AEX - Video game consoles
HomeAEX InformationHistoryConsolesComputersArticles
 Video Games - Main Menu

Video Game Systems :: Jaguar :: Jaguar Virtual Reality System

Jaguar VR Headset

The VR project was never to see the light of day.  Virtuality Inc. were the company Atari hooked up with to produce an ambitious plan for a home VR headset at under $300.00.  The unit was in development for over 2 years, and as Jaguar sales diminished, the VR unit was shelved.

Jaguar VR at the '95 CES

Prototypes shown at the CES were actually running from a Virtuality PC system under the show-booth!  One game had been programmed with VR capabilities, and that was Missile Command 2000.

Jaguar VR logo

The lightweight headset was fully adjustable and was padded inside for maximum comfort.  Inside the unit, a 7" colour TFT LCD screen provided the players view, with a resolution of 260 by 400 pixels.  A built-in microphone allowed players to communicate for planned networked gaming, and sound was provided through the headset via stereo speakers.

A custom optical system projected a binocular image to both eyes; which is aligned at infinity, so focus adjustment was not needed.  Two degrees of freedom (left/right and up/down) were available and a field of view of 52 degrees horizontal by 40 degrees vertical.

The tracking station senses the position of the controller and the headset via an infra-red tracking system (called "V-Trak" by Virtuality Inc).  The Jaguar VR tracking speed is 250Hz, with a lag time faster than Virtuality's own arcade hardware of the time!  The tracker has a range of approximately 100 degrees and multiple trackers can be daisy-chained together to provide a full 360° tracking area if required.

Jaguar VR Components

 
 The Pong family
 Touch Me
 2600 VCS
 5200 Super System
 7800 Pro System
 XEGS
 Lynx
 Jaguar
 Arcade
 Topic sub-menu
 Atari Panther
 Jaguar CD
 Virtual Reality System
 Jaguar Duo
 Jaguar 2
 Accessories 
 JagWare
 The "official" ending...
 Go to the Forums