HTC Unveils the Vive Pre Dev Kit

With milestone improvements in both visuals and versatility, Vive Pre creates a world without limits.

“We are not anxious about the barrier to entry issues, but understand that it won’t be a mass market device to start with”, the head of VR at HTC told Pocket-lint.

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.

Virtual reality is set to be one of the biggest technology trends of 2016, with the Vive set for a consumer launch in April, and other headsets, including the Oculus Rift and Sony’s PlayStaton VR also slated to go on-sale in the coming 12 months. 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. 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. Thanks to interchangeable foam inserts and nose gaskets, the Vive Pre suits a large variety of facial shapes, and is compatible with eyeglasses. The controllers also include rechargeable lithium polymer batteries, which can last for about 4 hours on a full charge. The buttons have been textured to make them easier to find, and the trigger has been changed to a dual stage switch which allows for interactions with multiple states, such as holding or squeezing something.

Meanwhile, the Vive controllers have been improved, and the base stations have been redesigned to be quieter.

HTC Vive Pre: room-filling VR freedom, now with better hardware. This allows users to experience games purchased from the Steam online computer game store from the headset itself. Leading automotive manufacturer Audi has created a premium retail experience where consumers can explore their dream auto with virtual reality, and Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE company, will showcase how it is developing the future of 3D product design in VR.

However, this version of HTC’s headset is still only available to developers. HTC is also showcasing a new brand for Vive at CES 2016.

HTC revealed just before Christmas that the Vive would miss its 2015 launch date due to what was described as a “very big technological breakthrough” that the team decided was worth re-engineering into its current design.