Vive Focus VR headset, exclusive to HTC in China, is launched around the world

HTC will start selling its Vive Focus Autonomous Virtual Reality Headset worldwide today, after an initial launch in China earlier this year. The headset, which will cost $ 599 in the United States, is aimed at business customers in 37 countries. This is part of a broader attempt to make HTC VR headsets attractive to businesses, including a newly announced collaboration application called Vive Sync, which allows employees from different offices to meet and work together in the business. virtual reality.

The Vive Focus is a stand-alone mobile headset that tracks a user's movement with out-of-the-box cameras, such as the upcoming $ 399 Oculus Quest headset. HTC announced it after canceling a similar headset based on Google's Google Daydream VR platform. Initially, it was unclear whether the Vive Focus would be launched out of China. However, HTC has confirmed an international release this spring, providing US buyers with a development kit.

We were impressed by Vive Focus's tracking quality and since its launch, HTC has developed fully-tracked motion controllers to complement its original, remote control-like pointing device. But do not expect a direct competitor of Oculus Quest. HTC does not present this as a mainstream device – it is more likely to appear in training simulators, industrial design facilities or arcade gaming rooms. Buyers can add one of two "Advantage" premium service and repair packages, costing them at $ 749 or $ 799.

The Vive Focus will be sitting next to HTC's $ 499 and $ 799 Vive Pro Vive Pro headphones, which are connected to a computer. HTC presents the Vive Focus as a headset for "companies that want to experience a truly mobile virtual reality experience." Unlike the original Vive, it requires no external sensor housing and offers the same high-end resolution of 2880 x 1600 as the Vive. Pro; It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 mobile chipset from Qualcomm and has a battery life of up to three hours.

HTC has featured another all-in-one headset from Chinese company Shadow Creator, which uses HTC's Vive Wave VR platform to launch a headset called Shadow VR. It will be launched around the world on November 11 and will offer similar functionality to Vive Focus, but with a slightly lower resolution screen.

For some time now, HTC has been interested in commercial customers, but it is more than ever this goal ahead with the Vive Focus. This is in contrast to competitors Oculus and Sony, who have described their VR headsets as consumer entertainment devices – although Oculus also provides headsets to companies such as Walmart, for training purposes or the like. HTC is probably making the move safer here, as companies have been using VR systems for decades, while it has recently become a niche in the consumer market. But for those looking to buy a VR headset built by HTC for their personal games or their VR movies, it's a bit of a disappointment.