Vive Pro Gets Detailed Teardown Confirming Samsung-made Displays

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By
Ben Lang
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65

Teardown experts iFixit have disassembled the new Vive Pro to see what they could find. In addition to confirming that the headset’s new displays are made by Samsung, the organization also gave the headset a favorable repairability score.

IFixit, which provides repair manuals and tools for consumer electronics, is the king of teardowns, and their latest victim is newly released Vive Pro. Their Vive Pro teardown walkthrough details the disassembly process (you can catch a video summary heading this article).

At the outset, an actual X-ray of the headset from Creative Electron shows the inner workings in detail, including every screw in the headset.

Image courtesy iFixit / Creative Electron / Jeff Suovanen (BY-NC-SA)

After removing the shell in Step 6, you can see the intricate ribbon cable which winds its way under the faceplate and connects to the headset’s 32 IR tracking sensors. Each sensor hides underneath one of the circular divots seen on the outside of the headset, which filter out non-infrared light, making it easier for the sensors to pick out the infrared light coming from the base station tracking beacons.

In Step 12 iFixit pulls out the optics assembly and removes the display from the lens housing to find a pair of 1,440 × 1,600 Samsung AMS350MU04 AMOLED displays, which is believed to be the same used in Samsung’s Odyssey VR headset.

Image courtesy iFixit / Jeff Suovanen (BY-NC-SA)

Having disassembled the entire headset, iFixit gives the Vive Pro an 8 out of 10 when it comes to repairability, citing the following:

✅Disassembly with standard tools is straightforward, nondestructive, and free of booby-traps.

✅Newly added earphones are completely modular and come with instructions for removal and installation.

✅Standard Phillips and Torx screws secure most components. High-wear comfort pads are secured with Velcro.

✅Compatibility with existing controllers and base stations means you may already know how to repair the required accessories.

➖Adhesive is used very sparingly, securing the lenses, microphone, and sensor arrays.

❌This is an unusually complex device with a lot of delicate bits, and the manufacturer does not provide a service manual—so use extra caution if attempting a repair.

In addition to other popular headsets, iFixit also tore down the original Vive (including controllers and base stations), which also saw an 8 out of 10 repairability rating.

SEE ALSO
HTC Vive Pro Headset Review: Welcomed Improvements Overshadowed By a Steep Price

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • theonlyrealconan

    This confirms the Odessey must now also be labeled “prosumer” and charge an extra $400. Oh wait, they already add non upgraded controllers and sensors, price will now be upgraded to at least $1,000, like Vive Pro Complete.

    • gothicvillas

      Odyssey can not be labeled pro for a one reason – poor tracking. Display is fine but the rest just screams “im a best buy average consumer product”

      • JJ

        yupp i couldnt agree more

        • theonlyrealconan

          $100/$150 add on does not make something pro.

          • ymo1965

            If they released an optional extra to give it proper tracking like the Rift did then this would be such an easy decision choice for people. Especially people jumping in for the first time. Personally I don’t know why they don’t. If the price was reasonable, most people would more than likely buy it and avoid the Vive Pro all together.

          • JJ

            yupp it feels cheaper/lighter but thats almost a benefit because of how light it is! I just hate the tracking, but love the idea of inward out tracking, they just need to make it 360

          • Sponge Bob

            optional extra for like 300-400$ ?

            thanks but no thanks

          • ymo1965

            Didnt suggest anything like that. If they’re selling the headset for $399 then $150 would be good. This isn’t HTC we’re talking about here lol

      • NooYawker

        If McDonalds can make a “Premium” line, Samsung can call the Odyssey Pro. They’re both inaccurate, but that’s just marketing.

        • wcalderini

          Ironically, the Odyssey is the reason I did pony up the bucks for the pro. Bought the Odyssey and was thrilled with the graphics, but the tracking, in least in my case, has been a miserable experience. Every time I ventured into Steam things would go wonky. I remember THEN saying I’d pay a pretty penny for THESE graphics with Vive tracking. Is it worth it? It was for me.
          I’ve only had it for a few days but it has recreated the original excitement I had with the first Vive 2 years ago. I hear a lot of complaints, but the best strategy is to ENCOURAGE purchase for suckers like me. Once they make their gravy, and the sooner they make it, the quicker the price will lower for the mass market.
          All I can say is I’m happy with it.
          $800. Via pay pal. $60 something dollars a month for 12 months.
          I can think of a lot of things I’ve spent more money on and enjoyed less.
          It should have been priced at $600, with $800 for the combo. And eventually it will be.
          Was my extra $200 early adoption fee worth it?
          It was for me.
          But if it’s not for you,then don’t.
          Prices will fall. HTC is neither good nor bad. They just “are”.
          And I’ll be the next sucker in line for the Rift 2.0 as well, because VR is my “thing” now.
          And I can’t wait to see where it’s all going.
          WRC

          • NooYawker

            Anyone who owns a VR set is an early adopter and had to pony something up. As long as you can afford it and you are happy with your purchase, that’s all that matters.

  • MW

    It really doesn’t look like 1000usd product. No gpu, no cpu. Screen with res.lower than in medicore smartphone, lenses,and sensors. Why it is cost so much??

    • oompah

      do u ever ask such questions about apple products? hah ha

      • MW

        Actually, yes. That’s why I have Android:-) Problem is, that when I’m trying to criticize too high vr prices, people are freaking out… It shouldn’t costs so much… It’s harmful for entire industry in every possible way. Where’s the logic?

        • alboradasa

          It’s a stopgap product for a niche market. There is not enough demand for it thanks to an insufficiently large potential user-base with the required hardware to run it, in order for HTC to sell it at anywhere near cost price. I’m not sure why people expect HTC to act like some kind of VR charity and make a loss on this. When the Volta cards come out, and the 1070/1080 cards drop in price, the market will change and HD VR will become more realistic and profitable and therefore more affordable. But in the meantime the costs of producing and selling the Vive Pro are not simply down to how much the hardware costs to manufacture.

          • MW

            There’s no demand and fanbase because of the price. Chicken or egg. 1) if you sell couple of pieces for less price you will collect more than from one which noone will buy (cost of product is much less than a price-look at the photo…), so, 2) there’s difference between charity and rip off.

          • alboradasa

            I think it’s a bit more complex than “sell it for cheaper and more people will buy it”. Like I said you have to factor in the size of the market which is currently severely limited by the cost and availability of high end video cards.

          • MW

            Again- size of the market is shaped by price. I see one logic in that- we have no (or almost no) competition- so pay, or get lost.

          • Raphael

            Exactly… it’s a slight upgrade using the same displays as the new samsung but with inferior lenses. Inflated opportunistic price hike.

          • Raphael

            Significant alienation from existing vive users now. Sure there’s a dumb percentage who will buy vive pro whatever the price and whatever the issues with HTC but in general… thinking types recognise a pricing scam when they see it.

          • Raphael

            Complete load of nonsense. Vive pro is aimed at pro entertainment market at the expense of home users. That’s the only reason for the price hike. The idea that businesses have much more money to spend on an incomplete VR system (800) or a complete system at inflated price. The proof you don’t know what you’re talking about is that samsung odyssesy has identical displays with superior lenses at a fraction of the price.

          • alboradasa

            The Odyssey is cheaper for numerous reasons including inferior tracking and build quality, in-house produced screens and need to break into the market, so that’s not really proof of anything thanks. And I think most people can figure out that the Vive is aimed at the pro market from it’s name.

          • Raphael

            Tracking is inferior… you’re lying about build quality. HTC have a reputation for failed controllers or headset’s destroyed by sweat and then refusing to repair without significant payment.

            Superior sound/mic, superior lenses = samsung.

            Nice try with the pro vive-pro drive though.

          • G-man

            people break their vr hardware and expect htc to replace it. thats not htcs fault.

          • Raphael

            Not always the case. Hardware fails without help in some cases. Nice try kissing HTC ass though.

          • G-man

            the fuck you talking about? yeah things break in ways not the customers fault. that is what a warranty covers smartarse. how exactly is a customer covering their headset electronics in sweat “hardware fails without help sometimes”? nice tryi bringing up something completely irrelevant thqat just makes you look even more dumb.

          • Raphael

            Well you’re full of big man talk but an uneducated twat it seems. Under european law a VR headset is EXPECTED to be able to withstand sweat. You brainless mong.

            Vive ships with a heat-trapping insulating material called NEOPRENE. I used that material when I was cooling my old CPU below zero. It’s not a material that should be in contact with the skin especially on a unit combining heat from internal parts + the 150 watts+ heat from a human playing a vigorous VR game. So no… Sweat killing a VR HMD is absolutely the responsibility of HTC.

          • G-man

            You think eu law has set a standard for what is expected from a vr headset?
            Youre talking out your arse. Feel gree to provide me with the law you talk of that states this.
            No epectronic device is expected to he waterproof unless it is sold with a waterproof rating.

            You can coat the electronics. But not the connectors. Then also you get heat issues and you cant repair the hmd electronics because all your components are covered in epoxy, htc didnt have to do that people just needed to not literally pour sweat down into their headset. Consumers are expected to not be complete morons who intentionally destroy things and expect it to not be their fault. You sound like an entitled child, you clearly have no experience. Let me know when you find that law.

          • Raphael

            Proving you’re actually too dumb to live. As I said… 150 watts plus of human heat + the heat from the electronics + ambient temps. VR absolutely needs to be sweat resistant and that is solely the responsibility of the manufacturer. I guess you live in a country where everything is the consumer’s fault.

            “Consumers are expected to not be complete morons who intentionally destroy things” – What a nasty piece of trash you are.

            VR is designed for motion and that includes vigorous motion and vigorous motion generates sweat so no… having VR die due to sweat is not acceptable.

            “Then also you get heat issues and you cant repair the hmd electronics because all your components are covered in epoxy,” << You're not even technology literate!!! Epoxy? WTF is this 1975? So you think the only way to waterproof is with epoxy? You stupid brainless mong.

          • G-man

            nasty piece of trash? because i’m not a moron who breaks the thing si buy and expect the compnay that made it to replace them? people like YOU are entitled assholes.

            i’m not seeing any kind of reference to this law, just you making up stuff about how people sweat. that doesnt mean a vr headset should be able to withstand absolutely any level of water all over it. Get back to me when you have that law you where so sure existed, but clearly doesn’t

          • Raphael

            Any level of water? No… There’s a difference between being submerged in a river versus unavoidable body sweat due to limitations in design. Look on YouTube you lazy bastard. HTC are breaking European trade laws.

            Now you’re actually too much of a retard to argue with so I stop reading your anti consumer vomit. Didn’t read through your bollocks. I’m only responding to the one fragment I caught sight of.

            Go and work for HTC or apple warranty section. I’m sure your anti consumer stance will make you a valuable asset. You dumb shit.

          • G-man

            keep trying.

          • Raphael

            nuffink left to say flappy. You have your tongue up the anal passage of corporations who try to dodge consumer rights.

          • G-man

            consumers dont have the right to break things and expect a repacement. if you think that is your right you are a complete idiot.

          • Raphael

            If you think a vr hmd should die with sweat and if you think epoxy resin is the waterproofing agent used in 2018 then you are clearly too dumb to live. You’ve already lost the argument so why keep trying you mong.

          • G-man

            the problem with your bullshit argument though is that it really doesnt, because thousands of people get sweat on theirs all the time and those headsets are fine. one dumb ass who managed to get liquid inside their headset by sweating all over it so much doesnt suddenly mean the headset has a fault. stop expecting a company to repair your stupidity.

            epoxy, silicone, enamel, polymer, unicorn fucking tears. who gives a fuck. why do you keep going on about that like i said thats the only way to waterpof a circuit board you stupid prick? maybe dont be a dumbass who assumes stupid shit i didn’t say. epoxy can and is used to waterproof electronics. so do yourself a favour and get the fuck over it.

          • Raphael

            Dear flappy,

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYwqMAWUZNA&t=77s

            You will of course disagree with the legal advice he was given in Germany. We know you’re anti-consumer so your response will be predictable.

          • G-man

            Im pro fairness. If the consumer did nothing wrong then they deserve to have the situation fixed. Wheb someone breaks somehing then thats their fault.

            Legal advice from some citizen advice beuro lawyer who probably doesnt even know what a vr headset is. Doesnt change the fact he broke his headset by using it in a way not intended. He changed the face foam. He ignored the instructions in the manual. Get the fuck over it.

          • Raphael

            You’re such a total fucking knob. Anti-consumer rights idiot.

            You look for any fucking way to jump on the consumer and take away their rights. He changed the face pad? That alone shows how totally stupid you are. Neoprene is the stock face pad with Vive. It’s a fucking INSULATOR!!! With the Vive stock neoprene there would have been more fucking sweat!

            Switching to a shiny faux leather reduces the condensation.

            I really hope your VR dies for no reason (but you’re so anti-consumer you will probably just bend over and let HTC jizz in your anal passage).

          • G-man

            Thats a big pile of shit you wasted your time posting there. Well done.

            Seems like you cant get over the fact the company isnt repsonsible for morons like yourself. (Not that you even own a vive) Maybe that is part of beig a moron and i guess you cant do much about that. Feel free to keep ranting about how everyone else is to blame for everythig regarding something you dont even own. Weirdo.
            Byeeeeee

          • Raphael

            Clearly you carry guilt for breaking lots of toys and hardware in your life and now you transfer that guilt to everyone else. Clearly you haz only half baked arguments. Epoxy resin…I’m still laughing over that one. Or how the vive user in that video is to blame because he replaced a neoprene insulation material with a shiny leather face cushion that reduces heat. By the way you ignorant bum hole…. Changing vive face cushion does not invalidate your warranty. You are too dumb to live.

          • G-man

            No, clearly i never broke anything i own you dumb fuck, because i know how to take care of things inow. Youre the one breaking thigns and blaming it on other people
            You’re fucking pathetic.
            And you are still complaining about a product you dont even fucking own. You are so fucking pathetic

          • Raphael

            Nice try flappy. Have you ever tried Araldite for waterproofing your bits?

            You are correct,,, I don’t own a Vive pro. I own a Vive with replaced face pads.

            “clearly i never broke anything i own you dumb fuck, because i know how to take care of things inow.” <<< ummmm, yeah. Bollocks-gibberish.

          • G-man

            why are you still talking?

          • Raphael

            Because you are still talking? Asshat.

          • G-man

            keep going then prick.

          • Raphael

            Ok, knob.

          • brandon9271

            If i could’ve added 3rd party controllers to the Samsung Odyssey I would’ve kept it knowing i pretty much had the best VR experience on the market. I wish LG would hurry up with their lighthouse based HMD. At this point HTC pretty much does have a monopoly considering the fact that they have the combo of best tracking and screen resolution. Every other product offers some compromises.

    • Kathleen

      Google is paying every one 99 dollars every hour, with step by step reliably paychecks .. Any one can also apply this easy work!!this Friday I bought a gorgeous Saab 99 Turbo just after earnin $21683 this-past/month .it’s definitly the best job however you wo’nt forgive yourself if you don’t test this.!pf022e:➽➽➽ http://GooglePowerFreelanceHomeJobs/earncash/$98/per-hr… ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★::!kh09a:drrtzb

    • Sandy Wich

      The headset in Canada taxed and delivered is 1200 dollars. It’s like… How to make a terrible business choice 101.

      • G-man

        if they have sold out, then you are wrong. if you think slling all the product you can make is bad business you’ve clearly never ran a business and are just viewing it from the perspective of “I want that, and i want it cheaper”

    • FireAndTheVoid

      HTC is pricing it in order to maximize their profit. Incredibly, even at $800, they have sold out almost everywhere in the US. They are not our friends and they don’t owe it to the community to price it lower. They are only accountable to their shareholders who expect them to maximize profits.

      Don’t worry too much. There is competition in the market and HTC is not operating as a monopoly in the VR space. The price will eventually come down.

    • Sven Viking

      Two screens, to be fair, and the mediocre smartphone display probably isn’t 90Hz OLED. Not that any of that explains the price.

  • oompah

    I think headsets can be made very simple, light
    and easy to wear by making them like
    video players while cos. should
    provide gaming services on cloud.
    An experience in future:
    1. Wear ur headset
    2. See a gaming service ( say steam) with in
    3. Order a game to play which
    starts from where u stopped previously
    4. U r charged for the time u played & if there r ads
    u r not charged at all, let the ad cos. pay for it hah ha

  • Jean-Sebastien Perron

    Vive Pro for Problems

  • Sponge Bob

    At this price why could not they implement stereo video pass-through from 2 cameras on the front ?
    Or its already included in SDK and I’m missing something ?
    Stereo video pass-through is an incredibly useful feature not just for Chaperone but for many other things

    • G-man

      thats on devs to implement in games or valve to implement into steamvr

  • So, you’re paying for a rebranded Samsung Odyssey… XD

    • brandon9271

      If only the Odyssey could be coupled with better controllers it would be King. If a lighthouse tracker could be stuck on top of it I’d buy (another) one in a heart beat.

  • fuyou2

    Crappy Lenses!

    • Jeremiah

      Crazy when considering how important they are, Sony uses massively better lenses in their far cheaper device and it makes all the difference, shame about the tracking issues though.

  • Cool!