HTC Vive Introduces New Vive Pro Headset, Wireless Adapter
HTC is introducing a fairly major upgrade for its Vive platform at CES today. The company is unveiling the new Vive Pro, a new premium VR headset for gamers and enterprise customers.
HTC’s new Vive Pro packs two OLED displays with a resolution of 2880×1600 pixels, which is apparently a 78% improvement in resolution over the regular Vive. HTC has slightly tweaked the design of the Vive Pro to make it more comfortable and light. The lighter design is especially important because of the new integrated headphones which come with added weight.
HTC has interestingly integrated two cameras in front of the headset that developers will be able to use to power augmented reality experiences, although details on that will be revealed closer to the release. The company is also upgrading its tracking system to enable tracking of up to 10×10 meters.
Along with the new Vive Pro, HTC is launching the new Vive Wireless Adapter today. This upcoming adapter leverages Intel’s WiGg technology to enable a wireless virtual reality experience with low latency, letting you cut the cord between the Vive and your PC. HTC is quite tight-lipped regarding the details of the new adapter, but it’s expected to start shipping in the third quarter of this year.
And lastly, HTC is bringing a new feature called VR Previews to its Viveport platform. The new feature will be a way for customers to experience content on their Vive headset before actually purchasing the full content, kind of like how app trials work on the Microsoft Store. Viveport is also coming as a VR experience to the Vive, letting users browse and purchase products from the store from within their Vive headset.
HTC’s upgraded Vive headset is a much-needed update for the line. While it’s a bit disappointing to see the need to use external hardware for tracking, the upgraded display combined with the integrated headphones should offer a much more premium VR experience. HTC isn’t saying when exactly the new Vive will be available for purchase, or how much it will cost as of yet, though.