HTC Unveils Two Brand New VR Headsets

During the highly anticipated Vivecon, HTC made a colossal announcement, revealing that they will be releasing not one but two brand new VR headsets to the market. The virtual event showcased the new HTC Vive Pro 2, PC VR Headset for the use of both consumer and enterprise, as well as the Vive Focus 3, a standalone device primarily targeted towards the enterprise market.

HTC Vive Pro 2

The HTC Vive Pro 2 shows some design similarities to the preceding Pro which itself was an update from the Vive. The Vive Pro 2 sports a shell with a mixture of the Pro's navy and the Vive's black. It still comes with an adjustable headband and built-in speakers. The Vive Pro 2 features a revamped 5k resolution LCD display with 2448×2448 per-eye resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate(instead of the 90Hz found on the Vive and Vive Pro) and a 120-degree field of view (FOV). The Vive Pro 2 also supports Display Stream Compression, a visually lossless signal compression method that allows for higher resolution support on comparatively narrow amounts of bandwidth.

HTC plans to sell the Vive Pro 2 in two forms. The base headset alone will be available for pre-order for $749and 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.

HTC Vive Focus 3

The HTC Vive Focus 3 builds on the original Focus and Focus Plus with a brand new sleek design. The most prominent feature of the Focus 3 is its impressive display. The headset features a single 2448 x 1600 panel for each eye with a refresh rate of 90Hz (an improvement to its predecessors), all run on a Qualcomm’s XR2 chip (the same used in the Oculus Quest 2). The device comes with a 26.6Whr battery on the back that is removable and swappable. The controllers for the Vive Focus 3 have capacitive sensors on the trigger, Joystick, and thumb-rest area. There are Hall sensors on the trigger and grip buttons, along with G-Sensor and gyroscope. They have a claimed battery life of up to 15 hours and charge via a USB Type-C port.

Focus 3 will also come loaded with enterprise-focused software including access to the Vive Business AppStore, a marketplace for generalized enterprise applications. Focus 3 will be primarily sold to businesses and HTC has yet to confirm if there will be a consumer version available in the coming future. The Vive Focus 3 will be sold for $1,300 and arrives June 27th.