For 50 years now, CES (a global consumer electronics and consumer technology tradeshow) has been the launch pad for new innovation and technology that has changed the world. This year, more than 3,800 companies around the world featured their latest gadgets for the whole week in January at Las Vegas, Nevada, of which virtual reality constituted a big part.

Companies tried their latest VR devices and experiences at the Gaming & Virtual Reality Marketplace area.  We also saw that VR is expanding beyond gaming. Major car companies were quick to showcase their advanced designs and services in virtual reality. Below are the quick steals from the VR world at CES –

NEW HARDWARE

HTC Vive – Bringing any object into virtual reality

HTC Vive debuted two new accessories for its VR headset – ‘The Vive Tracker’ is a motion sensor that brings physical objects into virtual space. The circular sensor is smaller than the size of a Vive controller.

Lenovo – A VR headset for Windows Holographic platform

Chinese technology giant Lenovo is developing a new virtual reality headset that works on Windows Holographic Platform. The headset is said to offer high-resolution 1400 x 1400 displays, features front-mounted cameras for mixed reality, and 6 degrees of freedom, which gives freedom of movement to the user without any external tracking devices.

Audeze – ‘iSINE’ virtual reality headphones

Premium audio company Audeze, announced iSINE VR, a new set of headphones for virtual reality experiences. For gamers, this headphones will provide a more realistic VR experience with more realistic battlefield play and longer playing time without listener fatigue, putting them in the heart of the action.

Pico Neo CV, a wireless VR headset with advanced motion tracking sensors

Chinese VR company Pico Technology, featured its wireless, untethered virtual reality headset Pico Neo CV at CES this year. The headset features Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, dual 1.5K resolution at 90Hz displays, a built in Hi-Fi speaker, and 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) that allows precise motion tracking and full VR immersion.

Merge VR’s Holo Cube merges virtual with reality

The popular VR headset maker Merge VR demonstrated its Holo Cube, a small block that fits in your palm. The cube has different patterns on each side, which are scanned by the smartphone to place digital objects in front of your eye.

XMG Walker and VEST PC II – Cutting cables for wireless virtual reality experience

Connected cables restrict the freedom of movement for virtual reality headset users. VR backpacks are a solution for this problem. These devices are basically mobile personal computers that can be carried as backpacks.

INNOVATION

A wireless solution for virtual reality headsets

Australian startup ‘Immersive Robotics’ is featured a wireless system for VR headsets. The company claims 1 ms latency that works over existing WiFi standards. The system is called Mach-2K and includes a battery powered receiving box, that can be worn on a belt and a transmission device that is attached to the PC. The company representatives told us that the system can provide universal wireless solutions for all VR headsets.

A ‘smart’ shirt – To put you inside virtual reality games

Japanese firm Xenoma, debuted its smart shirt e-skin, that can capture body movement to create virtual characters for VR games or personalized fitness and healthcare applications.

Is this the future television set design for 360-degree content?

360 degree cameras were one of the hottest trends at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. Almost all major camera companies and new comers like Insta360, Giroptic or Vuze have introduced their new devices.

‘Smart’ shoes for walking in virtual reality

Japanese firm Cerevo debuted Taclim, a set of VR shoes that allow users to feel every step in virtual reality. Taclim connects to any VR setup over Bluetooth or wireless, and offers 9-axis motion sensing that provides haptic feedback in VR. The system also includes hand controllers to interact with objects in the virtual space.

Virtual Reality experiences without a headset

The French tech startup Scale-1 Portal, is creating virtual reality experiences without the need of such equipment. Voxel, the company offers a standalone arcade machine that puts the user inside a wall-scale immersive environment. Users wear a simple pair of 3D glasses and interact with the computer simulations reflected on the wall. The arcade system tracks the body movements of the user with the help of Kinect sensors and acts accordingly on the reflected wall.

SURVEY

VR headset sales to reach 2.5 million units, and drive $660 million in revenues.

According to Consumer Technology Association (CTA), virtual reality headset unit sales are projected to reach 2.5 million units this year, 79% up from 2016, to drive $660 million in revenues with 43 percent increase. In its latest semi-annual industry report, unveiled in advance of CES 2017, CTA projects that the 2017 US consumer-tech industry can reach a record $292 billion in retail revenues, with 1.5 percent increase year over year.