Category: Vive Cosmos

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HTC Leaders Hope Modular Vive Cosmos Will Appeal To Multiple Markets

Vive Cosmos controllers inside-out tracking VR headset

Vive Cosmos, HTC’s newest consumer-driven VR headset, is designed to bring a new audience to VR. HTC leaders also want to reach people that find current systems inaccessible. That’s why it’s got inside-out tracking and improved design. It also has, in HTC’s words, Vive’s sharpest display yet.

But VR enthusiasts won’t be left out of the mix.

Vive General Manager Daniel O’Brien suggested as much to me at MWC this week. HTC still isn’t saying much about Vive Cosmos. I asked if HTC was working on another high-end headset for people who bought the original Vive. He suggested Cosmos is for those buyers.

I also asked if the headset’s modular aspect would extend beyond platforms. Cosmos will run on both PC and, HTC hints, smartphones. O’Brien said yes, without saying much else.

It is better if I just post the transcript rather than try and explain the tango for myself.

O’Brien: Everything that you’ll see from us over the next couple of years, whether it’s on the enterprise and B2B side or whether it’s on the consumer side is just looking at the friction points and trying to take them away. That’s seamlessly how we’re trying to approach the market.

Feltham: So I would say there’s these three categories at Vive right now, then. That’s the enterprise, Cosmos represents, you’ve said before, a chance to grab a new audience, people that aren’t into VR yet. and then there’s this thing in the middle which is what the original Vive is: high-end, gaming, enthusiast. Is that something that you’re still working on in the hardware side and we’ll see the next high-end, gaming, enthusiast headset?

O’Brien: We’ve really approached Cosmos in a really interesting way and the story’s going to continue to evolve.

Feltham: So [Cosmos] could be the next high-end headset too?

O’Brien: This is going to be a product that has scalability.

Feltham: And that could go up or down?

O’Brien: Yes. Across multiple customers. And we’ve approached that product really specifically to approach multiple markets and approach those problems.

Feltham: What are the modular aspects? Would I be able to potentially swap out the screen one day?

O’Brien: We’ll have more to say.

Feltham: More than just what powers it?

O’Brien: Yes.

Feltham: So, potentially, one day if I wanted eye-tracking I could just plug it in between the lenses, potentially?

O’Brien: There’s a lot more to come on that product.

I certainly tried.

“This product is going to be able to grow and support our premium VR customers that we have today and the customers we expect to have tomorrow. And that product’s going to evolve over a year,” O’Brien concluded.

That’s about all we’re getting out of HTC for now. But, with GDC coming up this month, new Cosmos info is hopefully right around the corner.

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Why GDC 2019 Could Be VR’s Most Important In Three Years

Why GDC 2019 Could Be VR’s Most Important In Three Years

February was slow, wasn’t it? For such a short month it sure does drag on. But it’s only lasted so long because we’ve been really, really looking forward to March. Or, more specifically, we’ve been looking forward to the 2019 Game Developers Conference.

That’s for a lot of reasons.

This GDC could well be VR’s most significant, at least since 2016. That year Oculus, Valve, Sony and HTC put the finishing touches on their launch campaigns. VR was on the cusp of going consumer and everyone was excited. The 2017 and 2018 iterations, while eventful, didn’t hold such importance.

But now in 2019 VR feels like it’s yet again on the cusp of something new. Perhaps not a second generation, but an intriguing mid-way point that will see the same suspects head off on exciting new tangents.

Oculus Quest and Rift S

Last year Oculus used GDC to lift the curtain on the Go headset. We got an in-depth hands-on and a first glimpse at games ahead of launch at F8 the following May.

We’re expecting a similar sort of roll out for the highly anticipated Oculus Quest. We already know we’ll see new demos for the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) standalone headset at the show. This could be Quest’s big coming out party, a chance to show everyone what this device is really capable of.

But Quest isn’t all we might see from Oculus at GDC. This month we found code that seemed to corroborate the existence of Oculus Rift S. Rift S is rumored to be a refreshed take on the Rift with inside-out tracking and an updated display. It could even be out this year. We’ve got our fingers crossed that Oculus has more news in store for us at GDC, even with Quest on the way.

HTC Vive Cosmos

HTC also has something in the works on the consumer VR side. At CES 2019, the company announced Vive Cosmos. It’s a PC VR headset with inside-out tracking. That’s about all the company will confirm on-record.

But not-so-sly hints and teases promise much more than that. HTC suggested Cosmos can also be powered by phones for portability. Not only that but the device will be modular, likely allowing users to swap out components for a VR experience that best suits them.

Cosmos is due to release later this year and GDC marks the perfect time to tell us more. This week, Vive announced a Developer Day for the first day of the show. There it will lay out its road map for 2019. Expect Cosmos to play a big part in that.

Valve’s Own SteamVR Headset

Oculus and HTC might not be great at keeping secrets, but no one plays its cards closer to its chest than Valve. After launching the Vive with HTC in 2016, we’ve heard that the SteamVR creator could be branching out with its very own headset. Supposed pictures of the device circulated the internet last year. GDC could be the time to reveal all.

Sources tell us the headset would feature a 135 degree field of view. It could come bundled with the company’s long-anticipated Knuckles controllers and, whisper it, a Half Life-based VR game.

At this point we’ve learned never to ‘expect’ something from Valve. If GDC were the coming out party for this headset it could easily be the biggest story of the show.

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Exciting times ahead, then. We will be at GDC in full force and we will have all the latest from the show.

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Vive Cosmos: Teaser-Video zu neuen Controllern veröffentlicht

HTC veröffentlichte kürzlich per Twitter einen Teaser zu den kommenden VR-Controllern der Vive Cosmos. So gibt ein kurzes Video einige interessante Details über die neuen Eingabegeräte bekannt. Demnach setzen die 6DoF-Controller erstmals auf Analogsticks, bieten dank Leuchteffekten ein verbessertes Tracking und besitzen mehr Knöpfe als bisherige Modelle.

Vive Cosmos – Teaser-Video stellt neue Controller vor

Es gibt neue Informationen zur kommenden Vive Cosmos aus dem Hause HTC. Per Twitter stellen die Entwickler die neuen 6DoF-Controller der VR-Brille vor und präsentieren die interessanten Einblicke in Videoform:

Die VR-Controller setzen auf ein ergonomisches Design und werden durch die integrierten Kameras der Cosmos-Brille getrackt. Dadurch werden externe Sensoren überflüssig. Insgesamt vier Kameras sind in der Hardware verbaut, zwei am vorderen Teil der Brille, zwei an den Seiten.

Zur besseren Erkennung kommen Lichteffekte am oberen Tracking-Ring der Controller zum Einsatz. Diese sehen nicht nur ansprechend aus, sondern haben auch einen praktischen Effekt: Durch die Lichter sollen sämtliche Handbewegungen rund um den Körper akkurat erfasst werden.

Vive-Cosmos-Controller

Image courtesy: HTC

Im Gegensatz zu früheren Modellen orientieren sich die Vive-Cosmos-Controller eher an die Eingabemethode der Oculus Rift, denn zum ersten Mal befindet sich ein Analogstick anstelle eines Eingabepads auf der Oberseite der Hardware. Zudem befinden sich an den Seiten neue L1-/L2– und R1-/R2-Knöpfe, die an die Schultertasten eines PlayStation-Controllers erinnern.

Für einen erleichterten Einstieg und eine simple Einrichtung sollen die Controller laut Verantwortlichen sofort mit sämtlichen installierten VR-Erfahrungen kompatibel sein.

Die Vive Cosmos soll im späteren Verlauf des Jahres 2019 erscheinen. Dabei handelt es sich um eine kabelgebundene VR-Brille mit Inside-Out-Tracking, die sowohl PC- wie auch Mobile-VR-Erfahrungen ermöglichen soll. Weitere Informationen zur VR-Brille sind bisher nicht bekannt.

(Quelle: Upload VR | HTC Vive Twitter)

Der Beitrag Vive Cosmos: Teaser-Video zu neuen Controllern veröffentlicht zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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Community Download: What Do You Want From The Vive Cosmos?

Community Download: What Do You Want From The Vive Cosmos?

Community Download is a weekly discussion-focused articles series published every Monday in which we pose a single, core question to you all, our readers, in the spirit of fostering discussion and debate.

It’s been a while once again since we’ve had a Community Download, but the column is far from dead. For this week’s discussion I wanted to look back at the month of January and see what all happened that’s worth keeping at top of mind. Obviously CES was the main event of the month and if we break down everything in VR from that week it’s easy to see the brand new upcoming Vive Cosmos headset from HTC stole the show.

While the Vive Pro Eye was usable in a controlled demo environment, there was no such luck with the Vive Cosmos. We weren’t even allowed to touch it! But we at least did talk to HTC a lot about the device and found out that it’s definitely not wireless, it is tethered, and not a standalone.

For more on the Vive Cosmos check out our break down of everything we know so far and our explanation of the HTC headset line up to help you decide which one is best for you.

So, given what we do know: What Else Do You Want To Known About The Vive Cosmos? Hopefully at upcoming events like GDC and showcases overseas we will learn more about the Vive Cosmos before it releases later this year.

Let us know your burning questions down in the comments below so we can know what to ask HTC next time we get the chance!

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Vive Cosmos: Zulassungsbehörde “FFC” gibt kabelgebundene VR-Brille frei

Die amerikanische Zulassungsbehörde Federal Communications Commission (FFC) hat eine Zulassung für die kommende HTC Vive Cosmos erteilt. Zeitgleich wurde dadurch noch einmal bestätigt, dass es sich bei der kommenden Hardware definitiv um eine kabelgebundene VR-Brille handelt.

Vive Cosmos – Amerikanische Zulassungsbehörde “FFC” gibt VR-Brille frei

Die amerikanische Regulierungsbehörde FFC ist unter anderem für die technische Überprüfung von Kommunikationsgeräten zuständig und überprüft die Verträglichkeit der Geräte mit anerkannten Normen. Dabei wird die Hardware auf ihre Drahtlosfrequenz hin untersucht und der damit verbundenen maximalen Strahlenaussendung. Die kommende HTC Vive Cosmos unterlief nun kürzlich diese Tests und wurde offiziell von der Behörde freigegeben.

Vive-Cosmos-FCC

Label-Beschriftung der Vive Cosmos in den offiziellen FFC-Dokumenten

Innerhalb der FCC-Dokumente wird deutlich, dass in der VR-Brille eine Drahtlosverbindung zwischen 2,402 – 2,48 Ghz integriert ist. Dieselbe Verbindung wird von der HTC Vive sowie der HTC Vive Pro zum Tracking der Controller verwendet. Für VR-Streaming ist dies mit den angegebenen 2,5 Mw Ausgangsleistung zu niedrig. Damit wird noch einmal bestätigt, was bereits seit Längerem vermutet wurde: Die Vive Cosmos muss definitiv mit einem Kabel am PC verbunden werden.

Aufgrund der offiziellen Freigabe könnte uns zumindest zeitnah ein erstes Dev-Kit der VR-Brille erwarten. Wann die VR-Brille auf dem Markt erscheint, ist aktuell noch unbekannt.

Sämtliche bisher veröffentlichten Informationen über die kommende VR-Hardware findet ihr hier.

(Quelle: FCC | Upload VR)

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Vive Cosmos Hits FCC on Its Way to 2019 Launch

Vive Cosmos, HTC’s upcoming PC VR headset (which is also likely to support tethering to smartphones), has popped up in FCC listings, suggesting that the company is moving rapidly to bring it to market.

The Vive Cosmos headset was only just revealed last month and details are still quite thin on the ground, but new filings at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suggest it’s moving quickly toward market-readiness, likely with the intention of heading off Oculus’ upcoming Quest launch which is expected in Q2.

The FCC is tasked with certifying products with electromagnetic emissions to be safe and compatible with regulations. Products utilizing radio, WiFi, infrared, etc. need certification before they can be distributed for sale. Certification by the FCC marks one step closer to the launch of consumer electronics product.

This week documents for the Vive Cosmos appeared. The filings give the model number 2Q2R100, and a model specifying the location of the device’s label shows the shell of the Vive Focus with its unmistakable side-mounted cameras.

Image courtesy HTC

The documents don’t reveal much else except what kind of wireless radios might be on board. One filing specifies a 2.4GHz radio but no 5GHz radio. If that band was being used for WiFi, it would be very odd to not to also include more modern 5GHz WiFi capabilities as well; as 5GHz isn’t present, it seems likely that the 2.4GHz band is not being used for WiFi but instead for wireless communication to the headset’s controllers, just like the original Vive.

Key specs for Cosmos have yet to be revealed, like display resolution, refresh rate, weight, price, and more. HTC, like many companies, has submitted a Confidentiality Request to temporarily keep the following FCC documents out of the public eye:

  • Internal photos
  • User manual
  • Test set-up photos
  • External photos

However, we’ve likely seen some very strong hints about what to expect from Cosmos (and its smartphone connectivity) from a Qualcomm reference headset spotted at CES.

Image courtesy HTC Vive

As for the timing of the filings, the documents indicate that regulatory testing of the device began at least as far back as the end of September, 2018. HTC has said that Cosmos will launch in 2019, with dev kits coming “early” in the year; it seems likely that HTC wants to at least get Cosmos dev kits out the door before Facebook launches Oculus Quest (expected in Q2).

SEE ALSO
HTC Confirms Vive Cosmos Will Support OpenVR/SteamVR

From the company’s curious semi-reveal of Cosmos at CES, we expect that HTC has plans to launch a new flagship phone which will be able to tether to the headset, and that Cosmos’ deeper details will remain under wraps until the phone is revealed. As for when that might happen? Our eyes are on the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February.

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New Smartphone-tethered Qualcomm Headset Has 2x the Pixels of Vive Pro

This week at CES 2019 Qualcomm is showing off a new VR reference headset sporting impressive new displays that may well define the next wave of VR headsets.

Qualcomm has been a somewhat silent enabler of most of the recent and upcoming standalone VR headsets, not only because it makes the Snapdragon chip that’s central to many of these devices, but also because of its ‘HMD Accelerator’ program which helps companies rapidly bring VR headsets to market by supplying reference designs and pairing companies with partner solutions and capable manufacturers.

Qualcomm’s reference designs act as a jumping-off point for companies to craft a headset to their needs, which could be as simple as slapping a logo on the side, or as extensive as new industrial design, customization of key components, or adding entirely new tech that’s not part of the original reference design. In many cases though, the essential foundation of the reference design can be felt in the end product.

Qualcomm and HTC have worked closely together in the past on Focus, HTC’s first standalone headset, which bore many of the hallmark features found in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 reference headset. Lenovo’s Mirage Solo and a handful of other headsets also share a lineage with one of Qualcomm’s reference designs.

That’s a long way to say this: looking at Qualcomm’s latest reference headsets is a good way to get a preview of devices that are on their way to market.

Photo by Road to VR

At CES 2019 this week we met with Qualcomm who was demonstrating what they called a new reference headset that (surprise surprise) had a detachable tether to a smartphone—the feature that HTC massively teased this week with Cosmos, but wasn’t ready to talk about. The USB-C connector on the Qualcomm reference headset could also easily be plugged into a PC, just like HTC says Cosmos will be able to do.

Note: While Qualcomm called the headset a reference design, it appeared to be a newer, unannounced prototype of Acer’s OJO headset, though we gather this is also based on Qualcomm’s latest reference design for smartphone-tetherable headsets designed for Snapdragon 855 devices. For ease of discussion, I’m going to stick to calling this the ‘Qualcomm reference headset’ for now, because the company wasn’t sharing details about how Acer/Quanta were involved.

The similarities don’t stop there. The Qualcomm reference headset also has a flip-up hinge (just like Cosmos), and detachable headphones (just like Cosmos) that looked very similar to those found on the Vive Deluxe Audio strap.

With these similarities, and HTC’s history of working with Qualcomm, the reference headset is almost certainly forms the basis of Vive Cosmos, which gives us a number of big hints about what Cosmos and other near-term headsets could look like.

Which brings us to the display. HTC has said almost nothing about the Cosmos display except that it’s their “sharpest screen yet,” and that the new displays are “real RGB displays” with “minimal screen door effect.”

That’s exactly what I saw in the Qualcomm reference headset, which had a very impressive pair of displays which I don’t believe I’ve ever seen before. These new displays are LCD and running up to 90Hz with a resolution of 2,160 × 2,160 per-eye, a huge step up in pixels (2x!) over leading displays in headsets like the Vive Pro at ‎1,440 x 1,600 (even before talking about subpixels).

Additionally, these new displays appear to be RGB and have excellent fill-factor, offering the least screen door effect—and sharpest image—I’ve seen in a headset using any display of this type. The field of view on the Qualcomm reference headset looked a little tighter than similar headsets though, likely around 85 degrees, which would have slightly exaggerated the sharpness and minimal screen door. Even so, if these displays can support ~100 degrees like many other headsets, they’d still have a big edge in sharpness and minimal screen door.

SEE ALSO
Understanding the Difference Between 'Screen Door Effect', 'Mura', & 'Aliasing'

It’s not clear if Cosmos will in fact use this 2,160 × 2,160 display. HTC could opt for another display, but if Cosmos will have their “sharpest screen yet,” then it can’t be the Vive Pro display—and if it’s not this new display, then we’re not sure which it would be because there’s no VR displays in any existing or upcoming headsets (to our knowledge) that fall between those two resolutions.

The Qualcomm reference headset also clues us in to what the smartphone tethering function is likely to look like on Cosmos, and the device that would power it.

Photo by Road to VR

The Qualcomm reference headset was plugged into a Qualcomm MTP-8150 (an early hardware test kit) based on Snapdragon 855 with 5G hardware built in. The device was powering the headset, rendering the content, and handling the processing necessary for the optical 6DOF tracking. Qualcomm had a local 5G network set up which was streaming volumetric video content from NextVR (which looked really impressive on the high res display) as a 5G proof of concept.

The MTP-8150 is like a reference device for a smartphone, except before all the hardware has been compacted into a sleek form-factor. Phone makers use MTPs to test hardware while designing news phones.

So for Cosmos, the play ahead of HTC very much seems like the company plans to launch a new phone—probably built on Snapdragon 855 and including 5G—that will be compatible with Vive Cosmos. That would explain why HTC wasn’t ready to talk about the headset’s smartphone compatibility—because they’ve yet to announce the phone that will power it.

HTC says they’ll have more to say about Cosmos later this year—pay attention when they gear up to launch their next phone, because that’ll probably be when we start to hear specifics on Cosmos.

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Vive Cosmos: Everything We Know About HTC’s New Headset

CES 2019 was a busy one for HTC Vive. It’s biggest announcement was undoubtedly Vive Cosmos, a new PC VR headset. It’s not a sequel to the original Vive, but it is a consumer product unlike the Vive Pro and newly-announced Vive Pro Eye.

Confused yet?

Well don’t worry. Below, we’ve rounded up everything we know about Vive Cosmos thus far. The headset’s not due to launch until later in the year, so check back often for the latest updates and more.

It’s A PC-Based Headset

Let’s get this out of the way first: Vive Cosmos is not a standalone VR headset. Like the original Vive and Pro models, it connects to a PC. HTC sees this as a new strain of VR device that may entice people that haven’t yet bought a PC VR headset. Expect it to run popular PC VR games like Arizona Sunshine and Superhot VR.

But It Might Connect To Other Devices Too

While we know Cosmos will connect to PCs first and foremost, it sounds like other devices can power it too. HTC says this is a headset for home use and, cryptically, on-the-go too. In the announcement trailer above you can see a phone propped next to the headset. We might be able to plug our phones into the kit for a scalable VR experience. The Vive Cosmos website also describes the headset as modular, meaning you’ll be able to customize it. Expect to hear more about this feature in the months ahead.

It’s Got Inside Out Tracking

HTC Vive Cosmos

Perhaps the biggest difference between Vive Cosmos and other PC-based Vives is the inside-out tracking. Whereas Vive and Vive Pro use SteamVR’s Lighthouse system, which requires external base stations placed around a room, Cosmos does all of its tracking internally. While the headset debuted with four cameras fitted to the headset are able to scan the environment around you, HTC has since revealed a redesigned look with six in total. These provide six degrees of freedom (6DOF) positional tracking. This will make it much easier to set up VR, though we don’t yet know if the accuracy will stand up to SteamVR.

The Screen Flips Up

Look at that! Just flip it up and you’re back in the real world! Wow!

It’s Got New Controllers And They Look Very Familiar

vive cosmos controllers ces 2019

Along with base stations, Cosmos also does away with the original Vive controllers. Their replacements look strikingly similar to the new Oculus Quest controllers. There’s a tracking ring that runs over your hand for the headset to see, just like on Quest. We do prefer the snazzy tracking pattern on the Cosmos controllers, though. For the first time ever on Vive hardware, there’s also an analog stick instead of a trackpad. Two face buttons and a dedicated Home button also feature as does a trigger.

HTC Says It’s Its Lightest Headset Yet

HTC Vive Cosmos Video

This is a bit of an odd one. At 645 grams, HTC says Cosmos is its lightest headset yet. However, those that pay close attention will know the original Vive weighs in around 550g. We asked HTC to clarify, to which it reasoned Cosmos weighs less than a Vive with the Deluxe Audio Strap (DAS). The DAS added in built-in audio, which Cosmos already has, so the company argues this is a fair comparison.

It’s Going To Have Vive’s Best Screen Yet

HTC isn’t revealing official specs for Vive Cosmos just yet. That said, on the Cosmos website, the company claims it will have its ‘sharpest screen yet’. That suggests that kit could beat even the Vive Pro’s 2880×1600 (1440×1600 per eye) display.

It’s Powered By A New Platform

HTC also announced Vive Reality System at CES. It’s a brand new platform that will serve as both a user interface and a social service. You’ll be able to buy and launch VR experiences, access a VR web browser and, most importantly, meet up with friends. Vive Cosmos will be the first headset that’s powered by the platform. Cosmos is still going to support SteamVR in some form, but more details on that will arrive last down the line.

It’s Out Later This Year

HTC is still committed to bringing Vive Cosmos to market in 2019. Obviously there’s not much of 2019 left, so expect news in the near future.

We Don’t Know How Much It Costs

This is one of the biggest questions surrounding Vive Cosmos. If it’s a consumer-level kit then we’d expect it to be priced below Vive Pro’s steep $799 entry point. A recent retailer listing suggests it could be priced around £699.99, which would likely to work out the same in dollars. We’ll have to wait a few more months to find out, but fingers crossed that the price is right.

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HTC Teases Smartphone Capability With Vive Cosmos

Vive Cosmos is HTC’s newly unveiled PC VR headset that’s slated to release sometime this year. While it’s a tethered device meant to support PCs at launch, HTC teased that it could also be driven by a smartphone.

At its CES 2019 unveiling, a trailer (linked below) prominently showed Cosmos beside the outline of what appears to be an HTC U12+, pointing to the company’s intentions to eventually support mobile devices in addition to PCs.

Afterwards, HTC Vive America GM Dan O’Brien announced that they’d have more to share leading up to Cosmos’ launch, including “the kinds of form-factors it can expand into.”

An HTC spokesperson later confirmed with Road to VR that Vive Cosmos definitely has “additional ambitions” beyond its function as a tethered PC VR headset.

At this point it’s unclear how smartphone connectivity could be handled technically. HTC is staying mum on specs, although we speculate that Cosmos will likely connect to PCs via the VirtualLink connector, a new USB Type-C format that meets the data and power requirements of current and next-generation VR headsets.

Image captured by Road to VR

HTC’s U12+ is a Snapdragon 845 device that supports DisplayPort over its USB-C. It’s not so far-fetched that the company could certify its current and upcoming flagship smartphones to drive the headset’s graphics similar to the way Samsung does with Gear VR. Although less likely, HTC could also certify a wider swath of smartphones from various manufacturers such as Google does with Daydream.

Note: conventional DisplayPort over USB-C can push 4K resolution at 60Hz. Depending upon the final resolution of the headset, which we still don’t know, that could be a higher number.

SEE ALSO
HTC: Vive Cosmos is Not a Successor to the Original Vive

Again, HTC hasn’t put any specs on the table at this point, so it’s uncertain if the headset has Wi-Fi connectivity on-board either. However if it does, the company could go an entirely different route by letting smartphones stream VR content via Wi-Fi to Cosmos. That will invariably introduce additional latency, which is a major factor that a more direct connection would mitigate.

We’re hoping to learn more about Vive Cosmos in the coming months before dev kits head out in early 2019. Moreover, we still need to try it out, as the company didn’t allow demos at CES 2019.

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Vive Reality System Will be Vive Cosmos’ new VR Portal

The HTC Vive press conference at CES 2019 has certainly been memorable thanks to the unveiling of the Vive Pro Eye and the Vive Cosmos headsets. As part of the latter’s announcement, HTC Vive has revealed the Vive Reality System, designed as a new portal for users to enter virtual reality (VR) worlds.

Vive Reality System

Designed by HTC’s Creative Labs, the Vive Reality System encompasses the total user experience from the moment a headset is put on to how content is interacted with.

Explaining more about the system, Drew Bamford, VP, Creative Labs, HTC Vive said in a statement: “Our philosophy has always been focused on developing great products and experiences that create a natural and effortless bridge from the real world to the virtual world and with Vive Reality System we set out to reimagine Vive’s core software experience to meet these needs. The tools and environments that make up Vive Reality System aim to make spatial computing accessible to everyone, wherever their journey into immersive worlds takes them. We want VR to feel less like launching apps and instead like stepping between worlds.”

The system is still in development, with HTC Vive saying that it ‘includes both operational and experiential elements’ designed to impact its entire portfolio. From the looks of these first images, the Vive Reality System has similarities with both Oculus Home and SteamVR Home, both of which are aiming for a realistic and welcoming home environment.

Vive Reality System

Eventually, the Vive Reality System will power all of HTC Vive’s hardware products, with the first being Vive Cosmos which is slated for launch by the end of 2019. Vive Cosmos is a consumer-focused device that’ll be PC powered whilst providing inside-out tracking for ease of use and setup, hopefully enticing more consumers into VR.

There’s still lots VRFocus doesn’t know about the Vive Reality System. As more details surface in the coming months, we’ll keep you updated on the latest announcements.