Tencent rumoured to be working on their own VR headset

The VR industry is in an interesting place. The technology has quickly evolved, allowing for all manner of impressive VR experiences. Unfortunately, currently, the most popular headset is the Quest 2 which has seen some controversy due to being owned by META (Facebook). Another competitor looks to be entering the market, with Tencent rumoured to be making their own VR peripheral.

This rumour comes from industry insider Jez Corden, who claimed during the most recent episode of The Xbox Two podcast that Tecent is working on its own virtual reality headset. Little else was revealed by Corden, however Tencent entering the VR market in and of itself is a big deal.

Currently, the main producers of VR hardware are Meta/Oculus and Sony. HTC has its Vive devices, and Valve released the Index VR headset, though neither of them appear to be as committed as Sony and Meta. With Sony’s upcoming PSVR 2 made specifically for PS5 hardware, Meta has managed to take over much of the rest of the market, solidifying itself as the de facto VR manufacturer.

There is no denying that the efforts of Meta with the Quest has aided in pushing the VR medium forward technologically. It is simply a shame however that the creator of this hardware – Meta – wants to use it to push ads directly into the eyeballs of VR users.

Of course, it is worth noting that Tencent’s reputation as a tech giant is not too dissimilar to Facebook’s / Meta’s meaning that privacy-focused consumers may have to look elsewhere. Still, competition is a good thing, and while the Quest 2 is an excellent VR headset, it will be interesting to see what other minds can come up with.

KitGuru says: What do you think of VR? Are you interested in this new headset? What one factor is holding the VR medium back? Let us know your thoughts down below.

Become a Patron!