Vive Flow, HTC’s compact VR headset, is targeted at travelers and consumers looking for casual VR experiences and media consumption. Now the company has announced it’s marketing a Business Edition of Vive Flow alongside an optional controller which should make navigating in-headset a bit easier for first-time users.

Vive Flow Business Edition is being pitched as a lightweight device for VR training, distance learning, bringing immersive experiences into the classroom, location-based entertainment, and healthcare and rehabilitation. The headset, which sells for $499 (€550) on the company’s website, includes a two-year business warranty as well as standard enterprise support.

HTC says new software features include a ‘kiosk mode’ so content can be queued up and remotely triggered, which is ideal for trade shows or running training sessions, the company says.

Vive Flow Controller | Image courtesy HTC

Launched for consumers last year, Vive Flow is a standalone VR headset that tethers to an Android smartphone for input via Bluetooth, and physically plugs into an external battery for power. Ok, so not entirely standalone, but the lightweight device does feature onboard processing. Granted, that Android-only device spec may change here soon, as HTC says it’s working on iPhone support for Vive Flow too.

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By default, Vive Flow uses the smartphone as its only input device. Now the company is introducing an optional 3DOF controller for Vive Flow (seen above) that can be paired with either the consumer or business version of the headset.

Although we were hoping to hear more about hand-tracking or controllers (emphasis on the plural), going back to the old reliable controller style, which we’ve seen as early as 2016, makes a good deal of sense: blindly clicking on a smartphone when immersed in VR isn’t the most intuitive way for newcomers.

You can check out the full specs for Vive Flow here, including resolution, field of view, processor, and all of the ergonomic bits that help it achieve its 189 gram weight, making it several times lighter than any major VR headset on the market today.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Shuozhe Nan

    The controller looks like the thing we got with cv1 pre touch controller.. iirc it was also just 3dof?

    • alxslr

      Similar looks indeed, CV1 controler was 0DOF, though. Not bat ergonomy, but 3DOF is still rubbish in 2022, it should be 6DOF

  • Cragheart

    This is bad, stupid and backwards. Nothing interesting in the slightest. I don’t know what they are thinking. That people will buy such crap?

    • xyzs

      I think some completely clueless people were given way too high positions at HTC and that they need to be fired asap before they go full bankrupt…

  • Oh my god, that is the same controller of the original Vive Focus!!! What year is it?

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  • tc tazyiksavar

    Something is way out of order with HTC guys. Such a wasted opportunity for this device..

  • Carnel

    HTC is in desperate need of replacing its staff, I’m still postive that the Vive Flow was made for a target audience that doesn’t exist