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HTC Vive Tracker 3.0

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HTC Vive Tracker 3.0
Basic Info
VR/AR Virtual Reality
Type Tracking Accessory
Subtype Object and body tracker
Platform SteamVR
Creator HTC
Developer HTC
Manufacturer HTC
Announcement Date March 10, 2021
Release Date March 24, 2021
Price $129.99 (US)
Website https://www.vive.com/us/accessory/tracker3/
Versions VIVE Tracker (3.0)
Requires SteamVR Base Station 1.0 or 2.0, compatible PC VR setup
Predecessor VIVE Tracker (2018)
Successor VIVE Ultimate Tracker (2023)
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
Adjustable Diopter N/A
Passthrough N/A
Tracking
Tracking SteamVR Tracking (Lighthouse), 240-degree sensor field of view
Base Stations Required (SteamVR Base Station 1.0 or 2.0)
Eye Tracking N/A
Face Tracking N/A
Hand Tracking N/A
Body Tracking Yes (when worn on body)
Rotational Tracking Yes
Positional Tracking Yes
Audio
Audio N/A
Microphone N/A
Camera N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity Wireless via USB dongle (2.4 GHz)
Ports USB Type-C (charging), Pogo pin connector
Power Rechargeable lithium battery (740 mAh)
Battery Capacity 740 mAh
Battery Life Up to 7.5 hours
Charge Time USB-C charging
Device
Dimensions 70.9 x 79.0 x 44.1 mm
Weight 75 g
Material Plastic housing
Headstrap N/A
Haptics N/A
Color Black
Sensors IMU (gyroscope, accelerometer), photodiode sensors
Input Pogo pin connector (accessory I/O)
Compliance SteamVR Tracking compatible

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The HTC Vive Tracker 3.0, marketed by HTC as the VIVE Tracker (3.0), is a wireless tracking accessory for Virtual Reality that adds positional and rotational tracking to physical objects and to parts of the user's body within the SteamVR ecosystem. Announced on March 10, 2021 and released on March 24, 2021 at a US price of $129.99, it is the third generation of the company's standalone Vive Tracker line.[1][2][3] The puck-shaped device is tracked by the same Lighthouse (SteamVR Tracking) base stations used by the HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro and Valve Index headsets, and it is commonly strapped to the waist and feet to enable full-body avatars in social platforms such as VRChat, mounted on props such as rifles or tennis rackets, or used as a reference point in film, broadcast and motion-capture production.[4][3]

Compared with the previous-generation VIVE Tracker (2018), the 3.0 model is 33 percent smaller in footprint, 15 percent lighter, and offers up to 75 percent longer battery life while retaining the same Pogo pin connector and mounting layout, making it backward compatible with existing accessories and mounts.[1][2][5] It was unveiled alongside the VIVE Facial Tracker, a separate clip-on accessory for lower-face expression tracking.[3][6]

History and Development

HTC introduced the original Vive Tracker concept at CES in January 2017 as a way to bring real-world objects and additional tracked points into room-scale VR built around the SteamVR Tracking system co-developed with Valve Corporation.[3] A revised model, generally referred to as the VIVE Tracker (2018), followed and added compatibility with the second-generation SteamVR Base Station 2.0 in addition to the original 1.0 stations.[7]

The Vive Tracker 3.0 continued that lineage as an iterative hardware refresh rather than a redesign of the tracking method. HTC announced it through a press release on March 10, 2021, positioning the tracker as a mature, broadly adopted tool, and the company stated that the accessory had built "a strong track record across a wide range of industries," citing television and film production, sports rehabilitation and training, medical applications, enterprise training, and full-body tracking for VR avatars.[1] The Tracker 3.0 and the VIVE Facial Tracker both went on sale on March 24, 2021 in the United States, each priced at $129.99.[1][3] The $129.99 price represented an increase over the roughly $99.99 cost of the 2018 model.[4][3]

In November 2023, HTC announced the VIVE Ultimate Tracker, a self-tracking, camera-based successor designed primarily for the company's standalone headsets such as the HTC Vive Focus 3 and HTC Vive XR Elite with later support for PC VR. Unlike the Tracker 3.0, the Ultimate Tracker does not require external Lighthouse base stations.[8] The base-station-tracked Tracker 3.0 remained on sale alongside it.

Hardware and Design

The Vive Tracker 3.0 is a small, disc-shaped puck with a matte black plastic housing. It measures 70.9 x 79.0 x 44.1 mm and weighs 75 grams, figures HTC presents as a 33 percent reduction in size and a 15 percent reduction in weight versus the 2018 generation.[9][5] The underside carries a standard tripod-style mounting socket so the tracker can be attached to straps, mounts and props, and the same recessed Pogo pin connector found on earlier models allows accessories to draw power and exchange data.[4][2]

The dome of the device is studded with photodiode sensors that detect the swept infrared laser signals emitted by SteamVR Base Stations, while an internal inertial measurement unit (gyroscope and accelerometer) supplies high-rate orientation data between optical updates. HTC lists a wide tracking field of view of 240 degrees and sub-millimeter positional accuracy when the tracker is within line of sight of the base stations.[10] The tracker communicates with the host PC wirelessly through a small USB dongle rather than a direct cable, and it charges over USB Type-C.[5][9]

Power comes from an embedded 740 mAh rechargeable battery that HTC rates for up to 7.5 hours of continuous use, an improvement the company describes as up to 75 percent longer than the previous generation.[9][11] The retail package includes the tracker, a USB dongle, a USB-C dongle cradle and a USB-C cable.[9]

VIVE Tracker (3.0) specifications
Specification Detail
Type Wireless object and body tracker for SteamVR
Dimensions 70.9 x 79.0 x 44.1 mm
Weight 75 g
Battery 740 mAh rechargeable, up to 7.5 hours
Charging USB Type-C
Connectivity Wireless via USB dongle
Accessory I/O Pogo pin connector (backward compatible)
Sensors Photodiode array, IMU (gyroscope, accelerometer)
Tracking field of view About 240 degrees
Tracking system SteamVR Tracking (Lighthouse)
Base stations SteamVR Base Station 1.0 or 2.0
Release date March 24, 2021
Launch price $129.99 (US)

Tracking and Compatibility

The Vive Tracker 3.0 relies on outside-in SteamVR Tracking. One or more SteamVR Base Stations sweep the play space with infrared laser planes, and the tracker's photodiodes time those sweeps to compute the device's position and orientation, which is then fused with the onboard IMU. The tracker is compatible with both the first-generation SteamVR Base Station 1.0 and the second-generation 2.0 stations, so it can be added to existing setups built for the HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro or Valve Index.[2][1][4] Because the optical tracking is handled by the base stations rather than by the headset, the Tracker 3.0 works with any SteamVR Tracking based system regardless of which compatible headset is in use.

By keeping the same Pogo pin layout and mounting interface as earlier Vive Trackers, the 3.0 model remains compatible with the wider accessory ecosystem of straps, dongles and prop mounts produced for previous generations.[2][4]

Use Cases

The most visible consumer use of the Vive Tracker 3.0 is full-body tracking in social VR. Users typically wear three trackers (waist and both feet) so that their avatar's legs and hips move with their real body in applications such as VRChat, going beyond the head-and-hands tracking provided by a headset and controllers alone.[4][3] Mounted to an object, the tracker turns physical props into tracked items inside VR, with HTC and the press citing examples such as attaching one to a tennis racket, a rifle-style controller or other handheld equipment.[4][2]

Beyond gaming, HTC markets the tracker for professional workflows. The 2021 announcement highlighted television and film production, sports training and rehabilitation, medical use and enterprise training as established application areas, reflecting the device's role as a flexible reference point for motion capture and mixed-reality production.[1]

Reception

Coverage of the Vive Tracker 3.0 generally framed it as a welcome but incremental update to an accessory that UploadVR called the go-to solution for adding extra tracked points and limbs in VR.[4] Outlets including Engadget and Road to VR emphasized the practical benefits of the smaller, lighter body and the substantially longer battery life, which together make wearing several trackers for full-body tracking more comfortable over long sessions.[2][3] The principal point of criticism was price: multiple reviewers noted that the launch cost of about $130 was roughly 30 percent higher than the previous generation, a meaningful jump for users who need three or more units for a complete body-tracking setup.[4][3]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named prnewswire
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named engadget
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named roadtovr
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named uploadvr
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named vrexpert
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named slashgear
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named techradar
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ultimate
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bestware
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named vivestore
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named knoxlabs
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