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Virtoba X5 Elite VR Headset US $16.99 Shipped (~AU $22.44) @ GeekBuying

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QYFBJGYS
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Hi all,

I've just wrapped up my review of the Virtoba X5 Elite VR headset that's based on Google Cardboard tech. Though there's plenty of other solid VR headsets around, the Virtoba X5 Elite offers a massive 120 FOV which means the image "wraps" around you, rather than looking like a small box in front of you. It's a great experience.

All the rest of the features you come to expect are here too, with adjustable head straps, myopic and PD adjustment and integrated smartphone holder (4-6 inch screen size supported)

I've been able to secure an exclusive code for Home Theatre Life Readers which I figured I'd share here if people were interested which bring brings it down to US$19.99.

Edit: Thanks to ritisav's find of a better code, code has been updated bringing it down to $16.99.

Don't forget the 3.2% cashback via CashRewards too!

If you want more details/pictures, you can read my detailed review over at my site, Home Theatre Life

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closed Comments

  • Compatible Size: 4-6 Inches

    Any idea what that's supposed to mean?

    • Smartphone size for the holder. I fit my Samsung Galaxy S7 in no issues.

      • So it's the diagonal size of the entire phone right? I have a Nexus 5X for reference.

        • Yes, that's usually the case.

  • Thanks Darkscythe, was about to get the Altronics one with bt remote:
    http://www.altronics.com.au/p/X3005-virtual-reality-headset-…

    What's the major difference between these two? Any good deal for remote? Cheers

    • +1

      From what I can tell, assuming its the same as the other VR box headsets out there, this one will have a much large field of view (FOV) so it should be more immersive.

      There's a few cheap ones at Geekbuying - you can use code "hometheatrelife" to get another 4% off if that helps.

      I've got a similar version of that remote and it's not bad but I had issues getting it to work "vertically" i.e. how you'd imagine you'd use it. Any Bluetooth Gamepad should work though.

      • these dont have sensors like the gear VR which is its main feature right

        • Yeah, that's right. So it relies on your phone's gyroscope and other sensors instead.

          That said, I find the head tracking works well, but I'd wager the Gear VR may be more granular in its tracking.

    • The VR Box is good in some respects, but horrible where it counts.

      The build quality is OK, and the lens adjustments are great, but the FOV is horrible, and few things break (or prevent) immersion more than a really low FOV. So I can't recommend it, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

      This is a much better option.

      • Thanks for sharing.

      • What would you recommend cainn?

        • +2

          My main headset is a Gear VR, but that really only makes sense if you already have a compatible Samsung phone. For all other phones I would recommend anything that has decent lenses (preferably with both dioptre* and IPD** adjustments), a good FOV, and decent ergonomics. The Virtoba X5 Elite checks all those boxes. I'm not saying it's the best, but it is almost universally recommended by the portion of the VR community that isn't on the Gear VR/Oculus Rift/HTC Vive/OSVR bandwagon, and also by many that are. And this is a very decent price.

          *Dioptre = refractive/lens power, and adjustments are important for people with imperfect vision (it relates to the SPHerical values in your glasses prescription, if you have one). Many people who don't strictly need glasses can still derive some small benefit from this adjustment.

          **IPD = Interpupillary distance. In other words, the space between the center point of each of your pupils. This can vary from person to person, and being able to match up the lens spacing in a VR headset can improve the experience for some people.

  • I've been able to secure an exclusive code for Home Theatre Life Readers

    Just in case you're thinking of using this as a "virtual cinema screen" aka "virtual imax" type device don't, it's FOV is terrible for this. Although to be clear it's great for VR applications such as games and 360 degree video.

    Ideally you want about 60 degrees FOV for a good virtual screen HMD. The Baofeng Mojing XD is an excellent choice, ~$35 USD (Amazon) or much cheaper at Ali Express or Gearbest - possibly also Geekbuying didn't check, sorry didn't want to hijack your thread.

    • I think it depends on what app you're using to watch movies. Virtual cinema applications typically position the camera where you'd sit normally so it's fine (I've used Cineveo VR Cinema). Other apps may offer a different experience though.

      • Er I have no idea what your talking about. HMD FOV is fixed and determined by the lenses in the HMD.

        I'm sure virtual cinema applications can show you a smaller virtual screen on less pixels - but dropping resolution really isn't something you want to do when your starting resolution is ( phone screen resolution / 2 ). Users with 1080p devices are already viewing at 540p without any resolution drop.

        • +2

          I think he's talking about having a VR experience that puts you in a virtual seat in a virtual movie theatre in front of a virtual movie screen. You know, one you can look around in. And if you're using the right app whatever movie you're watching extends across the entirety of your FOV (the FOV that your headset gives you, not your own) when you're looking straight ahead, which means that the majority of your phones screen real estate is in fact being utilized. So there's really no significant loss of resolution beyond that which is already necessary for stereoscopy.

          The rest of it comes down to personal preference. When you go and see a movie at the cinema, do you prefer to sit at the front, in the middle, or at the back? If you prefer to sit as far away from the screen as possible then a headset with a low FOV might make more sense since you'll get a clearer image than you would by shrinking things down on a headset with a wide FOV. But if you like to sit closer to the screen then you can't actually simulate that at all using a headset with a low FOV.

        • @cainn: Thanks. That's exactly what I was getting at.

        • +2

          @cainn:

          I forgot to mention: everyone is lying about FOV anyway. "Degrees" are to Chinese VR headset makers what "Lumens" are to Chinese flashlight manufacturers. So the Virtoba X5 doesn't have anything close to a real 120° FOV, even with a 6" phone. But it does offer a wider FOV than most other cheap cardboard incarnations I've tried.

          This is an interesting read: https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleCardboard/comments/4egzkf/let…

  • Looks good thanks for the deal, I've been waiting for a cheaper 120deg one that the Bobo Z4, this is it. It doesn't come with a remote control though so do I have to buy one?
    I've got an android box remote with full keyboard etc (Ricomagic MK705) would that do the job instead?

    • +1

      Glad it's helpful. This is basically the BoboVR Z4 but without the headphones (which I personally prefer as I like my headphones better).

      Yeah, no remote unfortunately though it does have a button to touch the screen. I'm not sure about using the MK705 - It probably depends on the game.

      Otherwise, I'd check out some of the cheap controllers or just use a Bluetooth gaming controller if you've got one handy.

  • Does the headset allow any air in when strapped on to your head?

    • There's some vents on the unit. I didn't have any heat issues but it's winter so YMMV.

  • Are vr good for watching movies? I feel like it might be convenient than the bed mount holder.

    Btw i had an iphone

    • +1

      Yes and no. On one hand, you get use VR cinema apps to give you some nice ambience when watching films, plus 3D films can be watched. However, by using Google Cardboard tech, you effectively halve the resolution of your display for the sake of VR. With iPhones already having a pretty low resolution, it's probably not worth the quality loss unless you want to use virtual cinema apps. I guess it's a case of what you'd prefer.

    • 360 movies yeah, otherwise no.

  • +6

    I just bought it for US$16.99 using this coupon code: QYFBJGYS

    • thank you, happy that i waited now

    • Thank you. Code works fine.

    • Confirmed working, OP please add this to post!

      EDIT: Also upgrade to TNT shipping (3-5 days) for only $4.

    • +1

      Great find! I've updated the post with the new code.

  • /edit: blah, who cares. These are so cheap I can live without some headphones :) Thanks OP, will have a muck around with these.

    • +1

      The headphones are usually non-detachable, this is a good thing. :P

      • Yeah, that was my biggest problem with the BoboVR Z4 - The headphones were good but mine are better :p

        • +1

          Yeah I've got some great headphones kicking around, I was just musing out of curiosity and convenience sake!

          Looking forward to their arrival now.

  • On the review it mentions Galaxy S7 is close to the limit to fit inside the unit, is this mean Galaxy Note 4/5 will be too big to fit?

    • The specs say 4-6 inches but I couldn't say with 100% certainty.

      • Thanks. Just ordered one to give it a try.

        • Just received an hour ago (7 days). Have a quick play at lunchtime and it's pretty good. Galaxy Note 4 fitted without with some room to spare.

  • Would a Moto G3 work in these?

    • Should be fine. I used my S7 in it.

  • Seems to be out of stock now.

    • Back in stock now.

      • Ordered yesterday with TNT fast shipping. Hopefully it'll be here early next week.

        • Yeah I ordered earlier in the week, also requested TNT. Been patiently waiting to see the status change from 'processing'!

        • @LaTerrible:

          Read a number of reviews online, look like GeekBuying is really bad at overselling goods. While I'm still hoping but I won't be too optimistic…

        • @kinfungl:

          Just received an hour ago (7 days). Have a quick play at lunchtime and it's pretty good. Galaxy Note 4 fitted without with some room to spare.

  • Starting to wonder if these will even get dispatched this week.

    • Yup… day 4 and my order is still processing.

      • Sometimes it can take up to a week for it be sent out unfortunately. I'll ask how the stock levels are for the Virtoba.

        • Just got notification of dispatch an hour ago via TNT. Tracking number is not active on the TNT site yet but apparently that's normal. Ordered at 6:30pm on the 10th.

          There's no hurry really, I was just starting to wonder if they actually had stock.

        • @cainn: TNT tracking should be active within 24 hours. Use the TNT China site for accurate tracking.

        • @Clear:

          Tracking information now available. Current status: "Collecting". ETA: 18th July, by 6pm.

          Of course that is just an estimate, and it seems like an optimistic one. But perhaps I can reasonably expect it to arrive early-mid next week.

          Yes, this is now my Geekbuying TNT shipping experience blog ;)

        • Mine has been dispatched with a functioning tracking number (TNT). Impressed! ETA of July 19 - can't wait! I'm somewhat dis-proportionally excited.

        • @cainn:

          Collected, processed, in transit :)

        • @cainn:

          Hong Kong July 16, 2016 3:43 AM
          Delay Due To Authorities. Recovery Action Underway

          Sounds scary, but online reports suggest that it's probably just the customs process.

        • @cainn: we're on the same container as my messages are mirroring yours.

        • Can I use this controller (http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Virtoba-VR-PARK-Portable-Wire…) for X5 elite?

          What's X5 different from X5 elite?

          Any special on X5 with controller?http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Virtoba-X5-VR-Box-3D-VR-Google-Glasses-120-Degrees-FOV-Immersive-VR-Virtual-Reality-3D-Movie-Video-Game-Glass-with-Bluetooth-Gamepad-for-4-6-Inch-Smartphone-362995.html

          Thanks

        • @thunder tiger plus:

          Controller compatibility has nothing to do with the headset and everything to do with your phone. And since all phones have bluetooth I'm sure you'll be able to pair it.

          The X5 Elite appears to be a version of the X5 without integrated headphones. Personally I much prefer that as I'm picky about audio quality and would rather use my own.

        • @LaTerrible:

          My parcel was released by customs, got arrested again, but is now seemingly safe and sound at a TNT location:

          July 16, 2016 6:29 PM, HONG LONG, Shipment Received At Tnt Location

          ETA is still July 18 by 6pm.

        • @cainn: yep, same here.

          Mine is now in Sydney, by the sounds of it.

        • @LaTerrible:

          Does it say that? Last entry on mine is:

          July 17, 2016 12:14 AM, HONG KONG, Shipment In Transit.

          I would guess that it's on its way to OZ, assuming it actually made it onto a plane.

        • @cainn: oh bummer.

          Yeah mine arrived in Sydney at 12.58am.

          Latest update is

          July 17, 2016 3:00 PM (Local time)
          SYDNEY Shipment In Transit.

          Basically means it's now on whatever the TNT courier transport is to my address. Hopefully here tomorrow, but Tuesday (the ETA) is fine too!

        • +1

          @LaTerrible:

          So your parcel just abandoned my parcel at an airport in Hong Kong? I thought they were friends!

          Heh.

        • Some magic happened while I was sleeping:

          July 18, 2016 12:08 AM, Melbourne, Released By Customs

          This is quite impressive given how affordable the TNT shipping option is.

        • @cainn: Yep, magic is the right word. Item was delivered this morning O.O

          Pretty happy with how this all went.

        • Mine arrived at 1:08pm today, and the driver actually rang the doorbell and waited for someone to come to the door, just as every driver should.

          So yeah, this was a good shopping experience overall :)

      • Just received an hour ago (7 days). Have a quick play at lunchtime and it's pretty good. Galaxy Note 4 fitted without with some room to spare.

        • Awesome :)

  • @Clear
    Can I use this controller (http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Virtoba-VR-PARK-Portable-Wire…) for X5 elite?

    What's X5 different from X5 elite?

    Any special on X5 with controller?http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Virtoba-X5-VR-Box-3D-VR-Google-Glasses-120-Degrees-FOV-Immersive-VR-Virtual-Reality-3D-Movie-Video-Game-Glass-with-Bluetooth-Gamepad-for-4-6-Inch-Smartphone-362995.html

    Thanks

    • X5 and X5 Elite except the latter has a controller. You can use any Bluetooth controller with your phone and headset.

  • the code is not working anymore, anyone has another one? thanks

    • Same here. Keen to get one, but then the code had expired (n)

    • Yep. I'll have a deal up tomorrow or Friday for both of them (hopefully).

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