DELHI: HTC is to release a virtual reality headset as part of a tie up with Valve, a leading PC video games publisher. The HTC Vive will be paired with wireless controllers and tracking technology to let wearers explore computer generated environments by walking rounds their rooms.
A test version of the kit will go on sale to developers shortly, followed by a public edition later this year. It will compete with Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Sony’s Morpheus VR headsets.
The machines let wearers view computer generated 3D environments to give them a sense of being there. The announcement marks a change of strategy for HTC, which has focused on smart phones.
At a press conference in Barcelona on the eve of the Mobile World Congress trade show, the Taiwanese firm also unveiled a new flagship handset the HTC One M9 and a GPS enabled fitness tracker.
Virtual gaming
Only limited details of the Vive have been released ahead of a planned presentation by Valve at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. However, HTC has said that the headset features can display video at 90 frames per second (fps) an important consideration as many developers believe a rate lower than 60fps can cause nausea.
It includes two 1,200 by 1,080 pixel screens to provide high definition but not 4K quality graphics, and allows existing sets of headphones to be plugged into its side.
HTC said that more than 70 sensors were built in to the machine, including a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a laser position sensor.
It added that the machine also supported a facility developed by Valve that allows users to explore a virtual space and the objects within it from different angles by moving about in real life within a 15ft by 15ft space. To do this, owners will also need to buy a Steam VR base station.
“It is rare that a company has an opportunity to forever transform the ways in which people interact with the world and communicate with each other,” said Peter Chou, HTC’s chief executive.
Although gamers are set to be the most likely early adopters, HTC added that the device could also be used for shopping, visiting other parts of the world and meeting friends in virtual reality.
