Developers working in the area of virtual reality (VR) have been doing interesting things with the HTC Vive Tracker hardware. From allowing accurate kicks and punches in the VR environment, to the more esoteric uses such as using a Vive Tracker to retro-fit a Nintendo Power Glove. Many VR enthusiasts have been keen to get hold of the Vive Trackers. That is now possible, since the Vive Trackers are now available for sale the consumers.
The Vive Trackers are compatible with dozens of existing VR titles, and are the power behind a new range of new motion tracking accessories. The Vive Tracker allows users, arcades and developers to use third-party hardware and software that can create a more immersive experience.
HTC have announced a number of accessory bundles which will come with the Vive Tracker, a compatible accessory and HTC Vive title:
- Hyper Blaster with Duck Season
- Racket Sports Set with Virtual Sports
- Rebuff Reality’s TrackStrap with Redfoot Bluefoot Dancing
The latter features straps to allow for full-body tracking. All three bundles will be available for pre-order from 16th November, with expected release dates of mid-December, 2017.
The Hyper Blaster is a retro-styled light gun designed to tie into the tongue-in-cheek nostalgia of Duck Season, but is also compatible with titles such as Arizona Sunshine, The American Dream VR, Practisim VR, Tactical AR and Operation Warcade. The Racket Sports Set is, as the name suggests, designed to replicate the feeling of Tennis rackets and Table tennis paddles, and works with Virtual Sports along with four other titles. The TrackStrap lets users attach a Vive Tracker to their feet, wrist, hip or leg to allow for accurate body-tracking for titles such as Redfoot Bluefoot Dancing, Climbey, Holodance and High Fidelity, among others.
“With Vive Tracker, we’ve already seen the tremendous tools and experiences that the development community has created and unleashed into VR,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM US, Vive. “As we launch Tracker to consumers, we’ve lined up a number of developer and hardware partners that are committed to making VR on Vive more immersive than ever before. The Vive Tracker opens up a whole new set of experiences that can take advantage of full body tracking and a number of peripherals that set VR experiences on Vive apart.”
VRFocus will bring you further news on HTC Vive hardware and accessories as it becomes available.