What you’re looking at above is the virtual reality headset that Valve has been working on for more than a year. Although the development of the device has been no secret, there’s a part to it that virtually nobody was expecting.
Valve has partnered with HTC to deliver both companies’ first ever virtual reality device. It’s called the HTC Vive, and it’s going to be manufactured by HTC specifically for mobile devices, similar to the Samsung Gear VR.
Here are some facts about the device straight from its official website:
The Visuals:
A 1,200 by 1,080 pixel screen in front of each eye, with refresh rates of a blistering 90 frames per second, displays photorealistic imagery that fills your field of vision in all directions, eliminating the jitter common to previous VR technologies and transporting you to another world.
The Audio:
Plug your favorite set of headphones into a jack located on the side of the Developer Edition headset.
Tracking and Room Scale:
A gyrosensor, accelerometer, and laser position sensor combine to precisely track the rotation of your head on both axes to an accuracy of 1/10th of a degree, allowing you to look around the virtual environment naturally. Couple the headset with a pair of Steam VR base stations to track your physical location (in spaces up to 15 feet by 15 feet) – get up and walk around inisde the virtual world!
Custom and Game Controller:
Ergonomic VR game controllers in each hand allow you to use virtual objects and interact with the virtual world. The position of each controller is tracked in space, allowing developers to simulate a wide range of activities and interactions.
On one hand it’s outstanding to see more support for virtual reality. It’s clear that many big corporations forecast huge potential in the technology, and believe that it’ll catch on enough with consumers to warrant millions of dollars of research and development. But on the other hand, the market has been flooded with different VR headsets that are costly to adopt.
Also See: Virtual Reality Coming to Facebook
The HTC Vive is planned for a late 2015 release. You can view the debut video below:
