HTC released a new video promising something “coming soon,” teasing what promises to be the next XR headset from the company.
The video is largely a sizzle reel of its recent standalone headsets, Vive XR Elite (2023) and Vive Focus 3 (2021), focusing on their use for both enterprise and gaming.
“Soon, out innovation will offer you a new kind of power. Prepare to pioneer the next reality,” the video states, flashing to teasers of the headset’s profile. Check out the video below:
While HTC hasn’t officially detailed anything about the device beyond teasing the headset’s profile, rumors suggest it could be the next iteration of Vive Focus, which, at $1,300, is mainly aimed at businesses.
A supposed leak reported by YouTuber and tech analyst Brad Lynch suggests the headset may be more of an iterative design on Vive Focus 3, containing the same displays and optics as Vive Focus 3, however integrating the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 chipset used in Vive XR Elite.
The device is also rumored to include built-in eye-tracking, USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode, and work with Vive Focus 3’s accessories—although none of that is confirmed.
When should we expect to see more information on HTC’s next headset? It’s impossible to say for now, although the company tends to tease headsets only a few months out from debut.
HTC teased Vive Focus 3 a month in advance of its official announcement, revealing the headset in full at its Vivecon event in May 2021. The company similarly teased Vive XR Elite in October 2022, later revealing it in full at CES 2023 a few months later.
As far as events go, there are a few where it might make the most sense to debut what could be another enterprise-focused headset from the company.
The soonest, biggest opportunity could be Gamescom in August, however that may be a non-starter. The consumer-focused event is largely dedicated to gaming, although it does have a sizable business area for press and industry. HTC doesn’t have a booth there this year though, but it could have some sort of off-site presence there.
Less “soon” events to consider are Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Vienna, Austria in late October, Immersive Tech Week (ITW) in Rotterdam, Netherlands in November (previously called VR Days), and of course CES 2024 in Las Vegas in January. We’ll be keeping an eye on HTC in the coming weeks for any indication of what’s to come, so check back soon.