HTC has announced Vive Focus Vision, the first standalone, eye-tracking virtual reality headset aimed at consumers. In addition, the new product is capable of tracking user movements without additional base stations. The device is priced at $999.
Image source: HTC
The HTC Vive Focus Vision is based on the HTC Vive Focus 3 headset, designed for corporate users – the new device will be offered to both professionals and ordinary consumers. The headset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chip, and can be used standalone or in conjunction with a PC, to which it can connect via USB Type-C or DisplayPort. Each eye has a display with a resolution of 2448 × 2448 pixels and a field of view of 120°. When working in standalone mode, the maximum display frequency is 90 Hz, and by the end of the year there will be support for 120 Hz when connected via DisplayPort.
Eye tracking is a key benefit of HTC Vive Focus Vision, capturing gaze direction 120 times per second with an accuracy of 0.5° to 1° within a 20-degree range of the central field of view. This allows processing power to be directed to rendering the image that the user is looking at directly, thereby improving performance. The function also allows you to control the interface using eye movements, but unlike Apple Vision Pro, it is present here as an experimental one. Tracking the direction of gaze is carried out using five-point calibration – its accuracy is increased by automatically setting the interpupillary distance. Users with nearsightedness can manually set the display focus.
Another important advantage of the HTC Vive Focus Vision is its hot-swappable battery support – there is an additional internal battery that will last for 30 minutes while the main one, which is attached to the back of the head strap, is being replaced. The main battery lasts two hours, which is typical for standalone headsets.
HTC Vive Focus Vision is priced at $999 – at the start of sales, the device will be equipped with a Vive Wired Streaming Kit for connecting via DisplayPort, and later it will cost $149. In the future, a Business Edition will also be released for $1,299, which features a subscription to the HTC Vive Business warranty service and the presence of Vive Business+ software for managing a group of devices.