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HTC hints at multi-room VR using Steam
You may know that VR in large rooms is becoming a reality, but what about venturing between rooms? It might happen sooner than you think, albeit with a few caveats. HTC has shown off an experience that used a SteamVR beta, a Vive Pro and 16 base stations to allow VR between multiple rooms. A tester successfully wandered between rooms finding tracked objects as he wandered through a complex but connected space. Don't expect to play VR games that span your entire home, though, as there are some limitations.
The Mario Kart VR experience is coming to London
Last year, Engadget Senior Editor Richard Lai tried out the Bandai Namco VR arcade in Japan, and he had great things to say. But the experience was limited to Tokyo -- that is, until now. Today, Bandai Namco announced that the company will bring its Mario Kart VR arcade experience to London.
HTC will lay off 1,500 employees in search of profit
HTC has announced that it will lay off another 1,500 employees from its Taiwanese manufacturing division in a bid to restore its profitability. In a statement, the company says that it will reorganize itself (again) to better take advantage of efficiency savings as well as help cushion its non-existent bottom line. Officials have, however, pledged to work with the Bureau of Labor and help all of those affected.
Seagate's hard drive/battery fanny pack is made for VR
In addition to the major software update for the Vive Focus standalone VR headset yesterday, HTC also unveiled the Seagate VR Power Drive which, as the name suggests, is a hybrid of a power bank and a portable hard drive. This isn't an entirely new idea, of course, but it's the first of such kind designed with VR usage in mind. Specifically, this device packs 5,000 mAh of battery juice -- almost doubling that of the Vive Focus -- plus 1TB of storage space (but no speed specs yet), and it has a detachable belt clip which can be locked at every 90 degrees.
Vive Focus VR update lets you take calls from the real world
Even though the Vive Focus won't be available outside of China until later this year, it's already getting a major update which will make it a lot more versatile. At the annual Vive Ecosystem Conference in Shenzhen just now, HTC announced that as of today, its standalone 6DoF (6 degrees of freedom) VR headset can install a "System Update 2.0" which adds a handful of notable features. One of the main highlights here is the added ability to receive calls, social notifications and messages from a paired HTC smartphone, with the recently unveiled U12+ being the first model to take advantage of this immersive feature. This is nothing new for existing Vive users, of course, as the Vive companion mobile app already supports the PC-powered headset on this end.
$1,099 Vive Pro Starter Kit has everything you need for VR but the PC
One of the bigger complaints about the HTC Vive Pro from our review was that the $799 headset felt like an upgrade path for existing Vive owners -- not an entry point for new users. HTC and Valve must've heard those complaints and the pair will start packing its existing $300 accessory pack in with the Vive Pro. The Vive Pro Starter Kit will set you back $1,099, and it comes with the Vive Pro headset, two Vive 1.0 controllers and a pair of Vive 1.0 base stations. More than that, if you already have your Pro, HTC is giving away $100 store credits for the Viveport marketplace. The bundle will go on sale April 5th.
HTC Vive Pro review: Better in every way, but it’s not for you
What if HTC could make the Vive VR headset again, but with better ergonomics, and higher quality screens? That's basically the Vive Pro. It's not a sequel -- it's more of a remaster. One that incorporates everything VR headset makers have learned over the past few years. (Spoiler: Comfort matters. A lot.) At $799 with no sensors or controllers, though, it's strictly for enthusiasts and professionals with plenty of disposable income.
HTC Vive Focus headset will be available outside of China soon
If you're interested in the HTC Vive Focus VR headset but you don't live in China, you've basically been out of luck. That is, until now. Today, HTC announced that the Vive Focus would be available in international markets later this year. It's the first 6DOF (six degrees of freedom) headset that's commercially available.
HTC's Vive Pro headset is available to pre-order for $799
Once staunch rivals in high-end VR, it now seems Facebook-owned Oculus and HTC are treading different paths. While Oculus is gearing up to launch a more affordable standalone headset, HTC has gone in the opposite direction with the Vive Pro, a new top-of-the range facehugger announced at this year's CES. Today, HTC has revealed the Vive Pro is the antithesis of affordable at $799/£799, and that it's now available to pre-order globally ahead of its April 5th shipping date.
Immerse yourself in ‘Ready Player One’ with HTC's VR experiences
The upcoming Spielberg-directed nostalgia orgy Ready Player One depicts a run-down future where the only escape is diving into a fully immersive cyberspace. Soon, you'll be able to visit that digital world, too, when HTC's Vive Studios releases a slew of VR experiences created by a variety of developers. They'll be available to download later in March, but first they'll come to events and 'VR Arcades' across the US -- including at South By Southwest.
HTC confirms layoffs as it combines VR and smartphone divisions
It's been an interesting few months for HTC. Google bought the team responsible for Pixel phones last year for $1.1 billion. The president of HTC's smartphone operations just resigned, claiming a "personal career plan" for the move. Now, the remaining US workforce is facing layoffs. As first reported by Digital Trends this week, HTC has confirmed that it will combine its smartphone and VR divisions, resulting in employee reductions.
Flying with a VR headset isn't as dorky as it sounds
As a somewhat regular flyer, I had always been intrigued by the concept of wearing a head-mounted display for some immersive in-flight entertainment. However, I never really found the "cinema" part of existing "personal cinema" headsets pervasive at all. Watching a tiny video through those headsets is like sitting in the last row of an empty theater. I'm not going to pay $800 for that. Then came the smartphone-powered VR headsets, but their three-degree-of-freedom (3DoF) tracking for just the head was never precise enough for prolonged usage. It wasn't until the Vive Focus, HTC's $630 standalone 6DoF VR device for China (about $100 of which goes to local taxes), that I finally decided to give virtual reality a chance to prove itself as a worthy alternative to those in-flight touchscreens. Luckily for me, my wife didn't forbid me from bringing this bright blue headset to our vacation, as long as it would fit into my carry-on.
Viveport VR subscriptions will cost $2 more starting March 22nd
HTC launched a monthly subscription for VR apps last spring, allowing users to choose up to five titles per month for $6.99/£6.99. As of March 22nd though, the price of that Viveport plan is going up. The company announced today that beginning next month, a Viveport subscription will cost $8.99/£8.99. However, there are a few caveats. First, existing customers will stay with the original $6.99 price through "at least" the end of the year.
VR runner 'Sprint Vector' launches on February 8th (updated)
Ever wanted to run in virtual reality without smacking into a real wall? You'll have a chance shortly. Survios has revealed that its VR foot racing game Sprint Vector launches February 8th for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and the 13th for PlayStation VR. The sci-fi runner stands out with a unique control scheme where you pump your arms to run, and your head to turn. In theory, you can get a feel for what it's like to race at breakneck speed without having to actually, well, sprint.
Step inside the Unabomber investigation in VR
In 1996, law enforcement officials arrested Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, after nearly two decades of investigation. But it wasn't until the Washington Post and the New York Times published Kaczynski's anonymous 35,000-word manifesto that a tip from his brother David led officials to Kaczynski and his isolated cabin in Montana. The massive nationwide hunt for the Unabomber, whose seemingly random attacks with lack of traceable evidence stumped law enforcement officials for years, is an interesting case and one that the Newseum in Washington DC has hosted an exhibit on for the past few years -- a display that includes Kaczynski's actual cabin. The exhibit has also featured a VR experience that let visitors explore the cabin from the perspective of an FBI agent, decide whether to publish the manifesto and even disarm the live bomb found in Kaczynski's cabin. Now, Variety reports, Unabomber: The Virtual Reality Experience is available for anyone to explore.
HTC Vive Pro's dual cameras can apparently track hand motion
When HTC unveiled its higher-end Vive Pro VR system back at CES, the company was suspiciously quiet about the dual cameras on this VR headset: there were no related demos, and the company reps remained tight-lipped. The smart-ass in me assumed that based on the similar looks, this module was probably a variant of the inside-out tracking sensor on the standalone Vive Focus, while others speculated that it would bring AR capability. Well, today we finally have an answer: it's actually a depth sensor, and it'll apparently enable basic hand tracking without additional hardware.
BMW used virtual reality to bring its latest crossover SUV to CES
When you're in Las Vegas for CES and want to show off a brand-new car before its debut at the North American Auto Show, what do you do? Well, if you're BMW, you do it virtually. The German automaker "brought" its new X2 crossover SUV to the desert with virtual reality, in a first-of-its-kind (for BMW, at least) demo experience that lets potential customers get behind the wheel and poke around the vehicle's nooks and crannies. BMW sees this as a natural bridge between looking at pictures online and reading brochures, and for the automaker, the medium seems like a logical next step to updating the shopping experience for the future.
Take a good look at the HTC Vive Pro and VR wireless adapter
The Vive Pro is a beefed-up version of HTC's original VR headset, adding integrated 3D audio and high-res OLED screens displaying 2880 x 1600 combined, with a pixel density of 615 pixels per inch, an upgrade from 448ppi. The headset also addresses some of the first iteration's fit issues, adding a new headstrap with a sizing dial that helps redistribute weight, so it's not all collected at the front of the headset.
HTC unveils a wireless adapter for Vive VR headsets
The dream of a wire-free HTC Vive is close to becoming a practical reality. HTC has unveiled a Vive Wireless Adapter that uses Intel's WiGig to eliminate the corded connection for both the original Vive and the Vive Pro while keeping lag and interference to a minimum. There's no word on price, but you will have to wait -- the compact add-on won't ship until sometime this summer.
Pico's standalone 6DoF VR headset is compatible with Vive Wave
You might have missed the original Pico Neo VR headset back in April 2016, but the name is popping up again thanks to its re-release. Following the HTC Vive Focus, the new Pico Neo unveiled earlier today is yet another standalone VR headset with six-degree-of-freedom (6DoF) tracking, and thankfully, it looks a lot better than its predecessor. Much like the Vive Focus, what we have here is a dual-camera inside-out tracking system powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 (so it's likely based on the same development kit) with the same three-hour battery life, but it features a narrower 101-degree field of view instead of 110, and it packs a pair of 90 Hz 1,440 x 1,600 LCDs instead of AMOLED.
