At Computex 2017, Intel’s Gregory Bryant demonstrated the company’s wireless VR solution on stage. He claimed this was the first public showing of the HTC Vive using Intel’s WiGig technology, and further confirms that HTC is bringing the product to market in “early 2018.”
Intel’s wireless VR solution, which was also shown at E3, uses DisplayLink’s DL-8020 chipset and the DisplayLink XR codec. Ben Lang went hand’s on with DisplayLink’s own reference design, which is very similar to Intel’s solution, using the same DisplayLink technology, and came away impressed by its quality and unnoticeable latency. This was also demonstrated using an HTC Vive, although the reference design could be configured for other headsets, DisplayLink says.
While the Intel wireless VR device presently takes the form of an add-on peripheral, it isn’t clear if the product that Bryant says Intel and HTC will bring to market in early 2018 will take the form as an add-on to existing Vive headsets, or as a technology integrated directly into a new headset. Given the timeline, the former seems the most likely, especially given the latest comments from HTC on when we might see a ‘Vive 2’.
The first high-end, wireless VR solutions are almost here. The TPCAST solution, which experienced some delays, has begun shipping in China, and is expected to ship internationally in Q3 2017, pending FCC approval. But HTC’s direct involvement in bringing Intel’s solution to market will likely mark the first step towards headset manufacturers offering wireless products ready for the demands of the second generation of headsets; the DisplayLink technology is capable of delivering dual 4K signals at 120Hz.