HTC has announced new VR glasses made for wellness and mindful productivity. Called the Vive Flow, the glasses are based on the company’s Project Proton, utilizing a similarly compact and lightweight design.
The glasses look like a piece of protective gear a welder in a sci-fi movie might wear. They weigh only 189 grams and feature unique hinges that can accommodate a wide range of head sizes and shapes. Dangling from the glasses is a USB connector for connecting the device to an external source of power, such as a power bank.
As far as hardware specifications go, the Vive Flow has two 1600 x 1600 displays with a 75 Hz refresh rate. Together, the two displays provide a 100-degree field of view, which is slightly more than what the Oculus Quest 2 is capable of (89 degrees). Built-in adjustable diopter lenses make it easy for users with less than perfect eyesight to enjoy sharp virtual reality.
The HTC Vive Flow glasses also have integrated stereo speakers and noise- and echo-canceling microphones, giving you everything you need to immerse yourself in virtual worlds and experiences. To do that, you need to pair the glasses with your Android device using Bluetooth. You’ll be then able to stream VR content running on your smartphone to the glasses using Miracast while using your device as a controller. Hand-tracking is on HTC’s todo list, but we don’t know when to expect it.
At launch, the glasses should support around 100 apps and games. Because HTC markets the Vive Flow as portable glasses or media consumption and experiential content, traditional VR games will likely represent only a small portion of the available content.
You can already pre-order the HTC Vive Flow on its official website for £499.00. The first units should start shipping early in November, and they will come with a protective carry case and seven pieces of content.
