VR Start-up XRSpace Seeks to Close Social Distancing Gap with Mova

As people weary of connecting on Zoom during the COVID-19 social isolation period, another option for face-to-face interaction is being introduced via a start-up called XRSpace founded by HTC co-founder and former CEO Peter Chou.

After three years of development, the VR headset and virtual world debuted and will be on the market later this year in Taiwan on the Chunghwa Telecom network, then on the Deutsche Telekom service in Germany. The. The virtual reality set-up will allow people to digitally interact and communicate with each other in a VR world.

The Manova virtual world and Mova goggles start at $599 for the wifi version, higher than competitors, but the top-rated Facebook’s Oculus Quest headset is flying off the shelves as people seek entertainment and new experiences in their homes at a $399 price tag.

Unlike most VR systems, the XRSpace headset and Manova software are operated by the user’s hands as controllers, so it doesn’t require holding an object. It even comes in a 5G version.

“Because our hands are the controllers, we can do things like shake hands, give each other high-fives, wave, clap or even clink glasses,” writes Shara Tibken of CNET. “The avatars are lifelike and full body, with high-quality skin textures and natural facial expressions. They’re designed to look like you, though for the purposes of the demo, I was a man.”

Users can customize their avatars to look like themselves, or not, as full-body avatars.

“We have the most amazing product I’ve ever created,” Chou, who developed the world’s first Android smartphone over a decade ago, said in a video interview with CNET ahead of the launch. “This is truly the next generation of VR for the mass market consumer.”

read more at cnet.com