Lenovo Mirage solo

The first standalone Google Daydream VR headset adds high-end tracking to a totally wireless virtual experience.

As much as VR feels like the future when you try an HTC Vive or PlayStation VR, it’s pretty clear that getting tangled in cables powering the headset from an expensive gaming box would always keep it niche. Phone-based headsets weren’t going to solve the problem, because even slotting your phone in is too much hassle. To take off, VR needs to be easy, convenient, not interfere with the rest of your life, and affordable. That’s where standalone VR headsets come in: all the good stuff, totally wireless and self-contained.

Solo mission

Like the Oculus Go from last issue, the Lenovo Mirage Solo basically has an Android phone built into it. It’s powered by Google’s Daydream platform, which the best phone-slotting headset uses – this means it’s ready to go with a wide range of apps and experiences immediately. It’s a pretty advanced system too, that promises to let you do VR the way it was meant to be: tracking in three-dimensional space thanks to sensors inside and out means you can move around the environment. It’s even comfortable enough for long VR sessions every so often – not something every headset manages.

Getting it to this standard does come with a trade-off, though, and in this case, the cost is… well, the cost. At £349, it’s straining against the idea that mobile VR should be budget. The Oculus Go can be had for £199, but that’s less technically advanced. An HTC Vive set with sensors and controllers is £499, and that offers an even higher-quality experience – but you also need a gaming PC that costs easily the same again.

Middle ground