Perfect for gaming, fitness, productivity… and watching movies on a huge screen, the new VIVE XR Elite points to the direction the hardware must follow to attract public. While the price is not within the realm of what most people will call accessible – we’re talking about US $1,099 exc. VAT – the headset is compatible with both HTC Viveport platform, where you’ll find hundreds of titles between games and VR experiences – and Steam, which has a huge library of flatscreen and VR titles.
“The VIVE XR Elite all-in-one represents the next milestone in the progression towards the fully immersive internet, going beyond today’s VR with accurate pass-through video to open up a new realm of realism in learning and playing,” said Cher Wang, Co-Founder and Chairwoman of HTC Corp. “This advanced yet compact device offers the best of all worlds for consumers, providing the ideal physical gateway to the universe of experiences offered by VIVERSE, our version of the metaverse, with the widest variety of content inputs even up to the very latest standards such as WiFi 6E.”
Although designed with a USB-C connection to connect to a PC, for a near-PCVR experience, to access content from VIVEPORT and Steam, the VIVE XR Elite headset is a AIO or All-In-One device, able to use WiFi, better the latest generation, WiFi 6E, with low latency and great graphics. Versatility is a word that defines the headset which has a sleek modular design that can easily be transformed into a glasses form factor – simply remove the battery and fit the VIVE XR Elite temple pads. Change the physical configuration so it works best for whichever situation you’re in, whether that’s at home, in the office, or travelling on a plane.
The redesigned hinge means the extended arms of VIVE XR Elite cup your head just like the front and back of a traditional all-in-one. There’s a USB-C connecting cable on the right-hand side, which you can plug into a power source like a battery bank or airline seat.
The modularity of the headset means that you can take your entertainment with you, and that means that huge 300 inches screen. Imagine being able to watch content from services like Netflix and Disney+ wherever you are and/or when you want to. You can even stream content wirelessly from a compatible Android phone to VIVE XR Elite, which opens a whole new world of entertainment.
HTC says that “the visual impact is sharp with a wide 110 FOV, 4K resolution which results in a crisp image all running on a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. VIVE XR Elite has adjustable lenses so you can take off your glasses and still enjoy a clear picture with greater comfort. Find your perfect sweet spot without having to remove the headset, with a built-in fine-adjustable IPD slider placed on the outside of the headset.”
VIVE XR Elite includes a full color RGB passthrough camera, and hand-tracking, which enables a whole new dimension of MR scenarios. This can include playing games where the characters are running on your furniture, having real-time overlays on musical instruments like a piano so you can learn, and even having the ultimate workstation with multiple virtual screens while still being able to use your real-world keyboard and mouse.
The VIVE XR Elite offers intuitive control with precise tracking, HTC claims. With four wide FOV cameras, exceptional 6DoF spatial accuracy, a depth sensor, hand-tracking and capacitive sensing for your finger movements on the controllers, developers have lots of options to incorporate in VR and MR content for accurate movement to enhance your overall experience. The headset has both physical controllers and hand-tracking to achieve all-important accuracy when gaming, for productivity and even learning scenarios. VIVE Wrist Tracker is also compatible to deliver enhanced hand tracking, or it can be attached to objects you want to track in XR.
With a compact design – it even has an elegant carry case – the full headset weighs just 625g including the battery, which is placed at the back for balance and is curved for optimal comfort, and delivers up to two hours of full XR use. The battery is removable and hot swappable, so you can keep going whether it’s changing to another power source or changing to another battery. It has 30-watt fast charging and is charged via USB-C power delivery.
The headset also has a removable fabric face gasket, connected by magnets to make it easy to clean or switch out for a fresh one. The sound stage is enhanced by adding larger speakers that allow layers of immersion with enhanced bass, balance and directional audio that adds up to better clarity in any XR experience, without having to rely on external solutions.
The new device from HTC was introduced at CES 2023, in Las Vegas, which this year saw a series of new solutions for VR, AR and XR being announced, besides VR experiences as those from Canon. VIVE XR Elite is available to pre-order globally from 5 January via vive.com and participating authorized retailers. Pre-order shipments are estimated to begin from late February. VIVE XR Elite comes with the headset itself, 2x controllers, and the headset battery cradle, and will cost US $1,099 exc. VAT.