Eye-tracking is oft called the ‘next generation technology’ for VR headsets—lest we forget FOVE, the creators of the world’s first commercially available eye-tracking VR headset, the aptly named FOVE 0. The company has recently announced that they’ll begin shipping FOVE 0 around the world starting January 2017.
Born from a successful Kickstarter campaign back in early summer of 2015, FOVE attracted over $480,000 in crowd sourced funds along with an undisclosed amount from Samsung Ventures. In March of last year, FOVE saw $11 million Series A investment round that was set out to “support [Fove’s] goal of accelerating mass production of the device in the Fall of 2016.”
The headset is in pre-order for $599 and currently lists a February shipping date.
Because FOVE 0 is compatible with SteamVR, users would be able to play over 250 titles that are currently available right now on Steam. FOVE 0 doesn’t support Vive’s Lighthouse tracking system though, rather its own position tracking camera which comes stock with headset.
“This is the culmination of a two and half year adventure,” said Yuka Kojima, co-founder and CEO at FOVE. “We started FOVE as a small team back in 2014, and now we’re finally realizing an entirely new way for humans to interact with a virtual world.”
Kojima also announced that FOVE will focus exclusively on white headsets, subsequently discontinuing the limited edition black headsets which were made available to early pre-order customers. Kojima mentioned that FOVE will stop selling the black version by the end of January.
In addition, FOVE is debuting new VR experience called Lumen at CES 2017, a non-linear VR meditation app that lets you procedurally grow a forest with just your gaze. Lumen is the result of a partnership with Framestore, an Oscar-winning VFX studio, and Time Inc.’s LIFE VR platform. FOVE says the updated version of this experience at CES “invites users to engage with the dreamlike world where the power of eye tracking causes trees to grow, flowers to blossom and colors to change.”
We have feet on the ground at CES in Las Vegas, and will be bringing hands-on articles and breaking news of all the newest AR and VR headsets.