HTC used to be one of the giants in the smartphone industry, and as HTC's mobile phone share continues to decline, HTC has shifted its focus to the research and development of VR (Virtual Reality) technology, and through cooperation with the game company Valve, HTC has now become a leading brand in the VR industry.
At this stage, VR basically uses computers to build a three-dimensional virtual world, and then presents the VR world to users through the screen and sensors of VR glasses, providing an immersive experience. Due to the late start of the VR industry, which is still in the market exploration stage, the product lines of each manufacturer are not long, and the number of products is also very small, even if it is an industry leader like HTC, there are currently only three devices: HTC VIVE Pro, HTC VIVE and VIVE Focus.
At present, the VR glasses on the market are usually distinguished by connection, and those that connect the computer and the host computer through a data cable are called console-type VR, and HTC's famous HTC VIVE series belongs to this category; VIVE Focus is an all-in-one VR goggle with a built-in operating system and stand-alone VR goggles, but its performance is not as good as that of the host VR. If you need an external phone as a display, it is called mobile VR, and although the price is very cheap, it is almost practical, so it is not recommended to buy this type of product.
The HTC VIVE is an epoch-making product in VR glasses, winning 22 awards at CES before its official launch, and TechGearLab gave it the highest score of 80. At present, HTC VIVE is one of the most popular VR headsets on the Steam platform, accounting for nearly half of the market share.
It's not quite appropriate to call HTC VIVE VR glasses,In fact, HTC VIVE is a complete set of VR equipment,In addition to VR glasses,It also includes a set of handles and positioning devices,The price of the set is4888element。 VIVE's biggest selling point is the Lighthouse positioning device, which emits a laser and allows the VR glasses and controller to deduce the user's movements through the built-in receiver, projecting the player's standing, sitting, moving, and hand movements into the virtual world in real time, providing a 6DoF immersive experience.
VIVE Pro is an upgraded version of VIVE, with the screen resolution upgraded from 2K to 3K, and the Lighthouse positioning system has also been upgraded to version 2.0, and the maximum connection range has been increased from 4 meters×3 meters to 4.5 meters × 4.5 meters. This positioning system is currently the most accurate positioning solution in the industry, so it also raises the cost of VIVE Pro, which includes a 2.0 base station and controller, and the price of the VIVE Pro package is close to 12,000 yuan. Players with a limited budget can also choose to match the Lighthouse 1.0 package, which is priced at around 9,000 yuan.
For enthusiasts, only console-based VR is currently considered realistic, and console platforms are also of higher quality than all-in-one and mobile platforms. The VIVE franchise is also enhanced by the impressive number of games on the VIVE platform, with players being able to experience VR versions of blockbusters like Fallout 4 and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.
Although the VIVE series is currently the top product in VR glasses, there are still many problems. For example, although VIVE's built-in 2K screen has good paper parameters, because it is too close to the eye, pixels can be seen in use (also known as the "screen window effect"), even if the subsequent VIVE PRO upgrades the screen to 3K resolution, it still can't avoid this problem, which is also the technical bottleneck that currently plagues the entire VR industry.
In addition, console-based VR requires a high level of computer configuration, and the positioning system of VIVE and VIVE Pro requires a space of at least 2 meters × 1.5 meters, which has higher hidden costs. If you don't have the need for large-scale VR games, you can consider VR all-in-one products.
HTC VIVE Focus all-in-one VR price is about 4000 yuan, the screen resolution is the same as VIVE Pro, and the built-in tracker can also achieve a 6DoF experience, although the accuracy is far less than that of an external sensor, but it is better to be free from the constraints of space cables. The comprehensive experience is among the best among all-in-one products. At present, on the VIVEPORT platform, VIVE Focus can be downloaded to VR applications on domestic video websites, but the free game resources that can be played are limited.
