Come November 11th, 2011, Sony will start selling its "HMZ personal 3D viewer" device in Japan.
The HMZ is a head mounted 3D display which Sony hopes to sell to "people who prefer solitary entertainment." The device will retail for 60,000 yen (EUR 542 or USD 654) and will be able to display music videos, movies and games in stereoscopic 3D.
Somehow, HMZ stands for "Head Mounted Display" and it looks like a chunky futuristic visor that covers both eyes and ears (it includes a pair of earphones).
In the early 1990s Nintendo released a similar device called the Virtual Boy but it failed big time due to its bulky size and weight as well as the fact that it displayed images in red only. According to Sony, the HMZ is much more sophisticated as it gives its wearer an immersive experience equivalent to sitting in one of the best seats of a movie theatre.
The new headgear is not recommended for people under 16 years old as experts believe overly stimulating imagery is not good for teenagers whose brains are still developing, according to Shigeru Kato, a Sony vice president.
No release date has been announced yet for North America and Europe, but it is expected to hit those markets by Christmas.