Today’s Sony product announcement event saw the launch of the camera-centric Sony Xperia Pro-I smartphone that managed to steal all the hype. What went under the radar though was a new VR headset – the Sony Xperia View.

Sony has had launched stuff like the PlayStation VR in the past but a VR headset from Xperia is a first. It isn’t the standalone kind though and requires an Xperia smartphone to be slipped into it in order to work, hence the Xperia branding.

The headset only supports the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 1 II phones and has been designed to fit them in perfectly. Sony claims that one can view “8K HDR VR video” using it, although it’s likely just a marketing term as both Xperia 1 III and Xperia 1 II max out at 4K resolution with their displays.

The Xperia View VR headset provides 120 degrees of horizontal view and its lens has a hybrid structure with a high focusing efficiency. It also comes with a lens spacing adjustment function that can adjust the lens and image display position according to the distance between the eyes.

The setup process for the headset is rather easy. Simply remove its front cover with the dedicated lever, slide the smartphone in, and shut it back up. And that’s it!

There’s even a dedicated app for the Xperia View. It’s equipped with a launcher function that displays a list of Xperia View compatible apps and other content in VR mode. One can also play media stored on the internal/external storage directly.

The Xperia View VR headset is quite easy to operate thanks to cutouts providing direct access to the dedicated keys on the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 1 II. The need for a separate controller is eliminated because you can move the cursor with the volume keys on the and make selections with the camera key.

The headset is available on the official Japanese Sony e-store and Au Online Shop for 29,700 Yen (~$260). We are yet to come across an indication for a global release.

RELATED:

• Sony Xperia PRO-I smartphone with a 1-inch camera sensor launched for $1,800
• Sony Xperia Pro-I shows off 1” camera with variable aperture ahead of tomorrow’s launch
• Sony Xperia 1 III gets a new Green color option in China; priced at 7,999 yuan ($1,252)
• Sony claims the ‘best smartphone camera’ is right around the corner
• Sony partners up with Meizu to offer better services on Xperia 1 III in China

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