Review of the HTC Vive Focus 3
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HTC's latest all-in-one VR headset features a number of significant improvements for an equally high price.
HTC's Vive Focus 3 is officially available through the
HTC website
Starting today, and with its all-new lightweight design, improved specs, AI-powered inside-out tracking, magnetic seal, and replaceable battery, this headset offers big improvements over its predecessor, for a price.
The Vive Focus 3 offers two 2.88-inch LCD panels with a resolution of 2448 x 2448 pixels per eye and a 90Hz refresh rate powered by Qualcomm
Snapdragon XR2
platform designed specifically for XR. The dual-element lens provides an ultra-wide 120-degree field of view, allowing you to work comfortably in VR for longer periods of time.
The headset also features a unique directional speaker design to prevent sound leakage while maintaining environmental awareness. This means you can have conversations with your colleagues without having to worry about people around you hear sensitive information. At the same time, you can hear audio from the headset without being distracted by real-world sounds.
These are some of the hard facts about the all-in-one headset. Now let's move on to our hands-on review.
Image Credit: HTC
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
Inside the box you will find the Vive Focus 3 headset, two controllers, a battery, a battery charger, a controller charging cable and a standard cleaning cloth. The first thing you will notice when you pick up the headset is how light it feels in your hands. This is due to the new magnesium alloy chassis; the Focus 3 is 20% lighter than HTC's previous Focus headset. It's also 500% stronger than traditional plastic , just in case you drop it.
DESIGN
In addition to weight, the Focus 3 feels extremely well balanced. HTC has placed the replaceable battery in the back of the headset, greatly improving overall weight distribution. The unique 45-degree arm design also helps create a focal point. comfortable balance.
If you wear glasses like me, you'll appreciate how the Focus 3 allows for 150mm wide glasses. However, I felt a little discomfort. When you put the helmet on and turn the knob on the back to tighten , the Focus 3 slightly pushes your goggles down over the bridge of your nose. The discomfort is minimal, but noticeable nonetheless. Other than that, the seal on the front of the helmet and the padding on the back allow an overall comfortable fit.
Image Credit: HTC
The Focus 3 offers the largest IPD adjustment range available on any VR headset at 57mm - 72mm, making the headset comfortable for everyone, regardless of head size. To adjust, simply turn the dial located under your nose until it fits your eyes perfectly.
SOUND
The sound of the Vive Focus 3 is spectacular thanks to the design of the directional speakers. In VR, I was able to listen to conversations between two employees bickering in the
body swaps
app and don't miss a word. I even had music in my office at a fairly high volume and could still hear the content. On the other hand, I watched music videos at full volume on YouTube via the
Firefox Reality
app in VR, and it didn't bother my wife who was sitting next to me watching a movie. There was a bit of bleeding in both situations, but not enough to warrant negative feedback.
FANS, CONTROLLERS AND BATTERY
The Vive Focus 3 is a workhorse designed for long sessions in VR. To help combat discomfort, HTC has created a ventilation system that pulls air in from the bottom of the headset and blows it in from the top. You can definitely feel the air blowing through the helmet, but there is a catch. When active you can hear the fans running. an ordinary fan.
Image Credit: Bobby Carlton
The Vive Focus 3 controllers feel great in your hands. They're slightly longer than the Oculus Quest Touch controllers and have decent haptics. They've also been redesigned to better translate your hand gestures. The longer grip lets you to move your hands in a way that feels natural in VR. HTC claims that a fully charged controller can last up to 15 hours on a single charge. After using the Vive Focus 3 for several hours a day for a week, I Haven't had to charge my controllers yet. In fact, my controllers are both sitting well with almost 40% battery life remaining.
The headset itself is a similar story. HTC said a fully charged battery will give you 2 hours of headset use with heavy use. I managed to get more than that on a full charge, but I not sure if my way of using the Focus 3 would be considered "heavy use" by HTC standards. This might give different results if I was working on a large project that required a lot of collaboration, but depending on how whose headphones I used, the battery life exceeded expectations.
Image Credit: HTC
Speaking of battery life, the removable battery design is great. If your work requires you to spend a lot of time in virtual reality, this headset makes it easy to keep working. exhaust the life of your battery, you can easily swap it out by removing the pad from the back and putting in a new one. It will take just over an hour to fully charge your battery (if that's the case).
I absolutely loved this design and hope to see it incorporated into future other VR headsets.
THE
VISUALS & TRACKING
The Vive Focus 3 features dual LCD panels and the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2, delivering an impressive visual experience.
Engage
new Space Hub, the medical VR trainer
Virti
, and
Vivid synchronization
look absolutely stunning on the headset. Games such as
hyper dash
superb too (yes, you can play games on the Focus 3!). However, like the
Vive Pro 2
, if you don't wear the headset in a particular way, the visuals can get a little blurry, so be sure to spend the time tweaking your headset to fit properly.
All four on-board cameras offer impressive AI-powered indoor-outdoor tracking. I haven't experienced any type of lag or issue with controller tracking in VR. That being said, it would be interesting to see how a more demanding, like
Half-life: Alyx,
would work on the Vive Focus 3.
Image Credit: Bobby Carlton
THE
MAINTENANCE
Keeping the Vive Focus 3 clean is super easy thanks to the front magnetic seal and removable back padding. Simply remove them to clean them, then put them back on when you're done. These magnets provide tremendous holding power, so you won't So you don't have to worry about parts moving around in the headset, even during more active sessions.
THE VERDICT
Overall, the Vive Focus 3 packs a big VR punch. But is it worth the $1300 price tag? Let's just say, this headset isn't meant to replace your Oculus Quest 2. If you're looking to socialize and game strictly for gaming, this isn't the headset for you. The Vive Focus 3 is a workhorse designed specifically for professional use. It's comfortable, fast, and has the potential to be a great tool for the hand- work.
Image Credit: HTC
But that doesn't mean HTC's all-new standalone VR headset couldn't be your day-to-day work/play system either. talked about the company's new line of Vive VR headsets, saying it's about "advancing technology so it can benefit humanity through imagination, VR/AR, 5G, AI and blockchain.
The lightweight design, replaceable battery, and 5K resolution with a 120-degree field of view make the Vive Focus 3 a great VR solution for enterprise customers, and if you need a little extra power, you can Always tether the headset to a VR-enabled PC using the HTC Vive Streaming Cable.
The
Vive Focus 3
is available now for $1300, which also includes 24 months of VIVE warranty and professional services.
Feature Image Credit: Bobby Carlton
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