Hands-on with the HTC Vive Pro

HTC, the company that brought united states of america the VIVE headset, has announced its latest iteration. It's chosen the Vive Pro, and instead of replacing the Vive yous tin can buy today, HTC plans to sell it separately as an upgrade for those who need something a little improve.

With a new look, new sounds, new sights and pretty much new everything there's a lot to talk about, so permit's jump in!

A new look

While the chief body may expect passingly familiar, the actual HMD is very different. Sporting two cameras on the front, much like the Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and a new matte blue finish, the Vive Pro is an altogether sturdier looking auto.

Unlike Mixed Reality headsets, these cameras aren't for tracking the world around yous. Instead, HTC is opening these cameras to developers for things like augmented reality integration in Vive apps.

The updated pattern has created an improved weight residuum across your caput, making the strap that surrounds your head much bulkier, and with the in-congenital headphones and new adjuster, you can feel the size difference in your mitt, just not the weight. Unlike the original Deluxe Audio Strap improver for the HTC Vive, this new strap makes the headset feel similar i solid piece with fully articulated parts you tin adjust to fit y'all perfectly.

The Vive Pro is also considerably lighter than the original HTC Vive, and you can feel it as you move around. This weight divergence will plainly be a much bigger deal as you get to use the headset for extended periods of time.

A new sound

The internal headphones boast an in-line amplifier and integrated hi-fidelity earphones and the effect is quite dramatic. While not quite racket canceling in the decorated room at CES, the Vive Pro manages to produce a pleasing audio and crisp audio from the other players in the game I played. I fifty-fifty got to effort out a total racing simulation in a quieter corner of the hall and the sound blew me abroad. Brusque of hundreds of dollars of in-ear buds, I tin't run across how the sound tin can be improve.

The Vive Pro also has two mics to assist with racket cancellation and it is very noticeable. The person taking me through the demo was every bit clear to me as if he was standing in the same room, talking over my left shoulder, as he guided me around. I did find not existence able to hear myself a trifle disconcerting, though hopefully at that place is a monitor office somewhere and I simply missed information technology.

New sights

The biggest selling point and the reason y'all may really want this upgrade is the new resolution. The Vive Pro now houses dual OLED displays with a combined resolution of 2880x1600, that'southward a 78% increase from the classic Vive, and with a new pixel density of 615ppi these screens really practice requite you an amazing feeling.

In all three of the demos I played, the visuals were stunning and I suffered none of the sickness you may feel in depression res situations. Compared to the other HMD's I accept tried there really is no competition and visually information technology blew me abroad.

New Freedom

Today HTC also introduced two new pieces of hardware other than the Vive Pro, the Wireless adapter, and the 2.0 Base station.

The Wireless Adapter is what it says, a device that sits on the top heart of your head, keeping that residual of weight distribution, and removes those pesky wires from your Vive and Vive Pro. In a bid to proceed their promise of backward compatibility, HTC has made the Wireless Adapter work on both their HMDs. Using Intel'due south WiGig specifications, the Adapter uses the 60Ghz spectrum to cut downwards on interference to assure yous have as polish a ride as y'all would with the cables attached. I normally play DoomVFR on the PlayStation VR, merely got to demo it with the wireless adapter and the Vive Pro and I can tell you it'southward like playing a unlike game entirely. At that place was no lag from the wireless adapter at all. At no point, even in the midst of battle and with 3 other adapters in the room, did I notice any dropped frames or interference at all.

The 2.0 base stations are pretty much the same every bit the 1.0 autonomously from a few helpful additions. Firstly they are prettier with a prissy curved front, simply they tin as well be strung together to create a playable, trackable, space of 10m ten 10m, which is virtually as much as one person needs. HTC said this has been asked for by their commercial partners and I can see why a 10 square meter area that is fully tracked, aslope the wireless adapter, makes the Vive and Vive Pro the become-to for room scale VR.

Availability

Here HTC became their normal vague selves. The Vive Pro is said to be available as an HMD-only upgrade Apr 5 and will cost nearly $800, while the full kit volition be along "in the coming months". The wireless adapter is due this summer and I assume the 2.0 base station volition be available with the Vive Pro kit. Then if you lot already have all the Vive accessories and are looking to just upgrade the HMD you are in luck and allowing more than people to upgrade if they want to.

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