Lynx R-1 Prepares for Launch

French VR/AR hardware developer, Lynx is readying its debut device, the Lynx R-1, for international release. After initially aiming at enterprise, business, and industrial markets, Lynx, headed by its founder and CEO Stan Larroque, pivoted and refocused on consumer-level positioning. Now backed by an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign that raised €300,000 in just 15 hours, Lynx is fine-tuning the R-1 for release next year.

Standing in the Way of Control

One of Lynx R-1’s most touted selling points – at least if you ask its creators – is its independence from any controversial social network platform. European legislators have been attempting to corral certain VR hardware makers into more cooperative, less invasive practices, and Lynx hopes to capitalize on the suspicion with which some consumers view these VR media giants. Lynx R-1’s specs make it a challenger to the rule Oculus Quest 2 currently exerts over the VR hardware market. Still, the R-1 also adds a few key features that Quest 2 lacks, most notably augmented reality capabilities complete with full-color passthrough.

Whether it will be the Lynx R-1 or another, as-yet-unseen challenger that will truly post a threat to Oculus, the marketplace for high-quality entry-level VR and AR systems is clearly accelerating, and that can only be good news for consumers.