Wireless VR heads to the Vive and Vive Pro this September starting at $300.
HTC has at long last announced the Vive Wireless Adapter, a wireless add-on that delivers unrestricted freedom-of-movement to both Vive and Vive Pro VR headsets.
Powered by Intel® WiGig, the official adapter is capable of delivering up to 2.5 hours of cordless VR with little, to almost no latency. Support for multiple devices allows up to three adapters to be used in one room-scale space for untethered multiplayer VR experiences with friends (each adapter will require its own transmitter). The intuitive device also includes an easy-swap battery to keep the VR action going even longer.
All this wireless functionality comes at a price, however, as you’ll need a fairly powerful system in order to cut the cords on your VR set-up. First and foremost, you’ll need a desktop computer with a spare PCIe slot. You’ll also want a processor equal to or greater than the Intel® Core i5-4590 or AMD FX™ 8350, a GPU of the same quality as the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon™ R9 480, and at least 4GB of RAM, all of which operating on either 64-bit Windows® 10 or Windows® 7 SP1.
The Vive Wireless Adapter itself requires HDMI, USB, and DC inputs, while the Vive Pro model needs only the respective single port. The easy-swap batteries can be charged using a standard USB port.
Both adapters will be available for pre-order beginning September 5th. The model for the original Vive will go on sale for $300, while the Vive Pro edition will go for $350. As an added bonus all pre-orders come with a free 2-month Viveport Subscription.
While it’s true consumers have already had access to the TPCast wireless adapter for several months now, the Vive Wireless Adapter delivers multiplayer support for almost the same price (only the TPCast Business Edition features wireless multi person functionality).
Image Credit: HTC Vive
