HTC's Vive Focus Vision XR Headset Promises Arcade-Level Immersion For PC Gamers

It looks as though HTC is trying to fill the gap between Apple's ultra-pricey Vision Pro and Meta's way more affordable Quest 3 with its new Vive Focus Vision, an extended reality (XR) headset that boasts a "wealth of improvements and new features" for both gamers and enterprise users alike. As it pertains to the former, HTC claims its newest headset delivers the type of immersion that can be found in higher end headsets used in some arcade venues.

"Now, PC gamers can bring the same high-end headsets used in VR arcades into their homes. We're taking everything to the next level with built-in eye-tracking, stereo color passthrough cameras for depth-correct Mixed Reality, and even an infra-red sensor for enhanced hand tracking in low-light conditions," said Shen Ye, Global Head of Product at HTC Vive.

What that translates to is a 5K resolution LCD (4896x2448 combined, or 2448x2448 per eye), a 90Hz refresh rate, and up to a 120-degree field of view (FOV). It also features four tracking cameras, two eye-tracking cameras, two 16-megapixel color cameras for stereoscopic full-color passthrough cameras, an array of sensors (G sensor, proximity sensor, depth sensor, infrared floodlight, and gyroscope), and automatic IPD.

According to HTC, the headset will receive an update to support 120Hz via DisplayPort later this year. As for the core hardware, it's powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 processor, 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 128GB ROM, and up to 2TB of expandable storage by way of a microSD slot.

A hot-swappable battery provides up to 2 hours of usage, according to HTC, which the company says can be charged up to 50% in 30 minutes with the headset's included 30W adapter. There's also a built-in reserve battery that provides up to 20 minutes of extended run time.

Whether gamers will be drawn to HTC's latest headset remains to be seen, but they're clearly a target audience.

"Vive Focus Vision features DisplayPort mode for PCVR, enabling lossless visuals by connecting the headset directly to a PC graphics card. With DisplayPort, gamers and enterprise users alike can enjoy content exactly as the developers intended, without degradation of quality. This is perfect for PCVR gamers who have SteamVR game collections, as well as enterprise organizations who want to deliver a powerful immersive experience," HTC says.

For those interested, the HTC Vive Focus Vision is available to preorder for $999, which comes with a Vive wired streaming kit. The headset releases on October 17, 2024.