https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTITJSSRUso
HTC and Valve are collaborating to create a virtual reality head-mounted device for consumers, called the Re Vive. The news was announced at this year’s Mobile World Congress, and accompanied by the above ad for the peripheral.
The HTC Re Vive’s specs are as follows:
- two 1200 x 1080 screens with a 90Hz refresh rate;
- over 70 sensors that track movement, including gyrosensors, accelerometers, and laser position sensors;
- high-quality audio via a jack on the side of the headset; and
- 360-degree viewing, which will allow wearers to get up and walk around for a “full room-scale” experience.
HTC will also release a pair of wireless controllers for the virtual reality HMD, which will allow users to manipulate objects within games, for example, shooting weapons via hand tracking.
Although HTC is a mobile communications company, the Re Vive doesn’t require a smartphone to function. It can be directly plugged into a PC.
The company has partnered with developers Vertigo Games, Bossa, Dovetail Games, Wemo Labs, and Owlchemy in order to bring games to the system, and with HBO, Lionsgate, and Google for video content. The device is intended primarily for gaming, however.
HTC will bring the Re Vive to developers this Spring, and make it available for consumers to buy during the end-of-year holidays. There are no pricing details for the Re Vive just yet.
It’s not clear whether this is the virtual reality device that Valve teased recently for GDC 2015, or an additional project they’re working on. We’ll keep you updated as we find out more details.
