A controller was said to provide some wireless capabilities to the HTC Vive Virtual Reality headset as it was announced almost a month ago and now a peripheral entitled TPCast removed the need for its users to link their headsets to a PC via a thick cable.
It was initially designed as a startup inside HTC’s Vive X program and is now available for purchase just in China. More news regarding its availability worldwide will most likely be presented at the Consumer Electronics Show which is currently happening as we speak.
The Vive headset itself requires a huge bandwidth to function on itself and people were expecting the wireless VR headset to offer no more than a low framerate and constant headaches and frustration. It was not the case as the TPCast as it functions without having noticeable lag.
The wireless VR immersion makes for great science apps or fast paced first person shooter. It is making the HTC Vive VR experience a lot better as it makes its users not forget they are using a regular Vive device. Having a wireless capability will go a long way in VR development as it will demolish the boundaries that a cabled VR device offers.
Getting tangled in cables as users move around the room will be a thing of the past as well as it will provide unlimited space to play around with the device. Being a wireless device has some downsides however as its 6000mAh battery will provide up to 2 hours of functionality.
HTC has announced that the device will come at around $249 in the US. Despite its price tag being so high for a wireless device, HTC is sure to make bank on this device. Not only are they working on better VR solutions as a new WiGig collaboration with Intel was announced but also will change the way VR headsets function with their innovations.
