Review: AntVR Headset Has Nothing to Do With Virtual Reality

The AntVR headset from Lenovo works with the help of the TheaterMax feature.

Virtual reality has been the talk of the tech town in 2016, with companies like Samsung, Oculus and HTC taking it forward. There are other brands like Lenovo who’re trying to pitch in their voices with VR products like the Ant VR headset.

Priced at Rs 500, you get the Ant VR headset bundled with the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note in the country. Most people have called it the better version of Google Cardboard but is it really better in terms of what we can see, and is it really a VR headset? We try to find out.

Pros:

• Solid body build
• Works with any phone
• Won’t cause head-spin issues

Cons:

• It is not a VR headset
• Offers only 100-degree field of view
• Can be used only in a dark room
• Not so cheap for its features

What’s Good?

Lenovo has worked in partnership with AntVR to design this headset. The AntVR headset is much stronger than the build of Google Cardboard, and supports devices up to 5.5-inch. Unlike most phone-compatible headsets, the AntVR does not need Bluetooth to get paired with your phone. Instead, all you need to do is just plug-and-play.

Using the AntVR with your phone, you can watch any movies and play games with a theatre-like cinematic experience. In simple words, your phone’s screen will look much bigger and closer than it actually is, thereby giving you the immersive experience that Lenovo claims to offer.

The AntVR headset is worth its weight when you turn on the TheaterMax mode on the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note or Vibe X3 smartphone. TheaterMax is a Lenovo-made feature built into the phone’s firmware. You can select this feature by pressing the Power button and switch to the TheaterMax mode. Once you select it, the phone’s screen gets divided into two parts, making it compatible for the AntVR.

Also Read: Review: Lenovo Vibe X3 Is a True Mid-Range Rival to the OnePlus 2

This is an interesting way to watch content from your phone, however, make sure you don’t mistake it for virtual reality or VR.

What’s Bad?

The AntVR headset has nothing to do with virtual reality. The name of the product can be deceptive, but once you start using the device, you realise it does not offer Google Cardboard-like features, let alone the Samsung Gear VR.

This headset’s viewing ability is limited to 100-degrees only, which is lower than what a VR headset should offer, ie: 360-degree viewing. The reason why you can watch any content on the AntVR is because it is not VR-limited.

The bulk of the headset’s work is done by the TheaterMax software which is why you will never feel dizzy or nauseous while using the AntVR, meaning that it can be used for long durations.

The headset does not have any controls and has a gaping space between the phone and the lens. So, if you plan to watch anything via the AntVR in a well-lit room, then forget it. You need a dark room with no lights passing through to make the best of AntVR. Sad, but that’s the fact.

Lenovo says that the gap is there to let you control the phone’s screen which frankly isn’t the most convenient option to have. After using the AntVR we felt that the Google Cardboard is a better VR-centric device which costs less than the AntVR.

Why Buy It?

Lenovo’s attempt to hit the VR strides have fallen to blind eyes and deaf ears. The AntVR headset is anything but a VR-compatible headset a la the Google Cardboard. The headset is mainly a software-supported feature that lets you watch movies and play games with an amplified display without limiting in terms of content.

If you plan to buy the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note, there’s no harm in trying out the AntVR headset which gets bundled with the phone for Rs 12,499. However, if you want to buy it separately, then AntVR for Rs 1,299 is a headset which does not offer VR-like 360-degree viewing and hence, shouldn’t be priced more at than Rs 400, if at all.