HTC Vive 2 Update: HTC Wireless Vive Add-On Actually Works [Video]
When the HTC Vive was first introduced, the public saw one of their first glimpses into the future of virtual reality. And while it was a stellar piece of technology, it had one very notable limitation, which is the headset had to be tethered to a powerful computer in order to function. However, the company is looking to fill in this gap.
About a month ago, HTC has announced a peripheral called TPCast, which would provide wireless functionality to the Vive VR headset. According to The Verge, this was designed and built by a startup within HTC's Vice X accelerator program and while the product is still new, the report notes that it does work successfully.
One of the best things about the TPCast is that it is so much lighter than the original headset. Reasonably, the original Vive HR headset was connected to various cables and was then being dragged down. However the wireless option removes all these unnecessary things, thereby eliminating a big chunk of weight.
The TPCast is not without its fault. In fact, it was state that there were some frames that were skipped. But yet, for what it is and how quickly the company was able to release it, it is quite impressive. Notably it works for almost any VR setting, whether the user is playing a first-person shooter, or some science experiments.
The TPCast is currently available in China and will be shipping to other locations within the next few weeks. It was available for demo at CES 2017, which is going on at Las Vegas. It cost about US$249, which is a little pricey for an accessory, mostly because it is above and beyond the cost of an HTC Vive.
Vive also took the opportunity to introduce several more products. Specifically, the Vive Tracker, Vive Deluxe Audio Strap and Viveport were discussed at CES 2017 as well. These products make the experience of Vive more complete, without shutting out any third party developers.
As Digital Trend quotes general manager Daniel O'Brien, the Vive Tracker is "the first step in growing an ecosystem of third-party accessories." The said item comes with built-in headphones and a size dial to suit any and all players.
HTC is rumored to announce a WiGig-based collaboration with Intel that we'll hopefully get to check out later this week.
