VR glasses from the 90s and 2000s: No Meta Quest without them
Virtual Reality as we know it today has come a long way. We look back at an era of failure and learning.
Long before the Apple Vision Pro, the "iGlasses" and many other VR glasses came onto the market, which, although all failed, paved the way for current devices.
(Image: Virtual i-O)
After the major console and toy manufacturers Nintendo, Atari, Sega, and Hasbro, several companies ventured into a risky undertaking in the years following the first VR hype in the early 1990s: they wanted to bring virtual reality from arcades into living rooms – affordable, portable, and designed for the mass market. However, almost all of these early VR headsets failed due to technology, price, or lack of demand. The history of these devices is not just a story of failure, but also a chronicle of necessary detours that prepared the way for the later success of modern VR systems. We look back at the VR era before Oculus Rift, Valve Index, and HTC Vive.
VictorMaxx StuntMaster: The First Attempt
The company VictorMaxx started it all with the "StuntMaster" back in 1993. The headset is considered the first commercial VR device for home use. For around $219, it could be connected to common consoles like the Super Nintendo or Sega Mega Drive. Technically, however, the StuntMaster was little more than a gimmick: a single, low-resolution LCD display (approx. 160 x 120 pixels) produced a flat image without a real 3D effect. A cumbersome rod attached to the side registered head movements, but only translated them into left and right commands, as if the head were a joystick.
(Image:Â Retro Scan of the Week)
The system did not offer stereoscopy, positional tracking, or true immersion. The image quality was poor, the field of view narrow, the sound tinny, and wearing the glasses uncomfortable. Many users complained of nausea and headaches. There was practically no special software, and integration into existing games was only superficial. After a short time, the "StuntMaster" disappeared from the market, but it marked an early milestone: for the first time, VR hardware was available for console owners, even if it barely delivered on its promises.
CyberMaxx: Technological Leap Without a Market
VictorMaxx, however, was not deterred and followed up in 1994 with the „CyberMaxx“, a significantly more advanced VR headset with two LC displays and stereoscopic 3D image. The resolution was 505 x 230 pixels per eye, which was remarkable for the time. Headtracking was present, but it primarily functioned for controlling the camera or mouse cursor. The price: a steep $699.
Despite improved technology, success eluded it. Only a few games natively supported the headset, and it was too expensive even as a universal display unit. In 1995, a revised version with expanded connectivity options, the "CyberMaxx 2.0," was released. But CyberMaxx also failed to achieve success, and VictorMaxx disappeared from the market shortly thereafter.
iGlasses from Virtual i-O: Ambition Meets Reality
In May 1995, the VR headset that bore the actually much more fitting name for the Apple Vision Pro, which would appear almost 30 years later, was released: The „iGlasses“ from the start-up Virtual i-O were among the most technically sophisticated VR headsets of that era. For $499, the device offered two LCDs with VGA resolution in stereoscopic display (640 x 480 pixels each). Two variants were available: one for composite video sources like game consoles, VHS, or later DVD players, and a PC version with integrated headtracking. The image quality was significantly better than older devices thanks to the high resolution. Wearing comfort was also higher, and the glasses were lighter.
The video version primarily served as a personal "big screen," similar to what display glasses from Viture or Xreal offer today. In the PC version, however, the "iGlasses" provided more of a "VR feeling" through head control of the camera. Despite good reviews, commercial success did not materialize. Revenue in 1995 was around five million dollars, far below the hoped-for potential. Although sales doubled in 1996, the product remained a niche phenomenon. Curiously, about a quarter of the sales went to dental practices, which used the device to distract patients. Consumers, on the other hand, hesitated primarily due to the price and the limited software base. In 1997, the company filed for bankruptcy.
Forte VFX1: The "High-End PC Helmet"
Also in 1995, Forte Technologies released the VFX1 Headgear, a VR helmet for ambitious PC users. For around $695, the system offered two 0.7-inch displays with 263 x 230 pixels, stereo audio, a microphone, and three-axis headtracking (rotation, pitch, roll). A special controller called "CyberPuck" complemented the system.
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Despite its weight of around one kilogram, the helmet is considered surprisingly comfortable, but required the installation of a proprietary ISA expansion card and extensive configuration. Officially, over 100 games were said to have directly supported the VR headset – including "Descent" and "Quake." However, only a handful of games actually delivered stereoscopic 3D. Many users experimented with the "VR mouse mode" under Windows, but the large software base was missing, and thus a compelling reason to extensively reconfigure the PC. In 1997, Interactive Imaging Systems (IIS) took over Forte's technology and further developed it.
VFX3D: Later Attempt with Modernized Technology
Around 2000, ILS attempted to modernize the VFX1's technology with the VFX3D, increasing the resolution to 380 x 337 pixels per eye and the frame rate to 75 Hz. For the first time, a certain degree of forward and backward movement in space was possible, albeit without true position tracking. However, the software base remained similarly limited as with its predecessor. ILS primarily targeted professional users, as the VR consumer market was practically dead by then. Even though the VFX3D was not a success, the manufacturer remained active in the industry as one of the few. IIS later became the smart glasses manufacturer Vuzix, which still offers specialized devices for industry today.
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Takara Dynovisor & Philips Scuba: Atari Heritage Without Tracking
A special case are the headsets „Dynovisor“ by Takara and "Scuba Visor" by Philips, which were released between 1996 and 1998. Both were based on a VR headset prototype that Virtuality had originally developed for the Atari Jaguar console. Their technology was adopted and slightly adapted by Philips and Takara.
Both devices used Sony's TFT-LCDs with approximately 263 x 230 pixels per eye, but offered a very narrow field of view of about 50 degrees. Headtracking was completely absent. Nevertheless, they created an impressive, huge image in movies or games for the time. The price was around $300, and Philips reportedly sold about 55,000 units. While the "Scuba Visors" can be considered a notable success, they were far from a mass-market product. One reason for their failure was likely the recurring complaints about eye strain and lack of content.
Z800 and Trimersion: The Last Breath Before Oculus
In the 2000s, two more VR headsets were released before Palmer Luckey, with his start-up "Oculus," laid the foundation for today's VR market. In 2005, eMagin launched the „Z800 3DVisor“, a headset with OLED displays, 800 x 600 pixels, 3-DoF tracking, and a USB connection. However, the "Z800 3DVisor" served more as a personal display and lacked complete motion capture. The price of $899 at launch was too high for the still small target group.
In 2006, the Trimersion headset followed, a wireless system for first-person shooters with head tracking and a light gun as a controller. The idea: players were supposed to aim with their heads and move with a stick on the plastic pistol. In practice, the concept proved impractical, and many testers reported neck strain and disorientation. Here too, success eluded it, and the company disappeared from the market shortly thereafter.
Failure with Learning Effect
The VR headsets of the 90s and early 2000s differed in technology and concept, but they almost all failed for the same reasons: too low resolution, too high price, lack of content, and insufficient comfort. Many users reacted with rejection, and the term "Virtual Reality" was negatively connoted within the tech industry for years. And yet, these devices left their mark: they showed what is necessary for virtual reality to work, and what is not.
In 2012, the VR restart through a Kickstarter project by the Oculus founders precisely took up these lessons: higher resolution, wide field of view, precise tracking, acceptable price, and a growing software base. The failed systems of yesteryear were therefore not a dead end but necessary steps on the path to today's VR.
(joe)
