Wait a second, did someone say Apple Vision Pro doesn’t come in black? That’s right—it doesn’t. But Play For Dream MR does, and it’s grabbing attention, especially given the nickname some have given it: the ‘Android Vision Pro’. This moniker stems from its Android-based operating system, and Play For Dream definitely caught the limelight at CES 2025 just lately.
Initially debuting in Asia the previous year, this Chinese headset maker set its sights on introducing its Vision Pro-influenced mixed reality headset to Western markets. By launching a Kickstarter campaign back in September, Play For Dream MR raised an impressive 2,271,650 Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to about $292,000 USD.
The Play For Dream MR doesn’t skimp on the tech front. It’s packed with the latest in XR technology. Boasting a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset running on Android 15, the headset features dual 3,840 × 3,552 micro-OLED displays at 90Hz, eye-tracking, automatic IPD adjustment, both wired and wireless streaming from PCs, and a rear-mounted battery operation similar to the Quest Pro, not to mention controllers that reflect the Touch style.
In essence, this headset seems to cover it all—even mimicking the sleek user interface of the Vision Pro.
Beyond its design cues, former Quest engineer Amanda Watson had a chance to try out Play For Dream’s MR headset firsthand. On social media, she pointed out it was “without a doubt the best all-around HMD demo I witnessed on the floor today.”
Describing the device as for all intents and purposes an ‘Android Apple Vision Pro’, she praised its execution, highlighting the “excellent” performance, viewing optics, user interface, and media capture/playback capabilities. Watson, who stepped away from Meta in 2022, brings a wealth of experience, having worked on various Quest projects, including the tethered Link and Wi-Fi streaming tool, Air Link. With her extensive hands-on involvement, particularly as the sole developer of Air Link for over a year before its release, her endorsement carries weight.
Discussing the headset further, she mentioned, “It supports USB and wireless PCVR streaming (I tested USB) — though this area felt like work in progress in terms of frame rate and latency. But, as I understand it, it’s a new feature. The essentials, such as controller motion, were on point, and resolution was sharp.”
Additionally, Watson noted that the Touch-style controllers were “also very good.” Although hand tracking was mentioned by the team, it wasn’t demonstrated. She emphasized the headset’s pancake lenses had “excellent distortion correction,” which she personally found crucial.
Originally known as YVR, Play For Dream was established in 2020 and has already rolled out two standalone VR headset generations, the YVR 1 and YVR 2, in China in 2022.
While there’s no confirmed release date or pricing for Play For Dream MR just yet, the company has indicated the price will be below $2,000. Keep an eye on Play For Dream’s website for detailed specifications and ordering information as they become available.
