There’s currently a race going on in the virtual reality (VR) industry to make tethered head-mounted displays (HMDs) wireless, removing one of the biggest issues that break immersion. One of the earliest solutions to be revealed was TPCast in 2016, a Chinese company that was part of HTC’s Vive X Accelerator. Now it seems as though TPCast is another step closer to a full launch – in the US at least – with both the PC transmitter and battery both getting FCC approval.
As you might expect the PC transmitter is the part of the kit that connects to the computer – via the now disconnected 3-in-1 cable from the headset – whilst still needing to connect to a router. The transmitter then needs to be placed in a suitable location – TPCast recommends somewhere close to a Lighthouse base station or on the ceiling if performance is sluggish.
Also getting FCC approval is the battery for the system, which powers the HMD receiver. As the header image shows, the battery attaches to the rear of the headset strap whilst the receiver sits on the top, balancing out the weight.
Whilst this is certainly a step in the right direction for US consumers, for a European launch the company will have to go through individual countries requirements which could take longer.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of TPCast, reporting back with any further announcements.