HTC expands the Vive Cosmos VR headset line with three models-- the Cosmos Elite, Cosmos Play and Cosmos XR, all offering swappable faceplates while being aimed at different segments of the consumer market.
“Our customers want an incredible VR experience and we are proud to announce a new family of products tailor-made for VR use-cases of all types,” the company says. “Vive Cosmos is truly the most versatile headset yet. From consumers just discovering VR for the first time to the demanding business user, Vive Cosmos offers stellar quality, comfort, and the ability to evolve VR and XR journeys over time-- from changing faceplates to adding options like wireless.”
The headsets feature the same 2880 x 1770 display based on a pair of LCD panels the company claims reduce the distance between pixels and minimise screen-door effect. A flip-up design allows users to easily move to and from the virtual world, while the design promises to be more comfortable. The interchangeable faceplates are another interesting feature, since they make future upgrades as easy as swapping the front faceplate.
As the name might suggest, the Elite is the top-of-the-line Cosmos headset. Aimed squarely at enthusiast customers, it has a faceplate allowing for external tracking and includes a pair of Lighthouse base stations, making it compatible with immersive games such as Pistol Whip and Superhot. The package also includes a pair of Vive controllers and a wireless adapter for wire-free VR.
The Play, on the other hand, is ideal for new-to-VR customers. It uses 4-camera inside-out tracking, and as such is better suited for entry-level VR games and applications, and can also find use as a simple-to-use headset for public VR experiences in business or museum environments. The swappable faceplate allows for easy upgrades, such as replacing the 4-camera faceplate with a superior six-camera version.
The third headset, the XR, is arguably the most sophisticated. It has a faceplate with "high-quality XR passthrough cameras," meaning it allows for augmented reality experiences mixing the real world with the virtual. HTC even promises a field of view reaching up to 100-degrees, meaning it should use most of the VR display. The XR will initially ship as a developer kit, before eventual availability as an actual consumer product.
HTC is still to announce when the above mentioned headsets will hit the market.
