Sony’s Commercial MR Headset Launches Next Month for $4,750

Over the past year, not much was heard about Sony’s standalone mixed reality headset, the SRH-S1, as the company kept things under wraps since its big reveal at CES 2024. However, the silence is over—Sony has finally announced when this enterprise-focused device will hit the market and how much it’s going to cost.

Partnering with Siemens, Sony is gearing up to launch the SRH-S1 in February 2025, pricing it at a noteworthy $4,750. Aimed squarely at businesses, those interested can place orders starting January 23, 2025, directly through Siemens. While initially pitched to draw in creatives last year, Sony and Siemens have shifted their strategy, now targeting industrial sectors. The companies assert that the SRH-S1 is set to revolutionize the “industrial metaverse,” enhancing the realms of product design and manufacturing, thanks to Siemens’ premium mixed reality tools.

The headset boasts impressive specs, including 13.6MP resolution per eye, delivered via Sony’s ECX344A OLED microdisplay, alongside a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset. Sony has packed this device with what they describe as a “proprietary rendering technology,” promising real-time 3D object visualization.

Functioning as a mixed reality gadget, the SRH-S1 also features passthrough video, a handy flip-up visor, and ergonomically designed controllers for intuitive 3D interactions. These come in the form of a stylus-type pointer and ring, offering a fresh take on how users can navigate digital spaces.

Meanwhile, Siemens hasn’t been idle. They’ve refined their suite of Immersive Engineering tools over the past year, aimed at giving SRH-S1 users the capability to craft 3D CAD assets, engage with models, and even carry out remote multi-user design reviews through Siemens’ cloud-based NX X platform.

Bob Haubrock, the senior VP of Product Engineering Software at Siemens Digital Industries Software, commented on the transformative journey since the SRH-S1’s preview at CES last year. He highlighted the midas touch these tools possess in redefining mixed reality in engineering. “We’ve developed a revolutionary set of tools enabling high-fidelity 3D model collaboration and secure co-creation on crucial CAD data,” he stated.

In other news, Sony’s got more up its sleeve. At CES this week, they teased a creative-centered headset for prosumers, named XYN. Though details are scarce concerning its price or launch date, it appears to be a sleek, black variant of the SRH-S1, signaling a continued expansion of Sony’s mixed reality arsenal.