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.
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!
Die VIVECON ist gestartet und HTC hat die Gelegenheit genutzt, um zwei neue VR-Brillen vorzustellen. Während die Vive Pro 2 die VR-Nerds am PC glücklich machen soll, versucht HTC mit der Vive Focus 3 professionelle Anwender und Anwenderinnen von den Kabeln zu befreien.
Vive Focus 3 und Vive Pro 2 vorgestellt
Die HTC Vive Focus 3 setzt auf zwei 5K LCD-Panels (2,5K pro Auge) mit RGB-Subpixeln und ein Field of View von 120 Grad. Während die Vive Pro 2 dieses Display mit 120Hz befeuern kann, ist die Vive Focus 3 auf 90Hz abgeriegelt. Hier findet ihr alle Informationen zur Vive Pro 2.
Vive Focus 3: Komfortable Lösung für VR-Arcades?
Mit der Vive Focus 3 könnte HTC zukünftig die Wünsche vieler Betreiber und Betreiberinnen von VR-Arcades und ähnlichen Einrichtungen erfüllen. HTC hat nämlich an einigen Stellschrauben gedreht, um einen hygienischen und einfachen Ablauf in unterschiedlichsten Situationen zu gewährleisten.
Um das Gewicht der Brille besser zu verteilen, hat HTC den Akku der Vive Focus 3 am Hinterkopf platziert. Dieser Akku sorgt für ein Gegengewicht zur Frontseite und soll in Sekunden austauschbar sein. Per Schnellladefunktion soll der Akku zudem in 30 Minuten wieder zu 50% seiner Kapazität erreichen. Durch eine äußere LED-Anzeige können die Betreiber und Betreiberinnen der Anlage schnell erkennen, ob ein Akku getauscht werden sollte.
Um die Lebenserwartung der VR-Brille in einer Arcade zu verlängern, wird die Vive Focus 3 auf einen leichten Rahmen mit einer Magnesiumlegierung setzen, welche die Brille 20% leichter und 500% stabiler machen soll. Außerdem werden alle Polster per Magnet wechselbar und einfach zu reinigen sein. Ein Regler für den Abstand der Linsen (IPD: 57mm-72mm) ist ebenfalls integriert.
„VIVE Focus 3 läutet eine neue Ära der Business-VR ein – entwickelt für atemberaubende Visuals und gleichzeitig robust und leicht, mit überlegenem Komfort und einfacher Bedienung. Unsere neuen VIVE Business-Lösungen machen es für Unternehmen einfacher denn je, VR zu nutzen, so dass jeder – ob kleines Start-up oder multinationaler Konzern – vom transformativen Potenzial von VR profitieren kann.“ sagt Graham Wheeler, HTC VIVE EMEA General Manager.
Die Controller der Vive Focus 3 erinnern an die Controller der Quest 1 von Facebook. Das Besondere ist jedoch, dass HTC eine Laufzeit von 15 Stunden verspricht. Somit ist ein Wechsel der Controller oder der Batterien während der Öffnungszeiten nicht mehr nötig.
Da das Tracking über eine Erkennung des Raumes erfolgt, hat sich HTC zudem Gedanken über die Sicherheit gemacht und lässt die Daten verschlüsselt und ausschließlich auf der Brille speichern, um einem Missbrauch vorzubeugen. Die maximal empfohlene Größe für einen VR-Space liegt bei 7m x 7m.
Einfache Verwaltung von VR-Systemen
Da eine VR-Brille ohne passende Software für die Verwaltung nur bedingt für Arcades oder Unternehmen sinnvoll ist, bietet HTC auch ein neues Management System für die Focus 3 an. Mit diesem System lässt sich beispielsweise neue Software aus der Ferne installieren oder der aktuelle Status der Brillen überwachen. Die Software-Lösung basiert auf Android und kann über ein Tablet oder ein ähnliches Gerät ausgeführt werden. Zudem dürfen sich Unternehmen auf VIVE Business Training, Vive Business Streaming und Vive Sync freuen. Eine Gebühr für diese Dienste wird aber nur fällig, wenn ihr sie auch tatsächlich nutzt. Es gibt keine “Grundgebühr” für die Nutzung in Unternehmen.
Die Vive Focus 3 soll ab 27. Juni im Handel verfügbar sein und 1.180 Euro kosten.
According to a report from Protocol, HTC will unveil two new headsets at ViveCon next week – the Vive Focus 3 Business Edition and Vive Pro 2.
Protocol found mentions of both devices in company documents, and reports that both were also briefly listed on Alzashop, a European ecommerce site.
The Vive Focus 3 Business Edition will be a standalone enterprise headset following up the Vive Focus Plus, while the Vive Pro 2 will be a high-end PC VR successor to the original Vive Pro.
According to the Alzashop pages, the Vive Focus 3 Business Edition will retail for €1,474 (approximately $1770) and the Vive Pro 2 for €842 (approximately $1012). Protocol reports that both devices will be available to purchase by the end of the month.
HTC’s previous comments suggested its standalone headset would not be a Quest competitor. This lines up with the Protocol report, which indicates that the Vive Focus 3 is aimed at an enterprise market and, priced somewhere around $1700, comes nowhere close to the Quest 2’s $299 starting price, and still more than double the $799 starting price of the Quest 2 business edition.
The Vive Pro 2 looks to be a successor to the original Vive Pro, which was mostly discontinued in March 2020, spare for a few Vive Pro Eye models.
HTC is planning a “Vivecon” for May 11 and 12 that’s likely to reveal new headset hardware.
A new tweet from the @htcvive Twitter account teases “Mark your calendars” with what looks like the front face of a VR headset outlined in the image. Following the reveals of a new tracking puck and facial sensor, late last week HTC teased “now that the accessories are out of the way, let’s get down to business.”
HTC faces a tough uphill battle against Facebook’s $299 Oculus Quest 2 in western markets. The headset operates mainly in standalone mode but also secured roughly one quarter of the PC VR market on Steam. Virtual Desktop on Quest now offers wireless PC VR streaming in the Oculus Store and Facebook’s own wired Link mode adds a built-in option to play PC VR content over a USB cable.
HTC offers both standalone and PC VR headsets but its offerings have faced stiff competition in western markets. Facebook’s headsets account for 58 percent of PC VR usage on Steam and Valve secured another 16 percent with the Index. Roughly 2 in 3 SteamVR headsets were HTC at the peak in summer 2016, but HTC stopped selling the original Vive in late 2019 in favor of the newer Vive Cosmos. The original Vive still occupies 12 percent of the market on Steam while Cosmos only secured 2 percent.
Standalones, meanwhile, require considerable software development efforts to optimize performance, add features, and extend battery life. Chip partner Qualcomm offers reference designs meant to help manufacturers speed up time to market and a vocal portion of the market for VR headsets express hope for more options that don’t require a Facebook account to operate their device. HTC has focused more and more on business customers over the years and we’re curious to see what the company is planning next.
HTC teased another image to its Twitter account along with the suggestion that a VR headset geared toward the enterprise market is on the way.
The new tweet references the recent announcement of a new HTC Vive Tracker and facial expression sensor with the tease “now that the accessories are out of the way, let’s get down to business.” Check it out in the tweet below:
Though we can’t be positive as to the meaning of the teaser, we think it’s likely HTC is teasing an enterprise-focused headset here. HTC spent years receding further and further from consumers and into the enterprise market for VR as it was priced out of competition for consumers by the ever-decreasing price of Facebook’s VR products. Meanwhile, HTC’s initial VR partner Valve targeted the high end of the consumer market with the Valve Index headset in 2019. By March 2021, Valve secured 16 percent of PC VR usage on Steam while HTC’s own Vive Cosmos occupied just 1 percent.
Business customers, however, have needs different from consumers and some enterprises may require not depending on Facebook for key software and hardware. In addition, Facebook’s social network doesn’t operate inside China where HTC focuses the core of its offerings.
We’re curious to see what HTC has in store. Let us know in the comments if you have any theories.
Update: After publication a sentence was changed to clarify the expectations around the business focus of this particular tease.
Gestern hatten wir berichtet, dass HTC VIVE ein Bild auf Twitter gepostet hat, welches auf eine neue VR-Brille hindeutet und zum Spekulieren einladen soll. Nun gibt HTC VIVE weitere Hinweise und wir spekulieren fleißig mit.
Da HTC VIVE im letzten Jahr berichtete, dass man an Erfolge der erste Vive-Generation wieder anknüpfen wolle, werfen wir einfach den Namen VIVE 2 in die Runde. HTC könnte die neue Brille jedoch auch VIVE Move nennen, sollte das Unternehmen tatsächlich wie Oculus mit der Oculus Quest und Oculus Quest 2 auf eine autarke Lösung setzen.
Mit einem neuen Tweet gibt uns HTC VIVE nun auch eine Grundlage für die Diskussion über die Hardware der Brille. Das Unternehmen fragt auf Twitter, was ihr mit 70% mehr Energie machen würdet. Aber was bedeutet mehr Energie für eine VR-Brille? Auf Twitter wird teilweise spekuliert, dass es sich um eine 70% höhere Auflösung handeln könnte. Wahrscheinlicher ist für uns jedoch, dass sich HTC VIVE schlicht auf die Akkuleistung bezieht und 70% mehr Spielzeit als Oculus versprechen wird. Immerhin würde dies zumindest bestätigen, dass HTC nicht auf eine reine PC VR-Brille setzen wird.
Weniger aufschlussreich erscheint uns die Frage von HTC, welche Waffe, welches Werkzeug oder welches Accessoire unsere virtuelle Identität bestmöglich repräsentiert. Aber vielleicht habt ihr ja eine Idee?
Oculus hingegen scheint die ganze Aufregung um HTC mit Humor zu nehmen und teilt seinen nächsten Zug HTC VIVE direkt mit. Doch HTC lässt sich auf das kleine Duell bereitwillig ein.
Neue Zulassungsanträge für ein unbekanntes HTC Vive Headset sind bei der US Federal Communications Commission eingereicht worden. Erwartet uns also bald ein neues Headset von HTC?
Zulassungsanträge für ein unbekanntes HTC Vive Headset aufgetaucht
HTC scheint einige neue Headset-Angebote vorzubereiten; Road to VR hat Unterlagen für ein Headset entdeckt, das zuvor noch nicht bei der FCC gesehen wurde.
Die FCC hat die Aufgabe, Produkte mit elektromagnetischen Emissionen zu zertifizieren, damit sie sicher und mit den Vorschriften kompatibel sind. Produkte, die Funk, WiFi, Infrarot usw. verwenden, benötigen eine Zertifizierung, bevor sie zum Verkauf angeboten werden können. Die Zertifizierung durch die FCC bedeutet einen Schritt näher an die Einführung von Produkten der Unterhaltungselektronik.
Die Dokumentation für das neue Headset, das unter der FCC-ID 2Q9R100 geführt wird, wurde im September eingereicht, aber erst in der letzten Woche veröffentlicht. Aus den eingereichten Testberichten geht hervor, dass HTC das Produkt im August zu Tests an ein Labor geschickt hatte.
Ob es sich um eine neue Vive Focus handelt oder um eine neue Version der Cosmos, geht aus der Unterlagen nicht hervor. Jedoch befindet sich die Position des Lables an der gleichen Stelle, auch der es auch bisher bei der Vive Focus platziert wurde.
A newly posted Geekbench score may point to what HTC has up their sleeves next for Vive Focus, the company’s class of standalone VR headsets.
As first spotted by TechGenyz, a variant of HTC Vive Focus using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 chipset appeared on Geekbench yesterday, which is reportedly based on Android 10.
Here’s some of the main bits revealed in that Geekbench score:
System Information
Operating System
Android 10
Model
HTC Vive Focus(XR2)
Motherboard
kona
Processor Information
Name
ARM Qualcomm
Topology
1 Processor, 8 Cores
Identifier
ARM implementer 65 architecture 8 variant 1 part 3341 revision 0
Base Frequency
1.80 GHz
Memory Information
Size
5.50 GB
Type
Single-Core Score
924
Multi-Core Score
3416
Qualcomm has already given us a good idea of the kind of specs and features we could expect to see from VR headsets based on XR2, which is powered by the Snapdragon 865. Headsets incorporating XR2 can technically support displays up to 3K × 3K per eye @ 90Hz, integrated 5G connectivity, support for seven simultaneous camera feeds, and significantly more processing power across the board compared to Snapdragon 835.
Vive Focus Plus, Photo by Road to VR
It was only last year HTC unveiled Vive Focus Plus for enterprise users, the company’s second 6DOF standalone headset sporting a Snapdragon 835 (also the processor used in Oculus Quest). As opposed to the original Vive Focus released in 2018, the ‘Plus’ variant featured integrated hardware support for two ultrasonically-tracked 6DOF controllers, updated ergonomics, and new Fresnel lenses.
There’s nothing else to go on for now, however supposing the XR2 variant is genuine, it remains to be seen whether HTC will actually submerse itself completely into the consumer space, as the company previously straddled the prosumer-enterprise segment in the West whilst offering Vive Focus as a full-consumer product in China.
As Facebook integrates Oculus ever deeper into the mothership with the revelation that the company has put a two-year countdown timer on merging Oculus and Facebook logins, HTC will no doubt find itself in a unique position to appeal to enthusiasts looking for a solution not tied to the monolithic social network. There’s also no word on what Facebook has planned for Oculus Quest 2 of course, which is theorized to make its debut at Facebook Connect next week, but you can bet many disaffected VR enthusiasts will be hoping for a true contender.
Community Download is a weekly discussion-focused articles series published (usually) every Monday in which we pose a single, core question to you all, our readers, in the spirit of fostering discussion and debate. For today’s Community Download, we want to know if you think HTC should just accept the writing on the wall and completely give up on consumer VR?
Today HTC announced that its upcoming Cosmos Play headset, the cheaper version of its new Cosmos line that seemed marketed as a more affordable consumer option, is now no longer a consumer device at all. In fact, they’re pivoting that headset to focus on enterprise customers instead.
If you’ve been following VR for at least a few years now, this probably doesn’t come as a big shock to you. Following the breakout success of the HTC Vive in 2016 as the first-ever room-scale consumer VR headset, launched in partnership with Valve as the flagship of SteamVR, they haven’t made many choices that put consumers first. From the HTC Vive Pro, Pro Eye, Vive Focus, Cosmos, and now Cosmos Play, not to mention several other variations of those brands, they’ve had enterprise customers at the forefront for a while now.
So, we’ve reached a big fulcrum point here for HTC. The ultimate question hanging over its head, a company that still lists several VR headsets on its website as available to purchase for consumers, including the more expensive higher-end version of the Cosmos, the Cosmos Elite. is: Should HTC finally and completely give up on consumer VR? Why or why not? Should they plan a comeback in the future?
