An improved visual system with brighter displays and image refinements leads to increased clarity, and an even deeper sense of presence.
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The Vive Pre now has interchangeable nose gaskets and foam inserts for better long-term use, and the entire headset is more compact than its inaugural release. In particular, the headset gets a new integrated outward front (outward) facing camera that lets it blend virtual and actual reality, taking the Vive into the realm of augmented reality and slightly closer to Microsoft’s HoloLens.
HTC and Valve Corp.’s upcoming headset will now protect you from your own living room while you’re exploring virtual reality. The new design incorporates softer edges, textured buttons, grip pads, haptic feedback, and a dual stage trigger to make it easier to interact with objects.
The Vive base stations have also been redesigned to be more compact, quieter, and provide improved tracking.
The Vive Pre will be compatible with SteamVR, the VR solution coming from game developer Valve.
The standout new feature of Vive Pre is its front-facing camera, which, for convenience, can act as a peephole when players want to see what’s in front of them.
Demonstrating the headset at HTC, the Vive showed off an underwater game featuring fish swimming with you on the deck of a sunken boat.
According to HTC, more than 15 companies will showcase Vive VR apps at the show. They’re wireless, with a four-hour battery life, although they can also be connected via USB.
For all the logistical complexity of VR, the results can take your breath away; though HTC’s Vive may end up being one of the most expensive headsets, it has the most flexibility and real potential to change home entertainment.
The HTC Vive Pre still isn’t a final product or consumer ready, but it’s the next step before a major release. It’s slated to be launched in April of 2016.
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HTC made the announcement ahead of CES 2016 in Las Vegas, with the device set to offer a number of key improvements to the heavily anticipated VR headset. The camera could also greatly aid those creating virtual reality experiences to put such features to use.
