I was browsing around the internet, and was reminded that this is a thing.
It’s a wireless adapter that removes the need for entangling cables with VR, with the tradeoffs (that I know of) being:
- Additional cost (it’s listed at $319 at the moment on the manufacturer’s website)
- Added weight on your head
- You have an external transmitter pointed at you, if you worry about that sort of thing
It comes in three parts:
- PC Transmitter module
- RX Module
- Power box
The transmitter module streams the data to your headset, the receiver receives the transmission and sends it into the headset itself, and the powerbox that recharges the battery.
The battery appears to have a 5 hour power supply, so that’s more than my usual VR time. I’m not sure how heavy it is, though.
At the time of writing, they are out of stock at the manufacturer’s website, so I likely won’t be ordering one anytime soon. I see it listed elsewhere… for more than $200 additional! Eventually, though, going wireless could be worth the cost. When I’m on the treadmill I’m constantly getting tangled up in the wire when I turn a lot, and dealing with the headset wires in general is a pain. Also, the systems I’ve seen for suspending the cable would require me to put screws in the ceiling, which I’m not inclined to do. If it were a plain ceiling, I wouldn’t care, but I don’t want to risk doing excess damage to the textured ceiling.
From the reviews I’m seeing, there are many issues with the base version, and an upgraded 3rd party software (Open TPCast) takes a bit more money and work to get working, but is apparently worth it. The base version has latency issues, dropped frames, and the microphone stops working. The upgraded version requires buying and downloading additional software, then installing it on to a microSD card hidden inside the battery pack’s casing.
Still, it’s something to consider for the future.
Technomancer's Sanctum 