One of the largest players in the VR domain, HTC, has said that it will launch a new mobile solution to cater to the niche. The device won’t be your simple run-of-the mill headset that requires you to plonk your smartphone into it. Instead, it might also handle some of the processing so as to provide you with an enhanced experience. The product is expected to launch sometime before the end of the year.
The news comes from HTC CFO Chia-lin Chang, who divulged the fact while speaking with CNET.
The company has been doubling down upon VR of late, and they should, considering that it is one of the fastest growing niches around. HTC is not alone and it has players like Samsung, Oculus and Facebook to compete with it in the arena. Last year, HTC launched a dedicated Vive headset in partnership with Valve and the headset saw moderate sales as compared to its peers — pointing towards room for improvement. The company also launched a dedicated store Viveport, to cater to the demand for more content on the Vive headsets.
The major issue with Vive, which could have kept it from performing even better in terms of sale volume, is the fact that it is kind of expensive. What’s more, it also requires a gaming PC in order to run. While the extra processing power does add to the experience and makes it that much more immersive — it also means that you have to shell out heavy bucks first to by the Vive, and then to fix up a gaming PC to power it.
HTC’s future plans while vague, look exciting. Chang said that the next product wouldn’t be “a phone slapped into a headset.” That was all that could be gotten out of him but the thought that HTC’s next product would not follow the track laid out by Gear VR, Daydream and Google cardboard make it something to look forward to.
Meanwhile, we don’t really have much to go by at present. The hints Chang has been dropping could point to a VR headset that is untethered and does not require you to insert your smartphone. If achieved, it could bring a huge breakthrough in the VR industry and give the company an edge over its competitors.
