This Is Sol Reader, a VR Headset That Does Nothing Else but Get You to Read Books

This one goes out to all the nerds, both old-school, glass-wearing, bookworm types and the new generation who love reading on their Kindles, tablets, or phones. A new VR headset is coming, and it's clearly and intentionally positioning itself against the trend by offering just one single feature. Where most companies will ask, "Why not do more with just one product?," this one goes, "Why do more when you could not?"

Technology has changed the way we experience everything in our daily life, from social interactions to our hobbies and work commitments. At this point, you'd have to be stuck in the past to lament the old age of reading paper books, if not because it's a far more cumbersome activity than the digitalized version, at least because it's less sustainable.

But the pleasure of reading doesn't go away, as any avid reader will tell you. We're talking about the kind that reads on the daily commute, at the beach, on extended trips, or whenever they have a few minutes to spare – and reads books, not short-form online content. For this avid reader, one company is leveraging tech for an unexpected purpose: of delivering less, not more.

This is Sol Reader, which claims to be the world's first wearable e-reader, a product that's proud to say it can only do one single thing. It's "a low-tech device in a high-tech world," is how the official description goes, because "fewer distractions means more focus." And reading should definitely be focused, regardless of where you might be at the time.

The Sol Reader is a VR headset that looks very much like a pair of sunglasses with a couple of side-lit, e-ink pancake lenses. It's a Kindle but for the eyes, which allows Sol Reader the company to claim it's "noise canceling for your eyes" because it allows the escapism of a book with more convenience than an actual book.

The idea is that you get to read without having to hold the book or the Kindle, or whatever you prefer for this pastime. You can simply lie down on your back, and you'll have the book in front of you without holding up your arms – on the bridge of your nose, to be more exact.

Flipping pages is done by means of provided remote control, which also allows scrolling through menus and adjusting things like font and lighting. The device pairs with an app, where you can manage content and add more within the limit set by the 64MB of storage.

There's a built-in battery good for 25 to 30 hours of reading, which is more than enough to get you going through your weekly commute on a single charge. Each display is 1.3 inches with 256x256 per-eye resolution, and the device allows you to maintain peripheral vision to avoid any issues if you choose to do your reading in a public space. You're still able to see out the sides of the glasses, to put it in plainer words.

Sol Reader comes with an integrated diopter adjustment up to -5.75, so people with vision issues that require wearing contacts or glasses can use it without these. The company says that extended use doesn't cause eye strain, as "proven" by tests undertaken by their own employees, where the record is of 15 hours of continuous wear (and reading).

It helps that Sol Reader is lightweight. Extended wear will be comparable to wearing a pair of regular glasses: the device is just a little over 100g (3.5 oz), while the remote is 39g (1.3 oz). Operating temperature is between 45 and 100° F (7° C and 37° C), and the company recommends usage only over the age of 16 – probably because extensive research into this new type of projectors is still needed.

Sol Reader was brought to the production stage by means of seed funding and is currently in closed testing stage. A prototype was on display at CES 2023 in January this year, which offered a rare chance for an independent video review. You will find that video at the bottom of the page.

Sol Reader is now offered for pre-orders in four colors and with an optional carry case at an extra charge, and the promise that a mystery accessory that will make the experience "more immersive" is in the works. Delivery is estimated for the fall of 2023.

Despite its simplicity and single-functionality, it's not exactly cheap: you have to be willing to part with $350 to get your name on the waiting list. Minimalism is expensive, you must've known that.