Asus HC102
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| ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset (HC102) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | PC-Powered VR |
| Platform | Windows Mixed Reality |
| Developer | Asus |
| Manufacturer | Asus |
| Announcement Date | 30 August 2017 (Europe, €449 with motion controllers); North American announcement at CES, January 2018 |
| Release Date | 20 February 2018 (United States and United Kingdom) |
| Price | US$429 MSRP (United States) and £430 (United Kingdom, Ebuyer), with two motion controllers, at launch in February 2018; €449 announced in August 2017 |
| Website | https://www.asus.com/Headset/ASUS-Windows-Mixed-Reality-Headset-HC102/ |
| Requires | PC with HDMI 1.4 or 2.0, USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.0 (for the controllers) |
| System | |
| Operating System | Windows Mixed Reality on the host PC (Windows 10 Fall Creators Update or later; removed in Windows 11 version 24H2) |
| Display | |
| Display | 2 x 2.89-inch LCD, 100 nits |
| Resolution | 2880 x 1440 (1440 x 1440 per eye) |
| Refresh Rate | Up to 90 Hz (60 Hz with integrated graphics) |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 95° horizontal per eye; 105° with both eyes (ASUS) |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Fresnel-aspherical lenses; focal distance 1.3 m; eye-to-lens distance 13 mm |
| IPD Range | Lenses fixed at 63 mm; software adjustment of +/- 8 mm |
| Passthrough | No |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 6DOF inside-out (two front-facing tracking cameras) |
| Audio | |
| Audio | 3.5 mm audio jack (no built-in headphones or microphone) |
| Camera | Two tracking cameras (ASUS: "B+W & VGA"); no video passthrough |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Single 4 m cable with HDMI 2.0 (display) and USB 3.0 (data) |
| Device | |
| Dimensions | About 185 x 94 x 115 mm (visor) |
| Weight | Under 400g |
| Material | Removable cushions with quick-drying, antibacterial, cool-touch fabrics |
| Sensors | Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Magnetometer, proximity sensor |
| Input | Windows Mixed Reality Motion Controllers (two included, 32 LEDs each) |
The Asus HC102, sold as the ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset (HC102), is a PC-tethered virtual reality head-mounted display made by Asus for Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality platform. ASUS announced it on 30 August 2017, shortly before the IFA 2017 trade show in Berlin, with a European price of €449 including Microsoft's motion controllers.[1][2] It went on sale in the United States and the United Kingdom on 20 February 2018, months after the first Windows Mixed Reality headsets, at a recommended price of US$429 (£430 in the UK) with two motion controllers.[3][4]
Like other Windows Mixed Reality headsets, the HC102 uses two front-facing cameras for inside-out tracking, so it needs no external sensors or base stations. It has two 2.89-inch LCD panels with a combined resolution of 2880 x 1440 (1440 x 1440 per eye) at up to 90 Hz.[5] ASUS set it apart from other headsets on the platform with a faceplate covered in a pattern of 3D polygons, a flip-up visor, a "balanced-crown" head strap, a weight under 400 g and antibacterial, quick-drying cushion materials.[6] Microsoft deprecated Windows Mixed Reality in December 2023 and removed it from Windows 11 version 24H2, so the headset does not work on Windows 11 version 24H2 or later.[7]
Announcement and release
ASUS revealed the headset on 30 August 2017, two days after Dell revealed its Dell Visor and a day after Acer spoke about its own headset in the run-up to IFA.[5] The company gave specifications and a price but no release date. It said the headset would sell with Microsoft's motion controllers for €449; AnandTech noted that the US price had not been announced.[1][8] Engadget gave the price as the equivalent of about US$535 and pointed out that the Dell Visor with controllers was cheaper at US$450.[2] The HC102 was shown at IFA 2017 in Berlin alongside Microsoft's motion controllers.[9] In ASUS's announcement, Peter Han, vice president of Partner Devices and Solutions at Microsoft, said the collaboration would deliver a Windows Mixed Reality headset "on an affordable and easy-to-set-up device".[10]
Windows Mixed Reality itself launched with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on 17 October 2017.[11] The ASUS headset was not among the first models on sale. ASUS showed it at CES 2018 and announced it for North America in January 2018, saying it would be available in the first quarter of 2018 with pricing to be announced at launch.[12][13]
ASUS announced availability on 20 February 2018 at an MSRP of US$429.[14][15] The bundle of headset and two controllers was listed at B&H Photo Video in the US and at Ebuyer in the UK, where it cost £430.[4] Tom's Hardware noted that the Acer headset could be bought for US$278 at the time. Display Daily wrote that the HC102 arrived months after the headsets from HP, Dell, Lenovo and others and was priced around the middle of the range.[15][16] By June 2018, Tom's Hardware found the price "hovering between $399 and $429", while other Windows Mixed Reality headsets were often on sale for US$300 or less.[17]
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 30 August 2017 | ASUS reveals the headset and its €449 European price, without a release date[5][1] |
| September 2017 | Shown at IFA 2017 in Berlin[9] |
| 17 October 2017 | Windows Mixed Reality launches with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update[11] |
| January 2018 | Shown at CES 2018; North American launch announced for the first quarter of 2018[12][13] |
| 20 February 2018 | On sale in the US (US$429 MSRP) and the UK (£430)[3][4] |
| December 2023 | Microsoft announces the deprecation of Windows Mixed Reality[7] |
| October 2024 | Windows 11 version 24H2 removes Windows Mixed Reality[18] |
| November 2026 | Scheduled end of Windows Mixed Reality support on Windows 11 version 23H2[7] |
Design and hardware
Exterior and ergonomics
The visor has a glossy, tone-on-tone finish with a pattern of hundreds of 3D polygons. ASUS said its designers produced the pattern with technology normally used to create digital architecture.[6] In its review, Tom's Hardware described the headset as mostly grey with a black faceplate and said that apart from color and shape it closely resembled the Lenovo Explorer and the Acer Windows Mixed Reality headset.[19]
The display unit is mounted on a hinge, so the visor can be flipped up for a look at the real world and flipped back down without taking the headset off.[6] ASUS's "balanced-crown" strap places most of the weight on the forehead and the back of the skull instead of the nose and cheeks; ASUS states the headset weighs under 400 g. The strap has a mechanical adjustment dial at the back, and ASUS said it can be adjusted with one hand.[6][19] ASUS built the cushions from cool-touch, quick-drying fabrics with antibacterial surfaces and said this was meant for headsets shared between several players and for sweaty, active games.[6][5] Tom's Hardware found that every cushion was removable and replaceable, attached with Velcro and reinforced with plastic inserts, which it had not seen on the other Windows Mixed Reality headsets it had tested.[19]
The single tether cable is 4 m long and ends in an HDMI 2.0 plug for video and a USB 3.0 plug for data.[5] It leaves the right side of the lower visor and attaches inside the visor; Tom's Hardware noted that it cannot be replaced without partly taking the headset apart.[19]
Display and optics
The HC102 has two 2.89-inch LCD panels, each with 1440 x 1440 pixels, for a combined 2880 x 1440, which ASUS marketed as "3K". ASUS listed a brightness of 100 nits and a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz.[5][6] Tom's Hardware gave the pixel density as 706 pixels per inch and noted that the panels can run at 60 Hz for PCs with integrated graphics.[19] The two Fresnel-aspherical lenses give a horizontal field of view of 95° per eye; ASUS's launch specifications listed 105° with both eyes, a focal distance of 1.3 m and an eye-to-lens distance of 13 mm.[14][15] There is no mechanical interpupillary distance adjustment: the lenses are fixed 63 mm apart, with a software adjustment of plus or minus 8 mm.[19][14]
Tracking and controllers
The headset uses the inside-out tracking system that Microsoft developed for HoloLens.[19] Two built-in front-facing cameras track the user's position in six degrees of freedom and map the room, and the same cameras track the 32 LEDs on each controller. A gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer determine orientation; ASUS claimed the virtual and physical worlds would stay synced "free of latency or distortion".[6] The headset also has a proximity sensor. When the headset was announced, AnandTech and Tom's Hardware said it was not yet clear whether that sensor was standard on Windows Mixed Reality headsets or unique to the ASUS model.[1][5] ASUS's launch specification lists the tracking cameras as "B+W & VGA", and Tom's Hardware describes them as stereo black-and-white cameras that do not provide video passthrough.[14][19]
The bundle includes two Windows Mixed Reality Motion Controllers that run on AA batteries and connect to the PC over Bluetooth.[20] Tom's Hardware found them identical to the controllers bundled by Acer and Lenovo apart from the logo on the handle. The box contains the headset, the two controllers, batteries, a quick start guide and a warranty booklet, but no Bluetooth adapter, so a PC without built-in Bluetooth needs a USB adapter or add-in card.[19]
Audio
The HC102 has no built-in headphones or microphone. A 3.5 mm jack on the headset accepts the user's own headphones and microphone.[19][20]
Technical specifications
| Display | 2x LCD, 2.89-inch diagonal each, 100 nits[5] |
| Resolution | 2880x1440 (combined) 1440x1440 (per eye)[6] |
| Pixel density | 706 ppi[19] |
| Refresh Rate | Up to 90 Hz (60 Hz with integrated graphics)[19] |
| FOV | 95° horizontal per eye; 105° with both eyes (ASUS)[14] |
| Lenses | Fresnel-aspherical; focal distance 1.3 m; eye-to-lens distance 13 mm[14] |
| IPD | Fixed at 63 mm; software adjustment of +/- 8 mm[19] |
| Sensors | Gyroscope Accelerometer Magnetometer Proximity[5] |
| Position Tracking | Inside-Out Camera (x2), 6DoF[6] |
| Audio | 3.5mm Audio Jack[5] |
| Controls | Microsoft Motion Controllers[1] |
| Connection | One cable, 4 m, HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.0[5] |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | About 185 x 94 x 115 mm (visor)[19] |
| Weight | Under 400g[6] |
| Accessories | 6DoF controller x2[5] |
Software and features
Platform and PC requirements
The HC102 runs Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality platform on the host PC and needs a Windows 10 PC with the Fall Creators Update, which Microsoft released on 17 October 2017.[6][11] ASUS said the first setup takes 10 minutes or less, based on the average time from plugging the headset into a compatible PC to the start of the Windows Mixed Reality experience; updating the PC to the Fall Creators Update could take extra time.[6] Microsoft's setup offers a standing configuration and a room-scale configuration, in which the user traces the play area with the headset's cameras.[17] Pocket-lint listed the following minimum PC requirements:[20]
| Component | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (RS3) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 7200U, Intel Core i5 4590 or better |
| Memory | 8GB DDR3 dual channel or better |
| Graphics | Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620, NVIDIA MX150, AMD Radeon RX 460/560 or better |
| Video output | HDMI 1.4/2.0 |
| Connections | USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0 (for controllers) |
Apps
ASUS said the headset supports over 20,000 Windows apps and more than 2,000 SteamVR titles.[13][3] Users start in the Cliff House, which ASUS described as the virtual portal to all mixed-reality experiences and where Windows apps can be placed on the walls; ASUS mentioned apps such as HoloTour.[13][20] Before the platform launched, Microsoft named VR games coming to the Microsoft Store and Windows Mixed Reality that would use the Universal Windows Platform:[11]
- Obduction
- Dreams of Dali
- Space Pirate Trainer
- Superhot
- Arizona Sunshine
- Luna
- Skyworld
- Move
- Free the Night
- Minecraft
- Fantastic Contraption
Windows Central listed Arizona Sunshine, Halo Recruit and Superhot VR among the launch titles in the Microsoft Store.[21] In Pocket-lint's testing, SteamVR games ran on the headset but not all were designed for it: controls in Arizona Sunshine were mapped less well than on the HTC Vive, and Killing Floor: Incursion loaded but did not run. Pocket-lint could also play Xbox Play Anywhere games on a large virtual screen.[20]
Reception
Pocket-lint rated the headset 3.5 out of 5 in November 2017. It praised the adjustable fit, the flip-up visor, the easy setup and the low PC requirements, and called the polygon design more visually arresting than its near competitors, although the headset felt "rather plasticky". It criticized blurry visuals, with a distinct blur at the edges of the lenses, light leaking in from the sides, pressure on the nose and the 4 m cable, which it found short. Fitting headphones over the bulky strap was difficult. In the boxing game Knockout League, Pocket-lint found that punches were tracked accurately, though the game did not respond quite as quickly as on the HTC Vive; the controllers occasionally stopped registering until they were re-paired over Bluetooth.[20]
At the US launch, Engadget wrote that the HC102 was "late to the party and kind of expensive, but it may be the best of the bunch".[4] Tom's Hardware also rated it 3.5 out of 5 in June 2018 under the headline "Nice, But High-Priced". Its verdict was that the headset was "not nice enough for its roughly $400 asking price". Its listed positives were the padding materials, light weight, easy setup and portability; its negatives were flimsy controllers, a tether cable that cannot be replaced, no IPD adjustment and a forehead cushion that was too small.[19] The reviewer called the cushions the softest it had encountered on a headset, but said the crown did not balance the weight well and the headset slid down the face after a few minutes. Tom's Hardware found the image crisper than first-generation headsets such as the Oculus Rift, with less lens glare than the Rift and Vive, but the screen door effect was still visible. In its field-of-view test the reviewer saw horizontal markers up to 89 degrees, less than advertised but in line with other headsets it had tested, and about 35 degrees above and below the horizon.[17] Tom's Hardware concluded that the headset was better than the Acer and Lenovo models but "not $200 better", and that it would be "a much more compelling proposition" at US$300 or less.[17]
Platform support
In December 2023 Microsoft announced that Windows Mixed Reality was deprecated and would be removed in Windows 11 version 24H2, including the Mixed Reality Portal app, Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and SteamVR Beta.[7] After the 24H2 update was released in October 2024, Road to VR reported that Windows Mixed Reality headsets no longer worked on it, while users who stayed on version 23H2 could still play SteamVR content.[18] Microsoft says existing Windows Mixed Reality devices will keep working with Steam through November 2026 if users remain on Windows 11 version 23H2; after November 2026 the platform receives no further security updates, bug fixes or technical support.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ryan Smith (2017-08-31). "ASUS Details HC102 Mixed Reality Headset for Windows". AnandTech. https://web.archive.org/web/20170905134114/http://www.anandtech.com/show/11795/asus-reveals-mixed-reality-headset-for-windows. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jon Fingas (2017-08-30). "ASUS' Windows Mixed Reality headset may come with a premium price". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/30/asus-windows-mixed-reality-headset-details/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Darren Allan (2018-02-20). "You can now buy Asus' nifty-looking Windows Mixed Reality Headset HC102". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/news/you-can-now-buy-asus-nifty-looking-windows-mixed-reality-headset-hc102. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Rob LeFebvre (2018-02-20). "ASUS' Windows Mixed Reality headset is now on sale for $429". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2018/02/20/asus-windows-mixed-reality-headset-is-now-on-sale-for-429/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 Kevin Carbotte (2017-08-30). "Asus Reveals Details About Its Windows Mixed Reality Headset". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/asus-windows-mr-headset-details,35352.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 "ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset (HC102) - Features". ASUS. ASUSTeK Computer Inc.. 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171120070115/https://www.asus.com/Headset/ASUS-Windows-Mixed-Reality-Headset-HC102/Features/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Deprecated features in the Windows client". Microsoft Learn. Microsoft. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/deprecated-features. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Darren Allan (2017-08-30). "Asus' mixed reality headset is the best-looking VR setup yet". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/news/asus-mixed-reality-headset-is-the-best-looking-vr-setup-yet. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Roma Christian (2017-09-04). "IFA 2017: Asus Reveal First Windows Mixed Reality Headset". ChannelNews. https://www.channelnews.com.au/ifa-2017-asus-unveil-first-windows-mixed-reality-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Srivatsan Sridhar (2017-08-30). "ASUS Windows Mixed Reality headset announced for 449 Euros". FoneArena. https://www.fonearena.com/blog/228262/asus-windows-mixed-reality-headset-announced-for-449-euros.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Alex Kipman (2017-10-03). "The era of Windows Mixed Reality begins October 17". Windows Experience Blog. Microsoft. https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2017/10/03/the-era-of-windows-mixed-reality-begins-october-17/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Jeremy Hellstrom (2018-01-08). "The ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset at CES 2018". PC Perspective. https://pcper.com/2018/01/the-asus-windows-mixed-reality-headset-at-ces-2018/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "Announcing the ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset in North America". The ChannelPro Network. ASUS. 2018-01-10. https://www.channelpronetwork.com/2018/01/10/announcing-the-asus-windows-mixed-reality-headset-in-north-america/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Tyler Ingram (2018-02-23). "ASUS Windows Mixed Reality Headset HC102 Needs No External Sensors". Futurelooks. https://www.futurelooks.com/asus-announces-windows-mixed-reality-headset-hc102/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Leon Chan (2018-02-20). "Asus Announces HC102 Windows Mixed Reality Headset". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/asus-hc102-windows-mixed-reality-headset,36548.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Andrew Fenn (2018-02-22). "Asus Has Launched Its Windows Mixed Reality Headset". Display Daily. https://displaydaily.com/asus-has-launched-its-windows-mixed-reality-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Kevin Carbotte (2018-06-12). "Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset Review: Nice, But High-Priced (page 2: Living With The Asus Windows MR HMD)". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-windows-mixed-reality-headset,5580-2.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Scott Hayden (2024-10-02). "Windows 11 No Longer Supports Microsoft's Windows VR Headsets Following October Update". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/windows-11-drops-wmr-support-24h2/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 19.12 19.13 19.14 Kevin Carbotte (2018-06-12). "Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset Review: Nice, But High-Priced". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-windows-mixed-reality-headset,5580.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 Adrian Willings (2017-11-13). "Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset review: The best WMR headset?". Pocket-lint. https://www.pocket-lint.com/ar-vr/reviews/asus/142820-asus-windows-mixed-reality-headset-review-microsoft-vr/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Richard Devine (2017-10-17). "First batch of Windows Mixed Reality apps and games hits the Store". Windows Central. https://www.windowscentral.com/first-batch-windows-mixed-reality-apps-and-games-hits-store. Retrieved 2026-10-13.