On closer inspection the headset is as you would expect, both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift use Fresnel lenses, just like your average projector television or lighthouse lenses. These lenses have the added advantage of reducing screen-door effect, or that’s the plan at least. The HTC Vive’s lens have an obvious stepped lens, you can see the ridges.
The headset has a bundle of triple core cable for all data IO that’s needed. There is a fourth cable, much shorter and for your own headphones. No headphones are included, we would recommend using headphones for complete immersion.
On to the headset, and it’s a definite step forward from the DK2 we tested, but that’s to be expected, this is a full consumer model. There are 32 photodiode sensors, built-in microphone, lens adjustment (not including the strap) and a camera all packed into the headset. The camera being a bit of a revelation in the technology news in 2015 as HTC claimed they had resolved a major issues with VR and the room space.
The headset is 555 grams without the cable and doesn’t feel heavy. The cable is heavy feeling, but it’s very well made and will tolerate some abuse if you stand on it, something that is possible with the Vive.
HTC Vive Virtual Reality Headset Review
Package - 9
Performance - 6.5
Price - 5
Consumer Experience - 5
6.4
As diehard VR fans we were left as disappointed with the HTC Vive as we were the Oculus DK2. Though these should be a generation apart in development, and we appreciate they are from different companies, using the Vive hardware with the types of games we like, and not bespoke to the Vive, it still felt like a beta product.
