Among the leading consumer VR solutions on the market, the HTC Vive is the only solution that brings full room scale movement out of the box without need for any additional accessories. While the Vive’s wand controllers and headset track with sub-millimeter accuracy around the room, HTC’s headset strap design isn’t the best out of the three big platforms out there. It’s been quite a while since the Vive launched, but HTC has just debuted a brand new Deluxe Audio Strap headband replacement for the Vive, launching in Q2 of this year. Just in time for the one year anniversary of the Vive itself, this deluxe headset features a rigid construction with plenty of pads, and is designed to keep the heaviest of VR headsets out there better strapped to your head during those rounds of Super HOT. HTC didn’t stop there though, they also joined in lock-step with Oculus to add built-in over-the-ear headphones into the headset, which are detachable if you still prefer to use your own.
In addition to this, HTC is bringing the TPCAST Wireless adapter to market in Q2 for $249 retail price, which includes a battery that’s slated to last about an hour and a half before needing recharged. Folks that can wait a bit longer for the wireless adapter will be able to grab an XL battery at a later, unspecified date, and continue in wireless freedom for the duration of those epic gaming sessions. Both of these peripherals address core issues that the Vive had at launch, ones that don’t ruin the experience by any means, but their improvement is nonetheless welcomed with open arms.
Lastly HTC announced the Vive Tracker, a brand new peripheral that developers can use to create their own Vive peripherals for use in VR space. Among the list of peripherals shown off at CES utilizing the Vive Tracker were multiple guns and rifles, a camera that can be used in VR space, gloves with haptic feedback and plenty of others. The Vive tracker helps developers make objects and other peripherals for the Vive that are fully trackable in VR space, much in the same way the Vive’s wand controllers are out of the box. HTC is pushing forward with its Vive X accelerator program, which has already fostered the development of accessories like the TPCAST and others.
