HTC has built its first standalone Vive VR headset

HTC Vive hasn’t been in the news for some time, since it decided to pull out of the consumer VR market, but it is back. HTC has unveiled its first standalone Vive headset for the consumer VR market, called the Vive XR Elite. The new XR Elite costs $1,100 and will also include pass-through mixed reality.

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Meta is leading the standalone VR headset space for the time being, investing billions of dollars into the metaverse (to the behest of its investors). With the Meta Quest 2, it brings the VR experience for the comparatively low price of $400, but the headset is nowhere near powerful enough for a true gaming experience, which is what the HTC Vive has always been about. The Meta Quest Pro is the company’s high-end standalone headset, which fits in closer with the XR Elite.

The Vive XR Elite has a 4K display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 110-degree field of view (FOV). It includes four wide-FOV cameras, enabling inside-out spatial tracking without external sensors. The product ships with two wireless controllers and supports hand tracking. Additionally, a full-colour RGB camera allows pass-through MR that lets you blend virtual experiences with your real-world surroundings.

The XR Elite is also lighter than the Meta Quest Pro, weighing in at 625 grams, which includes the hot-swappable battery on the back of the headset. Placing the battery pack at the back of the device helps with a more comfortable fit, due to better weight distribution, according to HTC. The battery provides an estimated two hours of use and supports 30-watt fast charging via USB-C. Additionally, the headset has a built-in retractable charging cable on its right side, making it easy to plug into a power bank.

The large speakers also support directional audio. The lenses can also be adjusted to serve as prescription glasses, which means the user can take off the glasses before using the XR Elite. HTC says 100 games and experiences will arrive within the headset’s launch window. Listed launch titles include Demeo, Hubris, Yuki, Maestro, Les Mills Body Combat, FigminXR, Unplugged and Finger Gun. The company adds that Everslaught: Invasion and the full MR game Eggscape will arrive later in the year.