Acer Inc (宏碁) said its board has approved a plan to form a virtual reality (VR) joint venture with Starbreeze AB, as the PC maker aims to expand into the nascent VR market.
The two companies plan to jointly invest initial capital of NT$800 milion (US$24.61 million) in a new company to be called Acer Starbreeze Corp (宏碁星風), Acer said in a statement released on Saturday.
The new joint venture is to design, manufacture, market and sell the StarVR head-mounted display, the statement said.
The new company is scheduled to complete its funding and incorporation processes next quarter, Acer said in the statement.
Each company is to have a 50 percent stake in the venture, the statement said.
“The joint venture with Starbreeze highlights Acer’s commitment to bringing premium user experiences to the market,” Acer chief executive officer Jason Chen (陳俊聖) said.
“We expect to ship a small volume of StarVR head-mounted displays this year, while mass production is scheduled to begin next year,” Starbreez chief executive officer Bo Andersson Klint said.
Klint said that his firm’s partnership with Acer enables it to establish a complete VR ecosystem on top of its ongoing collaboration with content platform developer Smilegate and its joint venture with IMAX Corp.
Acer said that it is to subscribe to US$9 million in convertible bonds issued by Starbreeze through a private placement, pending approval from the companies’ boards.
The convertible bonds are to mature in two years.
StarVR targets professional and location-based entertainment markets, such as high-end cinemas, gaming arcades, automotive retail and aviation training, Acer said.
The company said the StarVR offers improved immersion for users, with its unique ultra-wide 210° horizontal field of view that is powered by dual quad high-definition display architecture that brings a total panoramic definition of 5,120x1,440 pixels.
Starbreeze, based in Stockholm, is an independent creator, publisher and distributor of entertainment products.
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