HTC’s special surprise during its Mobile Word Congress press event wasn’t a second smartphone a smartwatch. Instead, HTC introduced the HTC Vive, a virtual reality headset build in partnership with Valve.The HTC Vive uses Valve’s Steam VR tracking and input technologies in conjunction with 70 sensors for full room 3D tracking, allowing you to “get up, walk around and explore your virtual space, inspect objects from every angle and truly interact with your surroundings.”
HTC designed the Vive to be light and extremely comfortable which allow it to be worn for long period of time without strain. The HTC Vive will be paired with two HTC VR Controllers which will “will make you feel one with your virtual environment.” To set the HTC Vive apart from competing devices, HTC is already working leading game developers including Vertigo Games, Bossa, Barry–Fireproof, Dovetail Games, Wemo Labs, Google, Steel Wool Games and Owlchemy to help integrate HTC Vive into current and future games. HTC is also working on partnerships with Google, HBO, Lionsgate and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan to create immersive VR experiences for the HTC Vive.
The HTC Vive developer edition will be available this spring with a consumer version scheduled for release before the end of 2015. You can find more details about the HTC Vive at htcvr.com
“It’s rare that a company has an opportunity to forever transform the ways in which people interact with the world and communicate with each other, but that is exactly what we plan to do with Valve.” – Cher Wang, Chairwoman of HTC
“We achieved this once before with our development of smartphone technology. And, through our partnership with Valve, we’ll now be doing this for a second time with VR technology of which consumers could only previously dream.” Peter Chou, CEO of HTC
HTC Vive features
- A 1,200 by 1,080 pixel screen in front of each eye, with refresh rates of a blistering 90 frames per second, displays photorealistic imagery that fills your field of vision in all directions, eliminating the jitter common to previous VR technologies and transporting you to another world.
- Plug your favorite set of headphones into a jack located on the side of the Developer Edition headset.
- A gyrosensor, accelerometer, and laser position sensor combine to precisely track the rotation of your head on both axes to an accuracy of 1/10th of a degree, allowing you to look around the virtual environment naturally. Couple the headset with a pair of Steam VR base stations to track your physical location (in spaces up to 15 feet by 15 feet) – get up and walk around inisde the virtual world!
- Ergonomic VR game controllers in each hand allow you to use virtual objects and interact with the virtual world. The position of each controller is tracked in space, allowing developers to simulate a wide range of activities and interactions.
BARCELONA, Spain, March 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — HTC, a pioneer in innovative, smart technologies, today announced plans to bring mass-market virtual reality (VR) one step closer. Through a strategic partnership with Valve, HTC promises to transform the way in which consumers interact with technology and the world around them with the debut of HTC Vive. HTC Vive Developer Edition will be launched this Spring, with the consumer edition available by the end of 2015.
Vive combines Valve’s Steam VR tracking and input technologies with HTC’s world-renowned design and engineering talent, setting a new gold standard for an industry that has, until now, struggled to move beyond concept stage.
Cher Wang, Chairwoman of HTC commented, “It’s rare that a company has an opportunity to forever transform the ways in which people interact with the world and communicate with each other, but that is exactly what we plan to do with Valve.”
“We achieved this once before with our development of smartphone technology,” Peter Chou, CEO of HTC added, “And, through our partnership with Valve, we’ll now be doing this for a second time with VR technology of which consumers could only previously dream.”
Mesmerizing quality, fully immersive experience
Vive offers the most immersive experience of any VR package, plunging people into other worlds at a moment’s notice. HTC and Valve have introduced a Full Room Scale 360 Degree Solution with Tracked Controllers, letting you get up, walk around and explore your virtual space, inspect objects from every angle and truly interact with your surroundings. Setting a new benchmark for performance, the headset features high-quality graphics, 90-frames-per-second video and incredible audio fidelity.
HTC is also introducing new wireless VR controllers that will make you feel one with your virtual environment. The new HTC VR Controllers come in a pair and are designed to be so versatile that they will work with a wide range of VR experiences. Unlike typical game controllers, the HTC VR Controllers are simple and intuitive to use, helping everyone make the most of their experience.
Gaming and beyond
Beta versions of the Vive Developer Edition have already generated rich entertainment content from some of the world’s top game developers including Vertigo Games, Bossa, Barry–Fireproof, Dovetail Games, Wemo Labs, Google, Steel Wool Games and Owlchemy.
“Our collaboration with HTC is driven by the companies’ shared desire to produce the most compelling and complete VR experience,” said Ken Birdwell of Valve. “Delivering content creators with the Vive Developer Edition is an incredibly important milestone in our efforts to achieve that goal.”
While amazing gaming experiences are a staple in the VR universe, the potential beyond gaming is limitless. HTC and Valve are committed to realizing a broader vision for VR and see a real opportunity in transforming everyday experiences. Travel, attending a game, meeting friends or even shopping will never be the same again, and the companies are working with leading content creators, including Google, HBO, Lionsgate and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan in order to make that vision a reality.
“Vive creates an exciting opportunity for all developers and content creators, to help us bring virtual reality into the mainstream with an end-to-end solution that completely redefines how we entertain ourselves, communicate with each other, learn and, eventually, how we become more productive,” Cher Wang concluded. “HTC Vive is real, it’s here and it’ll be ready to go before the start of 2016.”
I’ve seen a lot of mockery of this today (from comments, not informed articles) but despite VR being incredibly difficult to produce at high quality.. this has me very conservatively excited. Steam is amazing, and if this ends up working well in tandem with it, we may have a game changer on our hands.
I am glad to see other companies come into this space. I like the oculus, but competition is always good. I think and htc+valve partnership will really help both companies compete in this growing market. I think it’s a better partnership than oculus+facebook. Facebook has nothing but money, while valve has developers, and a monetization platform.
I agree, I was very disappointed when I heard Facebook bought out oculus. What, do they want to make VR FarmVille? At least valve has a tradition of amazing and diverse games.