【female full frontal】

Because few people are female full frontalready to part with $3,000 to try Microsoft's HoloLens version of augmented reality, we've been waiting for a cheaper solution — and now it's here, in the form of the Prism.

Developed by Los Angeles-based Mira, the device is to the HoloLens what the Samsung Gear VR is to the Oculus Rift. It's much, much cheaper, and more lightweight and portable, but don't expect the same kind of AR experience you'd get with the HoloLens.

SEE ALSO: 'Star Wars: Jedi Challenges' lets you train your light saber skills in augmented reality

And like the Gear VR, all you need to make it work is a smartphone — in this case the iPhone. I had a chance to test it out last week and it was impressive, although I had a hard time coming up with reasons I'd actually use it at this point. In addition to the headset (which is incredibly well-designed), you also get a separate controller that allows you to interact with AR games and objects.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

During my demo, I played one game that allowed me to shoot aliens floating in a virtual constellation, and during another I played against another Prism user in the same room as we both controlled characters moving through a virtual maze. And if your friends don't have a Prism headset, they can watch the game on a separate iPhone or iPad in spectator mode by using the Mira app.

The translucent quality of the AR images and limited field of view doesn't make this a great tool for watching movies, so it remains to be seen exactly what uses developers might come up with for it.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Another hurdle is that Disney revealed a similar, smartphone-powered AR device last week. It's a partnership with Lenovo and it comes with a Star Warslight saber training game.

That'll be hard to beat.

And because this is a fairly simple device in terms of cost and design, we can expect more smartphone-powered AR devices to start cropping up from other companies in the coming months.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"We founded Mira as we genuinely believe the possibilities of AR are endless and this is another great example of that," co-founder and CEO Ben Taft said when asked about the challenge from Disney's new AR device. "We're particularly excited to see how Disney makes this a reality for Star Warsfans."

Even in the face of Disney's AR device and the coming wave of Apple ARKit-powered AR apps, the team behind the device seems confident about their chances. To that end, Mira just opened up pre-orders for the Prism (which is aimed at developers for now) for $99 and they plan to ship the device in the fall.

---

Featured Video For You

---

These futuristic contact lenses could record video in a blink of an eye

---

Topics Augmented Reality Virtual Reality

• Science
• Digital Culture
• Deals
• Life
• Tech
• Games
• Social Good
• Shopping

• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for May 9, 2025
• David Beckham looks totally unrecognisable in his 'King Arthur' makeup
• David Beckham managed to piss just about everyone off with his new Facebook post
• A drunken Cayde
• The State of PC Gaming in 2016
• India's 'anti
• Read an exclusive excerpt of Mindy McGinnis' upcoming book 'Given to the Sea'
• These new educational apps will help Syrian refugee kids learn and play
• The Mismeasure of Media
• The Mexico Tourism Board made a cloud that rains tequila and we're booking our flights now

• Snowden takes a bow for whistleblowing after NSA pulls back surveillance
• Justin Trudeau enchants the internet by putting on a jacket
• Some Apple Watch batteries are expanding for some reason, but don't panic
• Ja Rule on Fyre Fest: 'I truly apologize as this is NOT MY FAULT'
• Ring the alarm. The palace just released a new photo of Princess Charlotte.
• Facebook and Google got scammed out of $100 million
• If you want to find real love, find yourself someone who loves HGTV
• 'Game of Thrones' actor shares more on why Jaime could kill Cersei
• 'Game of Thrones' got some bad reviews back in the day, gets the last laugh
• Sneaky TV contestant makes a whole nation lose the 'circle game'

• Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth
• 5 best budget smartphones of 2025, so far
• Google has more problems as YouTube ad boycott reaches another country
• China just registered 14 million people that never officially existed before
• Best Max streaming deal: Save 20% on annual subscriptions
• 5 best budget smartphones of 2025, so far
• Elon Musk's SpaceX is betting big on its rocket launch this week
• Amazon Prime members can now get VIP tickets at gigs and festivals
• What cracked the Milky Way's giant cosmic bone? Scientists think they know.
• What we know about Elon Musk’s plan to go full super villain and play with your brain

• Best robot vacuum deal: Save $140 on roborock Q7 Max Robot Vacuum
• College girls use 56 boxes of mac and cheese as a bath bomb and we don't know why
• Cyclone Debbie proved one thing: Australians are super weird
• Apple finally approved an app that tracks drone strikes, then abruptly deleted it
• Philips now allows customers to 3D print replacement parts
• Billy Eichner is joining 'American Horror Story' to hang with Sarah Paulson
• Billy Eichner is joining 'American Horror Story' to hang with Sarah Paulson
• A drunken Cayde
• NYT Connections hints and answers for May 18: Tips to solve 'Connections' #707.
• Yes, of course, someone from Congress apparently edited the 'celibacy' Wikipedia page