HTC, the darling of the era, is back! I laughed because it was too good to experience "VIVE XR Elite"

HTC Nippon has pre-released the new HMD model " VIVE XR Elite " 　before its release for the press . I also experienced it, so I will review it.

　The appearance is reminiscent of the HTC Vive Flow.　The HTC Vive Flow stood out for its lightweight chassis and excellent wearability, but the experience was limited and focused. I've been thinking for a long time, "I wish there was a rich headset that allows you to experience PCVR like this..." HTC did it. As the name suggests, the VIVE XR Elite this time is the strongest XR headset that allows you to enjoy AR (augmented reality) / VR (virtual reality) / MR (mixed reality)!

　Its small size is eye-catching. It is overwhelmingly small compared to PC VR devices such as HTC VIVE Pro and Valve Index. Compared to Quest 2 (equipped with extended battery), it's a big difference. It is about 100g lighter than the 722g of the latest Meta Quest Pro.

　The ergonomic design and soft cushion with a large contact surface make it suitable for long-term use. The weight itself is light at 625g, and it is overwhelmingly comfortable to wear, so it doesn't bother you. The battery at the back of the head is just counterbalanced and contributes to comfort. In addition to operating alone, it is also possible to connect to a PC wirelessly and operate with PCVR. Moreover , the battery can be detached and replaced by hot swapping . In other words, "Oh, I've been into VR too much, but I've run out of batteries. But I've charged the spare battery, so if I replace it, I can still play!"

　Hot-swapping is achieved by installing a small-capacity battery on the main unit side as well. The battery duration is about 3 to 5 minutes. It's not a matter of tens of seconds, so there doesn't seem to be much need to worry about losing the power due to a failed battery replacement in a hurry.　Regarding charging time, it is possible to charge 50% in 30 minutes with 30W quick charging, and fully charge in 2 hours.

　What's even more surprising about this machine is that it works even in glass mode without a battery. Works with a wired connection between the main unit and a PC. At this time, the battery on the back is not installed, and instead is a modular type that attaches the strings of the glasses. When the battery is removed, the glass mode weighs 273g (including the gasket [face cushion]), which is an overwhelmingly light weight.

　Explosive light for a VR HMD with rich specifications. I'm impressed because it also has diopter adjustment. Can be used without glasses. If you normally wear contact lenses, you can remove the contacts when watching videos before going to bed, and enjoy videos on this unit until just before you fall asleep. It has inherited the beauty of VIVE Flow.

　With a maximum viewing angle of 110 degrees, a refresh rate of 90Hz, and 19PPD, the resolution is sufficiently fine. The field of view feels wider than the Quest 2. Equipped with a pancake lens, it is clear without blurring or flare like the Quest 2, which uses a Fresnel lens.　It is pass-through function to have felt that this plane was superior. This feature allows you to look around and see the real room, not just the virtual display.

　Passthrough mode is distorted and jarring with hand tracking enabled, but you can turn it off at your convenience. The off state is also exceptional, no distortion. It is possible to capture the surrounding field of view relatively clearly.

　Such passthrough already exists in existing VR headsets. However, in the case of Meta Quest2, although it has a three-dimensional effect, the colors are black and white in the first place. The PICO 4 is full-color and fairly sharp, but it's clearly distorted with strange stereoscopic effects.

　Compared to these existing competing headsets, the VIVE XR Elite passthrough is superior. It is a clear and high-resolution field of view.　You can also read characters printed on paper materials and keyboard printing. What a smartphone screen. It seems to be useful when you want to operate a simple smartphone while wearing it.　However, although there is generally no problem with recent large smartphones, there is a problem if the font size is slightly smaller on the Zenfone 9 that I am using, for example.

　In that case, it is OK if you bring the smartphone screen closer to the headset. This is the trick, if you do the same thing with the PICO 4, for example, the smartphone screen will be close to the blind spot of the headset camera, which tends to cause severe distortion. Since VIVE XR Elite does not have such problems, it can be used even with smaller smartphones. Excellent.

　Productive use in MR mode is also available. In reality, it is possible to place a notebook PC in the VR headset, display the actual notebook PC against the background of the virtual space, and display the Windows screen on multiple monitors in the air. Taking advantage of the color pass-through, you can do normal work and work perfectly. Not compatible with Mac at this time. It's easy to carry around in glass mode, so you'll want to use it on the go.

　In addition, the point that I want to keep firmly in this machine is the controller. Speaking of HTC's VR headset, as a writer who used the original VIVE, I thought "VIVE console is really hard to use ...", but this time it's a Quest-like, modern standard controller It's great to have The weight is also quite light and the usability is a huge difference compared to the conventional one.

　In addition, the camera recognizes hands and supports hand tracking.　A facial tracker and an eye tracker are also scheduled to appear in the future, and can be expanded.

　In addition to arranging titles that can be played alone on VIVEPORT and MR titles, this machine allows you to enjoy a wealth of PCVR content on Steam VR. This time, I was able to try multiple games and apps.

　First of all, the sound game "MAESTRO VR". Play in glass mode. Move your left hand rhythmically according to what is displayed on the screen, and wave the baton with your right hand at the right timing, leading to a successful performance.

　Next is the shooting game "Yuki". Aim for long-term survival by shooting down enemy planes while moving around to avoid shooting at enemy planes attacking from 360 degrees in your room. The real room becomes a battlefield, and the sight of virtual opponents shooting at each other is refreshing, and the HTC VIVE XR Elite, which has excellent color pass-through, makes it possible to see the surrounding rooms beautifully.　I also played VRChat wirelessly.　It also supports the latest standard Wi-Fi6E, which is less likely to be congested or interfered, and can be officially used in Japan. Using HTC's genuine software, you can also use SteamVR wirelessly.

　The 90Hz refresh rate of this unit may be unsatisfactory depending on the content, but it does not hinder VRChat at all. In the first place, in the case of VRChat, 90Hz is the upper limit, and the execution frame rate is further reduced due to the specification of moving heavy avatars and worlds.

　Compared to Quest2, it looks high-definition due to the lens relationship as mentioned above. Of course, OLED is better in the horror world, and there is a crazy super high resolution hentai headset Pimax, but I felt that VRChat can be fully enjoyed as long as you don't compare it with those options.　The speakers are solid and have great sound quality. I felt that it was clearly better than Quest2 and PICO4.

　The microphone sound quality has not been accurately verified, but when an HTC employee confirmed the recording when using this machine, the sound quality seems to be good. Much better than the HTC VIVE/Pro series.

　When using PICO4, if the volume is high, the microphone may pick up human voices and world audio in VRChat, but it has not been confirmed at what volume this phenomenon occurs. . The microphone is also equipped with noise canceling, and I would like to expect that the threshold is high around here. I would like to actually use it on an actual machine.

　The difference between the aircraft that I was able to experience prior to the commercial version was that the depth sensor was not enabled in the firmware. This will also be enabled when it goes on general sale, so it may be even better. Since it can recognize the depth and recognize the wall as a wall, it will be easier to realize an experience with a higher degree of affinity with reality, and you can expect the benefits of being able to recognize the surroundings even in the dark.

　I dared to try "VR sleep". In the glasses mode, it is fixed up to the sides, and the back of the head is open, so you can sleep comfortably. I'm worried about the durability of the band when I toss and turn, so it would be nice to have a fluffy pillow. Of course, it is not the purpose officially assumed by the manufacturer, so it is at your own risk.

　The shape of the face and head varies from person to person, so I would like you to take it as a reference, but personally, I felt a little uncomfortable wearing it in the glasses mode. This was because it was difficult to fix the eye and the lens at the optimum position where the focus was just right. Personally, I felt that this was a disappointing point, as it was very lightweight in the glass mode. I felt that this point could be alleviated a little if the head strap for the VR mode mentioned above was also attached to the glass mode. Since it is shaped like supporting the glass with the nose, it may bounce back due to the feeling of wearing and the pressure on the nose. In this regard, the head band, which MeganeX did not initially have, was added later due to the increase in weight, but I feel like I was able to realize the reason with the HTC VIVE XR Elite. Quest2's standard strap is still safe even when you sell tossing and turning. However, while the Quest2 weighs 503g, the VIVE XR Elite glass mode weighs 273g, which is an overwhelming advantage.

　Although HTC was a darling of the era that supported the dawn of smartphones, it seems that it has not been very energetic recently. However, he came here and brought out the XR headset that can be said to be a big favorite. Starting with the excellent pass-through, I laughed at how well this quality could be packed so small and light. It's neither a maniac nor a niche, and I think it's a very powerful option as a personal headset that can be purchased domestically at the moment.

　The main unit price is $1,276 including tax, but it seems that it has suitable power. Perhaps it's better to consider it after comparing it to the Quest Pro, which is a direct competitor. The fact that it can be compared with Meta's higher-end models, which have a difference in capital strength, makes me feel amazing. I want it to be restored to its former glory.

　It was well received when it was exhibited at CES2023, and the number of reservations was unexpected even in Japan. I would like to make a reservation on the official website to get it as soon as possible . There is also a reservation privilege until February 15th. Please check it.

SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2
memory	12GB
capacity	128GB
screen	1920 x 1920 pixels for one eye (3840 x 1920 pixels for both eyes)
viewing angle	110 degrees
Vertical scan frequency	90Hz
tracking	6DoF inside-out tracking
detector	4x tracking cameras 16 MP RGB camera Depth sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity sensor
Audio	Dual microphone (echo cancellation) built-in speaker
terminal	USB 3.2 Gen-1 Type-C Side Port x 1 USB 3.2 Gen-1 Type-C Power Port x 1
wireless	Bluetooth 5.2 + BLE Wi-Fi 6 + 6E* *Wi-Fi 6E availability varies by country.
Audio	Dual microphone (echo cancellation) built-in speaker
weight	625g
others	Track area requirements - Standing/sitting possible - Room scale - Minimum standing play area is 1.5m x 1.5m - Maximum 10 x 10m play area recommended