Awards for the Fugliest VR Headsets
This is the polar opposite of our previous article on the most fashionable and good-looking virtual reality headsets, be it in production or in development. As fashion-forward as some VR headsets could be, there are also some that are cheap-looking or simply just doesn’t pass the criteria for a well-designed VR headset.
According to urbandictionary.com, “fugly” is a shortened term for “fucking ugly”. Pretty self-explanatory, right? Because it simply is the case. Some VR headsets deserve an award for being one of the “fugliest” among the many ones around. It can be blamed on the poor design and aesthetics. However, design flaws are not enough to justify the fugliness of a VR headset. Comfort levels can be a factor as well. Some VR headsets just don’t look good to give a comfortable VR experience.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the VR headsets that deserve an award for being a fugly VR headset.
Google Cardboard
No surprise here, but Google’s experimental VR project called Cardboard tops the list among the fugliest VR headsets available right now. It’s cheaply made from folded corrugated cardboard, making it a bit fragile for everyday use. Its sharp edges and straight-cut corners are giving it a not-so-ergonomic feel. Although Google touts it as a “fun” and “easy-to-use” piece of VR hardware, Cardboard has still a long way to go before it can carry a “fashionable” tag to it – maybe not possible at all.
Dior Eyes
Ironically, the VR headset targeted for fashion isn’t that fashion-forward to consider. High-end fashion brand Dior has collaborated with DigitasLBi Labs France to make the Dior Eyes VR headset. Powered by a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 smartphone, this VR headset works similar to the Gear VR. Its relatively large form factor sets it off from the brand tag it carries. Other VR headsets made a thinner form factor possible with a smartphone, but the Dior Eyes looks like it never got any design considerations.
HTC Vive
You can either agree or disagree with me on this one, but the HTC Vive has made it to this list of fugly VR headsets. What makes it fugly? Those numerous, oddly-placed motion tracking sensors on the front side. We know that HTC and Valve made this design to accommodate the head-tracking abilities of the Vive, but other VR headsets have made a way to consolidate these sensors with a better placement or good concealment. Maybe it’s just the first version, which is the developer edition. After that, we can expect the Vive to carry a better design on its second revision.
AirVR
If taking a photo using a big tablet such as an iPad is enough to be considered socially awkward, then it might as well be ridiculous to see an iPad attached to a person’s face. AirVR started as a Kickstarter project that hopes to turn those big, high resolution Retina displays on Apple’s popular iPad tablet computer into virtual reality devices – talk about big immersion, literally. It deserves to be awarded as one of the fugliest VR headsets around mainly due to its design nature of accommodating a big device such as an iPad. The concept is cool, but it’s totally awkward to use and ridiculous enough to be seen in public.
After all, many VR enthusiasts only care about the user experience that a VR headset gives, however ugly-looking they could be. Usually, these headsets are never worn outside the confines of a private place or room – their ugly designs are not worthy to look at, anyway. These headsets are marking the beginning of the VR revolution, and their developers have lots of time to spare to bring them back to the drawing board.
For more information on these VR headsets, please visit the following websites:
http://www.virtualrealitytimes.com/2015/03/19/list-of-all-virtual-reality-headsets-under-development/
http://www.virtualrealitytimes.com/2015/06/20/do-it-yourself-vr-headset-options/
http://www.virtualrealitytimes.com/2015/03/02/htc-announces-its-own-vr-headset/
