HTC Debuts New 'Vive Focus Plus' VR Headset; Available To Developers April 15 For $799

HTC has debuted their new virtual-reality headset called the Vive Focus Plus. Starting at $799, the headset functions similarly to the Oculus Quest, which starts shipping this spring at half the cost, but has improved specifications and is geared towards the business market. HTC says the Vive Focus Plus would be available to developers on April 15. UploadVR reports: The Vive Focus Plus will ship in most markets with an enterprise license. The headset is said to launch with 250 Vive Wave applications while its Viveport Infinity subscription program claims to include 'over 70 premium titles.' [Some of the specifications include a 3K AMOLED (2880x1600) display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 75Hz frame rate, 110-degree field of view, and inside-out tracking.]

HTC is a company that appears to be in technological transition -- with the Vive Focus Plus the latest example. HTC's first generation Vive headset debuted in 2016 for $$799, a full $200 more than the Rift with a wider feature set. That system relied on Valve's SteamVR Tracking technology to operate. All headsets HTC released since 2016, except for the Vive Pro, don't rely on this technology. It should still be possible for some HTC systems to interact with SteamVR content but we've yet to test that sort of of functionality in a home setting. While Vive Focus Plus is HTC's current standalone headset the company is also planning the convertible Vive Cosmos as well. It is hard to get a full picture right now of how different Vive Focus Plus and Oculus Quest are from another in actual real-world use. HTC is trying to gear the headset to the business market but it is not clear how the headset or its business license will outperform Oculus Quest for business use cases.

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