Sony’s Enterprise MR Headset Launching Next Month for $4,750

Over the last year, news on Sony’s SRH-S1 standalone mixed reality headset has been sparse since its unveiling at CES 2024. However, there’s finally an update: the device now has a confirmed launch date and pricing details.

Developed in partnership with Siemens, the no-nonsense SRH-S1 is scheduled to hit the market in February 2025. It carries a price tag of $4,750, clearly targeting the enterprise sector. Interested buyers can start placing their orders on January 23rd, 2025, exclusively through Siemens.

Initially, Sony and Siemens pitched this device to creative professionals, but their focus has shifted toward industrial applications. They claim that the SRH-S1 will “bring the industrial metaverse to life,” enhancing product design and manufacturing with Siemens’ advanced mixed reality tools.

The headset features an impressive 13.6MP per-eye resolution using Sony’s ECX344A OLED microdisplay, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset. Sony flaunts a “proprietary rendering technology” capable of delivering real-time 3D object rendering.

As a cutting-edge mixed reality gadget, the SRH-S1 comes with passthrough video capabilities, a convenient flip-up visor, and ergonomically designed controllers. These controllers, which resemble a stylus and ring, are tailored for seamless 3D interaction.

Over the past year, Siemens has been hard at work enhancing its Immersive Engineering tools aimed at enterprise users. These tools will allow SRH-S1 users to create 3D assets in CAD, engage with models, and even conduct remote multi-user design reviews, utilizing Siemens’ NX X cloud platform.

“Since showcasing the HMD at CES last year,” commented Bob Haubrock, the senior VP of Product Engineering Software at Siemens Digital Industries, “our combined teams have crafted tools that will transform how mixed reality is leveraged in engineering. We’ve made it possible to not only support global collaboration using detailed 3D models but also enable direct co-creation on essential 3D CAD data within a secure environment.”

In related news, Sony announced at this week’s CES the upcoming launch of a new prosumer-focused headset dubbed the XYN. While details on pricing and availability are still under wraps, this model appears to be a variant of the SRH-S1, sporting a distinct black finish compared to the SRH-S1’s grey design. Though currently described as a prototype, more developments are anticipated.