Former Quest Engineer Praises Vision Pro Imitation

Wait, Apple Vision Pro doesn’t come in black, right? You’re correct, but the Play For Dream MR does, as it made a splash at CES 2025. Dubbed the ‘Android Vision Pro’ because it runs on an Android-based OS, this headset from Play For Dream is turning quite a few heads.

After its initial launch in Asia last year, the China-based company set its sights on the Western market, kicking off a Kickstarter campaign in September. That move brought in a hefty HK$2,271,650, which is about $292,000 USD.

The Play For Dream MR headset is loaded with features that any XR enthusiast would appreciate. It’s powered by a Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset, runs on Android 15, and boasts dual 3,840 × 3,552 micro-OLED displays with a refresh rate of 90Hz. The device also includes eye-tracking, automatic IPD adjustment, the ability to stream from a PC both wired and wirelessly, a battery mounted at the rear inspired by Quest Pro, and Touch-style controllers.

In essence, this headset seems to cover all bases—and even mimics Vision Pro’s user interface.

Moving beyond its design influences, Amanda Watson, a former Quest engineer, got her hands on the Play For Dream MR headset. She took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her thoughts, exclaiming it was “absolutely the best all-around HMD demo I saw on the floor today.”

Describing it as a literal ‘Android Apple Vision Pro’, Watson praised its performance, optics, UI, and media capture/playback features. Watson, who left Meta in 2022, has an impressive pedigree—she worked on numerous Quest projects and was the sole developer of Air Link for 13 months before its launch. Her endorsement carries significant weight.

She added, “It has USB and wireless PCVR streaming (I tried USB)—this was more work-in-progress quality (frame rate and latency) compared to other features, but it’s a relatively new feature, as I understand it. The basics like controller motion were nailed down, and the resolution was solid.”

Moreover, Watson noted the Touch-style controllers were impressive, even though hand tracking wasn’t demonstrated. She highlighted the headset’s pancake lenses, emphasizing their “excellent distortion correction.” She added, “That’s the biggest thing to me personally.”

Founded in 2020 as YVR, Play For Dream has already introduced two standalone VR headset models—the YVR 1 and YVR 2, both released in China in 2022.

While there’s not yet a set release date or price for the Play For Dream MR, the company assures it will be priced under $2,000. For more information, including detailed specifications and ordering details when they become available, visit Play For Dream’s website.