HTC has announced a new VR headset in the Vive family. The Vive Flow is a semi-standalone headset designed for video.
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HTC’s new headset is finally here, but it isn’t designed for gaming. Instead, the Vive Flow is a lightweight headset that doesn’t require a head strap for comfort. Instead, it functions more like a pair of glasses. Upload VR got hands-on with the device and found it to be more comfortable than other headsets.
The Vive Flow doesn’t require any additional computing power to run, but it does need an external power source. The built-in battery is small and is only intended to keep the device from shutting down if it is accidentally disconnected.
The Vive Flow can remain so light because it is not capable of running most VR games. It doesn’t come with controllers and currently takes input from a connected smartphone. The device will not support Apple handsets. Later down the line, HTC intends to add hand tracking to the device as an alternative input.
The Vive Flow is a VR media player that allows users to turn any room into a cinema. It does this by wirelessly connecting to your phone and displaying its screen in your VR view. Because of this, you can play Netflix and Disney+ through the device. The headset has speakers built into the frame’s arms but can also be connected to Bluetooth earphones if needed.
The built-in screens are a pair of LCD panels that offer good resolution but have a slightly more limited field of view when compared to current-gen VR headsets. No technical specifications have been made available for CPU power, but details like weight, resolution, and field of view can be found on the Vive website.
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