Today is a big day for the HTC Vive. It is ‘Vive Day’, marking the second anniversary of the launch of the HTC Vive. It has been a busy two years for HTC and Valve in its pursuit of virtual reality (VR) dominance. Nina from VRFocus looks over what has happened in the past two years.
Prior to the launch of the HTC Vive, Taiwan-based HTC were best known as a smartphone manufacturer. The company had already decided to begin investigating VR technology when it met with Valve regarding development of a SteamVR device.
The HTC Vive quickly emerged as the main rival for the Oculus Rift and became one of the top VR headsets alongside the Oculus Rift and the PlayStation VR. The HTC Vive also became one of the most popular choices for location-based VR centres.
Accessories have also been an area where the HTC Vive has had something of an advantage. The company has produced several accessories such as the Deluxe Audio Strap, which brought in integrated headphones as well as changing weight distribution on the headset for better comfort.
Tying in to the location-based VR centres was the Vive Tracker, a hockey-puck-like device which could attach to objects such as tennis racquets or gun props to allow them to be integrated into the VR experience.
HTC also instituted the Vive X Accelerator Program, which provided tools, mentoring and equipment for start ups and smaller companies to begin development on VR videogames, tools, apps and experiences in order to increase the richness of the VR ecosystem.
For content, users of the HTC Vive can explore the vast library of VR-compatible titles on Steam, or for a more curated experience, Viveport is also available. Viveport is designed to offer some of the highest quality VR content available on the platform. Using a subscription model, Viveport makes a selection of curated content available each month. A special version of Viveport is available for operators of VR arcades and location-based centres to provide up-to-date content.
The full video on the history of HTC Vive is available to view below. VRFocus will continue to bring you news, videos and features on VR and other immersive technology.