Virtual reality has become the new contender in entertainment technology, and now HTC is betting its chips on Vive X, an accelerator program oriented towards VR technology.
Vive X will allow new projects based in San Francisco, Beijing or Taipei to have access to coaching, funding, VR technology, demonstrations, training and much more, as it was stated by HTC CEO Cher Wang.
Vive X vs. The market
HTC is to compete against Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Sony’s PSVR with their own Vive headset, which is regarded as a real contender in the market of virtual reality headsets, but Vive X is a different take on the subject.
The VR project will begin in May as several start-ups have been invited to take part in the program so they are implemented in the Vive platform. Each participant is to receive a cash investment in exchange for a specific amount of equity.
Chang commented that HTC is “very excited about gathering the brightest and the most creative minds to join Vive X.” HTC is looking forward into allowing global talent to take part in the industry and to develop a healthy ecosystem for creating tools and content for this relatively unexplored area.
Although HTC’s $100 million invested on Vive X may seem like a great move, there are no safe bets when it comes to technology, as many start-ups in the same range of interaction have had to be scrapped. But it was stated by the leader of HTC Vive that virtual reality will most likely outpace smartphones, as these devices have reached a steep slope in terms of interaction.
The HTC Vive is one of the main VR headsets available for PC, while the other is Facebook-owned Oculus Rift. The headset is designed to work with Steam, so you will need a SteamID to download compatible content.
If you are thinking of buying a VR headset, you can download games in anticipation and have them ready for when you buy the peripheral. You can configure the headset to work in room-scale or just stand in a place.
The HTC Vive has the largest area of any VR headset, as it is able to withstand a 15 by 15 feet area, although most VR games do not require you to walk, run or jump. The Vive’s laser trackers follow your hands and the headset as you interact with the game; if you use two trackers the motion capture will be much more profound. Recently, folks at iFixit tore down an HTC Vive and found out that it was really easy to repair.
Source: PR Newswire