HTCthe Taiwanese manufacturer, has just formalized the release of its new VR headset, the Vive XR Elite. The most visible particularity of the latter is that it is modular, that is to say that it can be transformed into a pair of AR / VR glasses with a few very simple manipulations. This model, even if it seems less complete and less powerful, is positioned as a direct competitor to the Meta Quest Pro by focusing its communication on mixed reality and the hybrid side which allows access to a catalog of native games, PCVR games and, although not advertised, run 2D android apps. Before moving on to a more complete analysis, here is its technical data sheet.
HTC Vive XR Elite technical sheet:
- Price : 1399 euros
- Release date : February 25, 2023
- Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
- Memory : 12 GB
- Storage : 128 GB
- Screen definition : 1920×1920 pixels per eye (3840×1920 pixels combined)
- Refresh rate : 90Hz
- Lenses : Pancake
- Field of view : up to 110 degrees
- IPD (interpupillary distance) : 54-73mm
- Headset tracking : VIVE Inside-out Tracking (6 DoF Inside-out Tracking) – Recommended playing area up to 10x10m – Minimum playing area is 1.5mx 1.5m (standing) – It is possible to play sat
- Battery : 26.6Wh battery holder – Removable and hot-swappable – Lightweight and quickly rechargeable with Lithium-Polymer Gel chemistry – Designed and molded with an ergonomic curve
- Audio : Dual microphones for echo cancellation – Built-in speakers
- Starters : Volume button – Power button
- Connections : 1 USB 3.2 Gen-1 Type-C peripheral port – 1 USB 3.2 Gen-1 Type-C power port – Bluetooth 5.2 + BLE – Wi-Fi 6 + 6E
- Sensors : 4 tracking cameras – 16 MP RGB camera – Depth sensor – G-sensor – Gyroscope – Proximity sensor
Controllers borrowed from the Vive Focus 3?
The Vive XR Elite comes with the same two controllers as the Vive Focus 3. They are light, pleasant in the hands but are not at the level of those of the Meta Quest Pro which send heavy in haptic feedback and also on the tracking side in a very bright universe. They offer an autonomy of about fifteen hours (almost double that of the Meta Quest Pro) and are recharged using the USB Type C cables included.
Datasheet Controllers:
- Controller tracking : Hall effect sensors on Trigger and Grip buttons – Capacitive sensors on trigger, joystick and thumb rest – G-sensor – Gyroscope
- Starters : Ergonomic grip button – Analog trigger button – AB/XY buttons – System/menu buttons – Joystick
- Battery : Up to 15 hours of battery life – Built-in rechargeable battery (charged via USB-C)
And where is the charger?
As for the contents of the box, there is the union minimum or almost because it seems that the charger is missing. If this is confirmed, it would be quite petty on their part since the price of the helmet is around 1400 euros.
Here are the official contents of the Vive XR Elite box:
- VIVE XR Headphones
- battery holder
- Controller (G)
- Controller (D)
- 2 Straps
- Microfiber pouch
- Top strap
- Type-C to Type-C Cable
- 2 Type-A to Type-C cable
- Lens protection card
- Documentation (QSG/Safety Guide/Warranty Card)
Quick scan:
As you have probably seen in the video above, this VR headset is particularly small and extremely light. In addition, it is possible to completely remove the rear unit including the battery to replace it with end caps that transform the VR headset into VR glasses (boosted Vive Flow), which makes it even lighter. You have to use an external battery to make it work. the Facebook is removable and can be easily put on or taken off thanks to a magnetic fastening system. On the comfort side, the HTC Vive XR Elite really seems to have pushed the slider up.
In the beast, there is a Qualcomm XR2 (as for the Meta Quest 2 or the Pico 4) with a dozen gigas of RAM, as on the Meta Quest Pro, but only 128 GB of storage. Too bad, for the price, they could have offered 256 GB base. The ventilation seems correct and the air circulation grids are large enough. The view was pampered with a larger than average interpupillary distance setting (54-73 against 58-72 overall). Small and big heads will appreciate. The icing on the cake, there is also a setting to adjust the vision of each eye to its sight (diopter). The lenses are of the type pancakes and, despite the announcement of 110° FOV, the feeling of people who tested it on site seems rather to be “like the Quest 2”. To be continued.
The sound is broadcast via speakers included in the branches (strap) and there is no jack port to connect headphones. It will therefore be necessary to find bluetooth headphones and hope that there is not too much latency. The passthrought seems to be of good quality and provides a color view of the real environment. thanks to a 16 MP RGB camera. Note, there are four cameras for tracking and a depth sensor so that the Vive XR Elite can better understand the terrain in the game space.. If hand tracking is functional, face and eye tracking will be available later as a paid option. Damage.
On the software side, the Vive XR Elite should have around a hundred titles dedicated to the release on February 25.. If HTC has succeeded in convincing developers, as Pico did for the Pico 4, to port their games to the Vive XR Elite, it could well succeed in attracting a good number of gamer users, but Meta remains well ahead in quantity and exclusives in this area. But hey, the new baby from the Taiwanese manufacturer is mainly aimed at the PCVR market (SteamVR, ViveportOculus Rift via Revive) and it is possible to play it via the homemade wireless streaming utility or, and this is good news, via Virtual Desktop which will be available upon release. It’s a shame, however, that there’s no hardwired option available – with a DP port, for example – for those who would have liked to enjoy maximum quality with their simulation or other games.
In the end, the HTC Vive XR Elite has something to please but it is at a price (1399 euros) which does not put it within the reach of all budgets. Of course, at first glance it is cheaper than its direct competitor, the Meta Quest Pro, but it does not have eye and face tracking as standard. Moreover, HTC picked the worst time of the year to release its headphones, i.e. three days after the release of PSVR 2. Suffice to say that the media space will be “PlayStation” at that time and that it will be difficult for them to be seen. On our side, we should receive the helmet on February 25 and give you an opinion in stride.