We Try Vive Cosmos Wireless VR With AMD at CES 2019

Wireless VR

I was a big fan of VR tech, and the interesting part of this is the “was” part. I’ve had the DK1, the Vive, and tinkered with a few others at various events over the years. However, the main gripe for me is that darn cable. When we turned up at the AMD event, we were offered a go on this wireless setup, the first wireless VR setup I’ve ever tried outside of crappy mobile dock models. I didn’t know at the time but writing this now, I’ve learnt that it was the new Vive Cosmos headset, although it did also have what looks to be some custom moulding mounted to it.

Resolution

The first thing I didn’t notice was the screen door effect. I’m not saying it’s not there, but it wasn’t immediately apparent to me as it has been in the past. The official specifications aren’t out yet, but rumour has it that it’s a dual 2160 x 2160 LCD display. The detail was superb regardless of the resolution. It was running at 90 Hz too, via a Threadripper system with a VEGA 64, as this was the day before the Radeon VII announcement so that was likely hidden away…. which is a shame. The performance was free from hitches though, so no complaints here.

The new motion controls worked just like you would expect, and the new lighter and wire-free headset was surprisingly comfortable. It did sit on my nose a little hard, but with limited adjustment time offered to me, I can overlook this. Andy said it was fine for him, so maybe just me and my big head getting in the way; literally.

Specifications?

Of course, we have no information on battery life, specifications, price, or even the release date. However, if our limited demo of shooting some alien robots is anything to go by, Vive is onto a winner here.

The wireless aspect was running through Radeon ReLive for VR. This allowed the game to stream and play remotely on the device. If anything, it’s not too dissimilar to streaming PC games to something like the Nvidia Shield TV. The lag was tight, the frame rate was high, the responsiveness was superb.

If Vive get the price right, and the ReLive for VR rollout goes smoothly, this could be the headset to own for 2019. I’ll save my pre-order for after the battery life and price are revealed though.

CES 2019 Sponsors

We would like to thank our wonderful sponsors. We wouldn’t be in Las Vegas without their support. Of course, this allows us to provide coverage of the show for you, our lovely readers!  So, thank you to all the wonderful people at SuperO (Supermicro Gaming), Arozzi, EK Waterblocks, Patriot, ASUS RoG, Silverstone, AKRacing, and 1MORE.

CES 2019 Coverage

We’re here in Las Vegas once again, and we are checking out the latest technology and innovations presented by companies from around the world! Of course, for all the latest coverage from us at CES 2019 and beyond, check out our very own Facebook and Twitter pages. Furthermore, check out our YouTube channel for the latest 4K video coverage. Links provided at the bottom of the page. Want more CES 2019 coverage? Check out the eTeknix CES 2019 News Feed Here.