HTC is planning to launch a VR headset for mobile devices in the future as another option for VR alongside their already available HTC Vive. While the Vive is geared towards consumers who have a high-powered PC to run the product and are looking to get their hands on the most high-end content, HTC’s new headset will target a different type of consumer. Even though it will be aimed at mobile device use though HTC says that it will still provide a different type of experience compared to the Samsung Gear VR, stating that their new VR headset won’t be just a simple headset.
What exactly that means is unclear, as HTC didn’t really give any details about the upcoming product in terms of what sort of features it will have that will set it apart from its competition in the space. If it won’t be as simple as something like the Gear VR but won’t be as high-powered as their HTC Vive for PCs, then chances are it will be a headset that sits somewhere in between those two products, presenting itself as a sort of middle-ground for the virtual reality space.
While there are no details about the headset hardware itself, HTC says that it will be compatible with their new HTC U Ultra phone, albeit without mentioning whether or not it will be compatible with other HTC devices in the future or other existing phones that HTC already offers. HTC has also said that users won’t just be “slapping a phone into a headset” so while their upcoming VR headset will work with the HTC U Ultra it won’t be anything like what people are used to with mobile VR devices according to HTC. There is no exact date that’s mentioned for release, but they have stated that the device will launch before the end of the year at some point. There are a lot of unknowns about this new device from HTC at this point, such as cost, but with it being below the Vive market tiers, it will likely be quite a bit less and that will give consumers a way to jump into VR the way that HTC approaches the space but without having to spend as much as it costs to get the Vive setup up and running.