HTC Vive VR Kit Review: Experiences And Performance
HTC Vive Software And Navigation
There is a good amount of content available for the HTC Vive already via Steam VR. As of today, there are over 30 titles available that cover everything from VR tennis to a surgeon simulator, and anything in between. The applications are accessible in a few different ways.
After completing the setup, Steam VR is available as a new content category in your Steam library. That content category is accessible from within the main Steam client or from within the Vive’s main menu when you’re inside the headset.
There is also a Vive PC Client that gets installed on your system, which will list the applications that have been installed. The applications listed in the Vive client are what’s visible inside the headset when you access the main menu using the wireless controllers.
Launching a game or application from the Vive PC Client launches Steam / Steam VR, along with an on-screen preview of what's visible inside the headset. You’ll typically be prompted to put on your headset if you launch an application from here.
By default, the Vive PC Client launches with Windows and sticks an icon in your system tray. The application is small and unobtrusive, but if you’d like to disable it, the options to do so are available on the settings Tab. Changing the language is also an option on the tab, as is pairing the client to your smartphone. When a phone is paired to the Vive, you can receive notifications within a VR environment, so you’re not compelled to remove the headset when your phone is a buzzin'.
To peruse through your library when inside the Vive, you simply hit the menu button on a controller and navigate through the list to select an app to run. It’s fairly intuitive and easy to do once you get the hang of using the controllers, which shouldn't take long at all. Though they look kind of funky, the way the controllers behave and the positioning of the buttons is rather intuitive -- the learning curve was minimal.
After completing the setup, Steam VR is available as a new content category in your Steam library. That content category is accessible from within the main Steam client or from within the Vive’s main menu when you’re inside the headset.
There is also a Vive PC Client that gets installed on your system, which will list the applications that have been installed. The applications listed in the Vive client are what’s visible inside the headset when you access the main menu using the wireless controllers.
Launching a game or application from the Vive PC Client launches Steam / Steam VR, along with an on-screen preview of what's visible inside the headset. You’ll typically be prompted to put on your headset if you launch an application from here.
By default, the Vive PC Client launches with Windows and sticks an icon in your system tray. The application is small and unobtrusive, but if you’d like to disable it, the options to do so are available on the settings Tab. Changing the language is also an option on the tab, as is pairing the client to your smartphone. When a phone is paired to the Vive, you can receive notifications within a VR environment, so you’re not compelled to remove the headset when your phone is a buzzin'.
To peruse through your library when inside the Vive, you simply hit the menu button on a controller and navigate through the list to select an app to run. It’s fairly intuitive and easy to do once you get the hang of using the controllers, which shouldn't take long at all. Though they look kind of funky, the way the controllers behave and the positioning of the buttons is rather intuitive -- the learning curve was minimal.
