HTC Vive Focus
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| HTC Vive Focus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Standalone VR |
| Platform | Vive Wave, Viveport |
| Creator | HTC |
| Developer | HTC |
| Manufacturer | HTC |
| Announcement Date | 14 November 2017 (Vive Developer Conference, Beijing) |
| Release Date | January 2018 (China); November 2018 (37 markets including North America and Europe) |
| Price | CNY 3,999 (Almond White) and CNY 4,299 (Electric Blue) in China at launch; US$599 in the United States (November 2018) |
| Website | https://business.vive.com/us/product/vive-focus/ |
| Successor | HTC Vive Focus Plus |
| System | |
| Operating System | Android-based |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 |
| GPU | Adreno 540 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 32 GB internal; microSD slot up to 2 TB |
| Memory | 4 GB |
| Display | |
| Display | Two AMOLED displays (marketed as "3K AMOLED") |
| Resolution | 2880 x 1600 combined (1,600 x 1,440 per eye) |
| Refresh Rate | 75 Hz |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 110 degrees |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Fresnel lenses |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | Adjustable (slider) |
| Passthrough | Black and white, through the tracking cameras (added in System Update 2.0) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 6DoF inside-out ("World-Scale") headset tracking; 3DoF controller |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Built-in speakers; 3.5 mm stereo audio jack |
| Microphone | Built-in microphones |
| Camera | Two front-facing tracking cameras |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, Miracast output |
| Ports | USB Type-C, 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD slot |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Power | Built-in rechargeable battery, QC3.0 fast charging |
| Battery Life | Up to 3 hours active use; over one week standby (manufacturer figures) |
| Device | |
| Color | Almond White, Electric Blue |
| Sensors | 9-axis sensors, proximity sensor, tracking cameras |
| Input | One 3DoF controller (touchpad, trigger, app, home and volume buttons; two AAA batteries) |
The HTC Vive Focus is a standalone virtual reality head-mounted display made by HTC. It was HTC's first standalone VR headset[1] and combines a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, two AMOLED displays with a combined resolution of 2880 x 1600, and six-degrees-of-freedom inside-out tracking that HTC calls "World-Scale" tracking, so it needs no PC, phone or external base stations.[2][3] The headset shipped with a single controller that tracks rotation only.[4]
HTC announced the Vive Focus on 14 November 2017 at its Vive Developer Conference in Beijing, together with the Vive Wave platform.[2] It went on sale in China in January 2018, and on 8 November 2018 HTC launched it in 37 markets, including North America and Europe, as a headset aimed mainly at businesses, at US$599 in the United States.[4][5] The HTC Vive Focus Plus, announced in February 2019, kept the same processor and added two tracked controllers.[6] HTC's business site now lists the Vive Focus as no longer available.[7]
History and development
Daydream plans and China announcement
HTC had originally worked with Google on a Vive-branded standalone headset for Google's Daydream platform, while also planning a version for China that would run on HTC's own Viveport store.[1] At the Vive Focus unveiling in November 2017, Vive China president Alvin Wang Graylin told Engadget that there would be no Daydream version for the time being, as HTC was "focusing on the Focus for China" for the rest of the year. A day later HTC confirmed to Road to VR that it had cancelled plans to bring the Daydream-based version, which was to have used Google's WorldSense tracking, to Western markets including the United States and Europe.[8][9]
The announcement at the Vive Developer Conference in Beijing on 14 November 2017 introduced the headset alongside Vive Wave, an open platform and toolset for mobile VR. HTC listed 12 hardware partners for Vive Wave (360QIKU, Baofengmojing, Coocaa, EmdoorVR, Idealens, iQIYI, Juhaokan, Nubia, Pico, Pimax, Quanta and Thundercomm) and said more than 35 content developers were already building for it, with Viveport as the store.[2] HTC described the Focus as the first commercial standalone device with inside-out 6DoF tracking. It did not give a price, release date, resolution, field of view or battery life at the event.[2][8] Engadget contrasted it with Facebook's Oculus Go, announced for early 2018 at US$199 with 3DoF tracking only.[9]
China launch
On 7 December 2017 HTC published the specifications and Chinese pricing: CNY 3,999 for the Almond White model and CNY 4,299 for the Electric Blue model. Pre-orders ran from 12 December 2017 to 12 January 2018, with the first shipments planned for January 2018.[10][1] Road to VR later reported that the headset had launched in China as a consumer device in January 2018.[4]
HTC showed the Focus at MWC 2018 in February 2018. There, HTC told Road to VR that it used the same lenses and displays as the upcoming HTC Vive Pro.[11] At the Game Developers Conference in March 2018, HTC said the Focus would reach international markets later that year and that registered developers worldwide could now get development kits. It also offered a 100% revenue share on content submitted to Viveport in China between April and September 2018.[12]
System Update 2.0 and controller development
At its Vive Ecosystem Conference in China in May 2018, HTC released System Update 2.0 for the Focus. The update added a "Passenger Mode" for seated experiences such as watching video, which HTC said adds about an hour of battery life (up to four hours; Road to VR surmised that the mode disables 6DoF tracking); a pass-through view triggered by double-pressing the power button; installation of apps to a microSD card; and integration with HTC phones through the Vive Companion app, covering call answering, notifications, mirroring the display of an HTC U12+, and using the phone as a controller.[13] At the same conference HTC announced wireless streaming of PC VR content from Steam and Viveport over a 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection, using an optimized version of Riftcat's VRidge software downloadable from the Viveport M store.[14]
In October 2018 HTC opened applications for a 6DoF controller developer kit. It contained two new controllers and a module mounted on the front of the headset, and it tracked the controllers by combining ultrasonic tracking with inertial sensors over 180 degrees horizontally and 140 degrees vertically, with high accuracy up to one meter from the headset.[15]
Worldwide enterprise launch
At a press event in San Francisco on 8 November 2018, HTC launched the Vive Focus in 37 markets, including North America and Europe.[5][16] The price in the United States was US$599.[5] The Vive Focus Advantage option, which added HTC's Vive Enterprise Advantage professional services program, cost US$749 according to Variety, while Road to VR gave its starting price as US$750; the program, in Advantage and Advantage+ tiers, included commercial licensing, dedicated support, tailored hardware warranties, Kiosk mode and batch configuration.[5][4][16] The retail package still contained a single 3DoF controller, and HTC's North America general manager Dan O'Brien said 6DoF controllers were coming without giving a date.[4] HTC said more than 150 applications were available at launch, and it named business partners including Volkswagen Group and SimForHealth.[16]
Successor
HTC announced the Vive Focus Plus in Barcelona on 21 February 2019. It kept the Snapdragon 835 platform and replaced the single 3DoF controller with two ultrasonic 6DoF controllers with analog triggers. HTC scheduled it for the second quarter of 2019 in 25 markets.[6]
Design and hardware
Display and optics
The Vive Focus has two AMOLED displays, one per eye, at 1,600 x 1,440 each, for a combined resolution of 2880 x 1600; HTC markets this as "3K AMOLED". The displays run at 75 Hz, and the field of view is 110 degrees.[3][11] According to Road to VR, HTC said the lenses and displays are the same as those of the Vive Pro, which runs at 90 Hz. Using two displays also allows a mechanical IPD adjustment.[11] The interpupillary distance is set with a slider under the headset.[17] HTC's user guide says most glasses with a frame width under 155 mm fit inside the headset.[17]
Processing, memory and storage
The headset uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 platform.[3] Its worldwide specification list gives 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.[18] A microSD slot accepts cards up to 2 TB,[3] and a card can be formatted as internal storage.[17] Road to VR noted that the Focus has a fan for active cooling.[11]
Tracking and controller
Two cameras on the front of the headset provide 6DoF inside-out tracking, so no base stations are needed.[1][11] HTC also lists 9-axis sensors and a proximity sensor.[3] The user guide asks for a clear indoor area of at least 2 m x 2 m and advises against using the tracking in moving vehicles, dark rooms, spaces with reflective surfaces, or areas with many moving objects.[17]
The controller tracks rotation only, using 9-axis sensors. It has a touchpad, trigger, app button, home button and volume buttons, runs on two AAA batteries, and HTC rates it for up to 30 hours of active use.[3]
Audio, battery and connectivity
Speakers are built into the head strap, and the headset has built-in microphones and a 3.5 mm stereo audio jack.[3][11] HTC rates the built-in battery at up to 3 hours of active use and more than one week of standby, with QC3.0 fast charging over USB Type-C.[3] Wireless connectivity is Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with Miracast output,[3] and the worldwide specification list also includes Bluetooth.[18] The head strap combines a semi-rigid top strap with a rigid rear strap tightened by a knob.[11]
Specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835[3] |
| Memory and storage | 4 GB RAM, 32 GB internal storage[18]; microSD up to 2 TB[3] |
| Display | Two AMOLED displays, 2880 x 1600 combined (1,600 x 1,440 per eye)[3][11] |
| Refresh rate | 75 Hz[3] |
| Field of view | 110 degrees[3] |
| Lenses | Fresnel lenses; adjustable IPD[11][3] |
| Headset tracking | 6DoF inside-out "World-Scale" tracking, 9-axis sensors, proximity sensor[3] |
| Controller | 3DoF, 9-axis sensors; two AAA batteries, up to 30 hours[3] |
| Audio | Built-in speakers and microphones, 3.5 mm stereo jack[3] |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Miracast[3] |
| Battery | Up to 3 hours active use, over one week standby, QC3.0 fast charging[3] |
| Port | USB Type-C (data and charging)[3] |
Software and features
The Vive Focus runs HTC's Vive Wave platform, and its content comes from Viveport; the mobile store was called Viveport M.[2][14] According to Engadget, HTC Vive vice president Raymond Pao said at the announcement that existing Daydream and Samsung Gear VR content would take less than a week to port to Vive Wave, and HTC added a one-click process for Unity developers to publish to Viveport, with in-app payment support starting in China.[9]
The user guide describes several built-in features:[17]
- See real surroundings: once enabled in settings, pressing the power button twice shows the surroundings in black and white through the tracking cameras.
- Vive Video: plays MP4 video, including 4K and 360-degree video, copied to the headset or a microSD card, with 180-degree, 360-degree, curved and flat viewing modes.
- Passenger mode: an option in the video player that prevents drifting in a moving car or a dark environment.
- Kiosk mode: a custom dashboard that restricts which apps a user can open, with an optional passcode. It requires HTC's enterprise program.
Graylin told Road to VR that an 8K video player on the Focus made video playback quality essentially match the Vive Pro.[11] With System Update 2.0 the Focus could also stream PC VR games wirelessly and link with HTC smartphones.[13][14]
Reception
In a hands-on at MWC 2018, Ben Lang of Road to VR found the head tracking very responsive, with rotational tracking "just about perfect", and said the screen door effect was "still visible, but reduced" compared with other headsets. He also noted some mura, slight ghosting in fast motion and the usual god rays from Fresnel lenses.[11] He described the 3DoF controller as "really wonky" when games used it like a 6DoF controller, and said he had to recenter it at least once a minute while playing a cover shooter. He questioned whether casual buyers would pay about US$525 (his conversion of the Chinese price) when the Oculus Go cost US$200.[11] Road to VR also noted that the Focus had a higher per-eye resolution than the Lenovo Mirage Solo's LCD (1,280 x 1,440 per eye).[11]
In a review on the XR blog The Ghost Howls, its author Skarredghost called the headset "a bit big" but comfortable. He praised the sharpness of the image and criticized circular god rays from the lenses. He reported that after walking about 25 to 30 meters and returning, his virtual position had drifted by about 1 to 2 meters, and that the camera-based tracking stopped working in unlit places, and he described the app library as "very unripe". He recommended the Focus to professionals, developers and enthusiasts rather than to casual users.[19]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Kevin Carbotte (2017-12-07). "HTC Reveals Price, Specs For Vive Focus Standalone VR Headset". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/vive-focus-pre-orders-dec-12,36074.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "HTC VIVE Announces the VIVE Wave VR Open Platform with Support from China's Leading VR Device and Content Partners". VIVE Newsroom. HTC. 2017-11-14. https://www.vive.com/us/newsroom/2017-11-14/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 "VIVE Focus Specs & User Guide". VIVE Developer Resources. HTC. https://developer.vive.com/resources/hardware-guides/vive-focus-specs-user-guide/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Scott Hayden (2018-11-08). "HTC Launches Vive Focus in North America & Europe with Enterprise Emphasis". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/htc-launches-vive-focus-north-america-europe-enterprise-emphasis/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Janko Roettgers (2018-11-08). "HTC Vive Launches $599 Vive Focus Standalone VR Headset in North America, Europe". Variety. https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/htc-vive-focus-us-europe-launch-1203023404/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "HTC VIVE Announces VIVE Focus Plus For Premium Standalone VR Experiences". VIVE Newsroom. HTC. 2019-02-21. https://www.vive.com/us/newsroom/2019-02-21/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "VIVE Focus". VIVE Business. HTC. https://business.vive.com/us/product/vive-focus/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ben Lang (2017-11-13). "HTC Announces 'Vive Focus' Standalone VR Headset". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/htc-vive-focus-standalone-vr-headset-announcement/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Richard Lai (2017-11-13). "HTC Vive Focus is a standalone VR headset with 'world-scale' tracking". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2017-11-13-htc-vive-focus-standalone-vr-headset-daydream.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Scott Hayden (2017-12-07). "HTC Announces Pricing, Pre-order Date & Specs for Vive Focus Standalone Headset". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/htc-announces-pricing-pre-order-date-specs-vive-focus-standalone-headset/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 Ben Lang (2018-02-27). "Hands-on: HTC Vive Focus Brings Best-in-class Displays to Standalone VR, For a Price". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/mwc-2018-htc-vive-focus-hands-on-best-in-class-displays-for-a-price/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "VIVE at GDC 2018: VIVE Focus Coming to International Markets Later This Year". VIVE Newsroom. HTC. 2018-03-22. https://www.vive.com/us/newsroom/2018-03-22/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ben Lang (2018-05-27). "Vive Focus 2.0 Update Brings Phone Mirroring, Pass-through Video & More". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/vive-focus-system-update-2-0-phone-mirroring-pass-through-video-and-more/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Ben Lang (2018-05-24). "Vive Focus Can Now Stream PC VR Games from Steam, Viveport". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/vive-focus-able-stream-pc-content-steamvr-viveport/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Ben Lang (2018-10-29). "Vive Focus 6DOF Controller Dev Kit Uses Ultrasonic Tracking". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/vive-focus-6dof-controller-dev-kit-uses-ultrasonic-tracking/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "HTC VIVE Launches Full Suite Of Premium VR Offerings For Businesses Of All Sizes". VIVE Newsroom. HTC. 2018-11-08. https://www.vive.com/us/newsroom/2018-11-08-2/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 "VIVE Focus User Guide". VIVE Support. HTC. 2018. https://dl.vive.com/guide/VIVE_Focus_User_Guide_WWW.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Skarredghost (2018-11-08). "HTC Vive Focus launched worldwide: an enterprise standalone headset, starting from $599". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2018/11/08/htc-vive-focus-price-599-worldwide-launch-an-enterprise-standalone-headset/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Skarredghost (2018-07-05). "Vive Focus review: should you buy it?". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2018/07/05/vive-focus-review-should-you-buy-it/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.