New VR headset HTC Vive Focus Vision sets its sights on mixed reality & PC VR
HTC Vive announces the Vive Focus Vision, an update to the Vive Focus 3 with full mixed reality. The standalone XR headset will also appeal to PC VR gamers.
HTC Vive today unveiled the new Vive Focus Vision standalone VR headset, which will replace the Vive Focus 3. The Vive XR Elite, however, will continue to be sold.
The new headset will continue to target corporate training, location-based entertainment, and institutional markets, but will also appeal to high-end PC VR gamers. A DisplayPort mode with up to 120 Hz (available at the end of the year) should enable lossless PC VR.
Other features include eye tracking with automatic IPD adjustment, an infrared sensor for improved hand tracking in low light conditions, and a redesigned cooling system. A hot-swap mode is also available in standalone mode. The Vive Focus Vision can continue to operate for up to 20 minutes while the battery is being replaced.
Pre-order customers will receive a free Vive Wired Streaming Kit for DisplayPort mode valued at $149 and a game pack of their choice. Vive Focus Vision pre-orders will be available from September 18 through October 17, 2024.
The technical specifications of HTC's new XR headset Vive Focus Vision. | Image: HTC
Mixed reality with an outdated chip
According to HTC, the name "Vision" is meant to emphasize the new mixed reality capabilities of the device. These include two 16-megapixel RGB cameras and a depth sensor for spatial scanning.
In standalone mode, however, the headset is powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1, an outdated chip that was introduced with the Meta Quest 2 in 2020.
In an interview with MIXED, Fabian Nappenbach, HTC's director of product marketing EMEA, explained that changing the chip to the next generation would require companies to have the headsets recertified, which would be very costly. For PC VR gamers, however, the chip doesn't matter anyway.
A welcome upgrade
The Vive Focus Vision builds on the Vive Focus 3, which was released in 2021. The Vive Focus 3 impressed in our MIXED review with excellent tracking, reliable controllers, good comfort, and fast performance. It was also the only VR headset proven to work in zero gravity on the ISS.
However, the Vive Focus 3 had one major shortcoming: the combination of dual stacked lenses and high resolution displays created strong glare and rays of light that made the image unstable in high contrast scenes. The image quickly blurred toward the narrow sweet spot. Compared to competitors at the time, such as the Meta Quest 2 or Pico Neo 3, the image quality was inferior, even though the resolution was higher.
With the Vive Focus Vision, HTC wants to improve on its predecessor and at the same time appeal to a new group of buyers. Only time will tell if this is successful, especially with the outdated XR2 Gen 1 chip.
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