HTC is preparing to battle on the same ground as Meta’s Quest Pro! The smartphone manufacturer, which launched headlong into virtual reality a few years ago, is preparing a new helmet that might well pose as a formidable competitor.
Virtual reality headsets are at a turning point. Meta has launched its Quest Pro, Apple is regarding to enter the market, and HTC (which has invested heavily in this sector) does not want to be stepped on. The manufacturer will unveil during the CES, at the beginning of January, its new helmet a priori intended for demanding users.
A helmet for all realities
The device will have front and side cameras, a two-hour battery life, it will be fully autonomous, and it will support six degrees of freedom controllers. Shen Ye, product director at HTC, gave the first details. And in addition to virtual reality, the product can also film the environment to position virtual objects (mixed reality).
This new helmet would have some arguments to make once morest the Quest Pro. On the one hand, it will integrate a sensor that will allow it to measure the depth (Meta had considered such a sensor before abandoning it). This should improve the tracking of the user, as well as the mapping of his environment.
On the other hand, HTC has improved the cameras that film the outside: the user will be able to read text displayed on the screen of a computer or a smartphone, which is difficult today with the high-end headphones from Meta. And with just regarding every other headset offering mixed reality features.
The manufacturer’s future helmet will be positioned between the Flow, launched last year and which needs a smartphone to operate, and the Vive Focus 3 which is intended for businesses, while being lighter and less bulky than the latter. According to the HTC executive, it will be possible to play sports with the headset, without having to reposition it all the time because of movement and sweat.
The manufacturer keeps a few features warm. It is not known if the helmet will have an eye tracking function (this is the case of the Meta Quest Pro). The price is also classified as a defense secret, but it would not be surprising if the price is between that of the Flow ($499) and the Vive Focus 3 ($1,300). Meta’s new headphones cost $1,499 (€1,799).
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