--- title: "This New $5,800 Headset is the Rolls Royce of Virtual Reality" description: "VRgineers's $5,800 virtual reality headset called XTAL features a pair of quad HD displays and a generous 180 degree field of view." date: "2018-12-15" modified: "2018-12-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/5800-dollar-vr-headset-vrgineers-xtal" categories: - "Future Society" - "Virtual Reality" tags: - "oculus rift" - "virtual reality" - "vr headset" --- # This New $5,800 Headset is the Rolls Royce of Virtual Reality ![VRgineers's $5,800 virtual reality headset called XTAL features a pair of quad HD displays and a generous 180 degree field of view.]() *\Image: VRgineers\* ## High-End VR The future of VR is bright. Virtual reality headsets are becoming increasingly affordable, and the technology has come a long way over the [last eight years](). And today, we get to experience the newest and greatest the VR world has to offer —if you can afford it: the $5,800 XTAL headset by VR startup VRgineers. We first heard about the XTAL [earlier this year](), but a [new and improved version]() is about to make its debut at the [Consumer Electronics Show]() — the world's [biggest tech show]() — in January, *TechCrunch* [reports](). ## The XTAL The Prague-based startup's headset features some amazing specs: two Quad HD (2560 x 1440 resolution) OLED (organic LED) displays, and an impressive 180-degree field-of-view. VRgineers touts the XTAL's lenses and displays to be "best-in-class" on its [website](), while promising "no blurring" thanks to the headset's new-and-improved 180 degree field of view. Blurring around the edges of the lenses is a [common issue]() with conventional VR headsets. By increasing the field of view to 180 degrees, the XTAL could reduce that effect substantially. Users will also be able to track their hands while wearing the headset thanks to integrated [Leap Motion sensors](). Did I mention the headset itself is an [absolute unit]()? ## VR Luxury $5,800 is pretty steep for a virtual reality headset these days — Oculus Rift is planning to sell a standalone, but far less impressive headset [for just $399]() as soon as next year. So who's it for? But at such a high price point VRgineers is targeting a professional audience, not your average gamer. The startup suggests that the XTAL could be used by automotive designers, and engineers on its website. Will there be a future for high-end VR headsets? That will mostly be up to the enterprise market to decide. **READ MORE:** [VRgineers looks to set a new gold standard with their $5,800 VR headset]() \[TechCrunch\] ***More on VR headsets: [Facebook’s Oculus Just Patented a Retina-Resolution VR Display]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()