Talk about wireless virtual reality (VR) and one of the companies likely to be mentioned is TPCAST, the Vive X Accelerator startup that announced work on a wireless module for HTC Vive in 2016. Since then the device has been made available in China and pre-orders opened up in North America last month – although getting hold of one is another matter. Today the company has revealed that an Oculus Rift version is being worked on.
One of the biggest issues most users have with high-end VR is the cable linking the headset to the PC, so that even with room-scale experiences there’s still that feeling of being tethered, and not quite having complete freedom in a virtual world. The TPCast Wireless Adapter supports 2K video transmission at 90FPS with sub 2ms latency, supplied with a battery to power the headset and the wireless module that can last for up 5 hours of operation.
“TPCAST is committed to support the Oculus Rift HMD with our unique wireless technology solutions, and provide VR users a high-quality, immersive VR encounter,” stated Michael Liu, TPCAST CEO in a statement. “With the TPCAST wireless adapter, we will be changing the VR usage and experience by providing the complete freedom of movement with no cables attached.”
So when can Oculus Rift users go wireless? Well TPCAST has said the Wireless Adapter for Oculus Rift will be available by the end of Q4 2017.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on VRFocus’ coverage of Oculus Connect 4 (OC4) yesterday you’ll have noticed that Oculus is itself exploring wireless VR. But not through connection to a PC. Instead it revealed Oculus Go, a standalone headset with internal specifications similar to that of a smartphone for $199, competing against devices like Pico Goblin.
While the other announcement was for an updated version of Project Santa Cruz, itself having on-board processing but this device has inside-out tracking so no external sensors are needed.
As further details on TPCAST for Oculus Rift are revealed, VRFocus will keep you updated.
via Mint VR