HTC Vive XR Elite not a replacement for Focus 3 and Pro 2 - MIXED Reality News

Image: HTC

The Vive XR Elite complements HTC’s existent hardware portfolio, not replaces it, according to HTC manager Dan O’Brien.

At CES 2023, HTC unveiled its “new all-in-one flagship.” The standalone instrumentality akin to Meta Quest 2 (review) features much modern lenses and a much compact signifier factor, colour video passthrough, and a modular plan with a removable battery.

The instrumentality is aimed astatine end users, according to HTC. With a $1,099 terms tag, HTC mightiness person a hard clip challenging the heavy subsidized contention from Meta and Pico.

Professional headsets stay successful the range

Vive XR Elite is simply a premix of the HTC Vive Focus 3 (review) and the HTC Vive Flow, the past 2 HTC headsets, some launched successful 2021. From the B2B instrumentality HTC Vive Focus 3 comes the performance, the standalone character, and the 6-DoF controller tracking. From the HTC Vive Flow comes compact lenses, a smaller signifier factor, the diopter adjustment, and – astatine slightest connected insubstantial – the user focus.

The Vive XR Elite is besides a PC VR headset that tin watercourse VR games via cablegram oregon wirelessly. This diagnostic could regenerate the much costly HTC Vive Pro 2 for immoderate users, which was besides launched successful 2021.

Will the older headsets present go obsolete? Speaking to The Verge, Vive CEO Dan O’Brien says the Vive XR Elite won’t regenerate immoderate of the nonrecreational headsets, though a B2B mentation of the caller instrumentality volition beryllium announced astatine Mobile World Congress successful February. Both the Vive Focus 3 and Vive Pro 2 volition proceed to beryllium sold, O’Brien said.

HTC teases much surprises

And what astir Vive Flow? The instrumentality volition apt beryllium pulled from the marketplace by the extremity of the year, O’Brien says.

HTC’s VR lineup nevertheless remains wide and somewhat confusing, with the continuing merchandise lines of the Vive Cosmos, Vive Pro (review), Vive Focus, and present Vive XR Elite presenting a multitude of devices that often overlap successful their method capacities.

And it doesn’t halt there. O’Brien teases different headset for 2023. The Verge reports that PC VR fans tin expect “interesting announcements” successful the archetypal 4th of 2023.

Note: Links to online stores successful articles tin beryllium alleged affiliate links. If you bargain done this link, MIXED receives a committee from the provider. For you the terms does not change.