HTC launched Vive Focus 3 back in late June, a high-end VR standalone with a price tag to match its ambitions as a device meant for businesses. The company recently announced updates to the software experience that will bring a host of improvements, such as support for the new WiFi 6E standard, larger tracking areas, a shared map for easier playspace calibration, and more.
The company announced the full gamut of info in a blogpost. As it is, here’s a quick rundown of the major updates HTC is bringing to Vive Focus 3:
Better PC VR Streaming with WiFi 6E
WiFi 6E is a new standard that operates at the 6 GHz frequency range, and offers a low latency and high bandwidth wireless connection for streaming PC VR content to the standalone headset.
Occupying a different frequency also helps mitigate background WiFi interference. As HTC’s Shen Ye points out, going from WiFi 6 (5GHz) to WiFi 6E allows for a total of 59 separate 20MHz channels, or 7 separate 160 MHz channels. Certification is coming soon, although availability may vary based on your geographic location.
Location-based Entertainment Mode
Location-based Entertainment (LBE) Mode was developed to enlarge the Vive Focus 3’s standard tracking area to make it easier for businesses to make the best of large spaces.
Vive Focus 3 supports a 15m × 15m space out of the box (50ft × 50ft), but LBE mode bumps that up to 33m × 30m (100ft × 108ft). That’s roughly the size of four tennis courts, which opens up more flexibility for VR arcades implementing larger format free-roaming games.
Map Sharing
The new Map Sharing feature lets multiple users share inside-out maps of a given space so you don’t need to setup or calibrate multiple headsets.
This also includes the ability to duplicate a few things specifically from one to all headsets in a group: single boundary/direction/center of map/floor height.
Visual Odometry Mode
Visual Odometry (VO) Mode is a handy shortcut so you can skip the 5-minute tracking set-up, letting users jump straight into the experience without having to draw the tracking volume. It does this by automatically setting the Direction of View and Center of Coordination once a user puts on the headset.
Ye mentions that VO mode is great for experiences where large-scale tracking isn’t really relevant, like single-player arcade games with a static playspace, athletic training, and more simple content viewing.
Conveniently, HTC has made a Hybrid Mode that incorporates both VO and LBE Mode. Start in VO mode for fitting adjustments, and then head into LBE mode to transition to the large-scale experience.
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Check out HTC Vive Focus 3 specs below. You can learn more about HTC’s latest standalone here.
The application of virtual reality (VR) into the attraction and amusement landscape is covered by leading industry specialist Kevin Williams. In his latest Virtual Arena column, he reveals the first deployment of the HTC Focus 3 into the Out-of-Home entertainment sector, part of what will mark a revolutionary new application of VR within the proven Laser Tag scene.
One of the biggest elements to the success of VR in the location-based entertainment sphere has been its utilisation of physicality. In the first phases, this was achieved with motion platforms, then with the next phase, we saw the use of free-roaming – the ability to move around a space, and in some cases very limited interaction with physical objects. But with the latest developments, we see the highest yet achieved levels of interactivity that looks to launch the medium into the next phase.
The entertainment scene has had a long love affair with what has become ubiquitously called “Laser Tag”. Since 1984, when the first arena-based laser tag facility (Photon) opened, the ability for guests of all ages to run around an arena, using walls to hide behind, while blasting fellow players with laser weapons, registering hits from their own vests through tactile feedback, has been established as a major hit. The amusement industry has seen Laser Tag arenas become a staple attraction across the entertainment venue business landscape. Even after a failed attempt to make a home entertainment alternative.
A conventional Lasertag arena, now able to accommodate VR experiences. Image credit: Creative Works
Having carved out a reliable business in the industry, laser tag looks to be at the centre of the next major development in the phase of VR evolution. Free-roaming, backpack PC based VR has been a major phase of investment; but the need for an approach that looked at utilizing the already established arena business for laser tag was needed. An approach that could offer a package that could safely incorporate the physical obstructions found within the space. This was the opportunity that galvanised Creative Works, one of the leading builders of laser tag arenas, as well as a sales force to the industry of VR hardware from HOLOGATE and Major Mega (‘Hyperdeck’).
The fruits of this effort can now be revealed with what has been dubbed the “Next Generation of Laser Tag”. Launching Limitless VR, Creative Works has envisaged a multi-player VR experience, employing the latest Standalone VR hardware, that can be played within actual laser tag locations, without the need for the modification of the space. Offering a seamless means for VR entertainment to sit alongside the already proven physical laser tag experience.
The virtual re-creation of the physical playing arena. Image credit: Creative Works
Using the latest laser scanning technology, existing laser tag arenas, including their walls and obstructions are scanned and represented exactly within the game space. The physical items are married to the virtual environment. Creative Works has partnered with a specialist in LiDAR laser imaging to be able to create an exact recreation of the area elements, through 3D laser scanning. This allows players to interact safely with physical barriers within the game space. The majority of other free-roaming virtual arena systems have negated the inclusion of physical props due to the limitations of their VR hardware.
One of the big elements of the Limitless VR experience is the use of the HTC Vive Focus 3 – the first location-based entertainment (LBE) system to field the brand new standalone headset. The Vive Focus 3 offers a powerful platform targeted wholly at the commercial business scene, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2, which now ventures into commercial entertainment. The platform will offer the ability of up to 16 headsets at launch (with the ability to scale up to 30 in the future), to take part in multi-player experiences, embracing another vital element of laser tag, that of multiple player competition. Creative Works has been in partnership with HTC to be the first to deploy this platform into the entertainment market.
The HTC Vive Focus 3, and the new StrikerVR weapon system in action. Image credit: Creative Works
In support of the headset, the players will be using the latest game interface. From StrikerVR, the experience uses the new ‘HD Haptics’, compact gun systems, which incorporates the haptic feedback technology from the range. Deployed for the first time on this attraction. So along with the latest weapon systems and VR headset, the Limitless VR platform can negate the need for cumbersome backpack PC’s. The laser tag arena now turned into a virtual game space, populated with virtual elements changed at the click of a mouse.
Laser tag offers an important element in many entertainment facilities, offering, not only games and competitions but is also central in many of the private hire (birthday party) business that draws revenue. Being able to target these group bookings with a versatile VR platform incorporating many of the familiar elements of highly physical gameplay, now super-charged with an immersive game experience. Experiences that will be constantly changing without the operator having to totally reconstruct their arena.
The Limitless VR system in action with players of all ages. Image credit: Creative Works
The ‘Limitless VR’ is the first Standalone VR experience to incorporate detailed physical object tracking and can be deployed across the numerous already established laser tag arenas in the market. Previous attempts had been made to use VR within limited physical arenas with objects, as seen with the aborted Oculus, ‘Dead & Buried Arena’ prototype teased at the Oculus Connect 5 event in 2018, (and then subsequently dropped). The need to have exact tracking of physical objects and offer multi-player experiences is essential to achieve the full potential of VR in this space.
With the new Creative Works release, this will mark the first of a new generation of free-roaming systems that are moving away from the encumbrance of backpack PC’s and employing sophisticated standalone VR systems. We will report on the other entrants into this scene and additional technological advancements that hope to bring the high-end PC VR experience to standalone headsets, unachievable at home.
In preparation for its June 27th ship date, HTC released a full teardown of its latest enterprise-focused standalone, Vive Focus 3.
Shen Ye, HTC Vive Head of Global Hardware Products, takes us through the whole dismantling process, something that he warns shouldn’t be tried at home since it will undoubtedly invalidate your warranty—not something you want to do with the $1,300 headset and controllers.
“We use incredibly precise machines to calibrate the headsets, and there is no way to replicate the precision by hand alone,” Ye cautions before heading into the teardown proper. The teardown is of a pre-production unit, which is said to look slightly different on the outside in terms of finish, but is “pretty much the same on the inside,” Ye says.
We’ve linked the full teardown below, but also included a written recap if you’re unable to watch the video.
Ye first explains a bit about Vive Focus 3’s specs, including its headstrap design, integrated audio solution, and hot-swappable battery, which is mounted on the back of the headstrap.
Like all batteries, it’s unwise to dismantle any further than popping it out of the device itself, Ye warns. The 26.6Wh battery features a curved design to better fit inside the back part of the headstrap, and features USB-C fast charging, which can charge from 0 – 50% in 30 minutes, Ye says. Owing to its lithium polymer gel design, it’s said to be more leak and swelling resistant than traditional lithium polymer liquid cells.
Image courtesy HTC
Ye also goes through a few notable features, most of which can be summarized in the headset’s spec sheet. If you want a deeper dive into each component, check out our full breakdown here.
Vive Focus 3 Specs
Resolution
2,448 x 2,448 (6.0MP) per-eye, LCD (2x)
Refresh Rate
90Hz
Lenses
Dual-element Fresnel
Field-of-view
120° horizontal
Optical Adjustments
IPD
IPD Adjustment Range
57–72mm
Processor
Snapdragon XR2
RAM
8GB
Storage
128GB (expandable via MicroSD to 2TB)
Connectors
USB-C (2x)
Battery Life
2 hours
Tracking
Quad on-board camera (no external beacons)
Controllers
Vive Focus 3 controllers, rechargeable battery
Audio
In-headstrap speakers, 3.5mm aux output
Microphone
Dual microphone
Pass-through Cameras
Yes
With precision screwdriver in hand, we get the first glimpse under the plastic headstrap, which hides the power cables running to the back-mounted battery, the in-strap speakers, and the audio cables that connect them to the mainboard sitting at the front of the headset. That white ring at the headstrap swivel is a special polymer that’s designed for strength, Ye explains.
Image courtesy HTC
Next up, Ye detaches the faceplate by removing a few screws from the lens-side of the headset and some hidden inside the USB-C accessory port, which is held shut with magnets. Here, we get our first look at the mainboard, 15W copper cooling heat pipe, brushless fan, and the lattice of ribbon cables connecting everything together.
Ye doesn’t mention exactly how many tiny screws are involved in these next dismantling steps, but it’s probably a lot, as the heat pipe and fan need to be well attached to the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR-2 chipset.
Image courtesy HTC
After removing some ribbon cables, the housing and internals can be separated. A few more connectors and the main PCB can be removed from the magnesium alloy frame too, something that’s “20% lighter and 500% stronger than traditional plastics,” Ye says.
The magnesium alloy frame is also useful insofar it can dissipate heat from the four outward-facing camera sensors, which handle both controller tracking and positional room-scale tracking for Vive Focus 3.
Image courtesy HTC
Next up is the optics and displays, which are sandwiched together. Those little arms in the center featuring small teeth are used to adjust the displays for each users’ individual interpupillary distance (IPD). It’s a dual-element lens design, Ye tells us, which allows for a 120-degree horizontal field of view (FOV).
Image courtesy HTC
Flipping the whole assembly around, and Ye then detaches the display from the lens housing, revealing the 2,448 x 2,448 LCD.
Image courtesy HTC
That’s the extent of the headset teardown; Ye moves on to take apart the Vive Focus 3 motion controller. Popping off the handle’s outer plastic and top with a spudger, we get the first glimpse at the controller’s capacitive sensors, which sense when your finger is resting on a button or area of the controller.
Image courtesy HTC
More screws, more connectors, and the top tracking ring can be removed from the body and bisected, revealing the internal IR LED markers that the headset’s camera sensors use to track the controller. There’s five on the inside of the ring as well, he says, which was included to improve tracking performance.
Image courtesy HTC
Back at the controller’s handle, a stiff pull is used to pop off the joystick. Multiple screws hold the upper assembly, which is attached to the trigger button. As it goes, everything seems to come off with the removal of only few screws.
Here’s the full exploded view of the controller, showing (among everything else) the mainboard and battery housing.
Image courtesy HTC
And that’s it for the Vive Focus 3 teardown. Again, if you want a deeper dive on the specs, software, enterprise device management, app store, and more, click here to learn more.
HTC’s first Vivecon event last month officially revealed the Vive Pro 2 and Vive Focus 3 headsets, showcasing the company’s intentions to deliver both consumer and enterprise compatible devices. While the Vive Pro 2 is now available, its all-in-one (AIO) sibling is due for release later this month, with pre-orders for the EMEA region going live later this week.
Unlike other standalone virtual reality (VR) headsets the HTC Vive Focus 3 is very much geared towards businesses, so the general public won’t be able to get their hands on HTC’s next-gen HMD. Companies that do want to order the new headset can place their pre-orders from 10th June, with the official launch scheduled for 24th June. The Vive Focus 3 retails for £1,272 GBP/€1,404 EUR.
In comparison to the previous Vive Focus model, the new design is far more compact and sleeker in appearance, looking much more professional in the process. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform the Vive Focus 3 provides users with 5K resolution visuals from dual 2.5K displays running at a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. And to help users feel even more immersed in a VR experience the headset boasts a 120-degree field of view (FoV).
When it comes to comfort and user-friendliness the Vive Focus 3 has a rear-mounted battery for even weight distribution, it can be swapped out for longer sessions or charged to 50% capacity in just 30 minutes. Users will also be able to adjust the interpupillary distance range between 57mm to 72mm plus the facial interface can easily be removed via a quick-release button for easy cleaning or swapping for a new one.
New open-back speakers featuring a pair of dual drivers help to deliver spatial audio without touching your ears. And a new headset also means new controllers, with each 6DoF controller having a built-in battery providing 15 hours of use per charge. And in the future the Vive Focus 3 will support hand tracking.
To complement the hardware the Vive Focus 3 will also feature the all-new Vive Reality System 2.0, providing a more streamlined and professional ecosystem for enterprise customers. For continued updates on the latest HTC Vive HMD models, keep reading VRFocus.
HTC’s new enterprise-focused standalone headset, the HTC Vive Focus 3, launches pre-orders this week.
The headset will be up on HTC’s official site on June 10 for and £1,272/€1,404 in Europe. We’ve asked HTC if this is the same date for the US, where the kit costs $1,300. HTC previously told us that it will sell the headset via some commercial channels so that smaller businesses can pick up the headset too, but no details on that today.
The Focus 3 is impressive on paper – it boasts Qualcomm’s XR2 platform just like the Oculus Quest 2 but also delivers 2.5K per-eye resolution and a 120-degree field of view. There’s also four-camera inside-out tracking and built-in audio. You can get a full spec rundown right here. But, while these specs may indeed be impressive, the headset is strictly aimed at business use – it will launch with an app store of generalized apps including Vive’s own B2B software, but don’t expect any games or entertainment experiences.
When we asked earlier this year, HTC declined to confirm if there will ever be a consumer version of the Vive Focus 3.
The news comes as the first shipments of the HTC Vive Pro 2 started arriving. The PC VR headset is aimed at both enterprise and high-end consumers. We’re hoping to have impressions of the device with you as soon as we can.
In this second of a two-part feature in his latest Virtual Arena column, industry specialist Kevin Williams marks the six-year anniversary of HTC’s Vive platform in Commercial Entertainment. Concluding this look, we chart the influence of the Vive in the current LBE marketplace and the future developments for the road ahead.
TheHTC Vive headset had become the de facto VR platform for those looking to enter the LBE VR scene. The original designs of the early part of this phase of development leant themselves more towards one-off creations, aping the pop-up design roots of many of the start-up developers. But the amusement and attraction trade would turn their considerable experience towards making systems that would fit the needs of the entertainment facility operators and prove robust to survive in this unique market.
Growing the Market
A very popular deployment of pay-to-play VR has been LAI Games’ Virtual Rabbids: The Big Ride. The concept of riders experiencing a motion-seat VR experience was not new but was based on the marriage of a 4D virtual experience developed in 2015 by videogame publisher Ubisoft, incorporating their lovable Rabbids IP. The combination led to a successful platform, launched in 2017 that has seen over 500 units fielded internationally. The concept has seen many emulators and has proven to be one of the most prolific VR amusement systems in the market, with many more people having their first VR experience on the ride system.
Many amusement manufacturers have looked to deploy VR in a fieldable amusement suitable package, and we have seen shooting, and driving games deployed with VR hardware. On most occasions the headset of choice has been the HTC Vive, gaining a reputation as a reliable go-to platform for this kind of deployment. Companies like IGS having launched a combination of racing game, motion-driver-cockpit and VR effects experience, with the release of OVERTAKE VR. The machine marking a major point in the LBE VR scene, where amusement operators started to see VR experiences as a reliable revenue generator.
One of the leading developers in the VR attraction scene is HOLOGATE – the company is famous for its ‘HOLOGATE Arena’ that has proven to be one of the most successful fielded platforms in the sector, with over 400 units operational internationally. The company launched its first system in 2017 and utilized the HTC Vive – comprising a tethered enclosure for four players. The company has established a large library of content, supporting its platform with an infrastructure to support operators, and ensure player enjoyment. Adding VR escape gaming and competitive titles to the roster. Constantly building to grow their installed base with new releases, such as announcing Slugterra, now on its systems worldwide.
Designing near mini-attraction platforms utilizing VR have driven many operators and developers, also marrying these new systems to well-known IP broadening the appeal. This can be seen by another large installation of VR attractions, developed for the Urban Entertainment facility chain, Dave & Buster’s. Working with VRstudios, along with several manufacturers, they created a multi-player motion simulator system. First released as the Jurassic World VR Expedition, the system used a motion base, HTC Vive and controllers to play in the virtual recreation of the movie. The company would go on to install over 100 simulators across their chain of facilities with other experiences based on movie IP such as Men in Black, Terminator, and Star Trek Discovery.
Venturing into the Jurassic World in VR
The theme park sector has still been infatuated with the opportunity that immersive technology represents, though the limitations of the current VR hardware still present a difficult challenge to overcome. The deployment of more convenient head-mounted displays (HMD) has seen the development of new technology based on the Vive. Critically acclaimed The Twilight Saga: Midnight Ride, developed by Framestore, an attraction launched at Lionsgate Entertainment World in 2019, comprises a unique modular design of the HTC Vive headset for usage on large throughput attractions. The simple head strap and separate display unit ease cleaning and operation. Uniquely configured headsets only for LBE application, illustrating the influence of the sector.
The unique VR tethered attraction experience
When discussing the influence of HTC’s VR efforts in commercial entertainment it is important not to just look at the HTC Vive. The company has also seen its Vive Focus deployed as a VR entertainment system. Companies such as Modal VR installed their PING videogame experience at venues back in 2018. And more recently developer Pillow’s Willow VR Studio and its highly active Exodus Burned has also utilized a Vive Focus headset approach. These standalone VR game platforms utilized the capabilities of the Focus and pointed towards an opportunity for free-roaming VR experiences that used lower performance VR hardware, so cutting the tether or removing the backpack PC. This development opening the door to the next generation of VR entertainment innovation.
HTC Vive Focus plays its part in LBE
Current Generation
Most recently the VR amusement platform has been refined to offer a self-service kiosk approach, with the deployment of tethered automatically retractable headsets. Leading the development of this approach has been VRsenal, who have launched their VR kiosks system, originally with Beat Saber Arcade. Underpinning the influence of strong IP, and VRsenal have worked with ILMxLAB and Nomadicto launch Lightsaber Dojo: A Star Wars VR Experience. Eagerly anticipated, offering the thrills of a fast pace game based on a popular brand.
The creation of more free-roaming VR experiences has captivated the latest investment into immersive entertainment. With the reopening of facilities and new investment has seen advanced developments building on the lessons learned. The opening of the heavily-publicised AREA15 location in Las Vegas has revealed one of their secret projects, with the launch of OZ Immersive – a multiple player platform developed by BackLight studios. The system based on the experience that the company has gathered in developing other Arena Scale attractions (such as ToyLand) and their line-up of VR escape games. The release of this first system is part of a rollout across other venues.
Virtual escape gaming shaping the future
While not everyone in the entertainment scene has the available space to install a hyper-reality experience on-site, there is a definite draw to have one of these platforms in the entertainment mix. With that in mind,Immersive Tech has revealed its plans to roll out its ‘UNCONTAINED’ VR platform. Housed in a shipping container, this allows a facility to install a VR experience within a matter of hours. The game platform being launched at the end of the year has already generated much excitement, utilizing a mix of Escape Room entertainment and immersive reality excitement. The company developing containers that house two play space for up to three players each, using wireless HTC Vive Pros.
Building the Next-Generation
Some observers would feel HTC stumble in trying to grow in the casual VR scene with its Cosmos series, launched back in 2019. A platform that was poorly defined, and badly constructed for what the then market expected, the system would even fall flat for consideration for commercial deployment. This impetus would see HTC redouble their investment into the space and focus on the core business elements that established the HTC Vive as such a pivotal system.
In redefining its future direction, HTC would reveal this year at ViveCon a new strategy in the space. Launching the HTC Vive Pro 2 that built on many of the successful elements of the original Vive hardware but offered greatly enhanced visual performance and an ability to include the latest immersive features such as facial tracking, wireless adapters and much more. A recognizable continuation of the Vive Pro series.
At the same time the company announced the launch of Vive Business, a dedicated division focused on the support of Enterprise users, with SDK support and the creation of an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) partnership program. During ViveCon HTC held several panel sessions covering the key areas of commercial support, including a session on LBE and Arts that saw an appearance by HOLOGATE, describing how they see the LBE VR landscape going forward.
One of the ISV partners that did not get coverage in the Western response to ViveCon, was the Chinese LBE VR facility developerImmersive World. With some 14-stores in the territory, the operation offers a free-roaming style entertainment experience and has worked alongside HTC, looking at an ISV to incorporate the new headset technology, and grow their facility business. This is an example of the LBE business that HTC continues to nurture and proves a profitable revenue stream.
In conclusion, HTC has proven itself against many of its naysayers. Where many felt that only consumer VR sales would establish the market, the adoption of supporting the growth of immersive entertainment in the Out-of-Home landscape has grown a vital market share. And introduced much innovation.
We look forward to seeing how the HTC Vive Pro 2 will fit into the updating and reinvestment in the commercial entertainment landscape. But also, we hope that the new Vive Focus 3 will take its place with the other standalone VR headsets looking at this market as a profitable vertical. Out-of-Home entertainment preparing for a new renaissance as the audiences return.
It’s been a big week for virtual reality (VR) hardware announcements thanks to HTC Vive’s very first ViveCon 2021 event. The all-in-one Vive Focus 3 was finally unveiled after much teasing whilst the big surprise was the Vive Pro 2, HTC new flagship PC headset. While both devices have plenty of tech built-in one thing they don’t have is eye-tracking which will be made available later in the year as an addon.
Eye-tracking will come by way of Chinese company 7invensun whose technology VRFocus has previously come across in Pimax and other headsets. 7invensun’s involvement wasn’t part of the main ViveCon Keynote yesterday, instead revealed by HTC China President Alvin Wang Graylin who confirmed that the Droolon F2 eye-tracking module would be available for customers in Q3 2021, priced at $299 USD.
That’s double the price of the company’s previous eye-tracking module which was available for HTC Vive headsets retailing at $149. What’s more unusual is the fact that neither headset has eye-tracking natively built-in considering the HTC Vive Pro Eye has been available for several years now. Especially where the Vive Focus 3 is concerned. The standalone headset is purely aimed at the enterprise market which is where eye-tracking would be most applicable, offering analytics and training use cases. The Vive Pro 2 bridges both the consumer/enterprise markets so keeping the cost down is understandable, plus very little content actually uses eye-tracking.
Graylin’s Tweet also mentions that the Droolon F2 eye-tracking module will be available in ‘most markets’. Considering 7invensun’s tech has mostly been for the Chinese market the launch could be the first time customers in Europe and the US can easily acquire its eye-tracking. Vive Focus 3 and Pro 2 owners will have to wait a few months to find out.
The eye-tracking module adds to the ever-growing list of accessories for the HTC Vive platform. The most recent additions include the Vive Tracker 3.0 and the Vive Facial Tracker. If you want a VR platform with lots of accessory options then HTC Vive has definitely got you covered.
7invensun has a long history with HTC Vive being one of the startups involved in the Vive X accelerator programme. As further updates on other hardware partners are released, VRFocus will let you know.
Neither the HTC Vive Pro 2 nor the Vive Focus 3 feature integrated eye-tracking, but support will apparently come via an add-on device in the future.
As announced by Vive China President Alvin Wang Graylin, both headsets will be compatible with the new Droolon F2 Eye-Tracking module that’s set to ship later this year. You may have heard that name before – in 2019 we reported that the first generation of the device, created by Chinese startup 7invensun, would support the Vive Cosmos.
Vive Pro 2 And Focus 3 Eye-Tracking Confirmed (Kind Of)
Don’t hold your breath for a big western launch, though. Both the Droolon F1 and even the add-on the company made for the original Vive in 2017 were promised as worldwide releases but we never really saw them reach North America or Europe in a meaningful way. HTC itself didn’t mention the device in any of our pre-briefings, so we’re not likely to see the kit make a big splash in the west.
That said the device does have US pricing – Droolen F2 is shipping in Q3 for $299. That’s double the price of the F1.
It’s curious that Vive Pro 2 itself doesn’t have integrated eye-tracking given that the previous version of the device, the Vive Pro Eye, did. Eye-tracking has several uses for VR headsets, including foveated rendering that can improve performance by only fully rendering the part of the display you’re directly looking at. That said, it’s also true that there’s little in the way of consumer-level software that integrates the feature right now.
As expected, HTC announced not one but two new VR headsets at its ViveCon virtual event today: the HTC Vive Pro 2 and the HTC Vive Focus 3.
The Vive Pro 2 is a PC VR headset aimed at both enthusiast consumers and enterprise use, while the Vive Focus 3 is a standalone device aimed squarely at the enterprise market. Both are launching in the coming weeks.
HTC Vive Pro 2
Vive Pro 2 looks much like the original Pro, which itself was an update to the first Vive. Its shell features a mix of the original Vive’s black and the Pro’s navy but, otherwise, the design is essentially the same, with an adjustable headband and built-in speakers. The kit features LCD displays offering 2448×2448 per-eye resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 120 degree field of view (FOV). There’s also adjustable IPD and support for existing Vive and SteamVR peripherals, though no eye-tracking support as seen in the Vive Pro Eye. You can see a full spec run down right here.
As with the original Vive Pro, HTC is selling Vive Pro 2 in two different forms. The base headset alone will be available for pre-order for $749/£659 and HTC plans to start shipping on June 3rd, when the price will increase to $799. This option is designed for people that already have the essential SteamVR kit: at least two base stations and either a pair of Vive wands or even the Valve Index controllers. The device is available to everyone.
A full kit, meanwhile, includes two 2.0 base stations and the Vive wands. It will launch on August 4 for $1399/£1299.
HTC Vive Focus 3
The Vive Focus 3, meanwhile, builds upon the original Focus and Focus Plus with an all-new design. Running on Qualcomm’s XR2 chip (the same used in the Oculus Quest 2), the kit’s display specs are largely comparable to the Pro 3 – 2448×2448 per-eye resolution and 120 degree FOV but with a 90Hz display. The headset features four-camera inside-out tracking and new controllers that look much like the Oculus Touch devices.
Interestingly, the device has a swappable battery at the back of the headset and features a magnesium alloy frame. Focus 3 will also come loaded with enterprise-focused software including access to the Vive Business AppStore, a marketplace for generalized enterprise applications. Again, you can find a full spec run down right here.
Unlike Pro 2, Vive Focus 3 will be sold to businesses, though HTC says it will also be available on “some consumer channels” for smaller outlets to purchase. It will cost $1,300/£1,060, which includes a 24 month warranty and services suite. The company would not confirm if a consumer version of the device might be in the works for the future.
HTC confirmed to us that it will continue to sell its Cosmos consumer headset too, as well as the original Pro and Pro Eye for now.
What do you make of the Vive Pro 2 and Vive Focus 3? Let us know in the comments below!
The time has finally come for HTC Vive to reveal what its been teasing these last few weeks. As expected it’s a new all-in-one (AIO) headset designed for the enterprise market, the Vive Focus 3. The third-generation of HTC Vive’s standalone Vive Focus product line, the new device strikes a very different aesthetic to its predecessor, the Vive Focus Plus.
As a standalone headset for companies looking for the best quality virtual reality (VR) experience with any cables, the Vive Focus 3 certainly has the stats to raise a few eyebrows. Offering users 5K resolution from dual 2.5K displays with fast-switching panels combined with real RGB subpixels, there shouldn’t be any worry when it comes to the screendoor effect. This is in addition to a 90Hz refresh rate and a wider 120-degree field of view (FoV) to make collaborating with colleagues even more immersive.
The images showcase a radically overhauled design, with the magnesium alloy frame 20% lighter and 500% stronger than traditional plastics. There’s a new strap design with the weight balanced for premium comfort. Part of that is thanks to the rear-mounted battery which can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes plus there’s a power indicator so you know how much charge is left. And for the first time ever, the Vive Focus 3’s battery is swappable, so users can keep a spare on charge for those longer VR sessions.
Other features include a manual inter-pupillary distance adjustment between 57mm to 72mm, quick release magnetic front and rear face gaskets for easy cleaning, and new open-back speakers featuring a pair of dual drivers. Built into the side arms, the speakers are contact free so users can still hear the outside world whilst a special audio privacy setting means that VR meetings can’t be heard by others in the room.
All of this is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 platform with the Vive Focus 3 able to provide accurate inside-out tracking for its four cameras which utilise an AI algorithm. Rounding out the feature set are a new pair of 6DoF controllers which have built-in batteries providing 15 hours of use per charge. HTC Vive has also confirmed that Vive Focus 3 will support hand tracking in the future.
“Vive Focus 3 heralds a new era of business VR – crafted for stunning visuals while also being durable and lightweight, with superior comfort and ease of use. Our new VIVE Business solutions make it easier than ever for an organisation to use VR, so whether it’s a small start-up or a multinational, everyone can benefit from the transformative potential of VR.”
As an enterprise-only device, the Vive Focus 3 will go on sale from 24th June, retailing for £1060 GBP/ $1300 USD/ €1180 EUR – the price includes 24-month Vive Business Warranty and Services. Don’t forget to check out HTC’s other new headset, the Vive Pro 2, and for further updates from ViveCon 2021 keep reading VRFocus.
