Play For Dream MR Is An Android Spatial Computing Headset In Vision Pro Mold

Spatial computing eyewear is all the rage these days, with Chinese brands such as XReal, Viture and Rokid in the entry-level, relatively low-cost AR eyeglasses market, and Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest being the major players in the high-end (pricier) headset category.

Shanghai-based Play For Dream is shaping to be the first Chinese brand to step into the premium range with the simply named “MR,” a mixed-reality spatial computing headset that looks and performs very, very similarly to the Vision Pro.

Just like the Vision Pro, the Play For Dream MR uses forward-facing cameras to capture the wearer’s environment and then projects the video to their eyes. So the user isn’t literally seeing the real world when they’re wearing the headset, but rather a video version of it. The MR headset will then also be able to project graphics and visuals that appear as if they are part of the real world, hence the term “mixed reality.”

The headset features 11 cameras, 22 LED lights and seven types of sensors to pull off all this work, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 silicon. For software, the MR runs a proprietary launcher built by Play For Dream based on Android 14.

I got to try the headset for an hour at its Singapore launch and I came away very impressed. I own the Vision Pro and use it regularly, and to me, I think Play For Dream’s headset is more comfortable to wear. At first I thought the headset was lighter, but turns out, at 650g, the MR headset isn’t much lighter than the Vision Pro, but it’s more comfortable to wear due to better weight distribution. Play For Dream designed the headset to have a 3:2 weight ratio, so the weight isn’t entirely front-loaded, pressing on my face like the Vision Pro.

Another thing the Play For Dream MR does arguably better than the Vision Pro is its MicroOLED screen produces 4K resolution per eye for a total of 8K output. During my demo, I watched a spatial video of a woman greeting me, and she looked so real — standing there life-sized in front of me, with the 8K resolution sharp enough — that my brain did a double take.

She appeared very real to my eyes. I suggest watching the video above to see these sample videos in action.

To control the headset, Play For Dream says the final consumer version will use a combination of hand and eye tracking, just like the Vision Pro. But the prototype I tested required using two remote joystick controllers. I didn’t mind, as the controllers’ analog stick and triggers offer a more tactile experience.

I also was able to mirror a Windows laptop screen on the headset, projected in a large size, floating in front of me. The prototype unit could open two windows, but I’ve been told the final version will be able to to five windows.

Because this headset is more comfortable to wear, I think I would be able to use it for productivity work in ways I cannot with the Vision Pro.

I’m also excited at the prospect of being able to run Android apps on the headset, since it is running Android software.

We must address the elephant in the room though: the Play For Dream MR’s entire outer design looks just like the Vision Pro. From the placement of the buttons including a twistable dial, to the mesh eyepiece, to the curved dome visor front, this headset looks just like the Vision Pro, but in darker shade of color.

I am disappointed by this because there is a western (maybe even global) perception that Chinese tech brands just copy what Apple does, and this definitely doesn’t help the case. The thing is, Play For Dream has crafted a very impressive performing headset using bleeding edge technology, but I’m afraid most Western coverage of this product will see the design and dismiss it as a “Vision Pro knockoff” or “Vision Pro clone.”

I wish this headset had a different outer look, but when it comes to how it feels on my head and how it performs, I think Play For Dream has done a superb job.

The Play For Dream MR headset will go on sale in October starting in China, Singapore and Malaysia first, followed by other Asian regions. The retail price is not decided yet but the company promises it will be under $2,000.