Virtual reality has really taken off this year thanks to the launch of the HTV Vive and the Oculus Rift. Naturally, PC makers have followed suit by releasing a slew of VR-related products, one of which is a VR backpack. Well, there is finally a VR backpack that consumers can pre-order right now, but it doesn’t come cheap.
XMG is a German-based company which is very much like Illegear in Malaysia; consumers can customise the specifications of products to their liking on the former’s website. At IFA 2016, XMG has a particularly sizeable booth, and the star of the show is its latest product: the XMG Walker.
Essentially, the XMG Walker is a VR Backpack, but unlike other manufacturer’s take on the concept, the Walker is actually available for pre-order right now. In terms of specification, it’s a very well-equipped PC as well: the base model has an Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor paired with 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia Geforce GTX 1070 GPU, 250GB of Samsung 850 EVO M.2 SSD, as well as Windows 10 out of the box.
Powering the Walker, on the other hand, are two batteries, which can provide up to 60 minutes of gameplay. Luckily, XMG ships the Walker with four batteries, so the Walker can effectively be used for up to two hours; the batteries are also hot-swappable. Of course, a charging cradle is also provided with the Walker, which can charge up two batteries within 90 minutes.
It goes without saying that the XMG Walker is quite a powerful – and promising – VR backpack, but it does have one big disadvantage: its price tag. Retailing at a whopping 4,799 euro (about RM21,890), it is definitely not a product every consumer can afford. Then again, the Walker is the first VR backpack consumers can actually pre-order now, although it is only limited to those who are in Europe. The XMG Walker is set to start shipping to consumers in October 2016.
