Tag: vive
The HTC Vive XR Elite helps VR make more sense, for a price
![The HTC Vive XR Elite helps VR make more sense, for a price The HTC Vive XR Elite helps VR make more sense, for a price](https://www.pcgamesn.com/wp-content/sites/pcgamesn/2023/03/htc-vive-xr-elite-impressions-01.jpg)
My HTC Vive XR Elite impressions at MWC 2023 don’t start in the most ideal way, as I’m still dizzy from the night before after perhaps too much tapas and beer. On top of that, as a VR sceptic, I’m nervous. Am I going to get really motion-sick? Is last night’s seafood going to come back to bite me? Well, no – even after around an hour with the HTC Vive XR Elite, I just had a good time.
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The HTC Vive XR Elite is a shapeshifting, lightweight luxury of a VR headset
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As someone who considers Uniqlo an extravagance, the HTC Vive XR Elite might just be the most expensive thing I’ll ever wear. Revealed at CES 2023 and set for launch in March, this is the first Vive VR headset in years with real PC gaming credentials, while borrowing from the more compact design of the mobile VR-minded Vive Flow VR glasses. I recently went to try them out over here in London, with an uneasy thought in my mind: even with a lighter design than the Vive Cosmos series, how could this possibly be worth £1299 / $1099?
HTC Vive interview: The new flagship VR headset makes its debut
Vive XR Elite hands-on: HTC’s more portable answer to the Meta Quest Pro
Late last year, Meta expanded the limits of consumer mixed reality when it released the Quest Pro. And now at CES 2023, HTC is hitting back with its own take on a flagship headset with the Vive XR Elite.
Right away, the XR Elite matches a number of the Quest Pro’s highlight specs including support for 2K resolution (1920 x 1920) to each eye, a 90Hz refresh rate and full standalone operation. However, weighing 625 grams (versus 722 for the Quest Pro) and with a more comfortable headband, the XR Elite does an even better job of delivering a breezy portable VR/AR experience. Heck, HTC included the ability to remove its battery and stuff the lens inside a relatively compact canister for traveling. That said you’ll still have to find room in a bag or somewhere else to stash its power pack.
But it was only after I got a chance to test HTC’s headset across a number of demos that I really started to appreciate how much has been packed inside such a small package. Like the Quest Pro, the XR Elite features built-in hand-tracking, so you can easily and intuitively use gesture controls in games. And with support for full-color passthrough, you don’t feel like you’re isolated in the lonely void of VR.
Also, despite HTC opting for a slightly older Qualcomm XR2 chip (compared to the XR2+ chip in the Quest Pro) I was able to play games like Hubris (which originally launched on PSVR) without the need for help from a computer. Thankfully, you still have the option of tethering to a desktop when you want to run PC-based games or pairing with your phone to watch videos.
Granted, the XR Elite’s controllers still have a ring around the top, which makes them a bit more unwieldy than Meta’s Touch Pro gamepads. But that’s a trade-off I can live with. The two major drawbacks of the XR Elite compared to the Quest Pro is its lack of sophisticated eye and face-tracking, though HTC says it’s working on modules that should address those shortcomings.
Unfortunately, despite its high points, the XR Elite also shares a lot of the same flaws as the Quest Pro. Sure, starting at $1,099, it’s a bit cheaper than Meta’s $1,500 rival. But that’s still prohibitively expensive for anyone that’s not a bleeding edge enthusiast. But the bigger issue is that with all these new features, it still feels like there’s a lack of content that can take advantage of the headset’s capabilities. Most of the games I played were demos meant to showcase specific features instead of full-fledged experiences.
There are some annoying quirks too. While I found the XR Elite more comfortable than the Quest Pro, I had a harder time dialing in my IPD (interpupillary distance) and getting the optics as tack sharp as Meta’s headset. On top of that, as a side effect to HTC’s quest for streamlined portability, there’s so little space between the XR Elite’s lenses and your eyes, there isn’t enough room for people to keep their glasses on while using it. HTC tried to combat this by including diopters that can account for certain levels of nearsightedness, but those settings only go down to -6. So while I don’t wear glasses myself, the headset is a much harder sell for those who do.
Ultimately, this means that as impressive as HTC’s smaller and more portable MR headset is on a technical level, it still doesn’t do enough to convert metaverse skeptics into willing users, or at least not yet. But just like the Quest Pro, in a way, HTC had to build the Vive XR Elite for that future to even have a chance of becoming reality, both now and long after the headset goes on sale sometime in late February.
HTC’s New Vive XR Elite VR Takes on Meta Quest Pro
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After a quick teaser image in October, HTC just announced and released its all-new virtual and augmented reality headset, the Vive XR Elite. The all-in-one headset looks to take on the Meta Quest Pro, combines MR and VR into one device, and offers a lightweight yet versatile experience for users.
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HTC Vive XR Elite is a competitively priced Meta Quest Pro rival
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HTC has announced the Vive XR Elite, a new wireless VR headset that’s designed to give the Meta Quest Pro a run for its money. Aiming to be an all-in-one device that’s ready for the various different metaverses cropping up left, right, and centre, HTC combines both virtual and mixed reality into a single headset that undercuts the price of its rival by a third.
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HTC Vive XR Elite headset debuts for enthusiasts and enterprises
HTC Teases a “Small” Vive Headset
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Just days ahead of the Meta Quest Pro debut, HTC is teasing a new Vive VR headset. And aside from a photo of what appears to be a lens, HTC hasn’t shared any information on this device. It simply calls the new headset “small.”