Update: HTC addressed skepticism surrounding the accessory’s ability to stream VR wirelessly with little latency.
The mystery behind Vive X company TPCAST’s wireless upgrade kit for the HTC Vive continues to deepen. Previously, a translation of the Chinese group’s site suggested that its solution for tetherless PC-based VR offered at best 15ms of latency, which caused concern for some. Now a new page suggests there’s been a drastic improvement.
This new page, seemingly added over the weekend, states that the wireless upgrade adds less than 2ms of latency showing images in 2K at 90fps. It also notes the product is designed “specifically for Vive”, whereas the previous page noted that its tech could be adapted to suit any VR headset. Some new concept images of the kit have surfaced too, which we’ve included in this post.
We’ve reached out to TPCAST to clarify the sudden changes listed on its site, though we’ve done so through HTC itself (which invested in the company through its Vive X program), as we can’t find current contact information for the startup. It’s possible that the previous page had outdated information, made before TPCAST had come up with the Vive-specific kit. Alvin W. Graylin, China Regional President of Vive at HTC, previously told UploadVR the Vive kit had been produced in a “very short amount of time”. TPCAST itself is thought to be one of the 33 companies that joined the Vive X accelerator back in July 2016. One of the questions we are seeking more information on is whether this kit, or others from the company, might be compatible with the Oculus Rift or other headsets.
The kit went up for pre-order in China last week, though wasn’t available to pre-order internationally as originally anticipated. Another chance to pre-order is expected to go live in December. The first shipments of a model with a standard battery are expected to take place in the first quarter of 2017. Another version with a larger battery should also go on sale in that window.
We’re still waiting to get our hands on this kit and get some definitive answers about it.
> expected to take place in the first quarter of 2016
First quarter of 2017, I think you mean.
Due to quantum effects signals broadcast at 60GHz go back in time 😉
I would perfer the battery be in my pocket or a hook on my clothing incase it explodes. Just saying better my hip and not my skull. Still excited on this.
According to the previous article that’s how it is supposed to work. The smaller battery option is for the rear of the headset, but the larger one is tethered and goes into your backpocket instead.
I agree, everything they added should all be clipped to a pocket…instead of adding more head weight.
the transmitter/recieve at least needs to be on the head as 60ghz requires near on line of sight to work properly, so having it clipped to a pocket would occlude it way too much.
Adding ‘more weight’ is actually a good thing in the case of the super front heavy vive. It apparently balances better with that weight on the back, more like PSVR (which is heavier than vive and they specifically added weight to the rear for balance even though it meant overall weight went up). If you still have a cable to the pocket it won’t feel ‘quite as wireless’, but still cool.
Indeed, was about to write that too. More weight in the back makes the mask hang more than rest on you cheekbones/face.
Samsung going cheap on quality control for one phone shouldn’t make you scared of batteries.
Re: “Just saying better my hip and not my skull”
So you don’t use a cell phone? 😉
j/k aside…
Being as people hold batteries to their heads all the time, I think these concerns are blown out of proportion.
Samsung learned the lesson with the latest Note battery debacle. So I’m certain TPCast has taken battery testing/safety seriously for this device.
Well…that, then the hoverboards, those electric longboards, quite a few devices have had battery issues, yet new products still occasionally explode.
That aside though, I’d rather the extra weight not be on my head. The headset is heavy enough as is.
O im getting my S8 if it is 4k.
A case of wait and see and wait for tech tests. I’ll order one anyway… most people won’t know what latency is – but I’ll keep a bucket handy, just in case. My fear is that this works if you have a dedicated router, and not much other than your home WiFi getting around… and maybe uses directed beaming. But if you live near a lot of other people with 5Ghz wireless ac, you may not get the performance expected and suffer a lot of jitter. Maybe 15ms was the lowest they expected… lowest not in the sense of lag, but in sense of performance, so worst case?
it doesnt use your existing wifi network. it uses 60GHz wireless on its own ‘network’ – so should be no traffic and very little congestion in that wavelength.
Lovely! Now … will it support 16 to up to 50 of them in the same building? Thats my phase 2…
I’d say yes, 60Ghz waves would have trouble penetrating a paperback let alone your apartment walls so shouldn’t be an issue.
60ghz doesn’t event travel through bodies let alone walls so yes, it won’t be a problem as long as the are in separate rooms. They may even be okay In the same room, I’m not sure though
Sounding better all the time 🙂 Ill try 2 before doing 4 though! Or at least ask the sales folks! 😉
Re: “whether this kit, or others from the company, might be compatible with the Oculus Rift or other headsets”
There would be a sweet irony if HTC paid TPCast to exclusively release for HTC, if only for a period of time.
As I’d love to then hear the Facebook apologists come out & parrot the PR BS if that were the case:
“Exclusivity is necessary & beneficial to the VR industry – it’s good for consumers!”
“It’s not an exclusive…it’s just a ‘timed exclusive'”
A lot of people on the oculus reddit said they hated the idea of exclusives. Though timed exclusives aren’t as bad.
I wish that those voices were louder on websites like these.
Any time us ex-Oculus (from DK1 days) users grumbled and/or mentioned this as reason for being content with Vive, I’ve been blasted with responses that could come right from Facebook PR department:
“It’s great for consumers!”
“The VR industry needs exclusives”
Etc.. very frustrating.
I do hope that those who think “time exclusive” (6-9mos?) is also “good for VR industry” will jump in & throw their support behind the TPCast being timed exclusive, if that turned out to be the case.
Not being cheeky here, but I suspect many of those people would grumble & cry *foul*.
I seriously hope that the negative backlash Facebook faced over exclusives/timed or otherwise wakes them up to the fact that:
1) VR industry is too small for this (it’s NOT good for devs to cut their # of potential customers in 1/2)
2) MOST in the PC industry don’t like this “console war” mentality/strategy – as if Microsoft released a new version of MS Office that only worked with a Microsoft Keyboard & Mouse
[ Side note: before anyone blasts me for being a “Vive fanboy” – I’ve been early VR adopter owner/user from Rift DK1 through Googlecardboard & GearVR…& yes, I did buy a Vive. No “brand loyalty” or fanboyism, but Facebook’s pay-for-exclusives & locking out the likes of ReVive to block Rift games on Vive definitely did not give me good feeling about that company’s strategy ]
Here’s hoping we get beyond this *exclusives* / “console war” phase & get back to great PC gaming in VR! (w/multiple platforms – competition is good!)
Definite purchase if it is <2ms but 2 questions I would like to know when it is reviewed. How much weight does it add to the headset? and how comfortable is it to have that thing sat on top of your head?
I think nobody expected this to be available so soon.
Interesting development.
I think that it can be compatible with any kind of headset, but at the moment they have a Vive exclusive, to give advantage to Vive against Oculus…
It could be that it relies on different internal tracking data that’s not produced in the same fashion as the Rift. E.g. A new frame warping system reliant on the Vive’s interleaved vertical and horizontal sweeping, as opposed to the Rift’s single interval approach.
Or it could be down to the Oculus software stack not having support for it.
Although, if the latter, that would suggest it would potentially still work with SteamVR, just not Oculus’s own apps/games.
I’m guessing 15ms was total latency and 2ms is the additional latency on top of a normal wired Vive setup?
If this is exclusive to the Vive without any underlying technical justification for it then that would be a damn shame. Don’t separate the PC “platform.”
They should now move as much as possible onto a belt the user wears, make the actual headset closer to wraparound glasses instead of stupid box stuck to your face, a couple of holsters for your touch controllers.