HTC announced that its Vive Ultimate Tracker is now compatible with third-party PC VR headsets that support SteamVR.

Originally developed for the Vive Focus 3 and Vive XR Elite, Vive Ultimate Tracker is a puck-like device that comes equipped with two cameras, allowing it to track its position without external devices or base stations, supporting both object and full-body tracking.

Released last November for $200, Vive Ultimate Tracker is now compatible with SteamVR headsets, which includes tethered PC VR headsets such as Valve Index, but also standalone devices capable of connecting to PCs, such as Quest 3 or Pico Pico 4 Ultra.

Photo by Road to VR

This follows a beta program launched earlier this year to to test compatibility with other SteamVR-supported headsets, including Quest. The company says feedback from the program helped improve the tracker’s precision, connectivity, and overall user experience.

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This also means Vive Ultimate Tracker can work independently from a headset as well, so it can be used to track the movement of people or objects, making it useful across multiple fields.

While priced at $200 per device, users looking for basic full-body tracking only require a minimum of three trackers, which can be had in a $600 bundle, which includes the required Vive Wireless Dongle ($39 MSRP). This allows you to track each foot (with supplied straps) and one placed on your hips.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Alfafafalafelmoose

    Blinking expensive for what it does!

    • SmortBort

      It is, but it's still cheaper than buying a lighthouse setup for those who don't already have one.

      • anonmon

        2x 1.0 Lighthouses: $260 / 2x 2.0 Lighthouses: $300
        3x Tundra Trackers: $360
        Total: $620 / $660
        vs.
        3x Vive Ultimate Trackers: $600

        Only barely, and that doesn't include the used market (strictly new prices). And once you have Lighthouses, each additional tracker is somewhere around $125 +/- $10 or so, while every VUT is another $200. And that ALSO doesn't account for the headaches of having to deal with syncing playspaces unless you exclusively use Vive newer standalone headsets, vs. having multiple vendor options for headsets and controllers (with a wide range of HMD's if we also include the used market) with Lighthouse.

        A 11 point body tracking setup (Hands and head + 8 body trackers) conversely:

        2x 1.0 Lighthouses: $260 / 2x 2.0 Lighthouses: $300
        8x (4x*2) Tundra Trackers: $960
        Total: $1220 / $1260
        vs.
        8x Vive Ultimate Trackers: $1600

        $380 / $340 of difference is nothing to sneeze at. That's enough to go from a $600 to a $980 / $940 HMD if we're buying everything fresh with no prior hardware.

  • ViRGiN

    Htc trying to make mental illness look cool.

    • ViRGiN

      I should look in the mirror, the epitome of mental illness looks straight back…