New HTC Vive Pro 2 VR Headset Taps AMD, Nvidia for Display Stream Compression

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It's all about the visuals.

(Image credit: HTC)

HTC kicked off its Vivecon 2021 virtual event with a big announcement. During the opening keynote today, the company revealed a pair of near-5K resolution VR headsets, the HTC Vive Pro 2, which connects to a PC, and a standalone product called the HTC Vive Focus 3. HTC said these upcoming devices are primarily for businesses, but the specs and features, including a data compression technique not yet seen among the best VR headsets, will also interest gamers with a penchant for a high-end headset upgrade.

HTC Vive Pro 2  

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htc vive pro 2
(Image credit: HTC)

HTC new PC VR headset, the Vive Pro 2 is, more of an evolutionary change than a revolutionary change from the original HTC Vive Pro. HTC poured its attention into improving the visual experience you get from the new headset rather than redesigning the entire structure of the product.

The HMD maker worked with AMD and Nvidia to implement Display Stream Compression (DSC) on the Vive Pro 2 – a first for a VR headset – enabling lossless transmission of high-resolution data. The Vive Pro 2 includes dual fast-switching RGB subpixel displays, giving the headset a total resolution of 4898 x 2448. These displays also operate at a speeder 120 Hz refresh rate to reduce motion blur. Faster refresh rates also improve user comfort, as we learned with Valve's Index.

DSC, which is standardized by VESA, helps the high-bandwidth display signal stay within the constraints of DisplayPort 1.2. It even allows HTC's Vive Wireless Adapter accessory to carry the Vive Pro 2's high-bandwidth signal, which upon release will make it the highest resolution wireless PC VR solution. 

The Vive Pro 2 shares the same shape and design as the original Vive Pro, including a rigid, mechanical headstrap and built-in adjustable headphones. This time, however, the headphones feature 3D spatial audio and Hi-res-certified speakers. The new headset also retains compatibility with all SteamVR and Vive Pro accessories, such as the Vive Trackers, Vive Facial Tracker and Valve Index controllers. The screens and the lenses are the significant changes. 

HTC said you would need an Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card or an AMD Radeon 5000-series or better to get the full potential out of the Vive Pro 2. However, you can set the screens to run at 90 Hz if necessary, which should allow you to use the new headset on lower-end graphics cards while you wait out the GPU shortage.

Beyond increasing the resolution and refresh rate, HTC also expanded the field of view (FOV) by a slight margin compared to the original Vive Pro from 110 degrees to 120 degrees. The improvement closes the FOV gap between the Vive Pro and the Valve Index (adjustable up to 130 degrees), but it's still a far cry from ultrawide Pimax headsets. 

HTC developed new dual-element lenses to achieve the FOV improvements within the existing Vive Pro form factor by enabling the displays to sit closer to the lenses and retain focus.

HTC is approaching the market with the Vive Pro 2 the same way it did with the original Vive Pro headset. The headset will initially hit the market as an upgrade kit for people with an existing SteamVR-based VR system. It works with both the 1.0 and 2.0 versions of Valve's base stations. 

The headset alone will sell for $749 (£659 / €739), with pre-orders open today and hardware shipping before the end of the month. A complete Vive Pro 2 kit, with base stations and controllers, will be available on June 4 for $1,399 (£1,299 / €1,399).

HTC Vive Focus 3: A Standalone Vive

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HTC Vive Pro 2
(Image credit: HTC)

The Vive Pro 2 is HTC's top PC VR offering, but that's not the only incoming Vive headset. The Vive Focus 3, which doesn’t require tethering to a system, shares a handful of the new features introduced on the Vive Pro 2. 

HTC's new standalone includes the same dual-element lenses found in the Vive Pro 2, giving it the same 120-degree FOV as the PC VR headset. The Vive Focus 3 also has dual 2448 x 2448 RGB panels, but they’re limited to 90Hz. HTC’s new headset also features adjustable IPD (interpupillary distance, the amount of space between your pupils), with a granular range of 57-72mm.  

Unlike the Vive Pro 2, which borrows its exterior design from its predecessor, the Vive Focus 3 features an entirely new industrial design. HTC reduced the weight by 20% compared by building it from magnesium alloy instead of plastic. HTC said the metal housing is also 500% stronger than plastic. 

To help balance the weight evenly, HTC installed the battery pack under the rear cushion of the headstrap. The battery gives the headset roughly 2 hours of run time, with a charge time of approximately 30 minutes. The battery is also removable, so you can always keep a spare ready to go. The headset doesn't have a backup power source, so you can't hot-swap the batteries while it’s running.

The Vive Focus 3 has a pair of speakers embedded in the rigid head strap, plus a headphone jack so that you can use your favorite headphones with it. Four onboard cameras embedded in the front of the visor handle inside-out tracking and provide tracking for the two wand controllers that ship with the headset. 

In this era of working in a pandemic, no one wants to share something like a VR headset. That's why HTC looked to make the Vive Focus 3 simple to keep hygienic. The front and rear cushions are easy to remove for cleaning, thanks to a magnetic mounting mechanism.

A Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 SoC does all the heavy lifting to power the Vive Focus 3. HTC installed a copper heatpipe and an active cooling fan to extract the most performance possible out of the XR2 platform. By contrast, Facebook throttled the XR2 in the Oculus Quest 2 standalone headset to keep it within certain temperature constraints. 

Not Really for Gamers 

On paper, the Vive Focus 3 looks like a worthy competitor to the Oculus Quest 2. Unfortunately, it's not priced for consumers and doesn't include a game library to back it up. However, HTC said the new headset will support streaming PC VR content wirelessly over WiF, so maybe we'll see support for PC VR gaming.

The Vive Focus 3 will be available on June 27. Buying one will set you back $1,300 (£1,060 / / €1,180). For this price, you get the headset with controllers and a business warranty. 

A Business Ecosystem 

 

HTC is offering more than just a pair of new VR headsets. The company has put together an entire ecosystem for using VR in business announced today. Vive Business provides a handful of business-focused VR solutions, such as the Vive Business Device Management System, which gives IT departments the tools necessary for keeping track of a fleet of devices. 

The Vive Business platform also includes an Android-based progress monitoring system for instructors called Vive Business Training and a VR meeting place called Vive Sync. 

Meanwhile, the Vive Business AppStore offers a curated collection of off-the-shelf business-related VR software for the Focus 3 headset. HTC said it would launch with roughly 20 titles, with more content in development from various ISV partners. 

With all of these tools, HTC hopes to accelerate the adoption of VR in the workplace. The company believes that as more people encounter VR for the first time at work, it will drive more adoption in the home. So don’t think we’ve seen the last gaming-centric Vive headset quite yet. 

Kevin Carbotte

 Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years. 

3 Comments Comment from the forums
  • d0x360
    Even though it's "not for gamers" I'd have bought one for gaming had they used OLED panels instead of LCD...

    There are a massive number of dark vr games. When I had the original Rift it was great because with an OLED you can see when it's mostly black. A great example is the Vader Unleashed series made by oculus studios.

    With LCD it's nearly impossible to play that game. The blacks become gray and you can't see any detail...hell half the time you can't see where you're going. This was on the Rift S and I also tried it on the Index.

    We need a new high end pc centric HMD that has 120hz OLED displays and we need it soon. We also need them to stop gutting games to make them work on the quest.

    A great example for that is Population One. I played an early version and the visuals were excellent as was the gameplay. Then the game launched and it went from looking like a modern AA game to something from the ps2 era and they dumbed the gameplay way down and it felt super clunky.

    I've argued with many about standalone vs PC. Here's the deal... Most people that buy a quest or standalone HMD use it a few times themselves, they use it at parties or family gatherings and then it gets shelved exactly like the Nintendo Wii. Selling units doesn't mean making money.

    They need to cater to both markets and they can essentially do r&d once then just make a couple small changes and have a standalone and a high end pc headset. Without that core gamer market on PC I absolutely believe VR will die. We are the ones who buy the most games, we are the ones who kept vr alive long enough for the quest to even exist. Ignoring that market is a fatal mistake.

    Also no, being able to hook a quest up to a pc and watch a compressed video stream of a game running on said pc is nowhere near the same as a focused purpose built PC HMD.
    Reply
  • cerealkeller
    i hate the Quest series for a number of reasons and Oculus will probably lose me as a customer very soon if they don’t come up with a successor to the Rift S. Their ecosystem is a joke now, timed exclusives locked out of their own headsets. WTF is that!? I really do not like the Vive wands, Oculus definitely got their controllers right. But this Vive headset sounds amazing. Way too expensive though, I’ll be sticking with my Rift S for awhile longer. I’m the type to spend absurd amounts of money on PC hardware and accessories, but $1000+ for a VR headset? That’s just crazy to me. Unfortunately there’s really not that many good games on VR, which make it an even poorer value.
    Reply
  • jp7189
    d0x360 said:
    Even though it's "not for gamers" I'd have bought one for gaming had they used OLED panels instead of LCD...

    There are a massive number of dark vr games. When I had the original Rift it was great because with an OLED you can see when it's mostly black. A great example is the Vader Unleashed series made by oculus studios.

    With LCD it's nearly impossible to play that game. The blacks become gray and you can't see any detail...hell half the time you can't see where you're going. This was on the Rift S and I also tried it on the Index.

    We need a new high end pc centric HMD that has 120hz OLED displays and we need it soon. We also need them to stop gutting games to make them work on the quest.

    A great example for that is Population One. I played an early version and the visuals were excellent as was the gameplay. Then the game launched and it went from looking like a modern AA game to something from the ps2 era and they dumbed the gameplay way down and it felt super clunky.

    I've argued with many about standalone vs PC. Here's the deal... Most people that buy a quest or standalone HMD use it a few times themselves, they use it at parties or family gatherings and then it gets shelved exactly like the Nintendo Wii. Selling units doesn't mean making money.
    d0x360 said:
    Even though it's "not for gamers" I'd have bought one for gaming had they used OLED panels instead of LCD...

    There are a massive number of dark vr games. When I had the original Rift it was great because with an OLED you can see when it's mostly black. A great example is the Vader Unleashed series made by oculus studios.

    With LCD it's nearly impossible to play that game. The blacks become gray and you can't see any detail...hell half the time you can't see where you're going. This was on the Rift S and I also tried it on the Index.

    We need a new high end pc centric HMD that has 120hz OLED displays and we need it soon. We also need them to stop gutting games to make them work on the quest.

    A great example for that is Population One. I played an early version and the visuals were excellent as was the gameplay. Then the game launched and it went from looking like a modern AA game to something from the ps2 era and they dumbed the gameplay way down and it felt super clunky.

    I've argued with many about standalone vs PC. Here's the deal... Most people that buy a quest or standalone HMD use it a few times themselves, they use it at parties or family gatherings and then it gets shelved exactly like the Nintendo Wii. Selling units doesn't mean making money.

    They need to cater to both markets and they can essentially do r&d once then just make a couple small changes and have a standalone and a high end pc headset. Without that core gamer market on PC I absolutely believe VR will die. We are the ones who buy the most games, we are the ones who kept vr alive long enough for the quest to even exist. Ignoring that market is a fatal mistake.

    Also no, being able to hook a quest up to a pc and watch a compressed video stream of a game running on said pc is nowhere near the same as a focused purpose built PC HMD.
    d0x360 said:
    Even though it's "not for gamers" I'd have bought one for gaming had they used OLED panels instead of LCD...

    There are a massive number of dark vr games. When I had the original Rift it was great because with an OLED you can see when it's mostly black. A great example is the Vader Unleashed series made by oculus studios.

    With LCD it's nearly impossible to play that game. The blacks become gray and you can't see any detail...hell half the time you can't see where you're going. This was on the Rift S and I also tried it on the Index.

    We need a new high end pc centric HMD that has 120hz OLED displays and we need it soon. We also need them to stop gutting games to make them work on the quest.

    I hear you on the terrible gray blacks of LCDs, but the fact is there is more detail in dark areas. It didn't "feel" that way to me, but when I ran through the tests in HMDtest, the data doesn't lie. More black detail and greater dynamic range when comparing Vive Pro to Index. Flip side: the clarity of the Index was not actually better than the Vive Pro. Sure there is less screen door, but the ability to resolve fine details was the same. After running the Index for a week, the grays didn't bother me as much. I got used to them. But like you, the "ambience" of dark games is just better with OLED, and the awful godrays of the stack fresnel on the Index ultimate had me decide to return it. I will say going back to the Vive Pro, I now notice the dirty screen effect like I never have before, and it really bugged me after getting used to the smoothness of LCD. That said, after a week, I barely notice that anymore.
    Reply