HTC teams up with Valve for exciting new virtual reality headset

By Killian Bell

The One M9 isn’t the only exciting new product HTC has to show off in Barcelona today. The Taiwanese company also announced Vive, a new standalone virtual reality headset developed in partnership with Valve that wants to change the way you game — and more.

“We believe that virtual reality will totally transform the way that we interact with the world,” said HTC CEO Peter Chou. “Attending real-time concerts, learning history, reliving memories” will never be the same, HTC promises.

Unlike Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR, Vive is a headset that doesn’t require you to give up your smartphone. It has its own 1080p display with a 90GHz refresh rate that offers incredible 360° views, and it plugs straight into your PC.

Vive is designed to be lightweight, so you can wear it for hours at a time without feeling uncomfortable. It won’t just transform your gaming experiences, but thanks to new partnerships with the likes of HBO, Google, and Lionsgate, it’ll completely change the way you enjoy your favourite shows, movies, and other content, too.

HTC has developed a wireless controller that works alongside Vive to allow you to control virtual objects, but you won’t always need it; some games will take advantage of its exciting new hand-tracking technology instead.

HTC didn’t say when Vive would be available, but we’re expecting to hear more from Valve at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week.