A few weeks ago, HTC has been dropping hints about the imminent release of a lightweight augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headset. It was ultimately unveiled at CES 2023. The name of this device is the Vive XR Elite.
Users who want games in a package that is not overly cumbersome will get what they’re looking for with the Vive XR Elite. The HTC XR Elite lives up to the company’s promise of having a compact and lightweight design. With a total weight of 625 grams, the XR Elite is heavier than the Meta Quest 2 but noticeably lighter than the Quest Pro, which weighs 722 grams. It delivers mixed reality with color cameras and a depth sensor for enhanced situational awareness, which is something that Meta originally planned to include in their Quest Pro but ultimately decided not to include.
Vive XR Elite AR/VR headset specs
In terms of the specifications, they are nothing special at all. There is a resolution of 1920 * 1920 for each eye, which is comparable to that of the Quest 2 and the Pro. Even though it is not cutting-edge technology for a virtual reality headset in 2023, it is still fairly good. It provides six degrees of freedom coupled with inside-out tracking, which is pretty much typical these days in video game technology. In addition to that, it has a refresh rate of 90 Hz and a field of view of 110 degrees.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2, which is also included in the Meta Quest 2, serves as the device’s processor and is backed up by 128 GB of inbuilt storage and 12 GB of RAM.
It has proximity and depth sensors for more accurate tracking, in addition to the four cameras that can follow the movement of your hands and the headset. Notably, Meta dropped the depth sensor from its Quest Pro despite the fact that the company had planned all along to include it.
The battery module has a capacity of 26.6Wh and can be attached as a counterweight by clipping it onto the back of the head strap. Additionally, it is a pack that can be quickly swapped out, and each one is good for approximately two hours of activity. A secondary, smaller battery that is integrated within the headset has a runtime of around ten minutes, which is sufficient time to replace the primary battery. The controllers have a battery life of approximately ten hours, and everything can be charged through the USB-C port.
You can switch to a more traditional VR headset setup by tethering the headset to a computer over USB-C. This is a significant improvement from the early days of Vive VR, when separate HDMI, USB, power, and audio cables were required to be snaked to your head. That is If you’re doing something that requires more power than the Vive XR can handle. However, because it comes equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, which allows for high-speed and low-latency wireless communication, HTC believes that you won’t ever need to hook into your personal computer.
You can also utilize the Wi-Fi connection to stream content from a compatible Android phone, which is quite cool. Even though a lot of that content won’t be available in virtual reality, you can still build a virtual screen that feels like it’s 300 inches from corner to corner by using the personal theater mode that comes included with the Vive XR Elite.
The Vive XR Elite was purposefully designed by HTC to have a modular construction. You can reduce the weight of the device to less than half of its full weight of 625 grams by removing the rear battery pack and wearing the device like a pair of glasses if you are happy to remain connected to a power cord. You also have the option of using “hot-swap” battery packs so you can continue operating without having to turn everything off and then back on again. You also have the option of adding eye-tracking modules as well as wrist-tracking controllers for more accurate motion tracking.
Now is the time to place your pre-order for the HTC Vive XR Elite. According to HTC, all you need is $1099 and a space in your home measuring 10 square feet by 10 feet. It will be available in February, and if you place your order by the 15th of that month, you will receive five free games.