Vrvana’s VR headset the Totem Kickstarter launches

A little later than expected, Vrvana reveal their specs and launch the Kickstarter for their VR device the Totem.

The Oculus Rift may have stolen the VR limelight for the past year but there’s a new kid in town and it’s called the Totem. The device has been a labour of love for Vrvana founder Bertrand Nepveu and this Kickstarter launch is the culmination of nine years work.

Many gamers scoffed at the Totem when it was revealed earlier this year (see our interview) saying that it wouldn’t get off the ground. Determined to make the device a reality, Bertrand has finally launched the campaign to fund the Totem and so far it’s proving very popular.

The funding goal is set at $350,000, and in a  matter of hours Vrvana has reached $72,000 with 28 days to go. Let’s just say it’s likely to make the target.

There are various tiers of backing, and the developer headset which was set at $440 CAD, sold out almost immediately. If you want to get your hands on the hardware the next tier up is $460 CAD. Backers should expect their headset to arrive in April 2015.

The kit will include:

The Totem head mounted display unit, a connection box, cabling, a soft cleaning cloth and a carrying case. Our software developer kit online support will include documentation, code, engine plug-ins, demos & tutorials.

Now the tech specs…

Screen – 1080p low persistence RGB stripe OLED, up to 75 Hz
Field of View (FOV) – 90 degrees
Cameras – Onboard cameras for positional tracking. M12 camera lenses with 130 degrees horizontal FOV.
Connectivity: HDMI input, USB output (tracker)
Sensors: 2x cameras 120hz 1080p, 3 axis 1kHz gyroscope, 3 axis 4kHz accelerometer, 3 axis magnetometer
Audio: 2x 3.5 mm jacks, Binaural Surround sound
Emulated controls: USB mouse, PlayStation controller, Xbox controller
Non-game controls: Up, Down, Select/Base World View
Supported engines: Unreal, Unity, Havok Vision, CryEngine
Platforms: PC (Windows, Mac, Linux), Playstation 3 & 4, Xbox One & 360
Supported media: All 3D formats, SBS preferred
Size: 6.6″ x 4.4″ x 5.4″
Weight: 400 g (estimated)
Hardware acceleration: hardware accelerated motion tracking, hardware accelerated pre-lens distortion

How does it compare to the competition?

Looking at the spec sheet, the Totem is sounding very impressive and it means more competition in the VR market for PC and console gamers.

The VR race is hotting up, and although Oculus has the advantage of a head start and all that Facebook money, the Totem has a really good chance of taking the VR world by storm.

If you like the sound of what’s on offer check out the Kickstarter page.