The team behind the Simula VR windows manager and the SimulaVR Linux distribution is preparing to launch a Kickstarter campaign for an office-focused, standalone VR headset that would make it easy for Linux enthusiast to use their favorite Linux distribution in virtual reality.
The soon-to-be-Kickstarted headset is called the Simula One, and its standalone capabilities are provided by a detachable compute unit with the specifications of a decent laptop:
- CPU: i7-1165G7
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: Iris Xe
- Storage: 1 TB SSD
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Bluetooth 5.2
- Exposed ports: 1x USB4 (including Thunderbolt 4), 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2/DP Alt-Mode, 2x USB-A 3.2
- Operating system: SimulaOS Linux VR distro
The impressive specifications have a similarly impressive price tag attached to them: $2,799 for Kickstarter backers and up to $3,500 for those who decide to purchase the headset after the campaign has finished.
According to SimulaVR founder George Singer, the company needs to raise $2.5 million in order to proceed with headset manufacturing, which will be the campaign’s goal when it launches.
“We’ve noticed that other campaigns will sometimes target very small fundraising goals in order to easily beat them/not risk public failure,” says Singer. “That is not the case with our campaign: it takes a higher amount of money to jumpstart an operation like this, and we’d rather be open & transparent with people about it upfront.”
There’s a detailed cost breakdown published on the company’s official blog, which explains where all figures come from. What’s interesting is that the Kickstarter target is based on selling just 892 headsets at $2,799 per unit, so it’s clear that SimulaVR doesn’t expect to grab a substantial chunk of the VR market—the goal is to facilitate a Linux future for VR & AR Desktop.
