The HTC Vive XR Elite joins a protracted line of VR bulletins at CES 2023, nevertheless it belongs close to the entrance of that line. Why? As a result of it’s simply probably the greatest combined actuality headsets we’ve ever used.
Should you can abdomen the $1,099 price ticket, the area atop the mountain of expensive pro-tier headsets is getting cramped due to this technique, which introduces new improvements in portability, AR expertise, and VR capabilities.
It’s actually not excellent, with some occlusion monitoring points and the concern of whether or not devs will really present software program for the headset’s app retailer. Nevertheless, these issues pale compared to the eye to element and thought of design that makes these so good.
HTC Vive XR Elite value & availability
The HTC Vive XR Elite (opens in new tab) is obtainable for pre-order proper now at $1,099, and begins delivery in March 2023. That’s $300 lower than the Meta Quest Professional, which I’m certain is making Zuck sweat.
HTC Vive XR Elite design & specs
The HTC Vive XR Elite is a modern little system with a light-weight design of simply 625g with the battery connected (almost 100g lighter than the Meta Quest Professional). However after all, the phrase “connected” is necessary right here, as there’s a modularity to the design that halves the load with the battery pack indifferent when utilizing the headset (that means you possibly can take away it and join on to a PC by way of USB-C for featherweight VR gaming).
However even with the pack connected, that weight is evenly distributed for an important, snug carrying expertise that I’d be pleased with for a very long time to come back. Plus, the material face gasket is well detachable, because it’s related by magnets — that means it is a cinch to modify out or clear.
And for glasses wearers, concern not! The lenses throughout the Vive XR Elite are additionally solely adjustable too, so that you don’t want a pair of specs to benefit from them.
However after all, this featherweight design doesn’t imply compromises on the important thing specs. Within the Vive XR Elite, you’re getting a large 110-degree subject of view with 4K decision and a 90Hz refresh charge. Whereas the refresh charge is similar because the Meta Quest Professional, HTC pips it to the publish by way of FOV and determination. Plus, with a built-in-fine-adjustable IPD slider on the skin of the headset, you can also make micro changes to the image.
Alongside this, there are 4 vast FOV cameras, a depth sensor, hand-tracking and capacitive sensing for finger actions, for each enhanced hand-tracking and enhancements to the bodily controller sensing too.
As for battery life, you possibly can count on to rise up to 2 hours out of 1 cost, with help for USB-C quick charging to get again into the sport shortly.
HTC Vive XR Elite gaming
We acquired to strive 4 totally different experiences, which communicate to a few of the key strengths of the Vive XR Elite. First up, there was a VR maestro sport, the place you conduct an orchestra — suppose a bit like Beat Saber however with the extra wrinkle of pointing your finger at sure instrument sections, to convey the composition to life.
Past the straightforward motions of your conducting hand, this highlighted the exact nature of hand monitoring, as you utilize your free hand to level on the different sections. The actual-time response to finger actions is mightily spectacular.
Second, a response check in Les Mills Physique Fight. Weirdly, I managed to do fairly properly on this sport, given the truth that my quick response instances disappeared a very long time in the past! It was a easy reaching to press the buttons sort of factor, which demonstrated the real-time response of your controllers to in-game motion.
Third, we went kayaking, however in an attention-grabbing manner. HTC connected some trackers onto the sides of an precise Kayak paddle, so that you sat down and commenced to row such as you would in the true state of affairs. It’s a captivating demo for 2 causes: the sport was being streamed from a gaming laptop computer over WiFi 6E, and this was a real check of occlusion monitoring, which the Vive XR Elite had some hassle with.
You see, to correctly row, it’s all within the elbow movement, and because it will get in the way in which of the trackers, which the sensors in your headset must see, it makes for issues of calibration between the paddle in real-life and in-game.
And eventually, a Galaga-esque shooter that fused AR with VR for a improbable little demo of exact management and goal. It’s a fascinating world of combined actuality gaming that brings its little world to life in an revolutionary manner that explains the combo between the 2 actuality states in a captivating trend. However extra importantly, it’s one other showcase of the speedy real-time response of controller motion and interplay.
All of this does elevate a possible challenge, although. You see, HTC is bragging about 100 items of content material being out there at launch, however what about after that launch window? Meta’s tremendous energy is to be the important thing platform the place you’ll discover a ton of unique video games and experiences, so the Vive must catch up quick, in any other case this will likely change into a really costly paperweight.
Outlook
However wanting at this time, it’s straightforward to make one conclusion: the HTC Vive XR Elite is well essentially the most snug VR headset I’ve used, and one of the performant too.
The razor sharp visuals movement effortlessly, controller and hand monitoring is (largely) correct, and the very fact these are modular and tremendous transportable (you possibly can put them in a case solely barely greater than a sun shades case) makes them a really worthwhile possibility for customers.
After all, that $1,099 is dear, however at $300 lower than the Meta Quest Professional, there’s so much to get enthusiastic about right here. The high-end headset market is getting actually aggressive, actual quickly!
