HTC Vive Tracker 3.0
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| HTC Vive Tracker 3.0 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual reality |
| Type | Accessory |
| Subtype | Motion Tracker |
| Platform | SteamVR |
| Creator | HTC |
| Developer | HTC |
| Manufacturer | HTC |
| Announcement Date | March 10, 2021 |
| Release Date | March 24, 2021 (United States) |
| Price | US$129.99 at launch (United States); US$149.00 on HTC's US store, listed as sold out (September 2026) |
| Website | https://www.vive.com/us/accessory/tracker3/ |
| Versions | VIVE Tracker (3.0) |
| Requires | SteamVR Base Station 1.0 or 2.0; a PC running SteamVR |
| Predecessor | VIVE Tracker (2018) |
| Successor | HTC Vive Ultimate Tracker (camera-based, 2023) |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | SteamVR Tracking (Lighthouse), outside-in; 240-degree sensor field of view |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Wireless through the included USB dongle, or wired over USB |
| Ports | USB Type-C (USB 2.0, charging and data); 6-pin Pogo pin port |
| Power | 5 V over USB Type-C; about 2 hours to charge at 700 mA from an AC adapter, about 3 hours at 500 mA from a PC |
| Battery Capacity | 740 mAh |
| Battery Life | Up to 7.5 hours (HTC product page); up to seven hours (HTC launch announcement) |
| Device | |
| Dimensions | 79.0 x 70.9 x 44.1 mm |
| Weight | 75 g |
| Material | Plastic housing |
| Color | Black |
| Sensors | Optical sensors for base station signals, IMU |
| Input | Power button; Pogo pin inputs for Grip, Trigger, Trackpad and Menu button events |
The HTC Vive Tracker 3.0, sold by HTC as the VIVE Tracker (3.0), is a wireless tracking puck that adds positional and rotational tracking to physical objects and to parts of the user's body in the SteamVR ecosystem. HTC announced it on March 10, 2021 and released it in the United States on March 24, 2021 at US$129.99.[1][2] It is the third generation of HTC's standalone Vive Tracker line and is tracked by the same Lighthouse (SteamVR Tracking) base stations used by the HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro and Valve Index headsets.[3]
Users strap the tracker to the waist and feet for full-body tracking of avatars in social platforms such as VRChat, or mount it on props such as rifles or tennis rackets.[3] HTC also markets it for television and film production, sports rehabilitation and training, medical use and enterprise training.[1] Compared with the VIVE Tracker (2018), HTC states that the 3.0 model is 33 percent smaller, 15 percent lighter and has up to 75 percent longer battery life, while keeping the same Pogo pin and mounting layout so that earlier accessories still fit.[1][4] It was announced together with the HTC Vive Facial Tracker, a separate lower-face tracking accessory for the Vive Pro.[2]
Announcement and release
Earlier Vive Trackers
HTC showed the first Vive Tracker at CES and Mobile World Congress in early 2017, paired with accessories such as a baseball bat, firefighting equipment and smartphones. About 2,300 teams applied for development kits before a public launch later that year.[5] Consumer pre-orders opened on November 16, 2017 at US$99.99.[6] At Mobile World Congress in February 2018, HTC showed an updated tracker that supports the second-generation SteamVR Tracking 2.0 base stations; UploadVR reported that it appeared to keep the same size and puck shape as the original.[7] HTC began selling the updated trackers, which work with SteamVR Tracking 2.0, in March 2018.[8] That model, the VIVE Tracker (2018), is the one HTC uses as the point of comparison for the 3.0 model.[4]
Tracker 3.0 launch
HTC published the first version of its VIVE Tracker (3.0) developer guidelines on January 18, 2021, and a revised version 1.1 on May 27, 2021.[9] The company announced the tracker publicly on March 10, 2021. Dan O'Brien, general manager of HTC America, said in the announcement that "with its smaller design and more efficient energy management, this next generation of the VIVE Tracker will increase the utility and immersion of VR".[1] The VIVE Tracker (3.0) and the VIVE Facial Tracker both went on sale on March 24, 2021, each at US$129.99.[1][2] Engadget reported a European price of 139 euros.[10] The launch price was higher than the US$99.99 charged for the previous generation.[3][2]
Later developments
In April 2022 HTC announced VIVE Mars CamTrack, a camera-tracking kit for virtual production that includes two VIVE Tracker (3.0) units to track cameras, lights or props, together with a Mars processing unit, three Rovers and base stations. The early-bird price of the kit was US$5,000.[11]
On November 28, 2023 HTC released the HTC Vive Ultimate Tracker, which tracks its own position with two wide field-of-view cameras instead of external base stations. It launched for HTC's standalone headsets, with PC VR support through SteamVR announced for later. HTC's announcement presented it as following "the highly popular VIVE Tracker 3.0".[12] HTC's US online store still listed the VIVE Tracker (3.0) on September 29, 2026, at US$149.00 and marked as sold out.[13]
Design and hardware
The Vive Tracker 3.0 is a puck measuring 79.0 x 70.9 x 44.1 mm and weighing 75 g.[9][4] Sensors on the housing receive the signals from the base stations. HTC's developer guidelines advise accessory makers to avoid white or other reflective surfaces near the sensors, because reflections can cause faulty signals, and to keep metal parts at least 30 mm from the antenna.[9] The sensors cover a 240-degree field of view, and HTC claims sub-millimeter positional accuracy.[1][13]
The tracker has a status LED and a power button, which is also used for pairing.[9] The LED shows green in normal mode, blinks red when the battery is low, blinks blue while pairing, shows blue while connecting and shows orange while charging.[14] The underside uses a standard camera-tripod docking layout that follows ISO 1222:2010. It consists of a 1/4 inch screw nut with 1.27 mm thread pitch (the common 1/4"-20 camera thread), a recess for a stabilizing pin that stops the tracker from rotating, a friction pad and a spring-contact Pogo pin port with six pins.[9][2] Through four of those pins an accessory can send Grip, Trigger, Trackpad and Menu button events, so that a prop can act like a VIVE controller. An accessory can also exchange data with the PC over the tracker's USB Type-C port, which works as a USB 2.0 full-speed device.[9]
Power comes from an embedded 740 mAh battery.[14] HTC's product page rates it at up to 7.5 hours of use, while the March 2021 press release and launch coverage gave "up to seven hours".[4][1][3] The tracker charges at 5 V over USB Type-C. HTC gives a charging time of about 2 hours at up to 700 mA from an AC adapter and about 3 hours at 500 mA from a PC; it can also charge at 500 mA through one of the Pogo pins.[9] The tracker can be used while charging.[14] The box contains the tracker, a wireless dongle, a dongle cradle with a USB Type-C connection and a USB Type-C cable.[4]
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 79.0 x 70.9 x 44.1 mm[9] |
| Weight | 75 g[4] |
| Tracking | SteamVR Tracking, SteamVR Base Station 1.0 or 2.0[4] |
| Sensor field of view | 240 degrees[4] |
| Battery | 740 mAh, embedded[14] |
| Battery life | Up to 7.5 hours (product page); up to seven hours (launch press release)[4][1] |
| Charging | USB Type-C, 5 V; about 2 hours (AC, 700 mA) or about 3 hours (PC, 500 mA)[9] |
| Data connection | Wireless dongle, or USB 2.0 full speed over USB Type-C[9] |
| Mount | 1/4 inch camera screw nut (ISO 1222:2010), stabilizing pin recess[9] |
| Accessory port | 6-pin Pogo pin port[9] |
| In the box | Tracker, dongle, dongle cradle, USB Type-C cable[4] |
| Launch price | US$129.99 (United States, March 24, 2021)[1] |
Tracking and compatibility
The tracker uses outside-in SteamVR Tracking. The tracker's sensors receive signals from SteamVR Base Stations, and the VR system uses those signals to compute the tracker's current location.[9] The tracker also contains an inertial measurement unit (IMU). HTC's guidelines note that continuous vibration causes noticeable IMU drift and suggest rubber dampers between the tracker and the accessory for high-vibration uses.[9]
The tracker works with both SteamVR Base Station 1.0 and 2.0.[1] HTC lists compatibility with the HTC Vive, the Vive Pro series, the Vive Pro Eye series and the Vive Cosmos Elite when used with base stations, as well as the Vive Cosmos External Tracking Faceplate.[4] The press release describes it as compatible with all SteamVR-based headsets, and UploadVR named the Valve Index among them.[1][3]
HTC's developer guidelines describe five use cases. The tracker can send its tracking data to the PC wirelessly through the dongle or over a USB cable. An attached accessory can also pass its own data to the PC over USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or a proprietary radio, or send button events through the tracker.[9] When the tracker is connected by cable to another device that acts as a USB host, it switches to a data-sending mode and sends its tracking data to that device.[14] Pairing with a dongle is done from the SteamVR app. HTC recommends at most nine trackers plus two VIVE controllers in one play area; the practical limit depends on free USB ports, the software and radio interference. By default a tracker turns off after five minutes without movement.[14] HTC's guidelines cover integration with Unity and Unreal Engine and firmware updates through SteamVR over USB.[9]
Uses
A common consumer use is full-body tracking in social VR. With trackers on the feet and hips, in addition to the headset and controllers, an avatar's legs and hips follow the user's body in applications such as VRChat.[3] HTC recommends three or more trackers for full-body tracking and sells mounting straps separately.[4][13] Its US site carries Rebuff Reality's TrackStrap and TrackBelt, neoprene straps sold for full-body tracking with the VIVE Tracker.[15]
Attached to an object, the tracker turns a physical prop, such as a rifle or a tennis racket, into a tracked item in VR.[3] For professional work, HTC cites television and film production, sports training and rehabilitation, medical applications and enterprise training.[1] In virtual production, VIVE Mars CamTrack uses two of the trackers to follow cameras, lights or props.[11] Researchers have tested the tracker as a less complex and less costly alternative to optical motion capture systems.[16]
Research
A 2023 study in the journal Sensors by Merker, Pastel, Bürger, Schwadtke and Witte compared the Vive Tracker 3.0 with a Vicon optical motion-capture system. Three trackers were attached to the hip, knee and ankle of one participant riding a bicycle ergometer at 80, 120 and 160 rpm, with two different base station layouts. Both pedaling frequency and base station arrangement significantly affected accuracy. The smallest spatial differences, 10.4 mm plus or minus 4.5 mm at the knee and 11.3 mm plus or minus 5.1 mm at the ankle, came at 80 rpm with the rectangular base station layout recommended by the manufacturer. The authors concluded that the accuracy was good enough to visualize limbs or the whole body in VR through inverse kinematics, and to give initial insight into sports technique at lower speeds, but that the trackers are not suitable for exact biomechanical analysis.[16]
Reception
UploadVR described HTC's tracker as "the go-to solution for a range of applications", and its headline summed up the update as 15 percent lighter and 30 percent more expensive.[3] Road to VR wrote that "while weight and size have gone down, unfortunately price is going up", noting the rise from US$100 for the previous model to US$130.[2] Engadget reported HTC's statement that there was "no compromise in the tracking precision" compared with earlier trackers, and noted that the tracker remained compatible with existing Pogo pin accessories.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "HTC VIVE Upgrades VR Ecosystem With Next-Gen VIVE Tracker And New VIVE Facial Tracker". PR Newswire. HTC. 2021-03-10. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/htc-vive-upgrades-vr-ecosystem-with-next-gen-vive-tracker-and-new-vive-facial-tracker-301244616.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ben Lang (2021-03-10). "HTC Announces Face-tracker for Vive Pro and Vive Tracker 3.0, Launching This Month for $130". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/htc-vive-facial-tracker-3-0-announcement-release-date-price/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Ian Hamilton (2021-03-09). "New HTC Vive Tracker Is 15% Lighter And 30% More Expensive". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/htc-vive-tracker-3/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 "VIVE Tracker (3.0)". VIVE United States. HTC. https://www.vive.com/us/accessory/tracker3/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Jamie Feltham (2017-03-08). "Vive Tracker Could Transform Into 'Hundreds of Hardware Accessories' in 2017". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/htc-vive-hundreds-tracker-accessories/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Lucas Matney (2017-11-16). "HTC's VR object tracker is launching in December for $99.99". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/16/htcs-vr-object-tracker-is-launching-in-december-for-99-99. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Jamie Feltham (2018-02-27). "HTC Debuts Updated Vive Tracker For SteamVR 2.0 At MWC 2018". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/htc-debuts-updated-vive-tracker-for-steamvr-2-0-at-mwc-2018/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Kevin Carbotte (2018-03-20). "HTC Quietly Outs Vive Tracker 2018 With Steam VR 2.0 Tracking". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/vive-tracker-updated-steamvr-tracking,36698.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 "VIVE Tracker (3.0) Developer Guidelines Ver. 1.1". VIVE Developers. HTC Corporation. 2021-05-27. https://developer.vive.com/documents/850/HTC_Vive_Tracker_3.0_Developer_Guidelines_v1.1_06022021.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Daniel Cooper (2021-03-10). "HTC shrinks its VR Tracker, debuts new face-tracking accessory". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/htc-vive-vr-tracker-3-0-2021-smaller-longer-battery-life-140018054.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Steve Dent (2022-04-25). "Vive's Mars CamTrack promises virtual set technology on an indie budget". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/vive-aims-to-make-virtual-production-affordable-with-the-mars-camtrack-system-170017095.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "HTC VIVE Announces VIVE Ultimate Tracker for All-in-One XR Headsets and PC VR Streaming". PR Newswire. HTC. 2023-11-28. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/htc-vive-announces-vive-ultimate-tracker-for-all-in-one-xr-headsets-and-pc-vr-streaming-301999898.html. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "HTC VIVE Tracker 3.0: Full Body Motion Tracking Sensor for VR (SteamVR Compatible)". VIVE Store United States. HTC. https://shop-us.vive.com/products/vive-tracker-3-0-full-body-tracking. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 "VIVE Tracker (3.0) FAQ V1.0". VIVE Developers. HTC Corporation. 2021-01-19. https://dl.vive.com/Tracker/FAQ/HTC%20Vive%20Tracker%203.0_FAQ_v1.0_01192021.pdf. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "Rebuff Reality TrackStrap and TrackBelt". VIVE United States. HTC. https://www.vive.com/us/accessory/rebuff-strap/. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 S. Merker, S. Pastel, D. Bürger, A. Schwadtke, K. Witte (2023). "Measurement Accuracy of the HTC VIVE Tracker 3.0 Compared to Vicon System for Generating Valid Positional Feedback in Virtual Reality". Sensors, vol. 23, no. 17, article 7371. doi:10.3390/s23177371. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23177371. Retrieved 2026-09-29.