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Home / Hot Stuff / Gaming / The HTC Vive Cosmos could elevate high-end VR to new heights

The HTC Vive Cosmos could elevate high-end VR to new heights

There's a lot to like, but also plenty left unknown

HTC’s Vive has represented the highest end of the consumer virtual reality spectrum thus far, beating the early Oculus Rift experience for sheer expansiveness and immersion. Is the HTC Vive Cosmos the next big step for premium-quality VR? We’re honestly not sure! Announced at HTC’s CES event, the Vive Cosmos isn’t a replacement for the Vive Pro, but rather a different approach: it has inside-out tracking via cameras on the headset, so it doesn’t need external trackers for room-scale VR, and the controllers offer immersive six-degrees-of-freedom movement. It’s thethered to and powered by a PC, so it’s not standalone… but HTC has also teased the ability to use it with a smartphone instead, which is unexpected. And what’s this about modular upgrades? Look, there are still some key questions here, and expectedly, price and release date are still TBD. Development kits are expected to roll out soon, however, and we’re excited to hear more about what HTC is cooking up this time around.

Profile image of Andrew Hayward Andrew Hayward Freelance Writer

About

Andrew writes features, news stories, reviews, and other pieces, often when the UK home team is off-duty or asleep. I'm based in Chicago with my lovely wife, amazing son, and silly cats, and my writing about games, gadgets, esports, apps, and plenty more has appeared in more than 75 publications since 2006.

Areas of expertise

Video games, gadgets, apps, smart home