Neben der Oculus Rift, Sonys Project Morpheus, sowie dem HoloLens von Microsoft, betritt nun ein weiterer Kandidat die Virtual Reality Bühne. HTC hat vergangene Nacht, im Rahmen des diesjährigen Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC Vive enthüllt. Das gemeinsam mit Valve entwickelte VR-Headset soll noch dieses Jahr Marktreife erlangen und für den Endkunden erhältlich sein - die Auslieferung spezieller Developer Kits will man im Frühling starten. Die Auflösung der HTC Vive liegt bei 1.200*1.080 Pixel pro Auge, bei einer Bildwiederholfrequenz von 90Hz. Außerdem wird zur Steuerung ein zweiteiliger Funk-Controller beigeliefert, der speziell für die virtuellen Welten optimiert sein soll. Angaben zum Preis gab es bislang nicht, dafür aber einen Reveal Trailer. Valve selbst wird diese Woche, auf der Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, seinen überarbeiteten Steam Controller, neue Geräte für das Wohnzimmer und das SteamVR-Hardwaresystem näher vorstellen.




Vive combines Valve's Steam VR tracking and input technologies with HTC's world-renowned design and engineering talent, setting a new gold standard for an industry that has, until now, struggled to move beyond concept stage.

Cher Wang, Chairwoman of HTC commented, "It's rare that a company has an opportunity to forever transform the ways in which people interact with the world and communicate with each other, but that is exactly what we plan to do with Valve."

"We achieved this once before with our development of smartphone technology," Peter Chou, CEO of HTC added, "And, through our partnership with Valve, we'll now be doing this for a second time with VR technology of which consumers could only previously dream."

Mesmerizing quality, fully immersive experience

Vive offers the most immersive experience of any VR package, plunging people into other worlds at a moment's notice. HTC and Valve have introduced a Full Room Scale 360 Degree Solution with Tracked Controllers, letting you get up, walk around and explore your virtual space, inspect objects from every angle and truly interact with your surroundings. Setting a new benchmark for performance, the headset features high-quality graphics, 90-frames-per-second video and incredible audio fidelity.

HTC is also introducing new wireless VR controllers that will make you feel one with your virtual environment. The new HTC VR Controllers come in a pair and are designed to be so versatile that they will work with a wide range of VR experiences. Unlike typical game controllers, the HTC VR Controllers are simple and intuitive to use, helping everyone make the most of their experience.

Gaming and beyond

Beta versions of the Vive Developer Edition have already generated rich entertainment content from some of the world's top game developers including Vertigo Games, Bossa, Barry–Fireproof, Dovetail Games, Wemo Labs, Google, Steel Wool Games and Owlchemy.

"Our collaboration with HTC is driven by the companies' shared desire to produce the most compelling and complete VR experience," said Ken Birdwell of Valve. "Delivering content creators with the Vive Developer Edition is an incredibly important milestone in our efforts to achieve that goal."

While amazing gaming experiences are a staple in the VR universe, the potential beyond gaming is limitless. HTC and Valve are committed to realizing a broader vision for VR and see a real opportunity in transforming everyday experiences. Travel, attending a game, meeting friends or even shopping will never be the same again, and the companies are working with leading content creators, including Google, HBO, Lionsgate and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan in order to make that vision a reality.

"Vive creates an exciting opportunity for all developers and content creators, to help us bring virtual reality into the mainstream with an end-to-end solution that completely redefines how we entertain ourselves, communicate with each other, learn and, eventually, how we become more productive," Cher Wang concluded. "HTC Vive is real, it's here and it'll be ready to go before the start of 2016."