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HTC’s Next VR Headset May Have Just Leaked

From vrscout

A new report states that the device could feature a unique modular design.

XR hardware analyst Brad Lynch has released a new video revealing what he claims to be HTC’s next VR headset. The information, according to Lynch, comes from “many industry sources,” most of which from the supply chain. Lynch once again partnered with product designer Marcus Kane to provide realistic 3D renders of the product based on black-and-white photos shared by his sources.



According to the report, HTC is working on a standalone VR device similar in design to the HTC Vive Flow, HTC’s smartphone-powered VR glasses that were released last year. Referred to by Lynch as the “HTC Vive Flocus,” the device supposedly features four black-and-white tracking cameras as well as one RGB passthrough camera, similar to the Pico 4.

Lynch says that the device features separated 1920×1920 per eye LCDs running up to 120hz. The company is using pancake lenses to reduce the overall size of the device. Lynch was unable to confirm exactly which chipset is being used, though his sources have claimed that the device will feature a “much faster” chip than the XR2 Gen 1, the same one used in the Meta Quest 2.

Unlike the HTC Vive Flow, which uses your smartphone as a controller, the HTC Vive Flocus will be compatible with the HTC Vive Focus 3 motion controllers. Other neat features include a physical IPD adjustor, a removable face pad, and a USC-C port located inside the facial gasket area. Lynch speculates that this port could be used for eye-tracking accessories seeing as the device supposedly lacks any form of built-in eye-tracking technology.

Most interesting, however, is the HTC Vive Flocus’ modular design. According to Lynch, you can actually disconnect the back half of the headset, aka “cradle,” to enter what he refers to as “glasses mode. You can then connect to other power sources, such as a PC. With the cradle removed, you’ll actually be able to fold the arms of the device for easy storage.

According to Lynch, HTC is aiming to release the headset sometime in early 2023. No word yet on an official price, though Lynch says we can expect the device to cost under $1,000.

HTC has been teasing its new VR headset for the past few weeks on social media, but the company has yet to provide any details. Hopefully, we’ll learn more next year during CES 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Image Credit: Brad Lynch

HTC Teases A Mysterious New Vive Headset

From vrscout

“Go small or go home.”

Roughly a year after the reveal of the Vive Flow, HTC has begun teasing its next VR headset. The company posted a tweet earlier today that reads “Go small or go home.” Accompanying the message is a close-up photo of what we can only assume is the mysterious new hardware.

In an official email sent to VRScout, HTC confirms the device in question is in fact a headset and outlines its progress from the past year, specifically highlighting key hardware releases such as the Vive Flow, Vive Wrist Tracker, and Eye and Facial tracking add-ons for the Vive Focus 3.

Other than that, we know little to nothing about HTC’s next headset other than the fact that it will be a “smaller” piece of hardware according to the company. Could this be a follow-up to the Vive Flow? Or perhaps a standalone VR device meant to compete with the Meta Quest 2?

It’s also worth noting that today’s announcement comes less than a week ahead of the Meta Connect 2022 conference, during which Meta is expected to real its next headset. Codenamed Project Cambria, the workplace device reportedly features high-resolution colored passthrough, allowing for more complex mixed reality experiences.

According to HTC, more details regarding their mysterious new device are on the way, so it looks as though we’ll just have to wait to find out more. Until then, don’t miss Meta Connect 2022 Tuesday, October 11th at 10:00am PT.

For more information on that visit here.

Image Credit: HTC

HTC Teases Next VR Headset Ahead of Meta Connect & It’s Supposed to Be Small

From roadtovr

HTC today teased what’s confirmed to be the company’s next VR headset, something the Vive-creator says will be “something big… we mean small.”

There’s not much to go on for now, only a tweet which shows a piece of the headset in question with the subtitle “Go small or go home.” No name, no price, no release window. Bupkis.

Is it an image of a pancake lens, which many VR headset creators like Meta and Lenovo are now using in place of traditional Fresnel lenses to lower overall bulk? HTC’s casual VR content device Vive Flow already uses one.

Is it an exterior shot of a facial plate, possibly in a bid to appear like a pair of sunglasses like… well… Vive Flow? Your guess is as good as ours at this point.

Turning up the contrast on the image reveals one thing, that’s for sure: a cheeky message congratulating us on our failure to sus out more salient info.

Image courtesy HTC

And although we’re still hoping to see something from HTC that brings real consumer competition to Meta, the emphasis on the headset’s size as the main selling point could suggest the release of another casual VR viewing device like Flow.

In any case, the company says it’s learned from mistakes in the past, and is “putting those learnings into this headset.” It’s also some pretty convenient timing too, as Meta is only days away from holding its yearly Connect developer conference, which this year will likely see the reveal of the heavily-leaked Quest Pro (née Project Cambria).

Vive Flow was largely criticized for not providing much more of a practical experience beyond first-generation mobile VR devices like Gear VR, Oculus Go, or Google Daydream. It also needs an external power source to function, which is better than having a front-heavy headset, but still a concern among some owners. Maybe the Taiwan-based manufacturer is going for a real standalone format this time?

HTC has been known to do successive reveals of its headsets in the past, so we’ll be following along with the company’s Twitter account in the meantime to find out just what the company has in store.

HTC Announces Vive Flow Business Edition, Optional 3DOF Controller

From roadtovr

Vive Flow, HTC’s compact VR headset, is targeted at travelers and consumers looking for casual VR experiences and media consumption. Now the company has announced it’s marketing a Business Edition of Vive Flow alongside an optional controller which should make navigating in-headset a bit easier for first-time users.

Vive Flow Business Edition is being pitched as a lightweight device for VR training, distance learning, bringing immersive experiences into the classroom, location-based entertainment, and healthcare and rehabilitation. The headset, which sells for $499 (€550) on the company’s website, includes a two-year business warranty as well as standard enterprise support.

HTC says new software features include a ‘kiosk mode’ so content can be queued up and remotely triggered, which is ideal for trade shows or running training sessions, the company says.

Vive Flow Controller | Image courtesy HTC

Launched for consumers last year, Vive Flow is a standalone VR headset that tethers to an Android smartphone for input via Bluetooth, and physically plugs into an external battery for power. Ok, so not entirely standalone, but the lightweight device does feature onboard processing. Granted, that Android-only device spec may change here soon, as HTC says it’s working on iPhone support for Vive Flow too.

By default, Vive Flow uses the smartphone as its only input device. Now the company is introducing an optional 3DOF controller for Vive Flow (seen above) that can be paired with either the consumer or business version of the headset.

Although we were hoping to hear more about hand-tracking or controllers (emphasis on the plural), going back to the old reliable controller style, which we’ve seen as early as 2016, makes a good deal of sense: blindly clicking on a smartphone when immersed in VR isn’t the most intuitive way for newcomers.

You can check out the full specs for Vive Flow here, including resolution, field of view, processor, and all of the ergonomic bits that help it achieve its 189 gram weight, making it several times lighter than any major VR headset on the market today.

Vive Flow’s Two Most Requested Features Are in the Works, Says HTC

From roadtovr

HTC’s compact VR headset, Vive Flow, launched late last year targeting a different kind of VR user. The company says that feedback since launch has consistently been around two features, both of which it plans to address.

Vive Flow is a compact VR headset targeting casual VR users who want a portable headset for relaxation and productivity. Out of the gate the product got high marks for its diminutive size, but HTC says there were two common themes in the post-launch feedback: a lack of support for iPhone and two-handed input.

Speaking during this week’s AWE 2022, Vive China President Alvin Wang Graylin tells Road to VR that both points are in active development and the company expects to have details to share soon.

Vive Flow isn’t a fully standalone headset; it must be plugged into a smartphone for both battery and input. But not just any smartphone… only Android devices have been supported since launch. For the huge number of iPhone users out there, that makes the device a non-starter, even if Flow’s unique ‘causal’ approach to VR is appealing.

Graylin said Vive Flow support for iPhone is on the way, though it may not offer the full set of capabilities that are possible when used with Android.

A big part of Vive Flow’s appeal is being able to cast flat apps from your phone into the headset, making the headset a simple personal theater for watching content on Netflix, YouTube, and the like. But if we had to guess, we’d say this capability could be limited when the headset is used with an iOS device, given Apple’s more restrictive approach to interoperability.

Image courtesy HTCViv

As mentioned, Vive Flow also uses the attached phone for input—both as a laser pointer and touchscreen input. But the single-handed and 3DOF nature of the ‘phone-as-a-controller’ leaves something to be desired. Graylin said that some form of two-handed input is in the works.

Two-handed input would not only make users feel a bit more capable in the headset, but could also open up more possibilities for different apps to work on the headset without being reworked for a single controller modality.

There’s a good chance the two-handed input will come in the form of hand-tracking—which HTC has supported on other headsets previously—but it’s possible the company might also surprise us by adding some kind of controller accessory to the headset. However, given the headset’s intention as a simple and portable device, hand-tracking seems to make the most sense.