With the Vive XR Elite, HTC presents a consumer headset that wants to be on par with the Quest Pro – Usine Digitale

After several weeks of intense allusion, HTC is presenting its new virtual reality headset, the Vive XR Elite, on January 5th at CES 2023. As the name suggests, it stands out from its predecessors for its not only virtual reality, but also augmented reality through a “video passthrough” system similar to that of Meta Quest Pro.

In general, the Vive XR Elite seems to be positioned as a direct competitor to the Quest Pro, both in terms of technical characteristics and price. And in contrast to previous years, with an advertised price of 1399 euros (compared to 1799 euros for the Quest Pro), it at least has a clear price advantage.

Vive Flow DNA

What do you get for this price? Firstly, DNA clearly inherited from the Vive Flow, with a similarly styled faceplate and the same compactness made possible by the use of pancake lenses. But where the Flow was intended for a vaguely “lifestyle” use, the XR Elite is aimed primarily at gamers. This is HTC’s first all-in-one headset aimed at the western B2C market. A hundred applications will be available at launch, including Demeo, Hubris, Yuki, Maestro, Les Mills Body Combat, FigminXR, Unplugged or Finger Gun.

In terms of hardware, the Vive XR Elite has LCD screens with a “4K” resolution (1200ppi) with a 90Hz refresh rate. It has the same built-in vision correction system (which only corrects from 0 to -6 diopters). myopia supported). The pupillary distance adjustment wheel is located on the bottom of the helmet for easy adjustment. The part that comes in contact with the face is magnetically attached, so it can be easily pulled out for cleaning.

As usual, the sound is distributed via loudspeakers integrated in the branches. They are larger and have been redesigned to better direct the sound towards the user’s ears.

Color camera and depth sensor

Processing power is provided by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 chip (the same as the Vive Focus 3, Pico 4 and Meta Quest 2). The controllers are the same as the Vive Focus 3. Four front cameras handle monitoring of the headset’s positioning in the room, complemented by a color camera for passthrough. A depth sensor (not present on the Quest Pro) acts as a backup to provide 3D mapping of the environment and to help with hand tracking. In addition to hand tracking and controllers, the Vive XR Elite is also compatible with Vive wrist trackers.

The headset weighs a total of 625 grams, with a detachable battery that sits on the back and is molded in a curved shape for comfort. Its autonomy is “up to two hours” when the headset works alone, but “can go well beyond that with PC games streamed to the headset”. Since it is detachable, HTC judges that autonomy is not a problem. It also manages 30-watt fast charging via USB-C Power Delivery.

Another aspect inherited from the Vive Flow: the possibility of switching to “glasses” mode by removing the battery, for example to watch a movie on the plane. In this case, it is necessary to use an external battery, as with the Flow, or simply plug the device into the aircraft seat (provided the power delivered is sufficient). In this mode, the temples of the glasses have been redesigned compared to the Flow to better adapt to the contours of the skull and be more comfortable.

No upcoming exclusive games

Pre-orders are already open for the Vive XR Elite, which comes with its two controllers, a headset charging cradle, and five free games with any purchase made before February 15th. The first deliveries are scheduled for February. Regarding games, it is worth noting that Shen Ye, the brand’s product director, commented during the press conference that HTC “doesn’t believe in getting exclusives” and that “AAA games don’t move the market as much as people think”. On good terms.

The Taiwanese manufacturer relies on the opening of the ecosystem through the OpenXR standard. It can also be used for virtual reality gaming on the PC, either via a USB-C headset or via a wireless connection in Wi-Fi 6E. In addition, it is always possible to connect the headset to an Android smartphone to watch videos in a virtual cinema, as offered by the Vive Flow.

A version for businesses will be available by the end of the year, as will an accessory that enables eye and face tracking. HTC explained in a presentation to the press that these features are not popular today and therefore have no interest in including them as standard.

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