For many of the better VR headsets on the market today, price is not the only barrier to entry. Some people will find them uncomfortable, others will be offended by the screen (I fall into the latter category). It's still a big, bulky brick that clamps to your face, and it takes a lot of willpower and great game to forget that your head feels unbalanced.

At CES, Panasonic unveiled a reference model of a newly designed VR headset that is smaller, more form-fitting, and, as The Verge noted, looks like steampunk fashion glasses. Instead of oversized ski goggles, we now have something that looks like something out of a James P. Blaylock novel: two eyeholes instead of one large visor, and cushions that resemble swimming goggles. The earpieces are attached to the tips of both arms, but are removable so the user can fit them properly to his or her ears.

Before moving on, note that these reference models will not necessarily be consumer products. Panasonic has stated that it will "further develop new VR glasses for use in a variety of applications," focusing on "VR sports watching" and "virtual travel experiences" using 5G mobile connectivity.

Panasonic's VR headset is also the first to feature a micro OLED panel, which it claims eliminates the "screen door effect" caused by looking too closely at a screen.

However, this prototype has its drawbacks. The smaller screen size creates a boxy image and appears to be more front-heavy than current VR headsets; according to The Verge, two cables protruding from the front of the eyepiece also attach to a gaming PC and pull the headset down to the user's face, but This sounds more cumbersome than hooking a strap around your head.

The Verge also tried a non-functioning prototype that replaced these cables with a single USB-C cable from one of the arms of the glasses.

Panasonic has the right idea for a more mainstream design, but unless they fix the awkward cable placement, they may struggle to gain widespread adoption. Nevertheless, these are just prototypes, suggesting that we could see some interesting VR developments over the next five years or so.

For more information, read The Verge's hands-on report.