At Computex, virtual reality backpacks were all the rage. Companies such as MSI, HP, Alienware and Colorful all had their take on a mobile VR computer, but all were prototypes in various stages of completion. With a few days to go until the start of the Tokyo Game Show (TGS), MSI moved forward with its VR backpack plans and released a finished version, simply called the “VR One.”
Reports of an earlier version tagged it as bulky and heavy. According to MSI, the VR One won’t have that problem, as it weighs about 7.9 pounds, so you can dodge virtual bullets without the feeling of an elephant on your back. The backpack also includes two batteries that are hot-swappable and should each give you an hour and a half of power. Four light indicators will tell you the batteries’ status so that you can swap it with a fully charged pack. You can take out both batteries and use a power adapter so that you don’t have to worry about it dying during a prolonged VR session, although obviously that negates the wireless nature of the backpack.
As for the other specs of the VR One, MSI stayed quiet. However, we do know that the CPU is an overclocked Intel Core i7, and the system has Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1070 GPU. It also includes an HDMI port, one MiniDisplayPort, and a Thunderbolt 3 Type-C port. For attaching VR peripherals, there are four additional USB 3.0 ports.
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Two 9cm “ultra blade” fans and nine heat pipes keep the system cool. MSI said that the cooling system stay under 41dBA so that you won’t hear it work while you’re in the virtual world. The VR One also uses MSI’s Dragon Center app, which allows you to monitor the hardware and increase performance and fan speed from your mobile device.
More details about the VR One will be available at TGS, but you won’t have to wait long. The annual show kicks off on Thursday, September 15 and ends on September 18.
