WE BOUGHT A VR HEADSET ON LAZADA FOR 290 BAHT.
THIS IS WHAT WE LEARNED.
Virtual Reality is a hot topic these days.
The world’s biggest media companies are making massive bets on the success of VR, and even smaller companies (like our PR agency) are entering the VR market.
With this in mind, we wanted to test the market in Thailand for VR headsets.
SHOPPING
We’ve tried the high-end VR head-sets – and loved it.
But we were curious to know more about the lower end of the market, so we visited Lazada’s VR section, where several dozen VR headsets are available and did some shopping. We settled on the VR SHINECON Headset priced at 290 baht, including shipping. The VR SHINECON which allows you to use any mobile device, is adjustable and comfortable to wear, at least at first. The headset also comes with a handheld control, which even after many attempts didn’t really work.
THE NEW YORK TIMES VR APP
The New York Times launched a VR app last year, and given our interest in news media, we were excited to test this out. Times reporters developed a VR story – The Fight in Falluja – that gives viewers a fly on the wall view of a war zone, while NYT war correspondents created the content.
The content makes for really good documentary style viewing. But the VR SHINECON headset tends to get a bit hot after a few minutes as our iPhone heats up. The SHINECON has a panel that comes off to allow some air into the headset, but this also lets in light, diminishing the experience. While this content is great, we did get dizzy, particularly during a segment that put us in a Humvee on an Iraqi street.
YOUTUBE
The great thing about using the VR SHINECON headset or another device that allows VR content to stream on a mobile device, is the quantity of content available. YouTube has a special VR setting for mobile devices that is implemented with a single click.
We watched some VR footage on the website that was shot from inside a military grade jet flying through a mountain range. For airplane buffs, this is a pretty cool experience. The VR camera is set up inside the cockpit, making it easy to check out all the dials and gear within the plane, and to watch the pilot maneuver.
CONCLUSION
While we loved our prior VR experience with the high-end headsets, the SHINECON was less comfortable, made us a bit dizzy, and generally doesn’t really deliver a quality VR experience. This said, we can’t complain too much considering we got it for only 290 baht.
All in all, purchasing a headset from the lower end of the market is OK to get an introduction to VR without breaking the bank. Just don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.
Stay tuned for the next addition of our blog where we will tell you all about our new purchase of a better quality VR headset.