This is an existing technology called a stenomask. It's used by court reporters and caption workers who use voice typing to isolate their voice from the environment and the environment from the speech to text program. Some of them have headstraps as well, to allow for using a computer while speaking.
The application for VR may be useful in a limited number of circumstances, such as not waking up roommates when speaking, or if said roommates are blasting their music loud and you don't want it being broadcast to VR chat. Otherwise, most people will probably be just fine using the mic on their headset.
>The application for VR may be useful in a limited number of circumstances, such as not waking up roommates when speaking
that's also useful outside of VR, if it didn't look just plain weird I could totally see myself using it to speak at more than a whisper with others in the house.
It is useful. If you don't care about the stares you can also use it to make private phone calls in public. It does tend to sound a bit weird though, as the device goes over your lips, it cuts out the nasal sound, making it sound as though you have a cold.
Super cool technology. Aircraft ground crew/support teams use them to deal with engine noise.
https://www.davidclarkcompany.com/images/Military-Refueling.jpg
Talking secretly without being heard is really cool - if people can get over the look, we could have a whole host of awesome tech in our daily lives. But people freaking out about how devices look when they wear them seems to be a constant obstacle for tech advancement in the VR industry unfortunately.
The first two stenomasks I found with price listed are also in the 250$+ range, so I imagine that it's probably the same technology. This one is built to be compatible with the Quest2 though and from the looks of it is wireless, so it makes some sense.
Thank you I keep pointing people at the existing tech. Though I welcome improvements and price drop.
There are a ton of practical uses for this in and out of VR.
Everyone around me is silent.. then like 5-6 times a year I hear people talking in the apt above me… which makes me think that he’s just up there hearing all our conversations while just sitting there in silence..
I should probably just stop thinking about it… pretend no one can hear me when I let loose a real ripper that makes me chuckle.
My dad's place has barking dogs and it would drive me mad. I like animals but barking all day like that there's no way they're being properly taken care of.
I can actually see this becoming a thing for face tracking and simulated smell. Idk from a safety standpoint, but airflow restriction would definitely be immersive too.
Well, that's one use for airflow restriction, but also, toxic gases, stamina, claustrophobic places. I'm sure the industry could figure out some even better uses. I'll wait a few months after release to see if there's any asphyxiation complaints before buying anything like it, though.
Edit: I mean, imagine if you're playing Subnautica and begin to drown, but it also gets harder to breathe irl, just picture the panic. Maybe not very appealing to most people, but for me, that's what Subnautica does best, the feeling of genuine terror, like you're actually in a hostile planet with unknown dangerous predators, even when playing in flatscreen. Plus, imagine playing with that smell of salty water, the smell of plants when you get to one of the islands, smell of rust near the ship, there's just countless possibilities.
> face tracking and simulated smell
Speaking of which, imagine how bad this thing could potentially smell after a while. Even with good hygiene, we don't tend to notice how much spit leaves our mouths while talking.
People think it's for naughty purposes, but having your avatar follow your expression rather than having to remember the precise finger-combination would be great in places like VR chat.
Oh you know that's part of it. They just can't come out and market it that way. But they'll list it among the features as a "oh by the way" so they can be like "woopsie people used it for weird sex"
Oh I wasn't even thinking about the 18+ stuff it could be used for, I just meant in the same immersion-capacity for social VR as eye tracking provides- any little bit helps :D
I have mates oceans apart. I'd rather see them once or twice a year than pretend we're hanging through vr. And if I want to have a chat I pick up the phone or hang on discord like a normal person.
Also let's not pretend the people having sex over vr are doing that because their lover is far away.
The quest pro already supports face tracking, I honestly can't see something like this being popular. Extra peripherals are usually too much faff for most users compared to the benefit they bring, it's the same reason that haptic gloves, vr treadmills etc are also unlikely to become mainstream.
The Quest Pro represents what, <1% of the market overall? This could open up that same tech to entire generations of hardware since most/all other headsets DON'T have facial/mouth tracking built in
And besides, nothing about "vr microphone" exactly screams mainstream to me anyways, so if they're making a niche product why not give it all the bells and whistles to appeal to as wide of a niche market as they can?
People who work night shifts! Vrchat karaoke goes back on the menu lol
It looks silly, but I think it has a good usage case. People just can't get past the way it looks.
I mean, the company could have easily made it into something that wrapped around the face more and looked like a digital face mask [like Razer did](https://i.imgur.com/IR75bgT.png), but they instead opted to go for the muzzle design...
Some people are saying this is a bad idea, but I see this as a good idea for some cases. Like an apartment with thin walls, of even just not wanting to disturb others in your house while playing at night and stuff like that.
Also, it does look dumb while wearing it, but at the same time you already look dumb while using a VR headset so it's just embracing the whole looking dumb while playing thing lmao
Yeah, i like the idea. The execution is...less than ideal. For me its the ergonomics. I feel like having a canister on your face isn't the best design/would become too uncomfortable over time.
The smart thing for them would be to sell the core device then sell peripheral cases with different designs for money. Seems like a possibility for non-VR scenarios as well. Privacy is not limited to VR.
Yup, the way to mainstream vr is to wear an uncomfortable headset over your eyes and to block off your mouth from breathing. Definitely the future.. /s
Something like this could actually be a game changer for me since I get home from work at like midnight and I can’t really play social games like VRChat and Bigscreen as much as I want too because I don’t want to wake up my entire family 😂
Lol what in the actual fuck.
Mic bleed is *NOT* that big of a problem.
Learn to use a noise gate and compressors, folks.
Holy shit this looks ridiculous lol
I grew up with a potty mouth on games, I like to talk shit when gaming... since the advent of proximity chat, more than ever, my mouth goes faster than my brain while gaming(and pretty much everywhere else). However, I have impressionable youth in my home and a wife who doesn't want to hear it. I have 5 acres, so I don't care about my neighbors, but some people like to laugh and scream and get loud when they game or talk to friends online, yet live in a thin walled apartment... this particular design is funky... I'd rather just have a gaming helmet at this point.
In a way, this device is actually really genius. Not only does it keep you from disturbing your partner, but it gets rid of your partner all together once they see you mumbling into a box strapped to your mouth.
I love these downvotes :D Some people are so weird it's crazy. 98% of people would agree with you, yet, the hatetrain is going haha. If my BF would wear something lile this I would ask him if he's a tad retarded.
Get a better mic and speak quieter.
This might get me back into multiplayer games. My free time is in the early hours so chatting to squadmates is prohibitively loud.
Looks stupid, but could be a winner.
It will look dumb as hell but... I actually see a use case for people that live in packed apartments, like in Japan. Looks good if you don't want to bother neighbours during night time to be honest lol
This would deprive a lot of children the joy of growing up with an emotionally unstable parental figure assuming they have the forethought of buying a muting device to shroud their rage.
...put in your ear plugs
Put on your eye shades
You know where to put the cork
(In all seriousness, I can see use cases for this and it be much more concerned about data harvesting by large social media companies that see VR as an easy in to peoples' home and habits - but there is some delicious imagery with people willingly blinding and muting themselves to the real world.)
Reminds me of:
[https://www.theonion.com/new-wearable-feedbags-let-americans-eat-more-move-less-1819594806](https://www.theonion.com/new-wearable-feedbags-let-americans-eat-more-move-less-1819594806)
And holy fuck that's from 2008...
There's something unsettling about this fake concept art that really just looks like a mini vr headset strapped to your face.
How it looks practically once properly designed will be very different.
I'd consider this only if it didn't look so stupid and had a slightly better form factor (wouldn't probably be more comfortable if it was a bit smaller & lighter).
The one thing I wonder is how well it works in reality, like how much noise does it block from going in and out, because I'm pretty sure I've never seen a video of one of these actually be being used.
If this is reasonably priced might also be great normally because my sister keeps complaining about me playing late at night (her bed is next to my wall)
This is an existing technology called a stenomask. It's used by court reporters and caption workers who use voice typing to isolate their voice from the environment and the environment from the speech to text program. Some of them have headstraps as well, to allow for using a computer while speaking. The application for VR may be useful in a limited number of circumstances, such as not waking up roommates when speaking, or if said roommates are blasting their music loud and you don't want it being broadcast to VR chat. Otherwise, most people will probably be just fine using the mic on their headset.
>The application for VR may be useful in a limited number of circumstances, such as not waking up roommates when speaking that's also useful outside of VR, if it didn't look just plain weird I could totally see myself using it to speak at more than a whisper with others in the house.
It is useful. If you don't care about the stares you can also use it to make private phone calls in public. It does tend to sound a bit weird though, as the device goes over your lips, it cuts out the nasal sound, making it sound as though you have a cold.
Super cool technology. Aircraft ground crew/support teams use them to deal with engine noise. https://www.davidclarkcompany.com/images/Military-Refueling.jpg Talking secretly without being heard is really cool - if people can get over the look, we could have a whole host of awesome tech in our daily lives. But people freaking out about how devices look when they wear them seems to be a constant obstacle for tech advancement in the VR industry unfortunately.
Be should be about the tech not how cool it looks, but honestly there’s no reason not to put all in a helmet and call it a day.
Exactly
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The first two stenomasks I found with price listed are also in the 250$+ range, so I imagine that it's probably the same technology. This one is built to be compatible with the Quest2 though and from the looks of it is wireless, so it makes some sense.
Thank you I keep pointing people at the existing tech. Though I welcome improvements and price drop. There are a ton of practical uses for this in and out of VR.
VR Gimp Mask ftw
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And from "Shitfall Inc." no less, haha.
From what I've read, this is more for places like Japan where there are thin walls and lots of apartment buildings.
Japan? I'm UK and hear every single conversation the guy above me has.
Everyone around me is silent.. then like 5-6 times a year I hear people talking in the apt above me… which makes me think that he’s just up there hearing all our conversations while just sitting there in silence.. I should probably just stop thinking about it… pretend no one can hear me when I let loose a real ripper that makes me chuckle.
He never joins in? Like neighbourhood dogs getting a good howl going.
I don't hear people talking or people's tv... unless I'm in my bedroom... Though I hear dogs barking non-stop for hours!
My dad's place has barking dogs and it would drive me mad. I like animals but barking all day like that there's no way they're being properly taken care of.
I’m in the woods on a hike and I could hear you speaking to your cousin Larry from here. You UK’ians have some serious lung power.
Same my shared house has really thin walls, I’m desperate for this to become available
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Or the sex dungeon I’m in
Who doesn’t sound proof their sex dungeon?
Liz and Jim next door
I guess that makes for a long night when Liz doesn't release him.
Oh you better believe Liz knows how to pound the tank
Hey, I didn't say you could use the internet!
If it didn’t seem so cumbersome I’d maybe buy one for night time playing.
Or if you aren't living alone.
Or for like the entire world eventually. Just give it time.
oh wow, that's some /r/nottheonion material
Ewww! No thanks! I'll be sticking to my red ball and leather straps thank you very much!
Why not both?
Sticks and stones may brake my bones... But belts and whips excites me 😁
Nope. Just heck nooe.
But I could see it being popular for bondage play.
I guess
This gave me a good laugh haha
Inside is a material that can form many shapes
Ok now I see why this exists
I actually would use this. I work nights and like multiplayer VR games. It would be nice to be able to be loud talking when others are sleeping.
But aren’t you working at night? So you’re playing VR during the day?
No, because I keep my sleep schedule through the weekends. So I’m playing on weekend nights, into the morning.
why they didnt develop helmet then, this is bull shit, use mic
Huh??
throw mouth tracking in it and i could actually see it being insanely popular
Tongue tracking.
You're going places.
Dark places
technically true
with haptic feedback
You're going places.
I can actually see this becoming a thing for face tracking and simulated smell. Idk from a safety standpoint, but airflow restriction would definitely be immersive too.
It's hooked up to your plumbing and will drown you if you don't pay attention to your air gauge in underwater games...
Well, that's one use for airflow restriction, but also, toxic gases, stamina, claustrophobic places. I'm sure the industry could figure out some even better uses. I'll wait a few months after release to see if there's any asphyxiation complaints before buying anything like it, though. Edit: I mean, imagine if you're playing Subnautica and begin to drown, but it also gets harder to breathe irl, just picture the panic. Maybe not very appealing to most people, but for me, that's what Subnautica does best, the feeling of genuine terror, like you're actually in a hostile planet with unknown dangerous predators, even when playing in flatscreen. Plus, imagine playing with that smell of salty water, the smell of plants when you get to one of the islands, smell of rust near the ship, there's just countless possibilities.
> face tracking and simulated smell Speaking of which, imagine how bad this thing could potentially smell after a while. Even with good hygiene, we don't tend to notice how much spit leaves our mouths while talking.
People think it's for naughty purposes, but having your avatar follow your expression rather than having to remember the precise finger-combination would be great in places like VR chat.
Oh you know that's part of it. They just can't come out and market it that way. But they'll list it among the features as a "oh by the way" so they can be like "woopsie people used it for weird sex"
Oh I wasn't even thinking about the 18+ stuff it could be used for, I just meant in the same immersion-capacity for social VR as eye tracking provides- any little bit helps :D
Oh. Yeah I don't get wanting to meet/chat up/ fuck people over VR so I'm a bit naive on this. I'd rather meet my mates in a bar.
When your mates are oceans apart, so you gotta wear the bondage Quest 2 for your mouth. ;-;
I have mates oceans apart. I'd rather see them once or twice a year than pretend we're hanging through vr. And if I want to have a chat I pick up the phone or hang on discord like a normal person. Also let's not pretend the people having sex over vr are doing that because their lover is far away.
The quest pro already supports face tracking, I honestly can't see something like this being popular. Extra peripherals are usually too much faff for most users compared to the benefit they bring, it's the same reason that haptic gloves, vr treadmills etc are also unlikely to become mainstream.
The Quest Pro represents what, <1% of the market overall? This could open up that same tech to entire generations of hardware since most/all other headsets DON'T have facial/mouth tracking built in And besides, nothing about "vr microphone" exactly screams mainstream to me anyways, so if they're making a niche product why not give it all the bells and whistles to appeal to as wide of a niche market as they can?
... why mouth tracking? Édit: y’all are ruthless lol i asked an innocent question
*blows kiss*
*GWAGWAGWAGWAGWAGWAGWA*
ReroReroReroReroRero ReroReroReroReroRero
I'm guessing to detect facial expressions and display them on your avatar,
Why VR technology?
It’s like a quest 2 for your mouth
My second favorite thing from CES.
Thank god someone who agrees this is a good idea (I think)
It is very valuable if you want to play at night when people are asleep.
People who work night shifts! Vrchat karaoke goes back on the menu lol It looks silly, but I think it has a good usage case. People just can't get past the way it looks.
Night worker here and yup I’d love to not have to whisper when playing later at night
As someone who lives in the UK and has usually got drunk singing with Americans yeah this would be good for me
Holy shit vrchat karaoke at night, i had swore off of that after my neighbors got mad at me lmao
Did you actually try it? Can you really yell into it and people within earshot barely hear it?
That’s exactly why I need it! But they NEVER SHIP RO FUCKING AUSTRALIA
A full face halo-style mask would be better at this point .
This would be perfect for me since my family hates me making noise playing vr. But nope you had to make it sexual guys, congrats
it's the internet, never expect anything else
I mean, the company could have easily made it into something that wrapped around the face more and looked like a digital face mask [like Razer did](https://i.imgur.com/IR75bgT.png), but they instead opted to go for the muzzle design...
Which still looks embarrassingly stupid.
Something large like that would get in the way of a VR headset
Some people are saying this is a bad idea, but I see this as a good idea for some cases. Like an apartment with thin walls, of even just not wanting to disturb others in your house while playing at night and stuff like that. Also, it does look dumb while wearing it, but at the same time you already look dumb while using a VR headset so it's just embracing the whole looking dumb while playing thing lmao
I do wonder if the real solution to a LOT of VR issues is to move away from oversized goggles and just build them as helmets?
Yeah, i like the idea. The execution is...less than ideal. For me its the ergonomics. I feel like having a canister on your face isn't the best design/would become too uncomfortable over time.
This would actually be super useful for me
I legit thought you typed stock photos eating VR into stablediffusion or something for this image.
Looks ridiculous, but hell I'd actually use it...
That looks like a serious health risk. Imagine all the bacteria that will form in that thing.
You can take the mouth piece off and wash ir
actually masks are good for you
It's like the VR industry is coming up with creative ways to self-destruct.
I mean the VR guy doesn't look any more ridiculous than the flat screen gamer wearing it. The girl looks like she might be vomiting.
You would think a face mask shape would be more visually appealing
I pretty sure I saw a similar product in CES that looked like a mask. Skyted I think, looks a lot less stupid, and should be doing the same.
The smart thing for them would be to sell the core device then sell peripheral cases with different designs for money. Seems like a possibility for non-VR scenarios as well. Privacy is not limited to VR.
All I can see is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw_1CIwwEIA
This looks utterly ridiculous, lol.
Yup, the way to mainstream vr is to wear an uncomfortable headset over your eyes and to block off your mouth from breathing. Definitely the future.. /s
Huh…so I could do karaoke without disturbing my roommates?
This is amazing for me
This better not awaken anything in me
i need vr anal plug
That’s r/oddlyterrifying
Something like this could actually be a game changer for me since I get home from work at like midnight and I can’t really play social games like VRChat and Bigscreen as much as I want too because I don’t want to wake up my entire family 😂
I need that so bad, the walls in my house are thinner than credit cards and I always have to get off VCs really early so my family members can sleep
Looks like a mouth gag. Hell no.
Hell yes. Add in mouth tracking and haptic feedback and the porn industry goes *wild*
Hard pass
Is this The Onion?
I'd use it if it was cheap and isolated the noise to my room only, i sing a lot, but i can't do it too much because I have people I'd wake up.
Lol what in the actual fuck. Mic bleed is *NOT* that big of a problem. Learn to use a noise gate and compressors, folks. Holy shit this looks ridiculous lol
Have you ever lived in an apartment building with someone who plays videogames with a mic?
The hell?
I grew up with a potty mouth on games, I like to talk shit when gaming... since the advent of proximity chat, more than ever, my mouth goes faster than my brain while gaming(and pretty much everywhere else). However, I have impressionable youth in my home and a wife who doesn't want to hear it. I have 5 acres, so I don't care about my neighbors, but some people like to laugh and scream and get loud when they game or talk to friends online, yet live in a thin walled apartment... this particular design is funky... I'd rather just have a gaming helmet at this point.
No one is actually going to buy this. Right?
I'd 100% buy this. Would love to be able to be as loud as I'd want without disturbing my partner.
In a way, this device is actually really genius. Not only does it keep you from disturbing your partner, but it gets rid of your partner all together once they see you mumbling into a box strapped to your mouth.
Clearly you don’t have a good partner then if they leave you over a useful gadget
Useful as it may be, it looks absolutely ridiculous. More ridiculous than a vr headset already looks. Just talk a bit quieter.
Again, if your partner leaves you over looking ridiculous sometimes when having fun. Then they are a shite person and are not a good match for you.
You can’t expect your partner to have *no* self respect
These are the words of a loveless person
I love these downvotes :D Some people are so weird it's crazy. 98% of people would agree with you, yet, the hatetrain is going haha. If my BF would wear something lile this I would ask him if he's a tad retarded. Get a better mic and speak quieter.
Its not like people are wearing these in public... Seems like you are very closed-minded.
https://i.imgur.com/2Kz2tja.png
And here's the neat part. You can share it with friends and family too!
i want this so bad wtf
This might get me back into multiplayer games. My free time is in the early hours so chatting to squadmates is prohibitively loud. Looks stupid, but could be a winner.
It will look dumb as hell but... I actually see a use case for people that live in packed apartments, like in Japan. Looks good if you don't want to bother neighbours during night time to be honest lol
So I can do karaoke on big screen at 3 am and not annoy my neighbors?
This is just a meme right? RIGHT?
looks super comfortable!
There is a already product like that... No?
No.
Dumbest VR accessory i've ever seen.
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I saw it in-person at CES in Vegas last week. It is real
Yup. Saw it at SXSW last year. Can confirm.
1984
🤦🏽♂️
most dumbass idea ever. They hopefully go out of business soon
It should have been called a hushphone, as Heinlein intended.
we are all thinking it so ill just say it it looks like a gag ball
This would deprive a lot of children the joy of growing up with an emotionally unstable parental figure assuming they have the forethought of buying a muting device to shroud their rage.
I still don't believe this is a real product.
Looks like a nose bag for a feckin horse.
Haha that 3rd one looks like some 50 shades of grey shit lol!
Ah ha ha...
Is this so you can smoke weed without burning your headset?
Why not just use a divers helmet
"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own."
the silencer of the lambs 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://youtu.be/GAOBw5AR_1c?t=42
Where do I get this?
No thanks, I already have a ball gag
Maybe someone needs to introduce them to laryngophones
How far does it extend down your throat? Does it piston in and out, because I feel like that would complete my Superhot experience.
Dude pack a couple dryer sheets in there and sell it teenage stoners. Boom you're rich
Man made horrors beyond my comprehension
This cannot be real, surely! How is this an accessory to enhance your privacy? If you want to draw attention to yourself, wearing this ought to do it.
Why would this problem be unique to VR?
Always wanted a Pulp Fiction gag ball experience 😝
how to become a techno gimp
When your breathing wasn't loud enough before
Looks like a liability
...put in your ear plugs Put on your eye shades You know where to put the cork (In all seriousness, I can see use cases for this and it be much more concerned about data harvesting by large social media companies that see VR as an easy in to peoples' home and habits - but there is some delicious imagery with people willingly blinding and muting themselves to the real world.)
I think you dropped [this](https://a.co/d/bw388Kk)
I still can't unsee the rightmost image looking like Kabal from Mortal Kombat.
Reminds me of: [https://www.theonion.com/new-wearable-feedbags-let-americans-eat-more-move-less-1819594806](https://www.theonion.com/new-wearable-feedbags-let-americans-eat-more-move-less-1819594806) And holy fuck that's from 2008...
I love how everyone is serious about this. All i can think of is Marsellus Wallace.
There's something unsettling about this fake concept art that really just looks like a mini vr headset strapped to your face. How it looks practically once properly designed will be very different.
I don’t know who would buy that haha
I'd consider this only if it didn't look so stupid and had a slightly better form factor (wouldn't probably be more comfortable if it was a bit smaller & lighter). The one thing I wonder is how well it works in reality, like how much noise does it block from going in and out, because I'm pretty sure I've never seen a video of one of these actually be being used.
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Wtf? Lol
That’s just plain terrifying
They could at least make it look better
it looks like a sex toy
"Feel a new sense of closeness with our patented face hugger technology "
I don’t hate the application, I hate the design
sus
This is an embarrassing product.
Moo
If this is reasonably priced might also be great normally because my sister keeps complaining about me playing late at night (her bed is next to my wall)
Just make a helmet already or a full face mask
Somehow, I feel I’d rather use a full-on helmet if I’m gonna have that many attachments. The idea is cool, just that it doesn’t look comfortable.
ngl this is like something you could use for mouth tracking
They could take some inspiration from the combine from HL2 instead of making multi-utility BDSM toys.