TPCAST, the Beijing-based makers of 60GHz wireless VR transmitters, launched their previously announced Business Edition (BE) Wireless VR Adapter in North America today. The setup is said to include support for up to four simultaneous users occupying a single space.
The BE Wireless Adapter, which is said to support between two to four users without causing interference, will first support HTC Vive, although the company has said support for additional headsets will arrive in Q3 2018.
First announced in April 2017, Tpcast’s Business Edition adapter was originally slated to serve up to six users, although at the time the company wasn’t talking about support for other headsets.
The company has since announced a separate version of its Consumer Edition (CE) Wireless Adapter for Oculus Rift as well as its original HTC Vive adapter, so there’s no telling which headset could see supported next for the Business Edition version. Although it’s only conjecture at this point, it’s possible the reduction in users is in preparation for support of HTC Vive Pro, a headset featuring a 78% bump in resolution over the original HTC Vive, although the receiver unit doesn’t appear to feature a port for Vive Pro’s proprietary all-in-one cable.
Like the consumer versions, the Tpcast BE Wireless Adapter takes the place of the headset’s wired connection while creating a wireless connection between the VR headset and PC. This, Tpcasts says, provides 2K resolution transmission with a delay of “less than 2ms.” The adapter kit consists of four parts: The PC transmitter modules (TX), the helmet receiver modules (RX), battery power box and a business class router.
“The TPCAST Business Edition enables us to create and provide an all-new product-line that was previously unavailable. By combining the HTC Vive Business Edition, TPCAST Business Edition, the VRcade Attraction Management Platform (AMP), and our VRcade content, we can offer a new set of wireless, multi-player solutions to entertainment business operators that increases throughput, decreases operational complexity and keeps them ahead of consumer offerings,” stated Dave Ruddel, Chief Architect of VRStudios.
The Tpcast BE kit is now available to US customers. Pricing isn’t public at this point, so businesses looking to go wireless with Tpcast’s solution have to contact the company. The BE kit will also be available from Tpcast’s partners sometime in Q2 2018.