Fove 0 Hands-On Showcases Eye-Tracking Headset, Where VR Is Headed

As VR continues to try to figure out its way in the consumer markets, the development of virtual reality headsets is now slowing down. Tuesday at CES Unveiled we got to try the Fove 0 headset.

The Fove 0 VR headset’s standout feature compared to its competitors is its eye-tracking capability. Similar to the Oculus, Vive or PlayStation VR, setup began with calibrations but instead of being concerned with position of your body relative to the computer, it was about calibrating your eye movement.

The eye tracking sensors had me follow a dot with my eyes for around 60 seconds and then we were set for our demo. The first noticeable thing while using the Fove 0 was how in focus it was depending upon what you were looking it. I then tried the Project Falon demo where I had to shoot down alien ships with only a quick glance or gaze of my eyes. There was no clicking buttons or moving around a VR controller to attack my enemies, I simply had to just focus my eyes on my tarage to obliterate them. Although it took a few waves of enemies for me to get use to the technology soon I was amazed at how much faster the shooting was when I could just target my enemies with my eyes.

Fove 0 was originally began on Kickstarter and was quickly funded. Fove told IBTimes Tuesday that Kickstarter backers could see their headsets in about three weeks as the first shipments are going out now.

As of today Fove sees its eye tracking Fove 0 as more of a developer-friendly VR headset as opposed to a mass market device but expects the technology and gaming space to be ready for more users around 2018. The headset is SteamVR compatible with more than 250 titles that will work with the headset.

The Fove 0 retails for $599, which is comparable to most others on the market. It features a zero to 100-degree field of view, has a 70fps frame rate and weighs only 1.14 pounds (which was very comfortable to wear, especially compared to other heavier VR headsets). The Fove 0 is available for purchase directly from Fove’s website.