HTC is reportedly planning on unveiling its newest VR headset on January 5 at CES 2023. The price and name of the standalone VR headset have also been leaked ahead of time through an advance listing on the Vive Store. The headset will be called HTC Vive XR Elite and cost around $1400.
The advanced listing was found by a Twitter user, Inscothen, simply googling for Vive XR Elite. The information was later confirmed by a prominent XR leaker Bradley Lynch. Lynch further confirmed that the VR headset would go for around $1400. At this price range, the headset will be competing directly with the Meta Quest Pro.
HTC Vive XR Elite: Standalone VR Headset
The HTC Vive XR Elite leaked images show a power bank connected to the VR headset. It also features a glass mode that removes the back strap. HTC’s newest VR headset combines features from its previous products, such as the Vive Flow and Focus 3.
HTC was once a prominent leader in the VR market, but its recent products haven’t been that successful. The Vive Flow was a flop, and the Focus 3 was limited to enterprises and arcades. However, it seems HTC wants to make a comeback with its newest VR headset.
According to HTC’s global product chief Shen Ye, the new Vive headset will be one of the lightest XR glasses on the market. Unlike Quest Pro, the HTC Vive XR Elite will feature a depth sensor for AR applications. It will also offer stereoscopic color video passthrough for mixed reality applications.
Unfortunately, it will feature the same old controllers as the Focus 3 but will also come with optical hand tracking. The HTC Vive XR Elite will also have a built-in dioptre for Myopia so that users won’t have to wear glasses when using the headset.
