HTC Vive revealed its latest standalone virtual reality headset on Thursday. The Vive Focus Plus upgrades the company’s existing headset by incorporating dual six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) controllers, promising users the same freedom as PC VR devices.
Adding the second controller will also make it easier for developers to port existing PC VR content, while making it physically more portable and natural to use, HTC Vive said. Both controllers feature an analog trigger that gives users the ability to control objects or interactions with pressure-sensitive input.
Companies like SimforHealth and Immersive Factory are already using the Vive Focus Plus for medical training and safety simulations, HTC Vive said.
“With HTC’s Vive Focus Plus providing a high-end processor and 3K AMOLED display, we are able to create realistic and immersive 3D environments for our medical and nursing simulators, providing better training outcomes for HCPs without wires or connected computers,” said SimforHealth CTO Olivier Gardinetti. “Moreover, the 6DOF controllers have improved the way to perform specific medical interactions that were not possible with the regular 3DOF controllers. Now, Simforhealth’s simulators have a better, more comfortable user experience.”
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“At Vive, the announcement of Vive Focus Plus furthers our commitment to rapidly iterate and refine the VR market for both businesses and consumers,” said Daniel O’Brien, General Manager Americas, HTC Vive. “This rollout of Vive Focus Plus leads the way for deeper immersion, more realistic training and simulation, and easier porting of experiences from PC to the stand-alone category.”
HTC is also promising greater comfort with the Vive Focus Plus, along with full enterprise support, a kiosk mode, Gaze support, and more. The headset will be available on Vive’s website in 25 markets worldwide starting in Q2 2019. It will include an enterprise license for use at no additional cost in most markets.
Additionally, HTC Vive announced Viveport Infinity, the first unlimited subscription service for VR. For one low monthly price, members can play a wide range of games, download apps, and more. The service is compatible with high-end PC-based VR systems, along with the Vive Focus Plus and the full spectrum of Wave-supported headsets. Subscribers can use a single account across their portfolio of VR devices when the service officially launches on Apr. 2.