Summary
On the occasion of CES 2018, the company Merge is offering two new accessories dedicated to virtual and augmented reality. We take stock of these two really convincing objects.
Will CES 2018 be classified under the sign of virtual and / or augmented reality? While the show is still in its infancy, the company Merge is already hitting hard with two original accessories. It's time to make the introductions.
With Merge, blow up the augmented reality headset
An augmented reality laser tag without the need for a helmet or glasses. This is the alluring promise of the Merge Blaster. On the surface, it is just a big joystick that takes the shape of a pistol. But, a location on the top allows you to install your smartphone and use it as a screen for your augmented reality games.
Called 6DoF Blaster (the Blaster with six levels of freedom), it is presented at CES 2018 with a shooter that really allows full immersion. Easy and quick to use, it should soon have a larger catalog of applications since the platform will be open to developers. Suffice to say that this should quickly seduce, especially since the brand has already proven the quality of its products with low-cost glasses which have sold 1 million copies. Without revolutionizing the market, Merge is positioning itself very quickly and very well at the start of 2018.
However, the price of this accessory, which can be tested at CES 2018, is still unknown. We can already bet that it will not be the only one of its kind to be presented in Las Vegas this year. Its arrival on the market is scheduled for summer 2018.
Merge Mini, virtual reality for children
How to offer virtual reality to children? What are the viable approaches and the best helmets? We may hesitate to put an expensive accessory in the hands or rather on the heads of the youngest. With Merge Mini, the virtual reality headset dedicated to children planned by Merge, fears disappear.
The company was inspired by its model dedicated to adults to offer a more "cool" version from a style point of view, super resistant and above all adapted to the morphology of a 10 year old child, in particular from the point of view of the buttons or the distance of the face.
Last good news, this helmet should be available this summer for a ridiculously low price of $ 30. It will clearly be placed in the list of birthday or Christmas gifts. However, it is not yet clear whether it will be available in France and on what date. Be careful, however, because many doctors warn parents about the risks associated with virtual reality in children.
