HTC has finally unveiled the HTC Vive XR Elite as an all-in-one VR headset meant to compete with the Meta Quest 2. It’s available to preorder now at Amazon.
The HTC Vive XR Elite looks unlike most gaming VR headsets in that it’s so compact. The front of the headset only juts out from the front of your face by a few inches. The battery has also been placed within the back headrest, so it’s heavier in the back to the weight off your face. Unfortunately the Vive XR Elite is heavier than the 503g Meta Quest 2 with its total weight sitting at 625g.
If anything, the Vive XR Elite looks like a more casual and minimal pair of VR goggles similar to the company’s last product, the HTC Vive Flow. However, it’s still a very capable headset for gaming thanks to its 4K resolution with 2K displays for each eye a refresh at 90Hz, and offers a 110-degree field of view.
The headset features a Snapdragon XR 2 chipset with 12GB RAM and 120GB ROM to store games and content locally on the headset. Of course, you can also connect this headset to a gaming PC over USB-C for a higher-resolution, desktop-powered VR experience. The battery is rated for two hours, and it offers 30W fast charging, which should give you a half-battery charge in 30 minutes.
It’s also more comfortable to wear than most VR headsets, thanks to a very pliable removable fabric gasket that’s also easy to clean and switch out. Every eye has built-in diopters, so most users can take off their glasses while using this headset.
The arms on this headset are designed to be minimally bulky and sit to the sides of your head like a pair of glasses. That said, there are still speakers built into the stems, which HTC promise to deliver improved bass, directional audio, and clarity over the sound provided by its previous headsets.
You can also remove the battery pack off the stems, connect it to a phone or PC with USB-C, and use the headset like a pair of VR goggles. Without the battery pack, the Vive XR Elite weighs a mere 0.53 pounds (240g).
Moreover, this VR headset can fold up like a pair of sunglasses and be stored in a compact case for travel.
As for tracking, the HTC Vive XR Elite comes with 6Dof controllers, plus it can do hand and finger tracking thanks to a laser depth-sensing camera at the front of the headset – no IR lighthouses needed. The headset also features an RGB camera at the front to support mixed-reality experiences.
Regarding content, HTC claims there will be over 100 games available at launch on top of Vive Connect. Users can also stream video content and games like Fortnite Mobile from Android phones to a private 100-inch screen while wearing the headset.
The HTC Vive XR Elite is expected to be on shelves in February and will retail for $1,099 for the headset, controllers, and carrying case.
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