February 21, 2020 – HTC Vive has announced its complete Vive Cosmos series, with three new products and three new modular faceplates that expand the functionality of Vive Cosmos, an adaptable PC-based VR system.
“Our customers want an incredible VR experience and we are proud to announce a new family of products tailor-made for VR use-cases of all types,” said Yves Maître, CEO, HTC. “Vive Cosmos is truly the most versatile headset yet. From consumers just discovering VR for the first time to the demanding business user, Vive Cosmos offers stellar quality, comfort, and the ability to evolve VR and XR journeys over time – from changing faceplates to adding options like wireless.”
The Vive Cosmos was first announced last year, and with its interchangeable faceplates, allows users to get more out of their VR headset over time. Future upgrades in functionality and performance are as easy as changing the front faceplate, according to the company. The Vive Cosmos system also features a flip-up design, allowing users to switch in between the real and virtual world with ease. Every Vive Cosmos features a display that has a 2880 x 1700 combined pixel resolution.
Newly introduced items to the Vive Cosmos series include:
Vive Cosmos Elite
The Vive Cosmos Elite pairs the performance of external tracking alongside the flexibility of inside-out technology to meet more demanding VR entertainment needs. The Elite uses Lighthouse base station technology, compatible with SteamVR tracking, and supports Vive’s ecosystem of peripherals including the Vive Tracker and the Wireless Adapter, whjch grants users an untethered VR experience.
Vive Cosmos Elite includes a pre-installed External Tracking Faceplate, 2 SteamVR base stations, and two Vive controllers. The External Tracking Faceplate can be used with base station versions 1.0 or 2.0 as well as the original Vive or Vive Pro controllers and is easily swapped with the original inside-out tracking faceplate that ships with Vive Cosmos.
Vive Cosmos Elite is built for precision gaming titles such as Pistol Whip, Superhot, and Audica as well as multiplayer VR titles like Battlewake.
The Vive Cosmos Elite bundle will retail for USD $899 and will be available later in Q1 of 2020. The External Tracking Faceplate will also launch globally as a stand-alone accessory in Q2 for USD $199 as an upgrade for either Vive Cosmos or Vive Cosmos Play.
Vive Cosmos XR
Vive Cosmos XR is an upcoming stand-alone edition and faceplate for the modular Vive Cosmos that brings high-quality XR passthrough cameras to Vive Cosmos for the first time. Debuting as a developer kit in Q2, Vive Cosmos XR allows a near-complete passthrough field of view that utilizes the majority of the VR display (up to 100 degrees FOV) to integrate real-world and virtual content, according to the company.
For example, Vive Sync, the company’s collaboration tool, will integrate Vive Cosmos XR functionality so that virtual objects can be brought into real-world environments. Thanks to its high-quality passthrough cameras, Vive Cosmos XR combines a crisp view for overlays of the real world, blended seamlessly into the virtual one. Vive states that additional information on the Cosmos XR will be unveiled at the upcoming GDC conference being held in San Francisco from March 16-20.
Vive Cosmos Play
Vive Cosmos Play is the company’s entry-level hardware for new-to-VR users. It uses 4-camera inside-out tracking to start customers on their VR journey, but has the ability to grow over time to meet other needs as Play owners can easily upgrade their Vive Cosmos with Vive’s host of VR accessories such as Vive Cosmos’ full range of faceplates.
Vive states that for business or museum environments, the Vive Cosmos Play offers a more affordable and simple-to-use VR option for public VR experiences. Additional details on Vive Cosmos Play will be released in the coming months.
VIVE Cosmos
For customers that want additional tracking height when using inside-out tracking, Vive Cosmos’ six-cameras offer additional vertical and waist tracking by using two additional cameras. Vive Cosmos features all the same ergonomic, visual, and modular functionality as well as compatibility with the Vive Wireless Adapter. The product is available for USD $699 and the six-camera faceplate will be available as a stand-alone accessory in Q2 for USD $199.
The Vive Cosmos Elite will be available for pre-order from HTC Vive on February 24th. The company states that additional pre-order dates, pricing and availability for the Cosmos Series will be announced in the coming months.
Image credit: HTC Vive
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About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.