For our first look at GameFace Lab’s virtual-reality headset, CEO Ed Mason began our demo with a blitz of specs: the self-contained unit has a Nvidia Tegra chip and an 75Hz OLED display with 140 degree field of view, runs on a battery pack that lasts for up to 7 hours, supports Android Lollipop 5.0, and can be used with peripherals like the Nod Ring or Nvidia’s Shield controller.

It’ll also support Steam VR – the same cable that connects the unit to a battery pack can be used with an HDMI / USB adapter that allows the headset to be plugged into a PC for data and power draw. The model I saw was an early prototype, though, so it lacked the Lighthouse sensors necessary for a PC demo.Instead, I spent my time with the headset in its wireless, Android-based mode. As I strapped the headset to my face, Mason outlined how GameFace’s visor differs from the Samsung Gear VR, which also lacks the tether of the Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus, or HTC Vive. It’s a head-mounted display – the Gear VR requires the insertion of a smartphone as the display – and its Nvidia processor is more powerful than the Exynos chips in the Note 4 or the Galaxy S6. The engineering prototype of the GameFace VR headset is currently the Nvidia K1 chip, but I was assured us GameFace Labs are committed to supporting “the latest Tegra tech.” Mason billed it as the equivalent of having two Xbox 360s strapped to your face.Thankfully, it doesn’t feel like having two Xbox 360s strapped to your face. At just under a pound (450 grams), I was really surprised by just how lightweight it felt, considering it’s a self-contained unit. It’s not as light as Project Morpheus or the latest version of the Oculus Rift, though – it’s about the same as the DK2 version of the Rift. The viewing experience was mostly impressive, too, despite needing to rediscover that perfect viewing angle when I turned my head too quickly. But overall the headset fit snuggly, thanks to the crank on the back that tightens all the straps at once rather than individually, and its side-mounted touch button (which toggles the headset’s wide-angled stereo cameras between 2D and 3D) was in a comfortable, easy-to-find place.After I secured the visor to my face, a bluetooth controller was passed to me so I could play some Android-based games. These weren’t exclusive to the GameFace headset; they’re available on the Play Store for all compatible VR devices. First up was the three-dimensional brawler BombSquad. It’s quirky and fluid, and hurling bombs at spawning opponents or grabbing them and chucking them off a cliff received an extra flourish thanks to the 3D depth.Next I tried the isometric Nighttime Terror, where I controlled a character and gunned down waves of enemies through a combination of controller button taps (to spray ammo) and head-movements (for aiming). It wasn’t complex, but it did illustrate the precision of the headset’s motion sensing capabilities.The last app I tried – Pocket Dolphins, a simple underwater demonstration of 3D and looking around in a virtual space – was the only bit of software I used that really made use of the headset’s marquee wireless mobility. I was able to spin around, look behind me, all without the worry of getting caught up in wires.Though I didn’t get to see much beyond these Android games, perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of GameFace’s headset is that it’ll support augmented reality in addition to virtual reality. My demoers wouldn’t say much on the subject, though, other than to confirm it’s still a planned feature. We should hopefully hear more soon; the next and final engineering prototype will going out to developers near the end of the year. The finished retail version should be available in the second quarter of 2016, and run around $500.We’ll be following GameFace Labs’ VR headset as it evolves and you can follow along at GameFace Labs' Twitter . For more on it, and realities virtual, augmented, or otherwise, stick with IGN.

Brandin Tyrrel is an Associate Editor at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @BrandinTyrrel