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Vive Flow Reveal. Pictures Leaked

kojack
MVP
MVP

Edited to include the real details.

 

October 14 was the event for the new Vive Flow.

It's... interesting. It's a VR headset that has folding side arms so it fits in a little cylinder carry case.

Some specs

- XR1 SOC with 4GB ram (Quest 2 uses the XR2 with 6GB)

- Estimated 1600x1600 per eye with 100 degree FOV and 75Hz (they only say 3.2K display, not the exact eye res)

- No controllers, but you can use a phone (Android only) as a Go style 3DOF controller

- 189g (Quest 2 is 532g)

- Hand tracking will be supported, but not at release

- Miracast streaming phone to Flow, to watch content or play Android games

- $499

- Battery life is only a few minutes. It's designed to run on a USB battery pack, which isn't provided. The internal battery is just enough to keep the Flow running while you swap battery packs.

- Preorders open now with a release in November

 

As I guessed, the cable down the back in the pics is for running the required battery pack.

 

It appears this is really intended as a portable media player, basically a giant sunglasses version of a Go.

 

 

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Author: Oculus Monitor,  Auto Oculus Touch,  Forum Dark Mode, Phantom Touch Remover,  X-Plane Fixer
Hardware: Threadripper 1950x, MSI Gaming Trio 2080TI, Asrock X399 Taich
Headsets: Wrap 1200VR, DK1, DK2, CV1, Rift-S, GearVR, Go, Quest, Quest 2, Reverb G2
69 REPLIES 69

But again @Anonymous I'm not forgetting these headsets.

How much of the Vive Pro 2's development was as a result of the Vive's development and how much can you place solely on HTC? It's really an evolution of the Vive isn't it? even the case is the same.... what about the controllers and the base stations?

 

In addition, these headsets (and the G2) are using platforms that have been developed and maintained by others, Valve for SteamVR and MS for WMR. The cost of these platforms is a big deal, both initially and ongoing.

 

The Flow looks like it'll have it's own platform if it's a stand-alone device and the platform will probably reflect the size and scope of the sector it's inhabiting. This is probably another reason why the device seems expensive, people forget to allow for platform R&D, even for a minimal one.

@Anonymous Glad you're happy with your Vive Pro 2 mate.  Unfortunately, many are not so happy (see the Vive forum).  No way I'm going to upgrade my OLED Vive Pro (w/lens mod and Index controllers) to a LCD, albeit higher res, VP2.  In fact, now that I've got my Q2 working so well wireless with Air Link (maybe thanks to my rtx3090 and good router/wifi setup) my VP1 is starting to collect a bit of dust, lol!

i9 13900K water cooled, RTX4090, Z790 MB w/wifi6e, 32Gb 6400 ram, 2x2TB SSD, 1000W PSU, Win 11, QPro, Q3, w/Link and Air Link, Vive Pro1 with Etsy lens mod and Index Controllers

Anonymous
Not applicable

@TomCgcmfc wrote:

@Anonymous Glad you're happy with your Vive Pro 2 mate.  Unfortunately, many are not so happy (see the Vive forum).  No way I'm going to upgrade my OLED Vive Pro (w/lens mod and Index controllers) to a LCD, albeit higher res, VP2.  In fact, now that I've got my Q2 working so well wireless with Air Link (maybe thanks to my rtx3090 and good router/wifi setup) my VP1 is starting to collect a bit of dust, lol!


Yes actually I keep up with the Vive Forums and really the folks posting on issues with the newer Vive Pro 2 are very few and far between. Of course one could speculate that they really have not sold that many, who knows...

I know several of us on the flight sim forums have them and not having any real issue.

 

I also have a great 3090 Card with great wireless , but as I play nothing but seated games I really do not have a pressing need for wireless.  I have been tempted to get a Quest 2 though just to check it out, but seems maybe something newer might be coming from Oculus before too long so will stand by to see what they have to say at Connect. I am sure you remember how I used to praise the Quest with Link when I was trying the new technology out when they first released the Link capability.

But no having a cable is a non issue for me and as I game usually several hours at a time is a benefit.

@Anonymous Ya, Q1 with Link (or wireless with VD) in the early days was nothing to write home about imho.  The Q2 with v33 Air Link is worlds better.  Given the $'s you've spent recently on a new Index kit an VP2 you probably do not want to know how good a $299 Q2 can perform, lol!

i9 13900K water cooled, RTX4090, Z790 MB w/wifi6e, 32Gb 6400 ram, 2x2TB SSD, 1000W PSU, Win 11, QPro, Q3, w/Link and Air Link, Vive Pro1 with Etsy lens mod and Index Controllers

Zenbane
MVP
MVP

Well, it appears that HTC pulled another Advertising Blunder. I am sure many of us remember when they had Paris Hilton take a photo of an unplugged Vive.

 

 

Spoiler
 

 Zenbane_2-1634522465014.png

 

Well they have once again caught themselves in a photo debacle. Trending today is the fact that HTC Photoshop'd images of the Flow on to Stock Photos. Full articles and tweets about it. Yikes!

 

 

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https://twitter.com/jank0/status/1448431947751952384

 

 

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Full Article:

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/tldr/2021/10/14/22726604/htc-vive-flow-wearable-photoshopped-w...

lol well, maybe this is an indication of how your advertising budget changes when you're no longer a manufacturing partner with Valve and Microsoft! seriously though, it's a bad decision from whoever they commissioned, how costly is it to hire models for a shoot?

 

I have a theory regarding manufacturing partnerships... if Valve carried out much or the Vive R&D, I wonder if HTC are now in a position that they're prohibited from developing platforms that sell games on stand-alone headsets. Valve surely wouldn't allow tech they funded the development of (and probably hold numerous patents on) to be used in a way that could compete with their platform for selling software. No problem developing headsets that use SteamVR though. Another reason to test out the non-gaming sector?

 

Just some fun speculation.

Interesting speculation.


I think the Valve / HTC relationship ended hard with the VIVE PRO2, and the move by Valve to partner with HP.

The reality seems to be that the Cosmos and Focus are wholly HTC projects, and are free to do what they want. The lack of any involvement in VIVEPORT would also point to no need to moderate their sales.


We are due an announcement from HP regarding their continuing partnership with Valve on a new headset so it seems that they are moving at speed on their VR partnership plans. 

HTC has had a constant disconnect with its executive pool, with a number of bad calls in their marketing message. It was hoped that recent "restructuring" would address that, but there are some entrenched execs who do a questionable job., failing to understand the impact (culturally) of some decisions. 

https://vrawards.aixr.org/ "The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Home-Immersive-Entertainment-Frontier/dp/1472426959

Anonymous
Not applicable

@kevinw729 wrote:

Interesting speculation.


I think the Valve / HTC relationship ended hard with the VIVE PRO2, and the move by Valve to partner with HP.

The reality seems to be that the Cosmos and Focus are wholly HTC projects, and are free to do what they want. The lack of any involvement in VIVEPORT would also point to no need to moderate their sales.


We are due an announcement from HP regarding their continuing partnership with Valve on a new headset so it seems that they are moving at speed on their VR partnership plans. 

HTC has had a constant disconnect with its executive pool, with a number of bad calls in their marketing message. It was hoped that recent "restructuring" would address that, but there are some entrenched execs who do a questionable job., failing to understand the impact (culturally) of some decisions. 


I wonder if any of this has anything to do with why the Vive Pro 2 requires an install of Vive Console in addition to Steam VR to work.

Have been wondering the same thing - especially as VIVEPORT seems to have dropped their Steam VR box.


There is something under the surface between VALVE and HTC - but as they are focused on Index/Reverb I don't think they will air their dirty laundry, and no one really is searching for details.

If you look at the Focus3 and the designs for the Index2 patent there are similarities, but that could just be normal lineal design attributes. 

Roll on CES.

https://vrawards.aixr.org/ "The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Home-Immersive-Entertainment-Frontier/dp/1472426959


@kevinw729 wrote:

There is something under the surface between VALVE and HTC - but as they are focused on Index/Reverb I don't think they will air their dirty laundry, and no one really is searching for details.


 

I've always felt that the Valve/HTC relationship was strained. As I have said before, Valve did a bit of a dirty job to HTC by "letting them go first" with Valve's own VR IP, and then coming out with the Index later... after watching what happened to the market at Valve's expense.

 

Kinda reminds me of that glass bridge scene in Squid Games lol

 

 

Spoiler
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