Sony Japan announces desk-friendly spatial display that lets you view 3D virtual characters without special glasses or a headset

Sony Japan announced the ELF-MN1, a spatial reality display, on October 28. The device is scheduled to launch domestically on December 11, at an estimated retail price of around 54,000 yen.

The ELF-MN1 is a new product by XYN, a brand under Sony specializing in spatial content. The compact, 6-inch spatial display allows users to view 3D content, including avatars and characters, in stereoscopic 3D with the naked eye (i.e. without the need for special glasses or a headset).

One of the device’s key features is its ability to generate and display 3D images in real time based on the viewer’s position, using Sony’s proprietary technology. An infrared sensor has been added to the eye-tracking sensors found in previous models, allowing the display to accurately track the viewer’s pupils even in dark environments. Its two-viewpoint system delivers a pixel density of 403 ppi, the highest of any of Sony’s spatial reality displays. Additionally, the device comes with technology that reduces image blur and double images (crosstalk).

ELF-MN1 displays content when connected to a smartphone or PC using a single USB-C cable. It can also supply power to a connected smartphone. Four compatible applications have been announced so far. These include HoloModels, a digital figure service from Gugenka; Deskrium, a viewer application that supports 3D data; Animates, an AI companion app from Animation Inc.; and “Fenestra: my focus, her future,” a productivity companion game scheduled to be released on Steam by STAYRESIDENT. The display also supports objects created using XYN’s spatial capture solutions. Developers can use the provided SDK to create their own original content.

Sony has previously released two other spatial reality displays: the 15.6-inch ELF-SR1 and the 27-inch ELF-SR2, but these products were primarily designed with professional and business applications in mind. The newly announced ELF-MN1, appears to take a different approach, with its compact size and emphasis on “connecting with characters and avatars in everyday life.” Smartphone compatibility is also a new feature introduced with this model.

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