HTC has announced the VIVE XR Elite, a new virtual reality (VR) and mixed-reality (MR) headset that costs $1,099 but features various advancements and improvements, including a full-color RGB passthrough camera, hand-tracking for a new dimension of MR scenarios, a very light weight (625 grams), and support for more than 100 new pieces of VR and MR content.
“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.”
From an HTC VIVE press release:
VIVE XR Elite can be connected easily to a PC via USB-C to access PCVR content from VIVEPORT and Steam and supports wireless PC streaming over WiFi or the latest generation – WiFi 6E with low latency and great graphics.
VIVE XR Elite takes versatility to the next level. It 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.
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 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.
Pre-orders for the VIVE XR Elite are now open, and those who pre-order the headset by February 15, 2023, will receive five popular titles, selected by HTC.
Shipments are estimated to begin in early March 2023.