Hold on, did Apple announce a black version of the Vision Pro? Turns out, not quite. However, the Play For Dream MR does flaunt a sleek black finish. Dubbed by some as the ‘Android Vision Pro’ thanks to its Android operating system, this headset certainly made waves at CES 2025 recently.
Originally rolling out in Asia last year, China-based Play For Dream aimed to take their Vision Pro-inspired mixed reality headset to the Western market. With a Kickstarter campaign that kicked off in September, they succeeded in pulling in HKD $2,271,650, which is about USD $292,000.
The Play For Dream MR is packed with cutting-edge features that make any tech enthusiast excited. It includes a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset running Android 15, stunning dual 3,840 x 3,552 micro-OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate, and top-notch eye-tracking. It even boasts auto IPD adjustment, both wired and wireless PC streaming, and a rear-mounted battery reminiscent of Quest Pro, along with Touch-style controllers.
In essence, this headset seems to tick all the boxes, even replicating the Vision Pro’s user interface.
Apart from its design inspirations, former Quest engineer Amanda Watson tested out the Play For Dream MR headset. She took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her enthusiasm, describing it as “absolutely the best all-around HMD demo I saw on the floor today.”
Her tweet continued, “It’s essentially an ‘Android Apple Vision Pro,’ but brilliantly executed. The performance, optics, UI, and media capture/playback features are top-notch,” shared Watson, who left Meta in 2022.
During her tenure at Meta/Oculus, Watson contributed to numerous projects related to Quest, including the development of the tethered Link and Meta’s Wi-Fi streaming tool, Air Link. She was even the sole developer for Air Link over 13 months until its release. Her stamp of approval carries weight.
She added, “The headset supports USB and wireless PCVR streaming (I tried USB) — it’s still a work-in-progress regarding frame rate and latency, but given it’s a new feature, it’s reasonable. The fundamental elements like controller motion are solid, and the resolution is impressive.”
Moreover, Watson was impressed with the Touch-style controllers, noting their quality. While hand tracking is purportedly available, it wasn’t demonstrated during her test. She was particularly taken with the pancake lenses, praising their “excellent distortion correction,” which she considers a major highlight.
Founded in 2020 as YVR, Play For Dream has previously introduced two standalone VR headsets—the YVR 1 and YVR 2—both launched in China in 2022.
As for the Play For Dream MR, there’s no final word on its release date or pricing, though the company assures it will be priced under $2,000. For those eager for more details, keep an eye on Play For Dream’s website for detailed specs and future purchase options.
