HTC's Vive Cosmos VR Headset Rocks Nearly Twice As Many Pixels As Vive
HTC has revealed some more details about its forthcoming Vive Cosmos virtual reality (VR) headset. We now know that it will have a much sharper resolution than the original Vive, along with half a dozen inside-out tracking cameras and a vented front design to increase airflow and, in theory, allow users to stay immersed in VR for longer without fatigue.
The Vive Cosmos is one of two VR headsets that HTC announced earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the other being the high-end Vive Pro Eye. It is a consumer headset that initially will connect to a PC, though HTC hinted at the time that a mobile version might also be in the cards.
"We found that over 85 percent of VR intenders believe that ease of use and set up is the most important factor to consider while purchasing a headset," said Daniel O’Brien, GM, Americas, HTC Vive. "We believe Cosmos will make VR more easily accessible to those who may not have invested in VR before and also be a superior experience for VR enthusiasts."
#HTCVIVECOSMOS combines optimal clarity and resolution to serve as the visual gateway to your virtual worlds. In addition, we'll be sharing more details on design & ergonomics this week. #HTCVIVE #VIVEPORT pic.twitter.com/CBVkPbAkEg
— HTC VIVE (@htcvive) June 25, 2019
HTC has now revealed that the Vive Cosmos offers a 1440x1700 per-eye resolution, for a 2880x1700 combined res. That is nearly double the number of pixels as the original Vive (88 percent more, to be precise), which offers a 1080x1200 resolution per eye, or 2160x1200 combined.
In terms of display resolution, the Vive Cosmos is the sharpest of all the Vive headsets. It even beats out the Vive Pro by a smidgen, which has a 1440x1600 per-eye resolution, or 2880x1600 combined. HTC also pointed to the use of "real RGB panels." This offers red, green, and blue sub-pixels for each LCD screen for "40 percent improved lens clarity" over the original Vive, according to HTC.
Six cameras will offer inside-out tracking. HTC is promising a "robust room-scale experience" without the need for base stations. The company also pointed to a modular face plate design.
"Cosmos can grow with you over time due to a swappable face plate that can be updated for different XR needs in the future," HTC said.
It's not clear what kind of future upgrades might be in store, but it will be interesting to see what develops. Depending on how the design is utilized, a swappable face plate could potentially give the Vive Cosmos a longer usable life span, as it pertains to staving off obsolescence.
Unfortunately, HTC is still not sharing information on price or availability.
