HTC’s Vive Tacker, the Lighthouse-compatible puck that promises to get more than your hands into virtual reality with a bevy of hardware applications, is now officially available for sale to anyone with $99.

Vive Tracker made its debut at CES 2017 this past January, where we got a chance to try out several applications showing off just how versatile the little puck really is. We got to fire custom-built guns, swing bats in a baseball training sim and use positionally-tracked gloves that gave us a level of precision that just isn’t possible with today’s IMU-based systems alone.

Update 03/27/2017: International orders are open on their respective marketplaces. The article has been updated for clarification.

buy now vive tracker chinaThe Vive Tracker, advertised as “for developers,” is available internationally through the Vive Tracker subsite and not the accessory storefront for most countries. However the Chinese accessory store front is listing it as a purchasable accessory without the “for developers” stipulation. The language used in the billing process for all countries simply calls it “HTC VIVE Tracker”.

Orders include one tracker, a USB cable, power adapter, a 2.4 Ghz dongle and dongle cradle. One charge is estimated to bring the user 4.5 hours of playtime.

General release of Vive Tracker comes on the heels of HTC’s launch initiative, where the company gave away 1000 of the pucks to developers who made it through their review process, sometimes giving multiple units to indie studios like CloudGate Studio, developers of the dinosaur-themed shooter Island 359 (2016).

htc vive tracker documentation (1)

The tracker houses multiple Lighthouse sensors, a 6-pin ‘pogo’ connector, a micro USB charging port and a standard 1/4 inch mount at the bottom, so not only can it communicate button presses through Vive Tracker itself, but it can also be securely attached to anything and everything with a standard tripod mounting screw. An integrated battery and its own wireless connection allow for Vive Tracker to communicate to the host computer.

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The Deluxe Audio Strap, a head strap that significantly improves the ergonomic factor of the Vive headset, will also be priced at $100 and will begin pre-orders on May 2nd.

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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.

  • Let’s see what developers will create with them!

    • The sky is the limit! :) Definitely a very exciting time for VR! :)

  • ale bro

    can this go on my foot to play soccer?

    • Alex Coulombe

      yes

    • JustNiz

      It could in theory, but you’d also need a game that supports it. As far as I’m aware there are none out.

  • Will not be long before somebody attaches this to a foot or peddle of an exercise bike so you can cycle to the moon on a pimped out unicycle along a shaft of light while shooting asteroids out the way with your wands and ducking face hugging space bugs that aim for your head….*cough*

    • Claus Sølvsten

      or the row thingy… be a pirate and row for your life surrounded by sharks… or enjoy a kajak along beautifull scene

  • fuyou2

    Still not available for Australia? So, it’s not available to general public,

    • Derfman

      Sorry, but Australia banned it. They where afraid that someone might bash in a virtual characters head with a Baseball bat. VR people have rights too.