Forget Oculus Quest Pro — HTC’s new VR headset just leaked

Forget Oculus Quest Pro — HTC'southward new VR headset just leaked

(Paradigm credit: HTC via Andrew Jakobs)

HTC is ramping upward the hype ahead of ViveCon 2021 side by side week with more than teasers of its upcoming virtual reality headset. The company is sending out promotional emails that incorporate glimpses of what could be its next VR product for the masses.

HTC already has a three-strong line up of VR devices aimed at consumers and businesses, offer multiple options in each category. It's looking to aggrandize its range with multiple VR headsets being unveiled at ViveCon on May 11, and has shared a few sneak peeks in the run up to the event.

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HTC will need to pull something special out of the handbag, every bit currently the Oculus Quest two sits at the top of our best VR headsets list. And with an Oculus Quest ii Pro tipped to be in the works, competition in the heed-range VR globe could exist very stiff indeed.

Only going past the teasers so far, HTC might have a pretty interesting VR headset in the works.

The get-go tease was a static image shared on Twitter last calendar month showing what looks like a photographic camera module on the corner of the visor. It was accompanied by the caption "Now that the accessories are out of the way, let'southward become down to business concern," suggesting it might be geared for businesses rather than casual consumers.

Or we're reading into it far besides much. Information technology's the same bending nosotros're seeing in action in the gif below (Andrew Jakobs via Route to VR).

2 more than gifs were sent via email, painting a vague movie as to what we might be in for. The headset doesn't await anything similar the Projection Proton glasses we saw last year. In fact, the corner camera modules brand it seem similar information technology resembles the Oculus Quest 2 more than the current HTC Vive Cosmos, Vive Pro, or Vive Focus.

The headset being teased looks significantly less beefy than HTC's existing lineup. We know that the company is set to unveil more than i VR headset thanks to ViveCon's website, which reads: "Take a front end-row seat at the VR event of the year as HTC VIVE unveils game-changing VR headsets, software, and platforms to take your experience to another level."

While speculation volition be rife over the course of the next week, HTC president of Vive, Cathay, Alvin Wang Graylin told TeliportMe: "I call back nosotros've said in the past that we will release a new AIO [all-in-one] this year. I don't think I would position it equally a Quest competitor. I think it's our next-generation standalone, we will have 1 this year, information technology is going to be a corking product."

These gifs aren't a lot to become on, just information technology looks like a slimmed downward VR headset that'due south much more streamlined that the HTC'southward current offerings. Prepare for more than frustratingly mysterious teasers over the grade of the next week. You lot tin tune into ViveCon 2021 at 9 a.grand. PT / 12 p.m. ET / v p.m. BST on Tuesday, May xi for the big reveal.

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Shabana is T3'southward News Editor roofing tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for well-nigh a decade (and playing them since forever). As well every bit contributing to Tom'southward Guide, she'due south had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should actually recall about expanding her hobbies.