Somnium, a Czech startup primarily recognized for its social VR platform, Somnium Space, decided to expand its horizons in late 2021. They announced the Somnium VR1 headset, boasting an impressive spec sheet for its time, in collaboration with VRgineers—renowned for crafting their ultra-premium XTAL headsets for businesses. Initially, the Somnium VR1 was envisioned as a hybrid device with standalone features powered by an integrated Snapdragon XR2 chipset. However, in 2022, the company shifted gears, choosing to concentrate solely on its role as a PC VR headset.
The VR1 is equipped with the same 2880×2880 QD-LCD panels featuring Mini-LED technology, as seen in the Pimax Crystal. These screens offer a remarkable 20,000:1 contrast ratio due to local dimming, cover 100% of the NTSC color gamut, and support refresh rates of 72Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz, with an “experimental” option for 144Hz. With an output brightness of 210 nits, it’s about twice as bright as the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro.
Paired with these remarkable displays are large, dual-element aspheric lenses that Somnium insists provide a horizontal field of view of approximately 130° and a vertical of 105°. This is wider than any other VR headset currently available. Although the Pimax “5K” and “8K” offered even wider views, they are no longer manufactured and were known for notable peripheral distortion.
Somnium’s commitment to a broader field of view is the reason behind the bulkier design of the VR1, especially at a time when more compact pancake lens headsets are the trend.
