The consumer virtual reality space is expected to get a new entrant next month in the form of a flagship augmented reality headset. Full details will be released on January 5th. A small, light all-in-one headset that promises full-featured virtual and augmented reality was the topic of an exclusive interview with the head of product.
Ye says that it is important to take all of the advances we have made in design and technology and make it appealing to consumers.
The unnamed headset has a look similar to goggles with front and side facing cameras. According to Ye, buyers will be able to use the headset for gaming, entertainment, exercise, and even some of the more powerful use cases. It will have two hours of battery life, be self contained, and support controllers with six degrees of freedom.
One of the key features of the headset is that it will allow for mixed reality experiences. When I asked what buyers would use it for, Ye highlighted the ongoing relationships with developers and said the best use cases would likely appear after release. The tech is solid and we will start seeing cool experiences.
In October, the headset was teased with little details. We thought it would be a successor to the Vive Flow. This isn't confirmed byHTC for now. The device is an application of lessons it learned from making the Flow and the Vive Focus 3 headsets. The combination of virtual and augmented reality puts the headset in the hands of Meta and Apple.
Color passthrough was a selling point for the recently released Meta Quest Pro, and the company was cagey about directly comparing the two. Meta considered a depth sensor for the new headset, but decided against it. It could allow for more efficient tracking. He said that the headset could have a better dynamic range than other options on the market, and that it could be used to read text on a laptop or phone screen.
The Vive Focus 3 is heavier and less bulky than the new headset, but it still sounds full-featured. Ye claims that his headset is one of the lightest on the market. Ye mentioned that the headset will be more stable than the Flow, which had a tendency to slip off of me. Ye said they spent a lot of time doing ergonomics. The first time we did that was in The Flow. We learned a great deal from it. When we see things that can be improved, we will always make them better.
Consumer virtual reality headsets have been subsidized by companies that want to take personal data.
We don't know if the device will have eye tracking or if it will be based on rumors. When asked if the Vive Focus 3 had eye tracking, Ye said that it was an optional upgrade. The privacy protections that would prevent anyone from accessing data locally or remotely from the new headset's cameras are being worked on by the company. He says that it will slide into that question.
The headset will be different from Meta's alternatives. We don't know how much the headset will cost, but Ye thinks it will be a lot more expensive than the Metaquest 2. He says that we are in an era when companies are trying to take personal data and give it to advertisers. We don't believe in compromising on privacy. We wouldn't be surprised if the new headset falls somewhere between the two launch prices of the Vive Flow and the Focus 3
There are benefits to the Quest 2. Meta has funded or acquired a number of good virtual reality experiences, whileHTC has historically been behind in that area. The new headset will be able to connect to a PC via a cable and offer its own virtual reality experiences. When people pick up the headset, the goal is to have a wide range of experiences.
Last year,HTC declared itself temporarily out of the consumer virtual reality game due to the fact that it didn't want to compete with Meta's heavily subsidized headsets. Aside from Meta raising its prices, what has changed? Two headsets in quick succession, built in the process, is one thing. Ye says that they have a vision of what they think is a good experience. We know how to build the best tech and now we also know how to build small devices. The learnings that allow us to feel like we are ready to make something really exciting are the ones that allow us to feel excited. It probably doesn't hurt that Apple and Meta are fighting over the future of consumer virtual reality, so ifHTC wants to join the competition, its window of opportunity is closing.
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