Today HTC has announced three new version of its VR headset Vive Cosmos. To the original join Elite Cosmos Cosmos Cosmos Cosmos Play and XR. Four versions of the headset are designed to meet varied interests of clients.
After the failed launch Vive Cosmos in October 2019 and a new CEO who took the reins at HTC, the company actually restarts the Cosmos, presenting a headset series Cosmos, which aim to attract a wide range of users of virtual reality from the beginner to the enthusiast high-end.
Each headset Cosmos uses the same basis as in the original, which means the same design to mount on the head, Fresnel lens and 1440 × 1700 LCD displays with hardware IPD adjustment, but the options take advantage of interchangeable faceplates headset to offer different possibilities. To help to understand all this, we will first give a brief outline, but more about that below.
- Vive Cosmos Play — $ 500
- Entry level
- Tracking inside out (4 camera)
- Controllers Cosmos
- Vive Cosmos — $ 700
- The average level
- Inside-out tracking (6 cameras)
- Controllers Cosmos
- Vive Cosmos Elite — $ 900
- Leading
- SteamVR Tracking (includes two base stations)
- Controllers Vive Wand
- Vive Cosmos XR — price not announced
- Developer kit for end-to-end AR
- Tracking inside out (4 chambers + 2 tunnel chambers HQ)
- Controllers Cosmos
Vive Cosmos Play
Cosmos Play is VR-offer entry-level HTC, which has four cameras for tracking inside-out and the same controllers as the original Cosmos. The Play will not include embedded audio, but instead will provide a 3.5 mm headphone Jack so users can connect their own headphones.
Having less coverage tracking than the original Cosmos (which has six cameras), HTC is positioning the Cosmos Play as ideal for random impressions from virtual reality. The company also calls the headset entry point into virtual reality because users can in the future upgrade it using the front panel of the other options Cosmos.
HTC plans to sell Cosmos Play for $ 500, though the release date is not yet announced.
Vive Cosmos
This is the original Space, launched in October; its bezel adds two additional cameras to Play (only six) that increase the coverage of tracking inside-out (in particular, more vertical coverage), and it will continue to use the same controllers that were launched.
HTC will continue to offer the Cosmos at the same price of $ 700, which is installed at startup.
The faceplate of the Cosmos (with two extra cameras) will be available as a separate accessory in the second quarter for $ 200; he will be able to join any of the other Space options.
Vive Cosmos Elite
Vive Cosmos Elite is aimed squarely at the crowd of enthusiasts and is equipped with a front panel SteamVR Tracking and includes two controllers Vive Wand and two base stations tracking.
SteamVR Tracking is the same tracking technology that was used in the original Vive. Despite the fact that the need for an external base station, SteamVR Tracking is considered the gold standard VR-tracking for its accuracy, making it an attractive option for VR enthusiasts who don’t mind installing equipment tracking her room.
However, many enthusiasts will argue against the inclusion of controllers Vive in the composition of the Cosmos Elite. Despite the fact that they’re tracking well thanks to SteamVR Tracking, Vive widely considered to be VR controllers of the latest generation through the use of the trackpad and button capture. More modern controllers virtual reality coalesced around the thumbs (not the trackpad) and triggers capture, or pressure-sensitive handle grip (not buttons capture); even in your own controllers Cosmos from HTC has joysticks and trigger buttons.
Cosmos Elite will be available in the first quarter and will cost $ 900, which directly competes with private Vive Pro ($900) and Valve Index ($1,000). Pre-orders for the Cosmos Elite begins next week on February 24.
HTC plans to offer the front panel Cosmos SteamVR Tracking (which the company calls the “External front panel security”) as a stand-alone accessory that can be attached to any other headset Cosmos. This creates a path to upgrade any other headset Cosmos to ecosystems SteamVR Tracking … but you still have to allocate a separate base station controllers.
Vive Cosmos XR
Vive Cosmos XR will be released as a headset developers intended for through augmented reality. Through augmented reality uses cameras to show the outside world inside the headset, and then projecting the virtual images in the channel of the real world; headset also will be able to offer a clean VR.
Although all headsets support through Cosmos video Cosmos XR is equipped with its own special front panel, which adds another two to the headset front camera, providing better quality and wider field of view than cameras.
However, the camera HQ on the front panel XR Cosmos, it seems, is located below the eye line of the user that can create a strange perspective, if HTC will take some clever actions with computer vision to customize.
HTC says that the Cosmos XR will be released in the second quarter as a developer kit; pricing not announced, but the company promises to share information on GDC next month.
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