HTC gives China first dibs on standalone Vive VR headset

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HTC's standalone VR headset does not require a PC or phone.

HTC has teamed up with Qualcomm to launch a standalone VR headset that initially will only be available in China. Called the Vive Standalone, the headset is based on Qualcomm's all-in-one reference design and powered by a Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip (SoC).

Just two weeks ago there was chatter about Oculus partnering with Xiaomi to build a standalone VR headset, which would also be powered by a Snapdragon processor (with Adreno graphics). With today's launch, HTC was able to beat Oculus to the punch, though it remains to be seen which company will make a standalone VR headset more widely available.

"China is the leading mobile market in the world today, and has the momentum to lead the global VR market as well," HTC Vive executive Alvin W. Graylin said in a statement, according to TechCrunch.

HTC is not sharing a whole lot of details about its new headset at this point. Other than the Snapdragon processor inside, there is no mention of the Vive Standalone's technical specifications, overall capabilities, battery life, or even what type of input it will use. HTC also neglected to mention a release date or price.

What we do know is that it will not require a PC or a phone. All of the hardware is self-contained within the headset. HTC's landing page for the headset also says it will run games and other apps from Viveport, HTC's own app store.

Paul Lilly
Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).

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