After digesting the amount of news that came out of CES 2023, it’s time to start deciding which new devices at the show we’re going to spend our money on. For VR and AR aficionados, the first product to see is probably HTC’s VIVE XR Elite headset.
HTC seeks to impose its VR offer on the general public by displaying a price 400 euros lower than that of the Meta Quest Pro. HTC also clarified that unlike its aforementioned competitor, its headset is designed for you and any users interested in premium XR (Extended Reality) experiences.
But, at 1,400 euros, it’s no small purchase for the vast majority of us. That’s why we’re here to help you decide if you should pre-order this new helmet, opt for a competing model, or just wait and see what comes later this year.
Should you pre-order HTC’s VIVE XR Elite headset?
Picture: HTC.
Cut to the chase, here’s the shortest possible answer: if you want the most versatile headset ever announced and can afford to shell out $1,400, then yes, you should pre-order it. But if you’re hoping for a bit more in-depth answer, read on…
Why would you spend $1,400 on the HTC VIVE XR Elite instead of buying a competing headset for less?
Meta Quest 2. Image: Meta.
It is always useful to compare the various possible solutions before buying an expensive device or not. In this case, there are plenty of alternatives, but only a few headsets stand out enough to be featured here. We will briefly introduce each below.
The Valve Index is a fully tethered PCVR headset, which means you’ll need a powerful gaming PC to use it. Picture: Valve.
Valve Index: €1,080 for the complete kit
At the official price of 1,080 euros, the Valve Index could well be the biggest loser on this list for this reason. While you can save over $300 buying the Valve Index, you’ll only get a fully wired headset, which requires installing two base stations for tracking, and a high-end gaming PC for tracking. connect. The result is a much less user-friendly installation and use: it is a total absence of the autonomy of movement that made the success of the Meta Quest range.
Valve Index’s “Knuckle” thumbsticks allow unique finger tracking when held, but the HTC Vive XR Elite has full hand tracking that works without thumbsticks. The headset can also work wirelessly without a base station or PC. Ultimately, the VIVE is a more versatile and user-friendly device, but it’s over $300 more expensive.
The PlayStation VR2 is also fully wired, but it needs to be tethered to a PlayStation 5 rather than a PC. Picture: Sony.
PlayStation VR2: €600 (requires PlayStation 5, €610)
The comparative cost of this option largely depends on whether or not you own a PlayStation VR2. If so, it is 2.3 times cheaper than VIVE. Otherwise, it is 190 euros cheaper. Of course, for that $1,210 price tag, you also get a next-gen console for traditional gaming.
The PlayStation VR2 is a huge improvement over the first generation, but it’s still a wired headset, which means you’ll still have a wire to manage. You will also be unable to get content that Sony does not publish on its own content platform, unlike all the other options we are going to mention. This makes PS VR2 less flexible and less user-friendly for indie games, side-loaded content, and user-created modules. Again, HTC’s headset supports all of these and offers fully wireless standalone operation, as well as PCVR gaming (computer-playable VR games) wirelessly via Wi-Fi 6/6E.
The Meta Quest 2 is the second generation to support wired and wireless PCVR, as well as wireless and fully standalone VR games and applications. Picture: Oculus.
Meta Quest 2: from €450
Launched at an initial price of 350 euros, the entry-level model now costs 450 euros, which means you can still buy three for the price of just one HTC VIVE XR Elite. Despite this, it’s probably the closest to VIVE in terms of features, as it supports both fully standalone games and PCVR games running on a modest gaming PC accessed via Oculus Air Link. by Wi-Fi.
The differences that make the VIVE XR Elite worth the full price for some people are more subtle. These include the color live-view screens and the AR functionality they offer compared to the basic black-and-white screens of the Quest 2, diopter-adjustable lenses in the helmet that eliminate the need for prescription additional lenses and the modularity of the design. Which lets you wear the headset either as glasses (at 273g) for casual use, or as a more traditional headset for more serious gaming sessions.
Overall, the VIVE XR Elite is a much more versatile “all-in-one” headset, as HTC intended. It can do everything the Quest 2 can do while being lighter, more compact, and with a wider field of view. That said, it’s a lot more expensive, which is why the Quest 2 might still be a better option for early VR users and younger gamers.
Should you wait to see what Apple and Meta have in store?
This question is more difficult to answer, as neither Meta nor Apple have made public their VR/AR plans for 2023. However, we can offer an opinion based on rumors and leaks from each company.
A supposed render of the Quest 2 successor design. Image: SadlyItsBradley (YouTube).
Meta
While the Meta Quest Pro is aimed at the professional world, Quest 2 owners expected a Quest 3, which was not showcased at Meta’s Connect 2022 event. Rumor has it that the next mainstream Quest will launch later this year. It’s a safe bet that it will fall somewhere between the Quest 2 and the Pro in terms of specs and price. Leaks suggest it will switch to pancake OLED optical technology, which will make it thinner and lighter than the Quest 2. Pricing should be around the current Quest 2 model.
An Apple patent, filed in 2015, of a system that attempted to use an iPhone as a VR display. We’ve been waiting for an AR/VR product from Cupertino for all this time. Image: USPTO.
Apple
Apple’s plans for augmented reality and virtual reality have been the industry’s biggest question for nearly 10 years. Although we know almost nothing concrete, there is every reason to believe that Apple’s goal is very different from that of all the other players in the sector mentioned here.
Rumors suggest that Apple’s device will be less about VR and gaming and more about AR and lifestyle. While Apple can always surprise us, the company’s history suggests that any AR/VR headset will be much like the iPhone: it will be good at all areas of its product class, not optimized for a single task. specific, such as games for example.
How to pre-order it?
Yes, the headset is fully usable in this configuration, which is about half the weight of the Meta Quest 2. Image: HTC.
If you can afford its $1,400 price tag, and want the HTC VIVE XR Elite to be your next headset, you can already order it online. New pre-orders are expected to start shipping to customers “early March 2023”, but that date could be pushed back if bookings roll in.
Source: ZDNet.com