Garmin’s VIRB line of action cameras got a big refresh this morning with the introduction of the new X and XE models, which collect data from a variety of sensors to create graphical overlays to show just how awesome your mountain-climbing trip really was.
Both cameras will be waterproof to 50 meters and shoot underwater without a protective case, sport a 1-inch screen for quickly configuring settings, and can get up to two hours of battery life while shooting 1080p video at 60 frames per second. But perhaps the most interesting feature the two models share is the G-Metrix system, which takes data from GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, and compatible wireless sensors to create graphical overlays on top of your videos, showing your starting and final altitudes for a ski run or how hard you were pushing your car’s engine on the track.
The $399 VIRB XE is the superior model of the two, bringing 1440p at 30 fps and the ability to capture 12 megapixels stills in bursts. The $299 X is a bit of a step down, letting you capture 720p at 30 fps or 720p footage at a smooth 60. Both cameras are slated for availability sometime this summer, and if you buy more than one, each camera can wirelessly communicate with the others to create perfectly matched timestamps for later editing.
You can see some footage from Garmin’s new cameras in the video below: