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The future of virtual reality is upon us. Meet the HTC Vive.
2016-03-17
Phone manufacturer HTC and gaming company Valve, responsible for the immensely popular Steam digital distribution platform, teamed up to create a virtual reality headset that offers 360-degree room-scale motion tracking. All that jargon means users can explore and interact with the universe around them, without bumping into real walls and furniture.
The HTC Vive should give Facebook-owned Oculus a run for its money.
While the final hardware doesn't start shipping until April, I recently got my hands on the Vive Pre development kit. I'll be posting a review once I've had more playtime, but in the meantime, check out what comes in the box.
When I saw the enormous box the HTC Vive came in, I thought, "this is a little ridiculous for just a headset."
Melia Robinson
Alas, the HTC Vive is so much more.
Melia Robinson
The headset itself was one of the first things I unpacked. As some early reviews warned, it's rather bulky.
Melia Robinson
There are 32 little pockmarks on the headset, each containing a motion sensor. The matte black plastic keeps the look refined.
Melia Robinson
A front-facing camera, which doesn't work in the Pre kit, will show the user the "real world" when they risk walking into something.
How that actually plays out is a translucent grid pops up in front of you in VR so you don't smack your head into the wall.Melia Robinson
A long black cable runs from the back of the headset to your PC.
Melia Robinson
While most VR systems require you to sit with a motion-tracking camera near you, the HTC Vive uses laser-emitting boxes. The system is called Lighthouse.
Melia Robinson
They send lasers across your gameplay space, up to 15 by 15 feet, so the headset and controllers can orient their location.
Melia Robinson
I placed mine on high up shelves to maximize visibility.
Melia Robinson
You could also mount the Lighthouse boxes. This came in the package.
Melia Robinson
Next I opened the two controllers, which look like remote controls with cuffs attached. They feel sturdy and comfortable in my hands.
Melia Robinson
The rings contain 24 sensors each, which allow the Lighthouse boxes to track them with a high degree of fidelity.
Translation: these things feel like they're in VR with you.Melia Robinson
A trackpad replaces the traditional joysticks you find on a controller. It also provides haptic feedback during gameplay.
Melia Robinson
The trigger on the underbelly of the controller is surprisingly ergonomic. The side buttons are a little more difficult to reach.
Melia Robinson
Soon, we were ready to play.
Melia Robinson
The Valve system prompted me to place the controllers on the floor for calibration.
Melia Robinson
In Room Setup, I selected Room-Scale so that I could move around and fully take advantage of HTC Vive's motion-tracking capabilities.
The Vive system recognizes that you may or may not have a full room available for appendage gesticulating and body movement.Screenshot by Melia Robinson
Next, we mapped out the gameplay space by holding the controllers and taking a lap around the perimeter — skirting any furniture.
Valve generated this diagram of the space we just drew.
Screenshot by Melia Robinson
Now, anytime I approach a border while wearing the headset, faint blue lines will appear so I don't crash into things.
Melia Robinson
The HTC Vive took all of 30 minutes to unbox and set up, if that.
Melia Robinson
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