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Canon Takes on Consumer VR

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Canon might be the next consumer VR contender, as the company's Canon Expo 2015 houses an unusual-looking "secret" prototype headset users need to hold using a pair of handles.

Canon VR headsetBeing an early prototype, the unnamed device lacks built-in audio, requiring the addition of external headphones. What it does have is a pair of 2560x1440 5.5-inch LCD displays (for total 5k resolution), a lens assembly featuring 3 glass elements per eye and 120-degree field of view, making it superior to the likes of the Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR.

The device also delivers multi-directional audio able to provide "a sense of orientation aligned with viewing direction."

The Expo also shows how Canon captures VR content-- via array consisting of seven 6D cameras and a somewhat terrifying rig built using 24 Vixia mini X camcorders-- as well as mixed-reality headsets for industry use.

Canon insists the headset is still a prototype with a preliminary design, meaning it might morph into a head-mounted device in the future. Then again it gives no release dates, meaning it might never hit the market in the first place.

Go Canon Expo 2015