HTC adds front-facing camera to their Vive VR headset

Enable the camera, and suddenly the world is full of blue, ghostly images of the physical objects surrounding you. Haptic feedback in the triggers helps the user feel even more immersed in whatever game they may be playing.

The Hive Pre is the final developer kit HTC and Valve will show off before the commercial release of the Vive in April. It remains to be seen if 2016 is also the a year ago of VR. The original Vive dev kit started shipping out in very limited quantities so the pair are clearly stepping up their efforts to deliver content as the consumer release of Vive looms, as well they must.

The new system is still designed for developers but it’s now looking like a finished product, boasting new and improved controllers, better performance and an incredible new safety mechanism called “Chaperone” which will stop you from walking into things. HTC has stated that auto manufacturer Audi will be among these partners, with the company set to offer a “premium retail experience where consumers can explore their dream vehicle with virtual reality”. Today we stand on the precipice of a new era. Strap on a headset and you’re transported to another world or place, your brain instantly tricked into believing that you are really swimming under a giant whale or spilling coffee in an imaginary office environment.

Compared with the Vive design, the headset will be more comfortable as it’s smaller. For starters, HTC and Vive improved the brightness and clarity of the display, making it less like you were looking through linen or dirty glass.

However, HTC executives said that the new hardware won’t delay the Vive any further.

Vive Pre brings elements of the real world into the VR realm.

HTC has added a front-facing camera to the Vive Pre, which provides a look into the real-world, when you’re in the virtual one.

“Being able to take a seat, find your drink, and carry on conversation arounds without removing your headset is only the beginning of what’s possible”, HTC said in a statement. To aid comfort, the controllers also now include softer edges, better balance and updated buttons and grip pads. In order to have smoother interactions with objects, Vive Pre has a dual-stage trigger.

The Vive Pre’s redesigned controllers now feature integrated rechargeable lithium polymer batteries and micro-USB charging.

The Lightroom base stations are quieter and more compact now too, with supposedly better tracking.

Other headsets, such as Oculus Rift and Fove, will also support SteamVR. This allows users to experience games purchased from the Steam online computer game store from the headset itself. The VR headset is built in partnership with Valve sports additional features and tweaks in designing hardware.

HTC and Valve have revealed the second phase of Vive VR’s evolution.