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VIVE Reveals Its First Self-Tracking VR Tracker

From vrscout

Full-body VR tracking just got a whole lot easier.

HTC VIVE today unveiled the latest addition to its growing lineup of VR tracking devices, a yet-to-be-named self-tracking tracker. The device features two high field-of-view cameras, an onboard processor, and the same high-precision positional tracking algorithm used in the HTC VIVE Focus 3 and HTC VIVE XR Elite, meaning no additional base stations are required in order to operate.



According to HTC, the device weighs under 100 grams and is approximately 50% smaller in size compared to the VIVE Tracker 3.0. There’s also a new quick-release mechanism that allows you to swap the device within seconds. That said the device can still be mounted to conventional speaker and camera peripherals. The company has even released 3D CAD files so you can print your own mounts.

While the tracker is designed for VIVE Focus 3 and XR Elite, it can be used with non-VIVE headsets thanks to compatibility with OpenXR. Standalone use is also supported for those not interested in R functionality. Details regarding these features will be released soon, according to the company.

Credit: HTC VIVE

“The new tracker is able to perfectly track its location rather than rely on external sensors or the headset cameras. Just like our headsets, it’ll be able to track large scale play spaces as well,” said Shen Ye, global head of product at HTC VIVE. “It’s not just for object tracking; you can use it combined with controllers to get full-body tracking. You can connect up to five trackers at a time to our upcoming USBC dongle, so you can track your entire body, including elbows, legs and feet.”

VIVE’s self-tracking tracker is scheduled to launch later this year. Those interested in learning more can contact the company here. The company states that VIVE Tracking 3.0 is still recommended to Lighthouse users.

Feature Image Credit: HTC VIVE

HTC Announces Inside-out Tracker for VR Accessories & Body Tracking

From roadtovr

HTC today announced a new Vive Tracker accessory which is the first in the industry to use inside-out tracking, meaning it doesn’t require any external beacons. The device can be attached to props to bring them into VR or to the user’s body for enhanced body tracking.

HTC’s existing Vive Trackers are a popular accessory for anyone interested in VR full-body tracking, but they use SteamVR Tracking technology which requires external beacons for use.

Now the company has announced a new Vive Tracker, and while it doesn’t yet have a name, HTC confirms it is their first standalone tracker based on inside-out tracking which uses on-board cameras to track its own position in space. That means no external beacons or cameras need to be set up for use.

HTC says that up to five of the new standalone Vive Trackers can be used at once, which could be used for body tracking in VR by attaching two trackers to the elbows, two to the feet, and one to the hips. Combined with the user’s head and hands (which are already tracked by the headset and controllers), the trackers can be used to represent the user’s movements more fully—which allows people to do some pretty incredible things in VR.

Details are slim right now; HTC hasn’t announced the price or battery life, and the release date is far off in Q3 2023. Though the company says the device will support standalone Vive headsets, PC VR, and a fully self-contained mode for those wanting to use the trackers for non-VR uses such as object tracking. The tracker is also based on OpenXR, and HTC says this will make it possible to use the tracker with other headsets from other vendors.

The base of the tracker has a quick-release system for removing it from its mount, as well as a standard camera tripod thread for connecting various standardized mounts and holders. The units are small too, with HTC saying they come in at just half the height of the latest Vive Tracker 3.0.

Developers interested in experimenting with the new tracker can contact HTC here to register their interest.

Although the device will support PC VR, HTC says it recommends that anyone already using SteamVR Tracking should stick with the existing Vive Tracker 3.0 for its precision and compatibility.

– – — – –

While this is the first dedicated inside-out tracker to be release by a major VR vendor, the device is fundamentally similar to the Quest Pro and Magic Leap 2 controllers which also use on-board cameras to track their position.

Assuming HTC’s new inside-out tracker works well, the company may not be far off from releasing its own inside-out tracked controller.

HTC Reveals First Image of Its Upcoming MR Headset for Consumers & It’s Aiming to Compete with Meta

From roadtovr

HTC today unveiled the first official image of the headset it’s been teasing over the past few months. The company is also apparently looking to re-enter the consumer XR space with the unnamed device, which it’s set to further detail at CES on January 5th.

As reported in an exclusive by The Verge, HTC is getting ready to stretch outside the enterprise and business sector once again and offer what HTC global head of product Shen Ye calls a “small, light all-in-one headset that promises full-featured virtual and augmented reality.”

Ye calls it an effort to create something “meaningful and that’s appealing for consumers,” further stating that it’s the culmination of lessons learned from making HTC Vive Flow and the Vive Focus 3.

It’s also likely to be more expensive than the $400 Quest 2, which will be a sticking point if it truly wants to be a consumer-first device, and not a prosumer headset like Quest Pro:

“We’re in an era when consumer VR headsets have been massively subsidized by companies that are trying to vacuum up and take personal data to provide to advertisers,” Ye tells The Verge. “We don’t believe the way that we want to approach it is to compromise on privacy.”

Image courtesy HTC via The Verge

Ye also revealed a few specs ahead of the official info dump:

The unnamed standalone headset is said to offer color passthrough MR, making it more similar to Quest Pro as opposed to a see-through AR such as HoloLens. The upcoming headset is said to contain a depth sensor, which would in theory offer more accurate room mapping. It’s also said to feature better dynamic range, making it capable of better passthrough for things like reading text on a monitor or smartphone. The headset also packs two hours of battery life, and supports 6DOF VR controllers along with optical hand tracking.

It’s said to be “one of the lightest that’s on the market,” although there are still a few mysteries to unveil. It’s uncertain whether it will include eye-tracking, although HTC has a track record of releasing eye-tracking modules which it may pursue here as well. Privacy protections is also a concern that HTC hopes to address regarding its externally facing cameras, although they haven’t said anything definite yet.

HTC’s unnamed headset reportedly suffered a leak of its design and some key specs back in November, which showed off the outer shell and alleged dual 1,920×1,920 LCDs clocked up to 120hz, mechanical IPD adjustments, pancake lenses, headstrap adjustment mechanism and back-mounted battery.

Allegedly Leaked Design of HTC’s MR Standalone | Image courtesy Brad Lynch

At the time, VR analyst and YouTuber Brad Lynch alleged the leak also included some vague info on its chipset being “faster than the [Snapdragon XR2] in Quest 2,” as it’s speculated to possibly be the upcoming Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2.

None of the information from the leak has been confirmed however, so we’ll just have to wait and see at CES 2023, which takes place January 5-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

HTC Vive Offering Black Friday Discounts Up To $100

From vrscout

Pick up the HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap at its lowest price ever.

This year HTC is celebrating the holidays with $100 off on select Vive VR hardware over on the Vive website, along with other HTC Vive distributors such as Amazon, Micro Center, Dell, Lenovo, and Adorama.



Looking for suggestions on what to buy? HTC’s Vive Flow is a lightweight VR headset perfect for friends and family members interested in physical and mental wellness.

“Meditation, gentle stretches, brain training, streaming our favorite shows, or even meeting friends or coworkers in VR with VIVE Sync can all be enhanced by a device light and compact enough to fit in our pocket,” said Cher Wang, chairwoman and CEO of HTC, adding, “VIVE Flow represents the next evolution of technology, as we take a more holistic view of how we can make life better.”

Credit: HTC

Or maybe you need something with a little more power for gaming or work? If that’s the case, you should check out HTC’s Cosmos Elite Full System. Not only do you get an awesome PC VR headset with a sweet flip-up design and awesome visuals, but you’ll also get two months of Viveport Infinity for free!

You can also take advantage of HTC’s Black Friday sale to pick up the Vive Deluxe Audio Strap at its lowest price ever. Check out a full list of HTC’s Black Friday discounts below.

Credit: VRScout
  • HTC Vive Pro 2 Full System – $1,299 ($100 in savings plus 12 months VIVEPORT Infinity).
  • HTC Vive Pro 2 headset – $724 ($75 in savings)
  • HTC Vive Cosmos Elite headset – $399 ($50 in savings)
  • HTC Vive Cosmos Elite Full System – $649 ($100 in savings)
  • HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap – $59.99 ($20 in savings)
  • HTC Vive Flow – $449.99 ($50 in savings)

All deals are valid now until November 28th at 11:59 pm PT.

Image Credit: HTC

Report: Apparent HTC Leak Reveals Slim & Modular VR Standalone

From roadtovr

HTC has been teasing its next VR headset over the last few weeks, showing off bits of the device at a time which the company promises will be “something big
 we mean small.” Now it appears the design and some of the specs have been leaked, with the details gathered courtesy of VR analyst and YouTuber Brad Lynch.

Info surrounding the headset—still nameless at the time of this writing—was gathered by Lynch from sources “mostly in the supply chain,” he says. Lynch dubs the device the ‘Flowcus’ for its apparent coupling of the light and slim form-factor of Vive Flow and the standalone capabilities of Vive Focus.

Images of the headset featured in Lynch’s 10-minute video (embedded below) are said to be renderings based on images seen by Lynch, something he says was done to retain the anonymity of the leak’s source, as leaked images apparently contained identifying markers.

The headset is said to contain four B&W tracking cameras and one RGB camera for passthrough. Controllers are supposedly the same as the those supplied with Vive Focus 3.

Image courtesy Brad Lynch

The headset is also said to include a removable facial interface, which presumably would allow for easily cleaning. That profile view also illustrates the device’s slim and light design.

Image courtesy Brad Lynch

And that’s apparently achieved by pancake lenses, which are slowly becoming the industry standard for VR headsets, with Meta Quest Pro and Pico 4 also integrating them.

Lynch says the headset includes dual 1,920×1,920 LCDs, closed at up to 120hz. Mechanical IPD adjustments are also present, Lynch says.

Image courtesy Brad Lynch

Under that facial interface is also reportedly a USB-C port, which could be used for tacking on an eye-tracking module.

Image courtesy Brad Lynch

One of the unique bits about HTC’s alleged upcoming headset is its modularity; that port connection on the arm of the headstrap is supposed to allow the headset to go into a ‘glasses mode’ by allowing you to disconnect the headstrap/battery and use it more like a Vive Flow for casual viewing. Lynch alleges there’s also the possibility the USB-C port may be capable of connecting to a PC.

When in ‘glasses mode’, the arms are also said to fold up for easier storage, making Lynch’s ‘Flowcus’ moniker even more apt.

As a true standalone device, the headset is said to include a chipset “faster than the [Snapdragon XR2] in Quest 2,” Lynch says, also speculating it may be the upcoming Snapdragon XR2 Gen. 2, making it potentially the first such device to do so.

Provided this is the consumer-focused device it’s chalked up to be—and coming from the beleaguered HTC—we wouldn’t expect a low price putting it in competition with Quest 2 or Pico 4. You can check out Lynch’s 10-minute video at the below, which includes additional shots of the headset and more speculation of its supposed features.

VR Wine Tasting Experiment Lets Users Guess Aromas

From vrscout

Scent-based VR technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace.

A team of psychologists based out of Stockholm University has developed a piece of technology that allows players to smell the virtual world. According to a paper published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, the Nosewise Handheld Olfactometer (NHO) can discretely house a variety of liquid scents that can be triggered at certain moments during a VR experience.

Credit: Simon Niedenthal, William Fredborg, PeterLundén, MarieEhrndal, Jonas K.Olofsson

“Our olfactometer allows for concealed (i.e., unknown to the user) combinations of odors with virtual objects and contexts, making it well suited to applications involving active sniffing and interrogation of objects in virtual space for recreational, scientific, or therapeutic functions,” says the team in the paper.

Unlike other scent-based VR devices that attach to the headset itself, the NHO is designed to attach to the HTC Vive’s motion controller to “output scent at the hand, linking physical smells to a synthetic VR environment.”

Credit: SCI LAB

In order to demonstrate the technology, the team developed a VR wine-tasting experience that tasked test subjects with guessing different wines based on eight unique aromas. Participants released the smells by pressing the trigger on their HTC Vive controllers, after which they could submit their answers via four virtual circles floating above the table.

Before each session, developers vented clean air through the device for 10 minutes in order to avoid any potential odor cross-contamination. The wine-tasting experience featured four difficulty levels in total; the higher the difficulty the more complex the odor mixture. Participants were exposed to eight unique scents in total: clove, blackcurrant, raspberry, chocolate, pineapple, almond, grapefruit, and pear.

Credit: Simon Niedenthal, William Fredborg, PeterLundén, MarieEhrndal, Jonas K.Olofsson

“By developing new technologies that enable enactive smelling, and simultaneously articulating the potentials of smell training for recreational, scientific, or therapeutic uses, we hope to sketch new, more natural interactions that can enhance human olfactory experience,” added the team.

For more information check out the full paper in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies.

Image Credit: Jens Lasthein / Simon Niedenthal, William Fredborg, PeterLundén, MarieEhrndal, Jonas K.Olofsson

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 (nĂ©e 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.