Fans were disappointed when one of the most anticipated virtual reality headsets, the HTC Vive, did not launch as expected last month. The VR headgear is now scheduled to release by April. Meanwhile, HTC said that the development team made a "big breakthrough," which made them go back to the drawing board and delay the Vive's release.
As promised, HTC showcased what this breaktrough was all about at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.
According to The Verge, HTC announced the Vive Pre, a second-gen developer's kit of the VR system. The industry follower said that although still a prototype, the Vive Pre is already the final pre-consumer version, and the features and technology in the new developer's kit will not be far from the consumer edition slated to release in April.
Meanwhile, the industry follower also noted that HTC made the big reveal about its breakthrough with the HTC Vive Pre. The second-gen developer's kit now has a front-facing camera. This camera gives users real-time images of the outside world while immersed in VR system.
Although other VR kits already might have cameras mounted outside their system, HTC's breakthrough has something to do with the seamless integration of the outside world with the VR experience. The images of the outside world acts as a "membrane" while the user is experiencing VR, and when the Vive Pre user reaches beyond the limits of the system, the images that the user sees switch from the VR to the real world.
Aside from the camera, BBC also reported that other aspects of the VR system have been changed with the Vive Pre, and these features might also be included in the final consumer version. The second-gen developer's kit now has upgraded features such as redesigned headset straps, brighter and clearer headgear display and interchangeable foam inserts and "nose gaskets" for a more comfortable fit for the user.
