Photo courtesy Intel Intel Scraps Plans to Launch Project Alloy Reference Headset, Pursuing Other VR R&D
Intel is scrapping plans to launch the Project Alloy headset as an open reference design, citing lack of partner interest.
Intel has made the decision to wind down its Project Alloy reference design, however we will continue to invest in the development of technologies to power next-generation AR/VR experiences. This includes: Movidius for visual processing, Intel® RealSense™ depth sensing and six degrees of freedom (6DoF) solutions, and other enabling technologies including Intel® WiGig, Thunderbolt™, and Intel® Optane™. All of these Intel technology solutions are supported by a robust portfolio of software capabilities, and we’re building out a VR support ecosystem, from software design kits to reference designs, to spur innovation that’s enabling rich and immersive content. Project Alloy served as a great proof of concept for Intel and the industry – showing what’s possible in a high-performance, immersive and untethered VR experience. What we’ve learned through Project Alloy will inform future efforts.
Another complicating factor could be that a number of potential partners had already committed resources to building headsets based on Microsoft’s Windows VR reference design—major PC players Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and Asus are all launching Windows VR headsets in Q4, the same timeframe in which Project Alloy was initially slated to launch as an open reference design.
Though they’re backing away from Project Alloy, Intel insists they’re full steam ahead on various VR and AR R&D, including the WiGig-based wireless VR system the company is working on with HTC, and other projects such as the proof-of-concept PC-to-phone streaming system that we saw recently. The company is also supporting VR content development and VR eSports initiatives.