After quite a few teasers for the announcement – together with one lower than a month in the past – HTC has unveiled its all-new VR headset at CES 2023: the Vive XR Elite.

Nonetheless, to name the Vive XR Elite merely a VR headset could be underselling this system’s capabilities, as a result of identical to the Meta Quest Professional (and the long-rumored Apple XR headset) this system is ready to present customers with digital actuality and combined actuality experiences – XR is brief for ‘prolonged actuality’, a time period that encompasses VR, AR (augmented actuality) and MR.

That’s as a result of it’s not solely outfitted with a 4K show that provides a 110-degree area of view and runs at a 90Hz refresh fee (the minimal fee required for comfy VR experiences); it’s additionally outfitted with an RGB digital camera that may allow full-color passthrough (that means you possibly can see the actual world in colour when you’re sporting the headset).

What’s extra, the HTC Vive XR Elite has a depth sensor that enables it to precisely map digital characters and objects into the actual world to make mixed-reality video games really feel extra actual.

If you need extra out of your headset, HTC has introduced that later this 12 months it’ll launch elective add-ons that present extra options like eye and face monitoring, although it is obscure on when precisely these can be out there.

And also you’ll have number of software program to check out on this system too. At launch, the Vive XR Elite will assist fashionable video games like Demeo, The Final Clockwinder, and Historic Dungeon, in addition to some nice apps just like the Les Mills Bodycombat exercise app and Figmin XR creation platform. HTC has confirmed that extra titles are coming to the platform quickly, and we should always discover out extra within the not-too-distant future.

Sadly, HTC’s new Vive headset has a few flaws which will maintain it again. For one, the detachable battery solely presents as much as two hours of XR use on a full cost, and for an additional, the system received’t come low cost.

HTC’s Vive XR Elite will value you $1,099 / £1,299 (round AU$2,300) for a bundle that features the headset, two controllers, and the headset battery cradle. That worth is quite a bit larger than the likes of the Oculus Quest 2 and the Pico 4 (which value $400 / £400 / AU$630 and £380 (round $430 / AU$680) respectively), nevertheless it is available in slightly cheaper than the Meta Quest Professional ($1,500 / £1,500 / AU$2,450). 

Regardless of these points, I believe the XR Elite may very well be essentially the most fascinating headset of 2023 due to HTC’s contemporary strategy to its design.

Do VR your manner

Our writers attending CES 2023 have had the possibility to check out the brand new headset – so look out for his or her hands-on experiences – however what has me excited concerning the Vive XR Elite is its modular design.

Everybody desires one thing a bit totally different from the metaverse and XR experiences. I’m very a lot within the camp that VR is finest for leisure, whereas others are rather more reliant on their headsets as a social software – assembly up in apps like VR Chat – and a few folks even work within the metaverse for hours on finish day-after-day. So every of us wants one thing slightly totally different from our {hardware}.

I’ve been actually impressed with the Meta Quest Professional that I’ve been despatched for evaluation, however for each superb side, there are some that I don’t look after, and others that I want had been higher. If Meta had adopted a modular design I may, for instance, change the face monitoring with a greater battery and have a headset that is a a lot better match for my wants.

Customers seeking to socialize extra in VR may need to incorporate physique monitoring – maybe with a swimsuit that comes with a couple of additional battery packs to facilitate longer play classes – whereas a VR desk jockey could need a light-weight, batteryless design as they’ll solely ever use their headset at their work station, and to allow them to at all times have it wired to an influence supply.

Modular designs have some disadvantages. As a result of fewer parts are being mass-produced and assembled, the price of the fully-specced out mannequin will possible go up, plus the headsets could really feel extra complicated to somebody who is aware of little or no concerning the house. However within the long-run, modular headset designs may find yourself making the XR house rather more accessible.

Should you’re as excited as I’m to check out the Vive XR Elite headset then it’s best to know that it’s up for preorder proper now (opens in new tab), and models are anticipated to begin delivery in late February. 

This implies we received’t have too lengthy to attend and see if the HTC Vive XR Elite is successful – and see if its modularity proves fashionable. It appears like a really fascinating product, and if HTC sticks the touchdown with it, it would find yourself being the perfect VR headset of 2023 – that’s, until the Oculus Quest three usurps it when that launches later this 12 months.

Take a look at our CES 2023 hub for all the newest information and bulletins from the present. We’re overlaying all the things from 8K TVs and foldable shows to new telephones, laptops, and good house devices.