In its latest response to an email from Road to VR, HTC claims to clear its convoluting VR lineup. To deal with the process, HTC discontinued Vive Pro and Focus Models in their VR headset series. Both the headsets were introduced in the market in 2018.

Currently, HTC is selling and providing full support to 11 SKUs in its Vive inventory including the support to multiple SKUs for Vive Pro, Vive Focus and Vive Cosmos.

The company discontinues Vive Pro in order to support its new Enterprise-based Vive Pro Eye (Which is Vive Pro with Eye-tracking).

Under this process, HTC also reduced the price of the Vive Pro Eye Full kit to $1,399.

In order to support and simplify their VR lineup, HTC will discontinue consumer-based Vive Pro and Vive Focus.

Why HTC has discontinued Vive Pro and Focus Models?

The reason for the discontinuation of these headsets is very clear. The current VR lineup of HTC Vive is very confusing and creates a lot of fuss while choosing a headset according to our needs.

This lineup creates a big confusion for consumers as well as enterprises. In order to simplify their lineup, HTC decided to separate out its consumer-based and enterprise-based headsets.

Hence, the headsets developed for enterprises will be sold under industrial SKUs. While the consumer-based headsets will be focussing on immersive games and other experiences.

The simplification process was already started with the complete removal of Original Vive from the official website.

To simplify their lineup, HTC will now be working on the following 3 headset families focussing different target audience:

HTC Vive Cosmos (Consumer-based headset)

Vive Pro Eye ( Enterprise-based headset)

HTC Vive Focus Plus (Standalone Series)

Hence, with different target audiences, it would be easier for HTC to provide the software and hardware support/services accordingly.

In the latest VR lineup, The enterprise-based Vive Pro Eye headset will replace the consumer-based Vive Pro headset. There are almost no games in the VR market that support the eye-tracking.

So, selling Vive Pro Eye to consumers makes no sense. Vive Pro Eye headset would be of great use for enterprises working in Medical sciences.

The following 3 variants of Vive Pro Eye are available to justify the needs enterprises:

HTC Vive Pro Eye Full kit

Vive Pro Eye Office

Vive Pro Eye Office Arena

The upcoming 3 variants of Vive Cosmos can also be one of the reasons to discontinue these headsets.

The company wants to support the availability of Vive Focus Plus which is the all-in-one solution for VR requirements.

Can you own these Headsets anymore?

HTC is going sell all the remaining units of Vive Focus and Vive Pro headsets until their inventory is empty. If available, you can buy the following 3 variants of Vive Pro:

HTC Vive Pro Starter kit

HTC Vive Pro Full kit

Vive Pro Mclaren Edition

Just like Vive Pro, the same story goes with Vive Focus. HTC is in full support of its all-in-one VR headset “Vive Focus Plus” which comes with the 6DoFs controller.

Vive Focus was awkwardly released in the market with a 3DoF controller which is not the actual requirement of the VR industry. With the availability of Vive Focus Plus, HTC doesn’t want to focus on a headset with the same functionality and fewer capabiities.

So, if you want to own Vive Focus anyway, you need to check out the online stores before all the remaining units are sold in the market.

If you have any doubts regarding HTC Vive or you have any queries regarding anything in the VR industry, you are always welcomed to our VR/AR Discussions forum. Moreover, you can reach us through our social media handles.