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Smartphone powerhouse HTC has been named as the manufacturer of Valve’s virtual reality headset.
The device is called the Vive. A developer version is due out this spring and the consumer version in ‘holiday 2015′, meaning that potentially it could beat big-name rivals such as the Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus.
While Vive will use SteamVR for gaming, HTC has also lined up a number of partners for other media content including Google, HBO and Lionsgate.
The hardware packs a 1200×1080 pixel display, falling short of the 1920x1080p ‘full HD’ standard, although this will help games achieve the fluency of framerate – 90 frames per second, in this instance – that successful VR games often rely on. HTC says the screens are positioned to envelope a user’s entire field of vision.
There’s also an accelerometer, gyrosensor and laser positioning sensor for head tracking. When coupled with two SteamVR base stations Vive also offers position tracking, providing what is described as a full-room” scale experience, allowing a user to use their real-world space to explore the virtual world.
The current unit has a headphone jack on the side but reports suggest the final model will feature incorporated audio.
Also available will be individual VR controllers for both hands.
