The HTC Vive series of headsets has a brand new member – Vive XR Elite. It is a high-end mixed reality headset that is designed to take on the likes of the Meta Quest series – read Meta Quest Pro – on one end and the upcoming Apple MR headset on the other. Also, as Engadget reported, the new Vive XR Elite is the first from the company in years that is targeted at the consumer segment. HTC said the headset for Virtual Reality and passthrough mixed reality will set one back a cool $1,100 and is already up for pre-order.
Coming to specs, the Vive XR Elite comes with a 4K display having a 90 Hz refresh rate along with a 110-degree field of view. It comes equipped with four cameras having a wide field of view that allows for inside-out spatial tracking without external sensors. Then there also is a full-color RGB camera on board that provides for a passthrough MR experience where virtual stuff blends seamlessly with the real-world surroundings.
A cool feature of the headset is that it features a hot-swappable battery at the back. HTC justified the design feature claiming this allows for a more balanced weight distribution and should add to the user’s ergonomic pleasure. Also, at 625 grams, it is lighter than the Meta Quest Pro which weighs 722 grams. The battery is also rated to last two hours on a single charge and is backed by 30 W fast charging via a USB-C port.
The headset also comes with a retractable charging cable on the right that can be connected to a power bank or a suitable power source. The battery is removable too. Also, fitting the headset with temple pads will let you wear the headset as your regular prescription glasses. For that, the headset comes with a dial that will let you adjust as per your prescribed power for each eye. This will make things easier for those who have glasses as they can always take off their glasses and use the headset.
Other features include built-in speakers with support for directional audio. HTC further stated there are going to be add-on Face and Eye Tracker accessories that would be made available later in the year. The headset can also be connected both wirelessly or via a wired connection to the PC for laying PCVR games from Steam or Viveport. You can also connect the headset to a compatible Android smartphone and stream content for viewing on the headset for that ‘big-screen’ effect.
Smartphone games too can be played using the headset using Bluetooth controllers. The headset otherwise ships with two wireless controllers and supports hand tracking. HTC said there are going to be 100 games made available by the time the headset hits the streets. Titles include Demeo, Hubris, Yuki, Maestro, Les Mills Body Combat, FigminXR, Unplugged, and Finger Gun while Everslaught: Invasion and the full MR game Eggscape will be coming later in the year.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in the world of technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles as well, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. Motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot and maybe I’ll make a film sometime in the future.