The HTC Vive, a virtual reality headset for Valve’s SteamVR platform, was launched yesterday and it was accompanied by a lavish, high-concept trailer extolling the wonders of the new platform.

As the virtual reality revolution has been built primarily by grass-roots enthusiasts and (in the case of Oculus) a company started by one, VR has been spared marketing spin until relatively recently. Yesterday’s reveal by mobile giant HTC that it had partnered with Valve to produce the first virtual reality hardware to be based on the their Steam VR platform changed all of that.

htc-trailer-vive-2

The reveal video, shown to attendees to the Mobile World Conferences in Barcelona yesterday, was a short film exploring what might be possible in virtual reality. A stunning series of vignettes featuring sweeping vistas and epic scenes, from city war-zones to fantasy landscapes to high-concept medical visualisations – it was pure, unadulterated hype.

But then, as we’ve discussed on this website many times before, virtual reality is a medium whose wonder is challenging to convey in anything other than VR itself. Therefore, artistic license is really the only way to convey the wonder you feel when stepping into your first immersive, virtual world. For this reason, HTC’s trailer is understandable and forgiveable.

The danger however – and this is the case for hype in general – especially in the tech arena, is that people’s expectations are raised stratospherically high, to the point where anything other than an out of body experience inside VR may feel like a let down. Over promising can be a damaging practice.

htc-vive-trailer2

But this is a world where we’re bombarded with corporate imagery and beautiful hype almost constantly. People aren’t stupid and are, by now, wise to the marketing industry’s smoke and mirrors. We temper our expectations and filter buzzwords as a matter of daily routine.

For these reasons, HTC’s stunning waking dream of what VR could offer in the future is OK by me, just as long as the hardware it’s pushing delivers an experience that aspires to that imagery.

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.


Paul James
Based in the UK, Paul has been immersed in interactive entertainment for the best part of 27 years and has followed advances in gaming with a passionate fervour. His obsession with graphical fidelity over the years has had him branded a ‘graphics whore’ (which he views as the highest compliment) more than once and he holds a particular candle for the dream of the ultimate immersive gaming experience. Having followed and been disappointed by the original VR explosion of the 90s, he then founded RiftVR.com to follow the new and exciting prospect of the rebirth of VR in products like the Oculus Rift. Paul joined forces with Ben to help build the new Road to VR in preparation for what he sees as VR’s coming of age over the next few years.
  • Pessimistic observer

    Valve and HTC will have to tone down the b.s and hype when the product goes commercial, for legal reasons. I’m sure HTC understands this not so sure about valve though.

  • zombieapoc01

    Shut up and take my money!

    Will this force Oculus to ship their consumer version early? I see this new VR headset as a good thing and a bad thing. I just hope we get some sort of industry standard for software. Will I buy this and the Oculus? I think most people serious for VR would.

    As a DK1 and DK2 owner this trailer is slightly B.S and can’t see it being that good. But the competition should push the technology and reasonable pricing forward.

    I hope VR really takes off and doesn’t fizzle out.