HTC announced new accessories for its Vive vr glasses at CES. Most notable is the Vive Tracker, which makes it possible to track objects within the VR world. In addition, HTC comes with a new headband with integrated headphones.
The Vive Tracker is very similar to the ring at the end of the Vive controllers and can be used by developers to make ‘dumb’ objects visible and traceable in a VR environment. HTC showed some examples of this, such as a baseball bat, machine gun, pistol, gloves and a camera. A Vive Tracker was attached to all these objects so that they could be used in VR software, where the user can actually see the object. The device has a tripod thread to attach it to something and can work for six hours on a full battery.
In addition to the tracker, HTC also showed a redesigned headband for the Vive, with integrated headphones, similar to those of the Oculus Rift. This Deluxe Audio Strap also ensures that cables are better concealed and it also makes it possible to adjust the headband by turning a knob on the back. Both the Audio Strap and the Vive Tracker should be available in the second quarter of this year at an undisclosed price.
During the press conference, Vive CEO Dan O’Brien said that making the VR glasses wireless is high on the company’s list of priorities. HTC wants to work with various manufacturers for this and foresees that consumers will eventually be able to choose from several add-ons. One of these is made by the company TPCast and should be released in the second quarter of this year for a price of $249. HTC is also currently working with Intel on an accessory to make the Vive wireless based on the wigig standard. When it will be released and what it will cost is not yet known.