Vivecon: HTC unveils its new virtual reality headsets

There have been plenty of rumors going around about HTC’s new headsets, but Vivecon is finally here. The first helmet announced is the Vive Pro 2, designed for the general public. Those who hoped for a low-cost standalone headset as a direct competitor to l’Oculus Quest 2 may be disappointed. The Vive Pro 2 is a PCVR headset, which therefore requires a computer Windows with Graphic card powerful and wired.

120 degree field of view

However, HTC has chosen to focus on visual quality and compete with the main PCVR references such as the Valve Index or theHP Reverb G2. The Vive Pro 2 integrates two displays LCD with a total definition of 5K (4,896 x 2,448 pixels), i.e. 2.5K (2,448 x 2,448 pixels) in each eye, with “real subpixels RVB “. This should greatly reduce the “grid” effect (caused by visible space between pixels). These new screens operate with a refresh rate of 120 hertz in order to ensure movements fluids and reduce motion blur.

In addition to this new display, the strong point of this helmet is undoubtedly the news lenses superimposed doubles, developed by HTC, which offer a field of view at 120 degrees. There is also the fine adjustment of the interpupillary distance, characteristic of HTC headsets, from 57 to 72 millimeters. The weight of the Vive Pro 2 has been balanced in order to avoid having all the load in the front, which can make some helmets uncomfortable.

Works with current base stations

The Vive Pro 2 works with all accessories Live SteamVR, there is therefore no need to buy back the base stations, for example. It is also compatible with Vive’s wireless adapter, for those who would like to do without the cable, as well as the Vive Facial Tracker which follows the movements of the face, and the Vive Tracker which allows to add tracking other parts of the body.

The Vive Pro 2 is available for pre-order, launching June 11. It will be offered at 799 euros for the headset alone, with a promotion during the pre-order period at 739 euros. The complete kit, which also includes the 2.0 base stations and controllers, will be sold at 1,399 euros from August 4.

Vive Focus 3: an autonomous helmet

HTC also unveiled the Live Focus 3, a standalone headset designed for businesses. It uses the same tiles and lenses as the Vive Pro 2, namely a total 5K display and 120 degree field of view. The refresh rate is however 90 hertz, probably for reasons of autonomy and graphics power of the integrated system. The Focus 3 works with the Snapdragon XR2, Qualcomm’s chip specially designed for virtual reality headsets.

Battery is curved and fits directly into the strap and can be removed, allowing companies to have spare batteries, and should have a runtime of two hours. The headset has four cameras for tracking without base stations, and all data is encrypted and stored only on the device. It comes with new, lighter controllers, hand tracking will be offered later. Small appreciable detail, HTC has chosen not to hinder the diversion of its headset by players. It will be possible to add games simply by placing the APK file on a memory card.

The Live Focus 3 will be offered at a price of 1,180 euros from June 24, 2021 and will not require a subscription. HTC will also offer additional batteries at 91 euros and protections at 45 euros.

HTC’s future virtual reality headset unveiled

Article ofEdward Back published the 03/05/2021

HTC will unveil its new virtual reality headset on May 11 and 12 at its event Vividness. The firm has already started on teasing with some visuals, as well as a small detail which suggests that there could be several helmets.

Virtual reality has experienced a real craze for a year, and especially since the launch of l’Oculus Quest 2 last October. Facebook’s headset currently dominates the market, thanks to a very low price, wireless connectivity and standalone mode. HTC, which we recently tested the Live Cosmos Elite, is preparing its counter-offensive.

On May 11 and 12, the Vividness, HTC’s event for the launch of its new helmets virtual reality. We are already discovering an important clue since its site clearly states ” VR headsets ” in the plural. So there will be at least two. HTC started on teasing of at least one of the helmets, first of all by the graphic of its page Web dedicated to the event Vividness. By increasing the brightness of the image, the outlines of a helmet appear. The manufacturer has also released a animated GIF of his next helmet on his account Twitter.

An autonomous helmet?

Two other animated GIFs have been spotted by the Road to VR site and reveal other details. The visuals suggest the presence of four cameras placed as on theOculus Quest 2, which suggests a tracking system built into the helmet. It would therefore resume the system of l’HTC Vive Cosmos. The second point is the presence of a grid of ventilation which seems more imposing than on the brand’s previous helmets. This could indicate a more powerful headset, and therefore perhaps able to operate autonomously, without PC.

However, if it is indeed a stand-alone headset, the catalog of games may be very small at the time of launch. In addition, if HTC speaks of headsets in the plural, it could be a single model with two versions, modular like the Live Cosmos Elite to work with internal tracking or base stations.

We’ll know more on May 11 and 12, but HTC is going to have to hit hard to stay in the race against competition.