Small, Sleek, and Not-So-Secret
The device, which Lynch has dubbed “Flowcus,” looks like a very close relative to HTC’s Vive Flow with notable additions and modifications. Five cameras – four likely used for tracking, and one at the unit’s center, likely for color passthrough – rear padding and rear-mounted detachable battery, and pancake lenses help the device retain a small yet modular style. The detachable battery is especially interesting, suggesting users can elect to detach said power supply and operate in a more streamlined “glasses mode” as a PCVR device powered by external USB power.
Positioned for Porn
Should this forthcoming HTC device deliver on the portability front and be able to be worn as hi-tech glasses, it would make an excellent device for active gaming, exercise, and, of course, VR porn use. Nothing detracts from a VR sex experience more obviously and immediately than having a heavy unit strapped to your face. Whether or not Lynch’s leaks turn out to be accurate (and history suggests they will), HTC is clearly aiming to deliver a small, lightweight, and versatile VR device in the near future.It’s Official
HTC Vive announced that it will showcase its forthcoming headset at CES 2023, January 5-8, in Las Vegas. Aiming to pose a serious challenge to other manufacturers currently leading the VR/MR market, HTC will unveil a fully self-contained mixed reality unit with color passthrough, 6DoF, hand tracking, and other exciting features.
HTC global head of product Shen Ye spoke with The Verge about the as-yet unnamed headset, saying the project is about “taking all of these advances that we made not only in the design aspects, but also the technical aspects, and building it into something meaningful and that’s appealing for consumers.”
Seeking Market Share
Confirming that the device will be suitable for a wide range of uses – gaming, fitness, entertainment, creativity, productivity, and business use among them – Ye noted color passthrough as key to the device’s suitability for MR use cases. Outward-facing cameras bring a color video feed of the surrounding environment to the user’s eyes without the need to remove the headset.A direct challenger to Meta Quest Pro, HTC’s forthcoming device will feature a depth sensor like that which Meta considered but did not implement in Quest Pro, as well as stronger, clearer passthrough. The price of HTC’s device is expected to fall somewhere between the price of Vive Flow ($499) and Vive Focus 3 ($1,300), placing it alongside Meta’s flagship Quest 2 and Quest Pro devices on store shelves.
vrjoeker says
Slick looking!
GimmeMoarVR says
Great to see the gear get lighter and lighter.