Once a leader in the consumer virtual reality space with the Vive, HTC’s more recent VR efforts have been focused on enterprise use cases.
However, that direction seems to be shifting with its new headset. At CES 2023, HTC showed off the Vive XR Elite, a new high-end VR headset designed to compete with the Meta Quest Pro.
The XR Elite looks like a standard VR headset, though its goggle-like design is more pronounced than what we’ve seen from HTC in the past, with the HTC Vive Flow being the one notable exception. The battery is also located in the back of the Vive Elite XR, taking weight off your face when you have it on, and the headset is overall 13 percent lighter than the Meta Quest Pro.
Other features include 2K displays for each eye with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 110-degree field of view. Under the hood, the XR Elite features a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR 2 processor, 12GB of RAM and 120GB of storage. Like the Oculus Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro, the Vive XR Elite can be plugged into a gaming PC over USB-C for a higher-end, desktop-powered VR experience. Battery life comes in at two hours alongside 30W fast charging that offers a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.
The headset also ships with two wireless controllers that support hand-tracking. Additionally, it features a built-in full-colour RGB camera for mixed reality (MR) passthrough. HTC says that the headset features dials that allow you to adjust its lenses for prescriptions but that you can also wear it with glasses if you remove the battery and fit it with temple pads.
Unlike nearly every VR headset, you can fold up the XR Elite and slide it into a compact travel case like a pair of sunglasses. There’s even a retractable charging cable, making it easier to pack up the headset and tuck it away.
HTC says the XR Elite will have 100 games available at launch, along with Vive Connect.
The Vive XR Elite is available for pre-order now for $1,549, and the headset will be available to purchase in late February.
You can find all of our coverage from CES 2023 here.
Image credit: HTC
Via: Engadget
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