In order to compete with Meta’s $1,500 Quest Pro and perhaps eventually Apple’s long-rumored visor, HTC is getting ready to unveil a new AR/VR headset.
The wearable, which will be officially unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 next month, was designed to be a compact and lightweight all-in-one that doesn’t spare on functionality, according to HTC global president of product Shen Ye.
A teaser shown to the media shows a goggles-style headset with front and side-mounted cameras that doesn’t look all that dissimilar from the Magic Leap 2 for businesses.
According to Shen Ye, the standalone headset would have a battery life of about two hours and support controllers with six degrees of freedom as well as hand tracking.
According to the executive, the multipurpose eyewear will be great for gaming, entertainment, exercise, productivity, and business applications.
The HTC headset can transmit a color video feed from the front-facing camera to the screens for mixed-reality experiences, just like the new Meta Quest Pro.
In addition, HTC has a depth sensor built in, which could improve tracking and mapping capabilities. This feature is absent from Meta’s headset.
Shen Ye also hinted at HTC’s forthcoming product having a potentially wider dynamic range, which would allow users to read text on a digital screen through the device.
Although the price has not been disclosed, based on Ye’s statements, people do not anticipate it to be inexpensive.
According to the pub, it wouldn’t be unexpected if the price falls between $500 and $1,300, which represents the launch prices for the HTC Vive Flow and Vive Focus 3, respectively.
In 2021, HTC retreated from the consumer sector in favor of concentrating more on business users.
However, HTC seems to not want to miss the chance to be a third significant player in the conflict as Apple and Meta prepare to contend for market share in the consumer AR / VR field.
In Las Vegas, CES 2023 begins on January 5 and lasts until January 8.
To read our blog on “100K people and millions of square feet of booth space are anticipated at CES 2023,” click here.
