The main appeal of Vision Pro for me is the ability to have expansive virtual monitors for both professional and leisure activities. However, the drawback lies in the discomfort that comes from long-term use of a headset. The Brelyon Ultra Reality Extend introduces an innovative monitor technology that seeks to address this issue.
You can experience this technology without wearing anything; simply position yourself in front of a monitor, which can create a virtual display as expansive as 122 inches, despite its smaller physical size…
Virtual Monitors
While affordable glasses can provide a vast virtual monitor experience for a few hundred dollars, they have their limitations. Primarily, these virtual monitors are not anchored in space, causing them to drift in your line of sight and necessitating frequent adjustments.
Moreover, these devices make it challenging to view your keyboard and trackpad, especially for those requiring corrective lenses.
Vision Pro offers a top-notch virtual monitor experience with the added benefit of fixing them at specific spots within your physical space. Nonetheless, the unit tends to feel hot and cumbersome after about an hour of use.
Brelyon Ultra Reality Extend Immersive Monitor
This cutting-edge monitor technology, showcased at CES, aspires to provide a massive immersive monitor experience without any wearable components—you simply engage with a physical monitor positioned in front of you.
Not only does this device offer a virtual display far larger than its actual size, but it also incorporates a limited degree of 3D effects, presenting different image layers.
Engadget’s Sam Rutherford had the opportunity to test it and was quite impressed.
This technology allows the monitor to transcend its size limitations; despite the device being significantly bulkier than a standard display, the visual experience is monumental. From a 30-inch frame, the Ultra Reality Extend delivers a virtual view comparable to a domed 122-inch screen. Additionally, its 4K/60Hz resolution utilizes 1-bit of monocular to present spatial content that appears close to 8K, with elements of the scene appearing to recede or come forward depending on the context.
While watching a game clip from Spider-Man, the sensation of trees and lampposts rushing past felt so realistic that I began to flinch instinctively. In other sequences, Brelyon’s monitor successfully layered the visuals, making snow in the foreground appear blurry while maintaining sharpness for characters far away. It’s an uncanny experience that flat screen displays simply cannot replicate.
Currently Bulky and Costly
However, the monitor lacks portability. It is substantial, featuring a physical screen that measures 30 inches diagonally, resembling the depth of traditional CRT monitors.
Moreover, its cost is approximately double that of the Vision Pro, with a price range between $5,000 and $8,000, depending on bulk purchases.
Given that price point, one of its most promising applications could be in flight simulation. For the flight simulation industry, an $5-8k investment for a 3D effect coupled with a fully immersive experience is quite reasonable.
A Potential New Direction
This is not a product I’d consider purchasing, as it doesn’t align with my Vision Pro usage intentions of travelling light while still enjoying large monitors when away from home.
Nevertheless, it is intriguing as it represents an alternative trajectory for this type of technology. This initial version might be viewed similarly to the LISA—an oversized, non-portable device with a hefty price tag. Yet, from it, we eventually saw the emergence of the PowerBook and iBook, leading to what we now have in the MacBook Air.
The pace at which this immersive monitor technology will advance remains uncertain, but I’m genuinely pleased to see diverse approaches to addressing the challenges we face. Check out the video below.
Image: Brelyon
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