Crowdfuning En
Sentinel XR – Innovation or Big Flop?
Published on: 19-07-2025 / Modified: 19-07-2025
I hadn’t written an article about a crowdfunding campaign for quite some time, mainly because I hadn’t found anything interesting. By chance, I stumbled upon the campaign for the Sentinel XR glasses. These glasses are designed to project the content of your mobile, console, or PC screen onto a small surface close to your eyes. The goal is to create immersion without having to wear a bulky VR headset.
I don’t have much time to play games, and even less so on mobile (I really don’t enjoy it), so you might wonder why this product interests me. I bought an HTC Vive headset a few years ago and found the experience really great, but there are still a few constraints. The headset is heavy, you have to install the sensors, clear up some space… So you need to be motivated and have enough room to use it. Glasses like these won’t bring the same level of immersion as a headset since they only serve as a screen, but they can deliver a big-screen sensation similar to projectors… Which is perfect because I often test projectors and thought this product could be an interesting alternative.
Where to buy?
The Sentinel XR glasses are currently only available on Kickstarter, and you can purchase the base pack for just under €400. It’s not exactly cheap, but if it can deliver an immersive, high-quality image, it’s far less expensive and less bulky than a good projector.
Sentinel XR / Kickstarter
Elo Esports?
Sentinel XR is marketed by the company Elo Esports, which has a website at the following address: https://www.eloesports.com.
The domain has existed for many years, but it was previously used by another owner before Elo Esports took it over. The real activity seems to have started in 2023 with the launch of their first mobile gamepad. Today, the site mainly sells this gamepad and, if I believe the buyer reviews, everyone seems quite satisfied. Of course, these reviews could be biased as they are only available on the manufacturer’s website.
I contacted Elo Esports to get more information about the company. I received an initial response and then a second one to complete my research.
While investigating, I found the following information:
- The company appears to be based in New Delhi, India
- It reportedly has between 5 and 10 employees
- The founder is Mukul Ahlawat, LinkedIn profile here: View profile
- Mukul Ahlawat has posted very little content, but the profile seems genuine with over 900 connections
- Elo Esports has a gaming community in India: https://www.instagram.com/eloesports.in/
What the company told me:
- The company is based in Canada
- The founder is Adam Hepburn
- They have around twenty employees
I checked what I could find about Adam Hepburn, and his LinkedIn profile is here: LinkedIn.
The first company in India seems mostly focused on Esports, while the one in Canada appears more oriented towards glasses.
Everything seems to indicate that this company exists and has been active for several years in the gaming world.
The product
This type of product is not directly comparable to a VR headset or augmented reality glasses—it’s more of an intermediate product. These are glasses with a screen in front of each eye to bring the image very close and create immersion. The image is fixed, a bit like holding your phone screen just a few centimeters from your eyes. You won’t be able to explore the environment around you; your head stays fixed.
The glasses are much less bulky than a VR headset but more voluminous than traditional glasses. The screens are not directly attached to the front face of the glasses—most of the front glass is purely decorative and meant to hide the actual screens. The screens resemble those found in VR headsets, with side shields to prevent light from disturbing your view.
This type of screen already exists, and so do these types of glasses.
I found the following products:
X Real One / €599
Viture / $399 - $599 depending on model
RayNeo / $299
HTC Vive Flow / €499
If I compare these solutions, here are the results:
Strengths and Weaknesses
| Model | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Sentinel XR | ✅ Very lightweight (~80g) ✅ Giant virtual screen (up to 180") ✅ 120Hz refresh rate ✅ Compatible with smartphones, PCs, consoles via USB‑C ✅ Competitive price (~$399) | ❌ No tracking (neither 3DoF nor 6DoF) ❌ Few user reviews yet (new product) ❌ No AR/VR features (screen only) |
| XREAL One Pro | ✅ Excellent micro‑OLED quality ✅ Wider FOV than average ✅ Compatible with Steam Deck, Android, iOS ✅ Premium design and ergonomics ✅ Good software support (XREAL Nebula) | ❌ Expensive (~$549) ❌ FOV still considered narrow by some ❌ USB‑C cable dependency (not fully wireless) |
| Viture Pro XR | ✅ Very bright micro‑OLED (4000 nits) ✅ Built‑in diopter adjustment (useful for glasses wearers) ✅ Sharp image and vivid colors ✅ Reasonable price (~€380) | ❌ No AR or active VR (screen-only) ❌ Mostly compatible with Android/PC ❌ No built‑in audio |
| RayNeo Air 3S | ✅ Excellent value for money (~€210) ✅ Lightweight and comfortable ✅ Crisp micro‑OLED display ✅ Ideal for video and mobile productivity | ❌ Average built‑in audio quality ❌ No head tracking (fixed FOV) ❌ Slightly dimmer outdoors |
| HTC Vive Flow | ✅ Ultra‑lightweight for a headset (~189g) ✅ 3DoF tracking for immersive use ✅ “Portable cinema” and meditation experience ✅ Compatible with Android and PC | ❌ Expensive (~$500) ❌ Not designed for demanding VR games ❌ Smartphone required for navigation |
The best product in this comparison is the Viture Pro XR, priced at $459. This product gets 4/5 from several hundred reviews on Amazon. The Sentinel XR is slightly less expensive, lighter, and theoretically offers broader compatibility, making it quite an interesting option.
If the Sentinel XR were the first product of its kind on the market, I would hesitate to buy it even though I enjoy testing new products. The presence of other players and user reviews makes me think this product could live up to expectations.
The main challenges are:
- Image rendering quality
- Edge-to-edge sharpness
- Brightness
- Latency
- Comfort when wearing the glasses
- Adaptability for all diopters?
The chances of this product being successful are real. Crowdfunding always carries a degree of risk, but I think in this case the risk is below average.
LAURENT WILLENHead of myself on this blog
I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.
My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.
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