HTC Vive Pro Controllers

HTC Vive Pro Controllers
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	VR Controllers
Subtype	SteamVR Controllers, wand controllers
Platform	SteamVR
Creator	HTC
Developer	HTC
Manufacturer	HTC
Announcement Date	January 2018
Release Date	2018
Price	Sold separately; bundled in the full Vive Pro kit
Website	https://www.vive.com/us/accessory/controller2018/
Versions	Vive Controller (2018), model 99HANM001-00
Requires	SteamVR-compatible PC VR headset; SteamVR Base Stations
Predecessor	HTC Vive Controllers
Successor	Valve Index Controllers
System
Operating System	SteamVR
Storage
Display
Display	N/A
Resolution	N/A
Refresh Rate	N/A
Image
Field of View	N/A
Horizontal FoV	N/A
Vertical FoV	N/A
Optics
Optics	N/A
Ocularity	N/A
IPD Range	N/A
Passthrough	N/A
Tracking
Tracking	Lighthouse (SteamVR Tracking 2.0)
Base Stations	Required (SteamVR Base Station 1.0 or 2.0)
Eye Tracking	N/A
Face Tracking	N/A
Hand Tracking	No
Rotational Tracking	Yes
Positional Tracking	Yes
Audio
Audio	N/A
Microphone	N/A
Camera	N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity	Wireless (to base stations)
Ports	Micro-USB (charging)
Power	960 mAh rechargeable battery
Battery Capacity	960 mAh
Battery Life	Approximately 6 hours
Charge Time	Micro-USB charging
Device
Haptics	Yes (HD haptic feedback)
Color	Black
Sensors	24 tracking sensors; IMU
Input	Dual-stage trigger, multi-function trackpad, grip buttons, menu button, system button
Compliance	SteamVR compatible

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The HTC Vive Pro Controllers, sold by HTC under the retail name Vive Controller (2018) (model number 99HANM001-00), are a pair of motion controllers for room-scale Virtual Reality that HTC introduced in 2018 alongside the HTC Vive Pro headset. Rather than an all-new design, they are a refreshed version of the original "wand" controllers shipped with the first-generation HTC Vive, retaining the same physical shape and input layout while adding new sensors compatible with SteamVR Tracking 2.0.

Each controller carries 24 tracking sensors, a multi-function trackpad, a dual-stage trigger, grip buttons, and HD haptic feedback, and is powered by a 960 mAh rechargeable battery that recharges over a micro-USB cable. The controllers are tracked optically by external SteamVR Base Stations (HTC's implementation of Valve's Lighthouse system) and work with any headset in the SteamVR ecosystem.

Background

When HTC unveiled the HTC Vive Pro at CES in January 2018, attention turned to what controllers the new headset would use. At the time, Valve was developing its own next-generation controllers, codenamed "Knuckles," which added a palm strap and capacitive sensors for individual finger tracking. HTC confirmed that the Vive Pro would not launch with Knuckles; instead it would ship with an updated version of the existing Vive wand controllers fitted with SteamVR Tracking 2.0 sensors. An HTC spokesperson framed the Knuckles timeline as outside the company's control, noting that "Knuckles release date and introduction is a Valve question." Valve's controllers were ultimately released in 2019 as the Valve Index Controllers, which can also be used with the Vive Pro.

The Vive Pro headset itself launched on April 5, 2018, at a price of US$799 for the headset alone; controllers and base stations were sold separately, with HTC also offering a full kit that bundled the headset together with the 2018 controllers and SteamVR Tracking 2.0 base stations. Because the controllers and base stations are standard SteamVR hardware, existing Vive owners upgrading to the Vive Pro headset could continue using their original controllers and 1.0 base stations; the headset-only package was described as essentially an upgrade aimed at existing Vive owners who already had the rest of the kit.

Design and hardware

Externally, the Vive Pro Controllers are nearly identical to the wands that shipped with the original HTC Vive in 2016. They keep the same elongated grip with a ring of tracking sensors at the top, and previews at launch noted that the new controllers appeared largely unchanged apart from the sensors hidden beneath the visible tracking dots. Each controller continues to use 24 sensors, a multi-function circular trackpad operated by the thumb, a dual-stage analog trigger, grip buttons on each side, a system button, and a menu button, along with HD haptic feedback for in-application vibration.

Power comes from an integrated 960 mAh rechargeable battery, the same capacity used in the original Vive wands, providing roughly six hours of use per charge and recharging through a micro-USB port. A single retail controller ships with a lanyard, a micro-USB cable, and a power adapter. Functionally and ergonomically the 2018 controllers match the first-generation wands, sharing the same ports and physical controls.

Specification	Detail
Retail name	Vive Controller (2018)
Model number	99HANM001-00
Tracking sensors	24 per controller
Tracking system	Lighthouse / SteamVR Tracking (1.0 and 2.0 capable)
Inputs	Dual-stage trigger, multi-function trackpad, grip buttons, system button, menu button
Haptics	HD haptic feedback
Battery	960 mAh rechargeable
Battery life	Approximately 6 hours
Charging	Micro-USB
In the box	Controller, lanyard, micro-USB cable, power adapter
Compatible headsets	HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro, and other SteamVR headsets

Tracking and SteamVR Tracking 2.0

The defining difference between the Vive Pro Controllers and the original Vive wands is their support for SteamVR Tracking 2.0. The 2018 controllers contain sensors that can be tracked by both the original SteamVR Base Station 1.0 and the newer SteamVR Base Station 2.0, whereas the first-generation Vive controllers only work with 1.0 base stations. Apart from the upgraded sensors, observers described the new wands as essentially the same controllers as before.

SteamVR Tracking 2.0 was a substantial upgrade to the Lighthouse tracking system. Where the original setup supported a maximum of two base stations, version 2.0 allowed up to four base stations to be combined to cover a play space as large as 10 by 10 meters (about 33 by 33 feet). The redesigned 2.0 base station simplified the original two-rotor mechanism into a single-rotor design that condensed the horizontal and vertical laser sweeps into one, which Valve indicated offered a somewhat wider field of view. The 2.0 base stations are not cross-compatible with 1.0 units, so a tracking setup must use one generation or the other.

Compatibility

Because they use the open SteamVR Tracking standard, the Vive Pro Controllers function with any SteamVR-compatible headset, including the original HTC Vive, the HTC Vive Pro, the HTC Vive Pro 2, the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite (which uses external base stations), and Valve's Valve Index. Conversely, headsets that support external SteamVR tracking can also use the more advanced Valve Index Controllers in place of the Vive wands, giving Vive Pro owners a path to finger-tracking input.

Reception

The Vive Pro Controllers were generally received as a pragmatic, conservative choice rather than a leap forward. Coverage at launch noted that HTC had opted to refresh the familiar wands instead of debuting a new input device, which left the controllers feeling dated next to Valve's in-development Knuckles design that emphasized open-hand interaction and individual finger tracking. Hands-on impressions expressed hope that long-standing ergonomic complaints, such as the difficulty of pressing and holding the grip buttons, might be addressed, but the controllers retained the original layout. For users already invested in the Vive ecosystem, however, the controllers offered a straightforward way to take advantage of the larger play spaces enabled by SteamVR Tracking 2.0 while keeping a well-understood, widely supported control scheme.

See also

• HTC Vive Pro
• HTC Vive
• Valve Index Controllers
• SteamVR
• SteamVR Base Stations
• Lighthouse
• Input Devices