Verdict
The Vive Elite XR scores points for its modular approach to the design of the headset and just how well-off it is to wear over prospicient periods , but pretty much everything else , from the control to the processor to the lack of popular apps on Viveport , makes the Vive Elite XR a tough sell – especially at £ 999/$1099 .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The HTC Vive Elite XR is one of few competitors to Meta ’s standalone VR headset collection , offering an alternative to the hugely popularMeta Quest 3andMeta Quest Pro – so secure to say it has its oeuvre cut out .
But while the Vive Elite XR ’s modular design appropriate it to stand out from the competition , that ’s about the only ingredient of the headset that can be universally praised . Just about everything else , from the controller to the processing power , feels jolly dated .
However , that would ’ve been forgiven had the Viveport Store been a little more plenteously stocked with popular VR and MR apps and game , with a miserable collecting compare to the might of Meta .
It ’s not front good for the HTC Vive Elite XR , is it ?
Design and fit
The HTC Vive Elite XR is an organic evolution of theVive Flowheadset from 2021 , with a number of tweaks to the incredibly modular innovation that make the Vive Elite XR stand out in the standaloneVR market . It ’s arguably the strongest point in time of the headset overall – but I ’ll get to that in a act .
In its standard form , the HTC Vive Elite XR does n’t await that dissimilar to the Meta Quest Pro , complete with a battery ingroup at the backside with a high - end nut mechanism to allow the idealistic burst – a way better effectuation than the fabric strap of theQuest 2and Quest 3 that helps balance the weight of the headset to make it less front - grave .
The front of the headset do differ in terms of attend though , with the Vive Elite XR ’s orotund transparent lens reminding me of a Praying Mantis when donned . Anybody else ?
Where the Vive Elite XR separates itself is by literally come apart itself from the back of the headset , with users able-bodied to switch out the electric battery pack for a span of glasses - comparable credit card stems that transmute the Elite XR into a VR - enable pair of sunglasses . It also more than halves the weight of the headset , down to 273 g down from a ( not that pregnant ) 625 g.
Of course , the headset will need to be tethered to some kind of magnate source to work , but you may use practically any USB - C gimmick that furnish power , from power banks to a USB - C - enabledsmartphonewith reverse charging capableness . But the dispute is those can ride in a air hole , not on your head , and that makes the VR experience even more comfortable for prolonged consumption .
That ’s a real boon not only for VR gaming but VR productiveness , with a significantly more lightweight and well-fixed blueprint than the Meta Quest Pro that could potentially allow for all - day use . The downside is that the headset is less secure on the head than when connect to the shelling pack and , thus , is not ideal for gaming or profligate movement .
That puff also stretch to the face plate that bridges the gap between the moldable form of the HMD and your typeface , with a soft fabric material that feels passably gracious when worn . What is n’t so nice , however , is doing VR exercise in Les Mills Body Combat using the headset , as that voiced facia turn into a sponge , soaking up all your sudor , and it ’s very difficult to clean too .
Vive should also be praised for its glasses - free approach to VR . Rather than selling face plates to accommodate glasses - wearers like myself , which I often witness do n’t fit my deoxyephedrine that well , you could adjust the focus of each crystalline lens individually from -6 to +6 , negating the want to wear glasses at all .
That build for a much more comfortable VR organisation , though it ’s not ideal if you ’ve got particularly strong ethical drug crystalline lens outdoors of the compass offer by the headset .
Controllers
In somewhat bleak line to the future - thinking , modular innovation of the Vive Elite XR headset , the attach to controllers are large , plasticky and generally a bit naff compare to not only the Quest 3 and Quest Pro controllers , but even those that come with the three - yr - old Quest 2 .
The button layout is fairly received , comprised of ABXY buttons , two analogue sticks , trigger and grip release , but the accompanying trailing rings are pretty substantial – enough to clash together in some VR titles , concisely ruining the immersion I was feeling at the time .
The controllers are also notably longer than the comparably compact and ergonomic controllers of the Quest 3 , nor do they boast the built - in chase after technical school of the Quest Pro controllers , meaning they can only be track when in full sight of the headset .
The shaking feedback is also a little dense and slushy liken to the more elaborate haptic motors from Meta ’s recent headset – a like difference in superstar when compare the PS4 ’s DualShock control to the PS5 DualSense accountant .
Admittedly , the controller are aslightstep fore from the even bulky OG Vive controllers that shipped with other recent Vive - brandmark headset with a slightly more compact blueprint , but as stated , it ’s far from the compact and technically more advanced choice offered by Meta ’s headsets .
Specs and performance
The HTC Vive Elite XR’sSnapdragon XR2chip would ’ve been acceptable back in 2020 , but in 2023 , andespeciallyafter the launch of the Meta Quest 3 , the chipset is show its age .
For context , the likewise priced Meta Quest Pro brag the Snapdragon XR2 Plus chip with a 50 % boost to magnate output and 30 % improved thermal carrying into action compared to the Elite XR ’s regular XR2 , and the gap is only widened when you look at the chipset in the Quest 3 .
The Quest 3 boasts the brand newSnapdragon XR2 Gen 2 platformthat boasts serious profit on the original XR2 chipset , including a 2.5x boost to GPU power with 50 % better efficiency and a 33 % boost to the CPU that makes it wholly more capable of running high - quality apps and games with better texture at higher resolutions than the elect XR can . The XR2 chipset is the same as found in the £ 299 Meta Quest 2 .
That should help paint a picture show of the experience on offer ; while not necessarily a high-risk one , with apps that run for at the maximum 90fps allowed by the headset ’s 90Hz LCDs , they ’re not quite as complex or graphically impressive as what I ’ve seen from other headset in 2023 .
It is more akin to what you ’d get from Meta ’s entry - level headset than what you ’d expect from a premium standalone headset , albeit at a mellow resoluteness , clocking in at 1920 x 1920 per eye . The resolution does help the experience somewhat , with comparatively crisp visuals that make reading schoolbook much easier than gimcrack headsets .
HTC looks to tell itself from Meta ’s headsets with a pretty cool lineament that was first introduced on the HTC Vive Flow – wireless smartphone mirroring . At least , it would be moderately nerveless if I could get it to crop more reliably .
The issuing seems to come down to smartphone compatibility , with backing for Miracast and HDCP 2.2 or later ask to get at your wandering type O from the headset . I tried it on several flagship - story phones including theHonor Magic 5 Pro , Xiaomi 13 Proand theGoogle Pixel 7 , and none worked .
In fact , a glance atHTC ’s support pagereiterates this point , with very few smartphones formally compatible with the functionality .
It ’s an way out that was prevalent on the Vive Flow and it seems HTC has n’t found a solution with the Vive Elite XR either . I can only wonder why the team did n’t choose for a more aboveboard computer hardware connection , give that you may connect the headset ’s USB - coulomb port wine to your smartphone for power – it ’d seemingly remove the restriction on which phones could use the functionality .
paw tracking is present and works in a very similar way to that of the Quest 3 and Quest Pro , tracking your hand in the virtual space with point - and - pinch gestures to pilot the UI .
It ’s an splendid mode to navigate through the O and more handily browse your phone in its wireless mirroring mode , but the big frustration is that vanishingly few apps on the Viveport Store take advantage of HTC ’s hand - tracking tech , meaning you ’ll more than likely need to pick up those bulky controllers once you select an app to load via hand - tracking .
I ’ve also found that it ’s not quite as open as Meta ’s selection in anything but ideal kindling conditions , with the headset occasionally turn a loss tracking when I attempted a turn of VR in a table lamp - illumine room one dark eve .
deal tracking is a nice - to - have feature , but HTC ’s feature of speech set does n’t expand to more ripe tracking like the face- and eye - tracking of the Meta Quest Pro , which allow for a much more natural social VR experience where it ’s gentle to find fault up on non - verbal communication like smile , winks and more .
It ’s not necessarily a dealbreaker for most users , but it ’s something I ’d have like to have seen baked into an ‘ Elite ’ VR headset that cost the same as Meta ’s top - final stage headset . HTC has claimed that these features will be available via optional add - ons in future , but these are yet to materialize and will undoubtedly hike the price even further .
Game and app availability
The Viveport Store is the main style to get standalone apps on the Vive Elite XR headset . A prompt browsing and you ’ll find several popular apps admit Les Mills Body Combat , Richie ’s Plank Experience and Virtual Desktop , but this lull you into a false sense of security as there are some pretty glowing omissions compared to the competing Quest Store .
That includes popular VR game like Beat Saber and Gorilla Tag , along with bigger , longer VR championship like The Walking Dead : Saints & Sinners and Ghost Busters : Rise of the Ghost Lord – and that ’s after seven months of the Vive Elite XR being useable for leverage . I frankly ca n’t see the situation getting any better any clock time soon either .
indisputable , many of these apps are useable to you if you tether the headset to a gaming microcomputer , but that form of defeats the purpose of a standalone VR headset .
The headset also sustain assorted reality apps thanks to its forward - facing colour passthrough tv camera , with a surprisingly crisp experience that ’s better than the slightly subdued interpretation from the Meta Quest Pro and one without the extreme fisheye distorted shape of thePico 4 . It was clear enough for me to take the air around my room without bumping into furniture , at the very least .
I ’d argue that on MR visuals alone , the elect XR can contend with the new Quest 3 , though Meta ’s new headset comes with computer hardware like a deepness sensor that do it much easier to map out the space around you , even incorporating elements like chairs and tables into the MR experience – HTC does n’t do this just yet .
The big trouble for HTC is the handiness of said MR apps . Just like with regular VR apps , the selection is pretty barebones at the moment – and when you consider that the Meta Quest 3 already had 50 + dedicated MR apps within a month of its release , it seems that Meta again has the upper hand .
Battery life
stamp battery life-time – when the barrage coterie is connect , of course – is pretty consistent with other standalone VR headset on the grocery store , offering around 2 hour of use before it ’ll need a top - up via USB - C. That allows it to last a little longer than the Meta Quest Pro ’s 1hr 30 minutes , although it does decrease slightly behind the Quest 3 ’s 2 - 3 hr battery life claims .
Still , the modular design of the headset allows you to swop the official battery heading strap out for a generic USB - C power bank that can seat in the pocket and further extend battery life , as can your smartphone in a apprehension . That could make it a slightly more tantalizing option , peculiarly for longsighted travel without a plug nearby .
Charging is jolly fast too , achieve an 60 minutes of usage after just 30 moment of buck from the provided USB - speed of light power brick , though a full burster will take around 2 hr .
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Should you buy it?
The ability to remove the stamp battery pack and turn the headset into something resemble VR glass is rather unique in the standalone VR market .
With an old chipset , unwieldy controllers and a lamentably small program library of standalone apps and games to choose from , the Vive Elite XR is beaten by even chintzy headsets like the £ 299Meta Quest 2.&bsp ;
Final Thoughts
I sleep with what HTC has done with the design of the Vive Elite XR , boasting a prosperous intent that ’s also modular , with very different focus for each shape . It also bluster singular feature like centering fitting for glasses - wearer and power the headset via your phone ’s USB - nose candy larboard .
However , that ’s about all the HTC Vive Elite XR does well . The Snapdragon XR2 chipset is woefully underpowered not only liken to likewise premium headset like theMeta Quest Pro , but even theMeta Quest 3 , which come in at just over half the price .
But even that could ’ve been somewhat forgive if HTC had make do to get a handle on VR and MR substance , both of which are hard lack on the Viveport Store , especially when compare to Meta ’s standalone VR headsets .
It was a great endeavor at a standalone VR headset , then , but sadly , I ca n’t seeanyreason for consumer to go for the HTC Vive Elite XR over the Quest 3 .
Trusted Score
How we test
When screen a VR headset , we make certain to try out a variety of games and apps . We evaluate various aspects , such as the conception , fit , screen quality , barrage life and the feature set .
FAQs
Yes , and it ’s one of the sound execution of the tech , though there ’s a lack of MR apps to take advantage of it .
While you ’ll get a USB - snow cable in the box seat , you ’ll have to provide your own charging brick .
Full Specs
