04-24-2021 02:35 AM
Post created for the latest news on the new headset releases.
05-02-2021 07:13 AM
It seems they are going for the Index style fake visor design.
05-02-2021 08:15 AM - edited 05-02-2021 08:20 AM
I see someone on youtube mention this was going to be enterprise? hopefully though no i was looking at Quest 2 since this airlink thing seems to be really ticking boxes for everyone, untethered suddenly seems more interesting.
Still here is hoping this is going to be a good step up over the current line ups we need another winner or 2 out there and this really looks sleek, do we know anything about the specs yet?
05-02-2021 03:08 PM
I've never liked the Vive (used them at work, far prefer the CV1).
But I really like that HTC has partnered with iFixit to provide spare parts for repairs to old Vives.
https://blog.vive.com/us/2021/04/26/vive-ifixit-repair-partner
That's quite the opposite of Oculus.
Plus HTC not only ship to Australia (screw you Valve, still no Index here), but unlike Oculus I can walk into a local store and buy a Vive on the spot.
I hope at least one of the new headsets is still beam sweep inside-out (like Lighthouse) instead of videometric inside-out (Cosmos, WMR, Rift-S, Quest). A combination of both would be great, set up base stations if you want a fixed play area with consistent tracking origin, or just videometric for convenience of use anywhere. The Vive and Index are already half way there, they have the Lighthouse sensors on the headset as well as 2 cameras (for pass through), just add a couple more cameras. Or the replaceable faceplate like the Cosmos, but I think it would be better integrated.
05-03-2021 11:22 AM - edited 05-03-2021 03:31 PM
"There is still one heck of an untapped market in PC gaming enthusiasts. Lot of companies are making some pretty big bucks in that industry."
There is no evidence of this currently. I'm quite certain that the opposite is true. There are a very few gaming studios making the largest profits from what is available in the PC Gaming Market (e.g. Blizzard, EA). In fact, there are 10 top gaming companies that make a vast majority of all profits available for the PC and Console industries.
https://www.alltopeverything.com/top-10-biggest-video-game-companies/
Looking at how much is left over for every other studio makes things rather clear.
Going back to 2019, the overall revenue metrics make it clear as to which industries dominate:
It gets worse for PC's over time.
It's been repeatedly reported, and proven, that the Mobile App industries sells more than PC + Console combined.
"I still think there is a big place for native PC-VR to grow in the gaming market, if the companies will put the money into it."
Adding more PCVR hardware to a market that has an incredibly low number of high quality AAA VR Software is a recipe for failure. HTC learned this lesson the hard way; and I would like to think that they have learned from their mistakes.
If there truly was a big place for native PCVR to exist, then there would be something factual we can observe. But nothing is ever presented to substantiate this notion. Ideas and good intentions don't transform in to dollar figures, unfortunately.
05-03-2021 02:09 PM - edited 05-03-2021 02:17 PM
I won't even look at the **bleep**e that is HTC anymore. I had high hopes for the HTC Cosmos, but boy was it a pile of poop after looking at some trusted reviews on this site. I just popped back to see if Facebook was still a requirement for Quest 2, which is another pile of poop LOL. Hope everyone is alright and keeping up with the big group hugs on this site.
05-03-2021 02:19 PM
@RedRizla wrote:I won't even look at the **bleep**e that is HTC anymore. I had high hopes for the HTC Cosmos, but boy was it a pile of poop after looking at some trusted reviews on this site.
Agreed. My hopes for HTC is that they help VR dominate in the Corporate, and possibly Education, landscape. VR is slowly moving in to the non-entertainment sectors, but not as fast as I'd personally like to see. HTC could really help a lot in this arena.
But yeah, overall, HTC has done a terrible job with their VR Hardware lineup. Going as far back as the Vive CV1 and its ridiculous over-sized wands. Not to mention that HTC ended up (unfortunately) attracting the wrong type of enthusiasts imo. HTC was more for the gaming enthusiast that really didn't understand VR very well. And as far as I can tell, when HTC finally went belly-up, their existing user-base moved in to the Valve Index space. Which I think is rather unfortunate for Valve; as they will likely face some backlash if/when they choose to abandon the archaic tethered PCVR hardware in favor of Inside-Out tracking.
If HTC decides to double down in the consumer market, then they need something that blows Quest 2 out of the water. All it would take is some improvements to visuals (e.g. increased FOV). We'll see!
05-05-2021 01:10 PM
This looks like one hell of a sexy HMD. I hope they are bringing out two headsets and I hope they have the same functionality of Air Link. Final hope - that they are reasonably priced. Rumour is, they are not.
If Pico release their new HMD in Europe and the UK later in the year, that could spell trouble for HTC's new headsets.
05-07-2021 06:41 AM
But you could add stationary light-pattern sources around so video-inside-out tracking will be better. Is there any tests or papers on tracking? To see which image points are preferred for tracking software?
You could do totally dark room even with 2-3 lighted patterns in opposite corners to work same way as a lighthouse, I think. You could use LCD flashlights pointing on a printed pattern. And bring them with you anywhere.
Anyone testing? 🙂
05-07-2021 08:11 AM
Well we don't have long to wait now........shall we start predicting as a bit of fun....
Vive II Pro
Oled
3k per eye
Full native display port
Wifi untehered as a opnion peripheral
New Vive controllers with thumb sticks.
Headstrap revised Vive deluxe model
Will work with both external models of LH
Will be modular.
Price £699
05-07-2021 08:21 AM
The key to successfully deploying Inside-Out tracking is to combine the physical tracking cameras with sophisticated software tracking algorithms. Facebook and Oculus have mastered this combination. But their solution is proprietary.
It will be interesting to see how HTC handles their ability to compete in this arena.