HTC looks set to debut a brand new VR headset this week. Fortunately, we’ve got eyes (bug-like ones) on the new VR device already, thanks to a stream of Vive Flow images, which have already surfaced online.
Ahead of its official unveiling on October 14, it means we've got a pretty robust idea of what the headset will look like and who it's aimed for. HTC allegedly plans to target consumers with a more laidback approach to their media consumption, so if you see yourself as a more laissez-faire techie, then this new HTC headset could be one for you. Here are three things you need to know as we approach launch day.
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HTC Vive Flow #1: Price
The new device is expected to begin pre-orders on October 15, reportedly costs $500, and will stake its claim to become the best VR headset by rekindling some of its lost ground in the VR arena. That lost ground, of course, comes through tough competition from the likes of the Oculus Quest 2, amongst several other VR devices.
HTC Vive Flow #2: Design
Several of the leaked images are pictured below, as ever originating from serial leaker evleaks, who is renowned for drip-feeding a mixture of new products to the tech community.
We can see that Vive Flow boasts a mirrored faceplate, which has two optical sensors for 6DOF positional tracking and if earlier internet reports are accurate, hand-tracking capabilities. The absence of a motion controller in the leaked info would suggest that hand-tracking is the headset’s primary input method.
HTC Vive Flow #3: Target Audience
A Protocol report, which cites an unnamed source close to HTC, notes that the new headset is being positioned mainly as “a media consumption device with access to some casual gaming, and that it will ship without handheld controllers.” Interestingly, Protocol adds that the Vive Flow will run on a chipset less powerful than the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 found in Oculus Quest 2 and Vive Focus 3.
The news exudes the feeling of a VR headset aimed at those who are in a hurry, perhaps even those who are tech-savvy, but they perhaps want to dabble in VR rather than dive headfirst into the world of ultra-technical Virtual Reality headsets. We also think it looks pretty cool, though we do get the feeling that this comes down to personal taste.
