BOBOVR Z4 3D Virtual Reality VR Glasses review
BOBOVR Z4 3D Virtual Reality VR Glasses are a Google Cardboard style implementation of side-by-side 3D video that uses your 4-6″ phone to do the work. I’ve reviewed a couple of these style headsets in the past, and all the ones I’ve run across before required slight modification of bumpers to hold in the phone, had no easy way to dismiss a notification, and didn’t come with headphones.
OK, first off, the ones shipped to me for review (by Gearbest,) do not have the same straps that I’ve seen on any product page (including Gearbest’s.) They’ve got this nice soft velcro connector that doesn’t grab hair and is easy to reconfigure while you’re watching video or playing a game. It also holds extremely well and just doesn’t feel like it’s going to be filled with hair.
Your phone slides in, and if you’ve got the SBS video up already you just tap it where it needs to go and plug in the audio jack. Closing the faceplate fastens the phone in place, and you’re good to go. If you’re out of focus, which you’ll find you get occasionally, just turn the knob and everything comes right back into place. I can usually refocus in two seconds as opposed to some things that didn’t provide a sharp image.
There’s an OK button that will cause a “finger” to tap the middle of the screen for you. I’m not sure what use this has but it has it (dismiss on iPhone maybe?) There’re also multi-use volume controls assuming you have the headphones plugged in. It seems you’ve got up, down, and answer call.
Earphones I’m going to bet aren’t going to work for everyone. While you can adjust distance, adjusting height requires that the goggles be tilted. It wasn’t an issue for me but if you’ve got an asynchronous ear configuration you might find that the ear additions are useless.
The field of view is pretty good. You’re still limited to half your phone’s display minus a few pixels lost in the center, but it provides that and some blackness on the sides. The lenses it comes with tend to make things feel a little wider which is actually welcome in everything I’ve seen so far.
Of course SBS video and apps will vary, and some seem to be squished and designed to make you feel like you’re watching Toothpick world.
There are thermal vents for your phone’s enjoyment, as well as the ability to run in a charging cable. One thing where I think they missed a feature was not including some sort of cable management clips on the side or as Deslok pointed out to me a battery holder on the back of the head straps.
Overall though this seems to be the best implementation of the Google Cardboard style VR glasses I’ve seen. It feels good, I’m not getting eye strain, and the image I see is good. I’m impressed. I don’t think the Cardboard project style implementation can get that much better than these.
You can grab the BOBOVR Z4 3D Virtual Reality VR Glasses over at Gearbest and use coupon code LHXZ checking out to drop the price to $29.99. Yes, that beats Amazon by $10. Shipping? Don’t know. May even out.
Also, thanks once again to Gearbest for shooting me a set over to review.
