification to run your own software, and provide no root access, which slowed down innovation significantly.

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utopiah 9 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

> first standalone headset with an open ecosystem

What about the Lynx XR1? Running Android sure but officially rooted (details https://lynx.miraheze.org/wiki/Rooting_Process ) and with Linux proper (details https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Lynx_R1_(lynx-r1) ) even though experimental.

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contrarian1234 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

sorry, maybe i missed it. But how do you know the ecosystem is open?

from the link we don't know if the OS can be changed (might be locked like many Android phones) or if a connected machine is required to run their DRM/Steam. The drivers may also not be open source

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theknarf 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It said its running Steam OS, which is just Linux.

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contrarian1234 an hour ago | parent [-]

Android is also just Linux. But i cant install Debian on my phone

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wombarly 28 minutes ago | parent [-]

SteamOS at its base is just Arch with Steam and some additional software installed.

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contrarian1234 19 minutes ago | parent [-]

that doesn't in any way mean you can install an alternate OS. But i get your point that at least you can run Arch stuff. Isnt Arch ARM support unofficial? (its been ages since i tried) You dont hear of people running it on RPis for example

	▲	mavamaarten 3 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Well. It doesn't say in any docs or specs, but for what it's worth, Valve's hardware has always been open like that. You're free to install windows on your steam deck, for example.

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mmis1000 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Even just have direct access to hardware apis is already a big win. On Oculus quest. The closest you can get is running with webxr. But webxr suffer from all those performance problem of web platforms. (And bug of meta softwares. The recent quest browser have bug that prevent you from disabling spatial audio, rendering it not usable for watch video at all)

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piperswe 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It's SteamOS and SteamVR - you can run arbitrary aarch64 Linux binaries that talk to SteamVR and they should just work

	▲	bullen 17 minutes ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Yep, I'm back into VR with this move, specially if the price is closer to $500 than $1000. Unless the lenses/displays are bad, but I figure we would have heard by now?
	▲	contrarian1234 13 minutes ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		from a cursory look . it seems SteamVR is intended to be used with their DRM platform and isn't open source. Maybe its a bit less limiting vs Meta's offering? i wouldnt characterize this as an "open ecosystem" though

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IshKebab 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Not to mention Meta abandoned the Quest 1 very quickly. I bought a game when it came out and never got around to playing it (had kids). I tried to play it recently and it no longer even works! £30 down the drain, thanks Zuck.

I guess I can't complain too much given that I got it for free.

	▲	throwaway89201 9 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I bought an Oculus Go last year for € 30. Its support has been dropped for quite some time, and you can only activate developer mode and sideloading through an old version of the Meta Horizons app [1]. But if you do that, there are 71 GiBs of games to explore on the Internet Archive [2]. Some need patching to remove an online check to a server that no longer exists, but that is easy enough to do with a (regrettably Windows) tool someone published. The Go is not the best headset of course, but the games are a different style because of the 3DoF tracking without camera's. Somewhat slower paced and sitting down. A style I personally like more. You can also unlock the device to get root on it [3], which is quite neat, although there doesn't seem to be any homebrew scene at all. Not even the most bare-bones launcher that doesn't require a Meta login. [1] That doesn't even seem intentional, but it does mean that once the old version of the app can't communicate with Meta servers anymore, any uninitialized Go turns into a brick. [2] https://archive.org/details/gear-vr-oculus-go [3] https://developers.meta.com/horizon/blog/unlocking-oculus-go...
	▲	wayeq 6 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		> £30 down the drain, thanks Zuck. I'm sure he put it to good use. Like 500ms worth of upkeep for one of his yachts.

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Razengan 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I just want a "dumb" headset that I can use as a portable private display for my laptop.

That's it.

I don't need 3D, I don't need VR, I don't need weirdass controllers trying to be special. Just give me a damn simple monitor the size of my eyes.

Fuck off with your XR OSes and "vision" for XR, not even Apple could get it fully right, the people in charge everywhere are too out of touch and have no clue where the fuck to go after smartphones.

	▲	krastanov 9 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I am currently writing this from an xreal one pro. I think it fits what you are asking for.
	▲	ehnto 6 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Then this is actually much closer than previous headsets? There is a lot going on to render the desktop in a tracked 3D space, all that has to happen somewhere. If you're expecting to plug a HDMI cable into a headset and have a good time then I think you're underestimating how much work is being done. OpenVR and OpenXR are really great software layers that help that all work out.
	▲	iddan 9 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		There you go https://www.sightful.com/