HTC shares first details of mixed reality headset

HTC has revealed the first details of an upcoming mixed reality headset. The headset will be standalone and therefore does not require external computing power from a PC. In addition, the headset could be used for gaming, sports and productivity.

HTC headset

HTC CEO Shen Ye states opposite The Verge that the tracking of controllers or the user’s hands is done with outward-facing cameras incorporated into the front and side of the headset. There is also a depth sensor.

The cameras can also be used to record the environment and display it on the headset screens. According to HTC, the pass-through principle of the headset has better color reproduction than competitors; reading text on, for example, a laptop or smartphone screen should be possible in this mode. HTC promises about two hours of battery life.

According to the manufacturer, the standalone headset has been designed with two basic principles in mind. On the one hand, it should be a light headset that, in addition to gaming, can also be used for sports or professional applications.

In addition, Ye apparently states in response to Meta’s Quest headsets that the upcoming headset will be more expensive because the company has different purposes than the Facebook parent company. “We have entered an era where VR headsets are immensely subsidized by companies because they are just trying to collect as much personal data as possible from the user to sell to advertisers.” He continues: “We want the privacy [van de gebruikers] do not violate.”

HTC’s new VR and AR headset has not yet been given a name and release date; that will probably only happen during CES in January 2023. In any case, Ye promises to share more details of the product.