Meta Quest 3 remains largely unchallenged, but it looks like HTC will soon disrupt the status quo. We’ve long expected the company to launch a new VR headset, but now it’s finally started to drum up the hype with another Vive on the horizon.
HTC isn’t nearly as big a player as Meta in the consumer virtual reality space, but it still enjoys some success. The company’s headsets account for at least 6.7% of all Steam VR users, with the majority coming from HTC Vive (4.17%). Unfortunately, that’s still less than Oculus Rift S (7.63%) and a far cry from Quest 2 (38.27%) and Quest 3 (15.49%). They won the battle, but the war is far from over for good old High Tech Computer Corporation.
As per usual, HTC’s new Vision For You teaser is light on details but gives a glimpse at what’s in store. Calling on viewers to “prepare to pioneer the next reality,” the company then offers snippets of its next VR headset and promises that more details are “coming soon.” Perhaps even more promising is just how prominently gaming features in the trailer alongside AI.
While HTC is playing coy for now, there are a few things we already know about the company’s plans. As UploadVR highlights, Qualcomm confirmed its Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset would power five new virtual reality headsets, including one from HTC. This seems like the likely choice of chip for the teased device in question.
Based on the teaser, HTC aims to build a headset that satisfies the wants of professionals and gamers. With this in mind, it’ll likely be more expensive than Quest 3. So long as it doesn’t reach the absurd cost of Apple Vision Pro, I’d bet it already has a brighter future. That said, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the increased performance of its chipset and other improvements can tempt players away from Meta’s ecosystem.