Simula One will begin crowdtesting in January suitable for Linu

Developers looking for unique Linux-based workstations may be interested to hear that SimulaVR, the startup behind its own open-source VR Linux distribution, is creating a VR all-in-one that aims to deliver this.

Known as the Simula One, this all-in-one machine is not for gaming, but for programmers, software engineers, developers, and basically anyone who uses Linux to handle work-related matters.

For now, the company has mentioned basic features and showcased a prototype of the Simula One. The exterior has a retro feel, an atmosphere that ostensibly draws inspiration from early home computers such as the Magnavox Odyssey, Atari 2600, and Apple II.

So far, we only know a few things about Simula One ok. The headset is said to come with a detachable x86 compute package, which installs the company's SimulaOS open source VR window manager by default, and can also be installed and run on SteamVR headsets such as Valve Index and HTC Vive Pro.

Simula One is also said to include hand tracking via UltraLeap, a straight-through AR mode so you can keep an eye on your surroundings, as well as other goodies that will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months.

The company tentatively launches a Kickstarter campaign for this headset in January 2022. Singer, the founder of Simular, said we will hear more about the delivery and price of the Simula One in the coming weeks, as well as product updates, pictures and videos of the headset.

It's clear that Simula One has attracted a small percentage of VR users with its hardware-focused approach, that is, it's not a virtual machine running Linux, which is a recognized, more general-purpose solution. The prospect of running Linux appliances out of the box is still very interesting, and it will be interesting to see what developers can do beyond simply using the command line to continue working in virtual reality.