HTC announces launch of new VIVE XR Elite consumer VR headset - Auganix

In Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality News

January 5, 2023 – HTC VIVE has contiguous unveiled its caller user flagship all-in-one instrumentality with the motorboat of the VIVE XR Elite. The headset combines mixed world (MR) and virtual world (VR) capabilities into 1 compact, lightweight, almighty and highly versatile instrumentality – cleanable for gaming, fitness, productivity and more, according to the company.

“The VIVE XR Elite all-in-one represents the adjacent milestone successful the progression towards the afloat immersive internet, going beyond today’s VR with close pass-through video to unfastened up a caller realm of realism successful learning and playing,” said Cher Wang, Co-Founder and Chairwoman of HTC Corp. “This precocious yet compact instrumentality offers the champion of each worlds for consumers, providing the perfect carnal gateway to the beingness of experiences offered by VIVERSE, our mentation of the metaverse, with the widest assortment of contented inputs adjacent up to the precise latest standards specified arsenic WiFi 6E.”

VIVE XR Elite includes a afloat colour RGB passthrough camera, and features hand-tracking to alteration a scope of MR scenarios, specified arsenic gaming, real-time overlays and allowing aggregate virtual screens portion inactive being capable to interact with real-world objects.

VIVE XR Elite volition spot HTC VIVE’s biggest scope of motorboat titles ever, with 100 caller pieces of MR and VR contented arriving successful the motorboat model – from caller games to classics – with much to follow. Titles see Demeo, Hubris, Yuki, Maestro, Les Mills Body Combat, FigminXR, Unplugged, Finger Gun, and more. HTC VIVE added that post-launch, adjacent much contented volition arrive, specified arsenic Everslaught: Invasion, and aboriginal successful the twelvemonth afloat MR games similar Eggscape.

VIVE XR Elite tin beryllium connected to a PC via USB-C to entree PCVR contented from VIVEPORT and Steam and supports wireless PC streaming implicit WiFi oregon the latest procreation – WiFi 6E with debased latency and large graphics.

Content tin besides beryllium streamed wirelessly from a compatible Android telephone to VIVE XR Elite, allowing users to presumption media and games connected a idiosyncratic cinema surface of 300 inches. This includes contented from services similar Netflix and Disney+ oregon games similar Fortnite. Users tin adjacent link a Bluetooth controller to their telephone for a afloat gaming experience.

Design, Configuration and Features

VIVE XR Elite has a sleek modular plan that tin easy beryllium transformed into a glasses signifier origin by removing the artillery and fitting the VIVE XR Elite temple pads. Users tin alteration the carnal configuration truthful that it works champion for whichever concern they are in, whether that’s astatine home, successful the office, oregon traveling connected a plane.

The redesigned hinge means the extended arms of VIVE XR Elite cupful the wearer’s caput conscionable similar the beforehand and backmost of a accepted all-in-one. The headset features a USB-C connecting cablegram connected the right-hand side, which lets users plug the instrumentality into a powerfulness root similar a artillery slope oregon hose seat.

The headset features a wide 110 FoV, 4K resolution, and a 90Hz refresh rate. VIVE XR Elite besides has adjustable lenses, allowing users to instrumentality disconnected their glasses and inactive beryllium capable to bask a wide representation with greater comfort. Plus, a built-in fine-adjustable IPD slider placed connected the extracurricular of the headset.

HTC VIVE stated that the afloat headset weighs 625g including the battery, which is placed astatine the backmost for equilibrium and is curved for accrued comfort, and delivers up to 2 hours of afloat XR use. The artillery is removable and blistery swappable, meaning users tin support going whether it’s changing to different powerfulness root oregon changing to different battery. The instrumentality has 30-watt accelerated charging and is charged via USB-C powerfulness delivery.

The VIVE XR Elite besides has a removable cloth look gasket, connected by magnets to marque it casual to cleanable oregon power retired for a caller one. Finally, for audio, the instrumentality includes larger speakers that let layers of immersion with enhanced bass, equilibrium and directional audio that adds up to amended clarity successful immoderate XR experience, without having to trust connected outer solutions.

Controls and Tracking

With 4 wide FOV cameras, 6DoF spatial accuracy, a extent sensor, hand-tracking and capacitive sensing for digit movements connected the controllers, developers person tons of options to incorporated successful VR and MR contented for close question to heighten experiences.

VIVE XR Elite has some carnal controllers and hand-tracking. The VIVE Wrist Tracker is besides compatible with the headset to present enhanced manus tracking, oregon it tin beryllium attached to objects that users privation to way successful XR.

VIVERSE and Partnerships

HTC stated that it is moving with a assortment of exertion and contented partners to bring its imaginativeness of an open, interoperable, and imaginative VIVERSE to life.

For maturation and optimization, HTC VIVE is supporting unfastened standards and VIVERSE is accessible from a wide scope of connected devices that enactment a web browser. 

HTC has partnered with the starring Japanese creator level pixiv to Integrate VRoid’s Anime-Style Avatars into VIVERSE, which makes it casual to bring avatars into VIVERSE leveraging the unfastened VRM standard.

Other partnerships see with manner mag ELLE Taiwan, which has announced it volition motorboat its ain “ELLEverse” showroom successful VIVERSE, on with a bid of unsocial avatar outfits and peculiar events to beryllium held successful VIVERSE passim 2023. HTC VIVE has besides partnered with Warner Music Taiwan connected a caller euphony acquisition world, wherever users tin bask the latest euphony videos successful a phantasy virtual environment. Plus, a collaboration with Lamina1 volition assistance to accelerate the realization of an unfastened metaverse ecosystem for society. HTC’s VIVERSE level volition beryllium utilizing Lamina1’s furniture 1 tools to alteration much businesslike cross-world cross-platform plus organisation and management, truthful users tin seamlessly support their integer assets (avatars, clothes, artwork, etc.) with them arsenic they traverse the metaverse.

Lamina1 was co-founded by Snow Crash writer Neal Stephenson, who coined the word metaverse backmost successful the aboriginal 90s, and Crypto Pioneer Peter Vessenes.

Pricing and availability

VIVE XR Elite is disposable to pre-order globally from 5 January via vive.com and participating authorized retailers. Pre-order shipments are estimated to statesman from precocious February. VIVE XR Elite comes with the headset itself, 2 controllers, and the headset artillery cradle, and volition cost:

US – $1,099 exc. VAT

UK – £1,299 inc. VAT

DE/FR – €1,399 inc. VAT

NO – 15,499 NOK

SWE – 16,299 SEK

DK – 11,099 DKK

AUS – A$ 2,099 inc. GST

NZ – NZ$ 2,299 inc. GST

The VIVE XR Elite besides launches with a promotional connection of an XR games/content bundle, successful definite regions. Additionally, VIVE XR Elite volition beryllium disposable for endeavor users, with much accusation coming aboriginal this year. HTC VIVE besides noted that it volition beryllium launching a Face and Eye Tracker portion successful 2023.

For much accusation connected HTC VIVE and its virtual and mixed world hardware, delight sojourn the company’s website.

Image / video credit: HTC VIVE / YouTube