HTC Corporation has today announced that the standalone virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD), the Vive Focus, will be available for pre-order at 12:00 a.m. (Beijing time) on 12th December 2017. Initial customer deliveries are expected in January 2018 to China buyers.
The Vive Focus delivers a VR experience with inside-out 6-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) tracking, coupled with a 3K 75Hz high-definition AMOLED screen, 110-degree field of view, adjustable IPD control and built-in audio. The Vive Focus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and utilises the recently announced Vive Wave VR open platform, including the content library on Viveport. The Vive Focus also comes with the ability to link to other devices via a USB Type-C connector, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, while its built-in microSD card slot allows storage expansion of up to 2TB.
“Two years ago, we delivered the first room-scale PC VR solution to the world; today, we’re extremely excited to be, once again, the first to bring 6DoF ‘world-scale’ standalone VR in the form of the Vive Focus to the VR market,” said Alvin Wang Graylin, China Regional President of Vive, HTC. “The combination of advanced capabilities, usability and comfort in an affordable package is unmatched in the current market. This signals the beginning of VR’s entry into the mass consumer space in 2018.”
Without the need to be attached to a PC or a phone, the Vive Focus is designed to deliver unparalleled convenience: it can be put on and removed in just a couple of seconds and immediately turns on/off by sensing the user’s head. Its water-resistant padding and ergonomically balanced design allow for all-day wear, and has been designed to be glasses-friendly, so there’s no need to remove one’s eyewear before use.
The Vive Focus will be available in two colours for the China launch: Almond White (3,999 RMB, tax included) and the limited edition Electric Blue (4,299 RMB, tax included). Each Vive Focus also comes with a matching Bluetooth handheld controller.
While China prepares for the upcoming launch of the Vive Focus, there’s still no confirmation of a western launch date. Shortly after the announcement of the China launch earlier this year, developers Pillow’s Willow stated that the device would launch in North America and Europe later in 2018, however no further information has been made available. VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details on the Vive Focus.
via Mint VR