OnePlus Loop VR headset

OnePlus Loop

After OnePlus announced it would give out free VR headsets for their product launch, the first 30.000 units were almost instantly sold out.

I wasn’t aware of that when I first read about it on their Facebook page. It wasn’t obvious what they meant by a “free VR headset” and I was disappointed by the lack of proper Android updates so I didn’t pay much attention to it. (I believed it was free _if _I pre-ordered  the OnePlus 3)

When I realized my mistake, it was long over. Fortunately for me I reverse engineered the link which indicates the availability of the headset and I looked at it just at the right moment for the second round.

Packaging

OnePlus Loop Packaging

I received mine this morning just two days before the product launch. I was really worried it wouldn’t make it in time.

Although the box was  a little damaged during shipment, its look lived up to my expectations. Similar to my OnePlus 2 packaging it has a beautiful simplistic design.

Unboxing and assembly was straightforward and very easy. They attached a manual with images of the necessary steps and download links to the companion app (which I didn’t try yet).

They even included a _lens cleaning cloth _which is a nice touch since these lenses collect dust very easily in general.

The headset

OnePlus Loop VR Headset

OnePlus teamed up with the VR specialists AntVR to build this limited edition VR headset.

The launch event will be held at a virtual space station called the Loop, for more information click here.

Much like the Samsung Gear VR, the OnePlus Loop has a head mount and accepts any 5″ to 6″ phones as a display. There is also an option to change the distance of the lenses but not much.

I used my OnePlus 2 device for testing.

As a test I downloaded and watched their previous product launch. Ironically while watching the video I got distracted by a couple of things they said but didn’t quite match my experiences with the phone.

The headset can be used with any other Virtual Reality app, but if you do that, you’ll need this (unofficial) Qr code for configuration.

Apart from that here are a few things to note:

• It is very comfortable to wear, except at the nose part, where there is no foam. It presses my nose a little too hard but I think I can get used to it.
• The loop itself has a gorgeous design and a sturdy build. It’s a lot more massive than a cheap Google Cardboard which given the production cost is no surprise.
• The lenses are good, it gives a clean and crispy image with my phones’ display. (the pixels are still visible which I generally dislike about VR it’s easy to get used to)
• The only real disadvantage is the lack of a button which is probably not needed for the lauch event but it makes it practically impossible to play any games with it. (A workaround is to use a Bluetooth controller)

Final words

I had a very good experience with The OnePlus Loop. It has premium build quality as one would expect from this company and it’s comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.

In spite of all that I wouldn’t buy the OnePlus 3 however good it may be since I already have a OnePlus 2, the supposedly “2016 Flagship Killer”. But the headset itself will give me the opportunity to view the launch in high quality which will be without a doubt spectacular.

However for me its best use will be the ability to develop VR content for phones.