First impression of the UMi VR BOX 3
The UMi Virtual Reality headset is delivered in a simple cardboard box that contains the VR BOX 3, a cleaning cloth and a multilingual operating manual. The UMi VR BOX is well made and is also visually appealing due to the black and white piano lacquer design. The entire VR headset is made of plastic and is still pleasantly light at just under 280g. On the underside there is a small magnetic switch for operating the inserted smartphone (if the smartphone supports the function!). The slot for inserting the smartphone is well padded, which prevents the smartphone from being accidentally scratched. In addition, the smartphone is held in position by the rubber pads on the side. A magnetic holder prevents the flap from opening unintentionally. Smartphones with a diagonal of 4-6 inches are supported. All connections of the smartphone are exposed through side openings, which means that the smartphone can be charged while in use, and headphones can also be connected without any problems.
The lenses of the UMi VR BOX 3 are made of ABS resin and are firmly embedded in the lens shaft. The side-mounted controls regulate the distance between the lenses and the smartphone. The above the VR glasses attached regulator is used to correct the eye relief.
The three-point headband of UMi VR glasses is adjustable in size and elastic. The collusion is made of imitation leather. The face pad is also padded.
OPERATION
The German part of the manual is less well translated, but the use of the glasses is largely self-explanatory. The inserted smartphone must be centered with the display on and the VR app started, close the flap and you can dive into virtual worlds.
During the review, the UMi VR BOX 3 has also collected some criticisms. With my Nexus 5 I could not use the glasses properly at first. As soon as you inserted the smartphone, the display turned off automatically. The reason for this is the magnetic switch below, which was placed slightly unfavorably. The original Google Cardboard also has such a switch, but this sits on the right side of the case. Depending on which smartphone you own, you should remove the magnetic switch. The removal is also not a problem because this small magnet is held only by a metal plate inside.
Another point of criticism is the lack of a QR code with the glasses' configuration data. Although the UMi VR BOX 3 has a sticker attached to the side with a QR code, this only leads to the manufacturer's website. So you have to configure the glasses manually or you can download the QR code of the “BOBOVR Z3” glasses, which are identical to the UMi VR headset. Another alternative is the "Google View Profile Generator" (Link), which you can use to create such a configuration file yourself.
VR experiences
I have tested several VR apps, as well as different smartphones with the UMi VR BOX. The adjustment of the lenses was very easy thanks to the different controls. The glasses can also be easily used with myopia with up to -8 diopter.
With an 5 inch smartphone you can see clear edges left and right. With a 5.5 inch smartphone, on the other hand, a VR feeling can definitely arise. However, you should have at least one smartphone with Full HD resolution and even then you can still see individual pixels.
The view through the lenses was very clear and the field of view was very large with about 90 ° -105 °.
It is interesting to connect the smartphone to the PC and PC games directly via Trinus VR (Link) or RiftCat (Link) to stream to the smartphone. With a correspondingly powerful PC and an equally powerful smartphone, a very good virtual reality experience can be created due to the high field of view.
comfort
The comfort is very good. Even with a smartphone inserted, the UMi VR goggles sit comfortably on your head and will not be too heavy even after long sessions. Due to the size-adjustable head strap and the padding, the VR headset fits snugly, so that no light from outside penetrates. Despite the tight padding, I did not sweat at any time.
UMi VR BOX 3
quality of workmanship
comfort
Customization
field of view
No configuration file
Questionably placed magnetic switch
The UMi VR BOX 3 can be described as a "Deluxe Google Cardboard". The VR glasses are very well made and the quality of the lenses was convincing in the test. The wearing comfort is good and even with myopia this headset can be adjusted individually thanks to the adjustable lenses.
Criticism can be practiced on the unfavorably placed magnetic switch. Depending on which smartphone one owns it can come here to problems. The magnet can also be removed later. Another criticism is the missing QR code for configuring the headset within the Google Cardboard app. Here you can refer to the configuration of the BOBOVR Z3 glasses.
Sabi
26. April 2016 20 to: 00
Thanks for the review. I wanted to get this Google Cardboard recently, but I hesitated. Do you pull them over normal glasses or how does it work?
Timo admin
26. April 2016 23 to: 29
You can use the UMi VR BOX with myopia up to -8 diopters without any problems. You take off your glasses for this. Slight farsightedness can also be compensated for using the controller.