Hands-on: Play For Dream's mixed reality Android spatial computer headset

Note: This feature was first published on 2 July 2024.

Play For Dream Technology has unveiled a new Android-based Mixed Reality (MR) Headset. 

Originating from Shanghai (China), the company had previously produced two other headsets dubbed the YVR 1 and the YVR 2, which had only been available in the Chinese market.

Now, the company is aiming for the global stage by announcing its presence and the launch of the Play For Dream mixed-reality (PFD MR) headset. In short, it's trying to be the first to offer a mainstream Android equivalent to the Apple Vision Pro spatial computer.

The company aims to enhance entertainment and productivity through the use of its headset and will compete against established players such as HTC, Meta, and Apple with the Apple Vision Pro. I got a guided hands-on session with the headset, and these are my first impressions. 

Before I was allowed to put on the PFD MR headset, I had to check my eyes' myopic power values so that the company could find the correct optical inserts for me. During the headset's boot-up, the headset conducted automatic interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustments.

This means that the headset can be tailored to the centre of both eye pupils for different users without them having to adjust it manually. Those with a prescription (like yours truly) will still need separate optical inserts, even with automatic IPD in place.

As seen in the images, the PFD MR headset has a design similar to the Apple Vision Pro and weighs in at 650g. This is similar to the Apple Vision Pro yet, compared to the Vision Pro, the company has incorporated an internal battery that can last for about an hour at the back of the headset.

Additionally, a separate battery pack can be purchased, offering three additional hours of battery life, bringing the total operation time to roughly four hours. 

Once worn, you can adjust the fit via a dial on the back to close the distance between the back and front of the headset. It affects the viewing experience and comfort during use.

In general, the headset's weight is evenly distributed on your head, unlike the front-heavy Vision Pro. Moving your head around is not cumbersome, but getting used to the bulk takes some time.

After wearing it, I was guided through a series of use-case scenarios in which users might find themselves. 

First up was a video showcase demonstrating the headset's display and speakers. The headset has two space-saving 4k micro-OLED displays using pancake optics. The displays are capable of delivering a total of 27 million pixels at 3,882 PPI and run at 90Hz.

Watching videos was sharp and clear. I was amazed by how vibrant the colours were, and the blacks weren’t all too crushed as I watched the Avatar trailer on the headset (the second movie with blue-skinned tribal aliens).

This is perhaps thanks to the PFD's collaboration with IMAX, where the headset can display IMAX Enhanced content. The company has also partnered with DTS and implemented the DTS: X Ultra audio format exclusively used for IMAX Enhanced content. Essentially, more vibrant colours, greater contrast, and sharper quality, paired with immersive audio.

A rotary dial at the top of the headset controls the sound. Even with people talking around me, the voices in the Avatar trailer were crisp and clear, and I could see what the characters were saying without raising the volume beyond the halfway mark.

Similar to the Apple Vision Pro, a passthrough feature lets you see your surroundings. Equipped with 11 cameras, seven types of sensors, and 22 infrared LEDs, the headset can scan your immediate environment and replicate it in your headset in real-time. To activate this feature, it is as simple as pressing a button on top of the headset. It was pretty disorienting at first, but after a while, I was able to gauge the distance between objects accurately and grew accustomed to it. 

The PFD MR headset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. After processing all the signals from the cameras, sensors, and mics, the headset can achieve a virtual software technology (VST) latency of 14ms. That’s just 2ms shy of the Apple Vision Pro.

Beyond the passthrough feature, the cameras onboard the PFD MR can also be used to capture 3D videos in spatial video and VR180 format. By utilising AI, the headset can generate a complete panoramic picture to provide an even more immersive experience when looking at photographs. 

After video taking, I was shown more MR features of the headset. Similar to the Apple Vision Pro, I was told that the PFD MR can utilise eye tracking, hand gestures, and voice commands for intuitive control. Unfortunately, I was not able to test out these features.

I was led to a corner of the room with a couch. There, I was greeted with a “memory bubble” and had to reach out to “pop” digital bubbles to watch a video recorded in the spatial video format. In the video, bubbles were blown towards the viewer, and the effect was sublime. It almost felt real. I noticed that there was some fringing at the edge of the display throughout the video showcase, but it didn’t disrupt the main viewing experience whatsoever.

The last stop of the demonstration was the games showcase. Using the controllers, I could choose between Boxing and Table Tennis. I chose the latter and did my best to keep a rally up. Playing on the PFD MR felt like playing on any other VR headset. The controllers are 6DoF Halo-free controllers and were responsive with each hit of the balls. One caveat, however, is the lack of haptic feedback. It would have been nice to have a vibration every time I hit the ball with my virtual paddle, but the absence of it didn’t ruin the game experience. 

During the announcement, the company said that the headset would support Steam Games via the Steam Library. Additionally, it announced that it will add support for Bluetooth mice and keyboards for use with the PFD MR headset following its launch. 

In the 30 minutes I spent with the PFD MR headset, I was pleasantly surprised by how good and responsive it was. While the headset is one of the first Android-based mixed-reality headsets available on the market, it runs on its own Dream OS with a Dream Space launcher. The home screen of the PFD MR is similar to that of the Apple Vision Pro and is relatively easy to navigate using the controllers. 

The headset will also have an AI assistant that will help with generative AI uses, like turning a 2D image into a 3D one. In an interview, the company said that their OS was based on the latest Android 14, but did not reveal which LLM the AI assistant uses. 

One thing that must be said is that the headset was still running in prototyped pre-release software during the hands-on session. Thus, during my time with it, many of the core features, such as eye, voice, and hand control, were not available. That said, the company representatives did assure me that all of its promised features would be ready in time for the October launch window. 

Availability and Pricing 

The Play for Dream MR is set to launch in Singapore (where the company is also headquarter in) and in Malaysia in October 2024. The headset will be available in 512GB and 1TB configurations and will be available for purchase for US$1,X99 (~S$1,357 onwards, no official retail pricing yet).

Despite the lack of a proper price tag, this is still considerably more affordable than the Apple Vision Pro which will set you back a whopping S$5,299. It's also about the same price range as a standard premium Android smartphone.

Afterwards, in 2025, the headset will be available for purchase in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Japan. 

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