HTC presents add-on that makes Vive headset wireless

HTC has announced an add-on for the HTC Vive that makes the VR headset wireless. Now users are still wired to the PC, but with the accessory that is no longer necessary. The battery life of the add-on is one and a half hours.

HTC did not make the add-on itself, but it comes from TPCast, one of the companies that HTC has invested in for the development of virtual reality. TPCast calls its technology Transvr and while it’s not known exactly how it works, the company claims a latency of under 15ms. The add-on can drive images at the maximum resolution of the Vive headset.

The technology works with TPCast’s TPM901 module, the manufacturer claims. Based on which wireless standard it communicates with the PC, the maker does not say. It’s probably something like wireless HDMI. Another company, Quark VR, is also working on an add-on that makes the Vive wireless.

There will also be a TPCast variant with a larger battery that users can carry in their pocket, UploadVR reports. Without that larger battery, the battery life is approximately one and a half hours. The Taiwanese manufacturer sells the TPCast add-on on its own site, in limited quantities.

The Vive maker sells the add-on for 1499 yuan, currently converted about two hundred euros. Buyers can buy it from Friday, although stock is limited. Delivery should take place before the end of March next year.