HTC’s Standalone Headset Is an Evolution for Virtual Reality

The XR Elite VR headset is primarily a standalone VR headset. It looks impressive and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor, much like the Meta Quest2, Quest Pro, and Vive’s existing, business-focused Focus3. It also adds a 110-degree field-of-view LCD display with 2K resolution per eye that can run at 90Hz. It also has a 12GB RAM boost and 128GB storage. It can be connected to PCs to run SteamVR and HTC’s VivePort software. Or, it can connect with Android smartphones. Its potential to bridge AR experiences seems to be the most remarkable feature.

These are only specs. The most striking thing about the XR Elite is its compact size. It weighs in at 340g, which is less than half of the Quest Pro. It has a two-hour battery life. You can make it even smaller by removing the back battery strap. The glass arms allow you to transform the headset into modified VR glasses. These glasses could be plugged into an external USB charger or battery. It can be easily carried in a small carrying case tube.

The XR Elite VR headset is similar to the previous models but has expanded capabilities

The XR Elite’s compact size is not without a twist. Instead of fitting over glasses, it uses adjusting dials or diopters that can adjust the prescription of the lenses on the fly. This means you don’t need to wear glasses for most people. Although the diopters can accommodate a prescription of -6, my vision is more than -8 for nearsightedness. HTC had to overcome this challenge with its smaller Vive Flow VR goggles that were connected to their phones. They also chose the glasses-free option.

The XR Elite features a dedicated depth sensor at the front and color passthrough cameras that can show mixed reality experiences, similar to the Quest Pro. Although the Quest Pro does not have the Elite’s depth sensor, it can accommodate for it with its onboard cameras.

The XR Elite can also be adapted further. Although the hardware does not have an eye-tracking tool onboard, additional eye- and facial-tracking add-ons will be available later in the year. The standard controllers for the Vive Focus 3 are the same as that HTC uses for the Meta Quest 2 or other headsets. They follow the same game controller-like playbook. HTC has its own line, but more accessories are possible.

O’Brien admits that AR and VR are still not in mass-market appeal. He said that cloud computing will allow developers to get their content into the metaverse faster and more efficiently. Think about streaming, these streamers and these TikTokkers. These kids create compelling, entertaining experiences that keep you coming back. This is not the case today. We need to provide more opportunities for less-skilled immersive content creators to be involved and create more [of an] economically.

O’Brien views cloud computing as driven by eye tracking’s ability to compress graphics data via foveated rendering technology. This is a way to eventually shrink the processors on future headsets and make them more comfortable for larger people.

My concern is the limited number of prescription options available at the moment. O’Brien says that as we move to lighter glasses, more people will be able to bring their prescriptions to it. We can only address the majority market at the moment with these setting changes. Because we need to make the headsets lighter, we must do more. They must be more comfortable. These headsets will have large eye relief areas, so they’ll stay big.

O’Brien believes that the VR controllers included in the box could be made optional, or even removed from the box. However, this is not the case yet. Hand tracking isn’t reliable enough. Hand tracking needs to improve dramatically over the next two- to three years in order to become a more natural input tool. O’Brien says it is a way for future headsets that will be more affordable. It will be much cheaper if a user can simply put on glasses and interact [with content] with their hands, it’ll be much more affordable.”