HTC has released details on its pricey new gaming VR headset, the Vive XR Elite, including tech specs and a host of quality of life features. Though HTC's new device is expensive, it also comes with a number of bells and whistles that could balance out the cost for many consumers.
2021 saw HTC release multiple headsets, including the Vive Focus 3, the Vive Flow, and the excellent Vive Pro 2 headset. After such a prolific year of releases, the Vive line went relatively quiet in 2022. HTC said it had gotten temporarily out of the VR game, partially to avoid being forced into competition with Meta's headsets. Late last year, however, the company revealed that it had a new headset coming, and details would be revealed at CES 2023, which started today.
The new HTC headset is reportedly designed to challenge the Meta Quest 2, and now interested fans are getting details on what exactly that means. The HTC Vive XR Elite is priced at $1,099 and should be in stores this February. It's a compact VR headset that still manages to pack some solid features into its minimalist design. It's intended to be an all-in-one product, with enough storage and battery power to serve as a solo device but with the option to connect to a PC as well. The XR Elite provides users with a 110-degree field of view at 4K resolution and 2K displays for both eyes at a 90Hz refresh rate.
It houses the Snapdragon XR 2 chipset with 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB ROM, so users can directly store a fair amount of content. This is a significant upgrade from the company's last headset, the Vive Flow from November 2021, which offered only 4 GB of RAM and 64GB ROM. The XR Elite's battery should last for up to two hours, and 30 minutes of charging provides a half-battery charge, thanks to its 30w fast charger The battery pack has been moved to the rear of the device, which greatly offsets the front-heavy design of many headsets. Each lens has a built-in diopter, which lets users adjust focus for each eye, meaning those who require glasses should be able to take them off.
The HTC Vive XR Elite is designed to provide comfort and maintain emersion. With its host of features, it appears to be meeting that goal. The 110-degree field of view in particular will go a long way in keeping players engaged. Field of view plays a big role in emersion, and the higher the FOV, the greater that emersion is. HTC isn't the only company wise to this however, as Meta is looking to increase field of view in its headsets too.
CES has only just begun, and new VR headsets are hardly the only piece of hardware gamers can get excited about. In fact, HyperX has announced a new Xbox controller, and there's sure to be more exciting new tech to be revealed in the days to come.
The HTC Vive XR Elite is expected to release in February 2023.
Source: IGN