Sony’s Business MR Headset Launching Next Month with a $4,750 Price Tag

Over the past year, news on Sony’s SRH-S1 standalone mixed reality headset has been scant since the company first introduced it at CES 2024. Now, this enterprise-centered device finally has a launch timeline and a price tag.

Developed in collaboration with Siemens, the Sony SRH-S1 is scheduled to make its debut sometime in February 2025 with a price set at $4,750. The partnership clearly focuses on industrial applications; the device will be available for purchase starting January 23, 2025, directly through Siemens.

Initially pitched to appeal to creative professionals, this headset is now squarely aimed at the industrial sector. Sony and Siemens envision the SRH-S1 as a tool to “enable the industrial metaverse,” enhancing product design and manufacturing through Siemens’ advanced mixed reality technology suite.

Let’s delve into the specs: the headset boasts a 13.6MP per-eye display built with Sony’s ECX344A OLED microdisplays and operates on a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset. Sony highlights its proprietary rendering technology, designed for real-time 3D object rendering, as a key feature.

This mixed reality device is equipped with passthrough video capabilities and features a flip-up visor. It also includes a set of uniquely ergonomic controllers for intuitive 3D interaction, resembling a stylus pointer and ring for better user experience.

Siemens has been refining its enterprise-specific Immersive Engineering tools over the past year. These tools integrate with the SRH-S1 to allow users to design 3D assets in CAD and engage with models. It also facilitates remote, multi-user design reviews via the cloud-based NX X platform from Siemens.

Bob Haubrock, senior VP of Product Engineering Software at Siemens Digital Industries Software, remarked, “After giving a sneak peek of the HMD at CES last year, our teams have crafted tools that fundamentally change how mixed reality is utilized in engineering. This extends beyond global collaboration on high-fidelity 3D models to co-creating essential 3D CAD data within a secure, managed environment.”

In addition to this launch, CES recently saw Sony uncover plans for a creative-focused headset named XYN, aimed at prosumers. Although details on pricing and release date for the XYN are sparse, it’s rumored to be a prototype stage variant of the SRH-S1, distinguishable by its black color compared to the SRH-S1’s grey casing. Though Sony remains tight-lipped on XYN, it certainly promises an interesting development for creative professionals.