HTC makes Developer Kit with 6DoF controllers available for Vive Focus

HTC has announced new controllers with support for six degrees of freedom for its standalone Vive Focus VR headset. The controllers will be available to developers first.

The VIVE Wave Full 6DoF Controller Dev Kit consists of two controllers and an accessory that must be placed on the Vive Focus and that controls the tracking of the controllers. Vive Wave developers can register to be eligible for the bundle, but for now that’s only possible in China, where the 6DoF Controller Dev Kit has also been announced, Engadget writes.

It is not known which technique HTC uses for 6DoF with the controllers. For example, the standalone Oculus Quest uses cameras on the VR glasses to track infrared LEDs from the controllers. HTC announced the Vive Focus in March and the glasses already support 6DoF, but only for the position of the glasses themselves, via inside-out tracking. HTC ships the headset with a single 3DoF controller as standard.

It is not known when the VIVE Wave Full 6DoF Controller Dev Kit will be available to developers outside of China, or whether a consumer release is already planned. The Vive Focus also initially only appeared in China, with a later release in other countries.