VRHow / Headsets / Lynx R1

Lynx R1: specs, release, software and availability

Short answer: the Lynx R1 is a standalone VR and color-passthrough mixed-reality headset built around Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2. It eventually entered production and shipped in 2023, after the 2021 crowdfunding campaign missed its original target. However, an old product listing should not be read as current stock: UploadVR reports that Lynx entered compulsory liquidation in March 2026, and current R1 sales or ongoing support are not verified here. Last checked October 11, 2026.

What the Lynx R1 was

The R1 was Lynx's first headset: a small, standalone device intended to cover both conventional VR and mixed reality through RGB video passthrough. Its design used an immersive magnetic facial interface for VR and left the peripheral real world visible when that cover was not fitted. Road to VR's 2021 hands-on report describes six cameras: two black-and-white cameras for inside-out positional tracking, two infrared cameras for hand tracking and two RGB cameras for passthrough. That is a hardware description from the development period, not a promise about every later software feature.

The central proposition was openness rather than a closed store-only platform. The company described an open bootloader in its October 2023 update. For developers, the R1 was an Android-based device with Unity tooling; early reporting said OpenXR support was planned, while Lynx later documented CloudXR and ALVR/ALXR routes for PC VR. These statements establish intended and documented connection paths, not a guarantee that every application, runtime version or controller setup remains usable today.

Verified specifications

Item	Lynx R1
Displays and refresh	Two LCD panels, 1,600 × 1,600 per eye, 90 Hz
Optics	Four-fold catadioptric freeform prism; IPD adjustment
Processor / memory / storage	Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2; 6 GB LPDDR5 RAM; 128 GB; microSD expansion up to 1 TB
Tracking and cameras	Inside-out 6DoF; hand tracking; two B&W, two IR and two RGB cameras
Passthrough	Color passthrough; no depth sensor (Lynx said it used occlusion mapping instead)
Wireless / PC VR	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5; PC VR streaming over Wi-Fi; Lynx also described USB-C streaming
Audio and ports	Stereo speakers; 3.5 mm TRRS jack; USB-C
Operating system	Android 10

Road to VR published this specification sheet in November 2021, based on a pre-release unit and information from Lynx. Skarredghost independently quoted a very similar Kickstarter specification list, but listed a four-microphone array; Road to VR listed two microphones. Because those sources conflict, this page does not assert a microphone count. Battery life, field of view and controller availability also varied by source or development status and are not used here as settled buyer specifications.

Release history: targets versus shipments

2021 campaign and target: Road to VR reported that Kickstarter pledges started at $500 and that Lynx aimed to begin consumer shipping in April 2022. This was a campaign price and target date, not a retail launch.
October 27, 2022: Lynx said Kickstarter backers could opt for a non-certified first batch expected in Europe in early December, while the first certified batch was scheduled for the end of February 2023. The same update attributed delays to customs, certification, component availability and the global chip shortage. It said existing backers and 2021 website pre-orders would keep their original price.
August 31, 2023: Lynx's own “Now Shipping” announcement said the first units had shipped from its manufacturer. It described fulfillment in Kickstarter and pre-order order, with Paris quality checks before dispatch. The post said the R1 price was then €1,299 and that a few €849 developer kits remained but would soon be discontinued.
October 4, 2023: Lynx said the first shipping batch had minor faceplate and microphone issues, offered a free exchange for affected units in Q1 2024, and described more batches as planned. It also said some pre-orders were shipping alongside Kickstarter backers.

The conflict is therefore clear: an April 2022 consumer target became documented first-unit shipping in August 2023, followed by batch fulfillment. The official posts verify shipment activity at those dates; they do not establish an unrestricted worldwide retail launch or current inventory.

Standalone, PC VR and platform caveats

The R1 was designed to run applications standalone on Android 10, with Unity support and an OpenXR path described as being in development in Road to VR's 2021 report. Lynx's 2023 documentation update described two ways to connect to SteamVR: CloudXR, or ALVR/ALXR, using Wi-Fi 5 or 6 or a USB-C cable. That is the most specific official PC-VR guidance found for the R1. It should not be converted into a claim that a modern PC game, controller or runtime is supported without checking that software separately.

Hand tracking was the primary input direction in Lynx's 2022 update. The company said redesigned controllers were expected around Q3 2023, but its August 2023 shipping post still described the shipped headset and its software rather than confirming a universal controller bundle. Treat controllers and accessories as order-specific, not as guaranteed contents of a second-hand listing.

R1 versus R2, and what “available” means

The Lynx R2 is not a revision that can be substituted for an R1 listing. Road to VR identifies R2 as the later successor with Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, new aspheric pancake lenses and a much wider claimed field of view; the R1 uses the older XR2 generation and the prism optics listed above. UploadVR reported in March 2026 that French authorities placed Lynx into compulsory liquidation on March 4, meaning the company had to cease operations, and that R2 would not launch absent a buyer for the intellectual property.

That report also says some R1 backers still had no delivery or refund offer as late as 2025, while Lynx had previously promised refunds. This is a reported fulfillment history, not proof that every backer was affected. Combined with the liquidation report, it is why this page does not recommend treating an archived shop page, the €1,299 2023 price or a crowdfunding pledge as a current purchase option. There is no verified current R1 retail availability in the sources used here.