This is our beginner's guide to the HTC Vive hardware and part of our ongoing VR Coverage. Read about PC system specs.

HTC’s Vive Pre powered by a ZOTAC 980 Ti PC landed at GameCrate for a full day of virtual insanity, from shooting zombies to painting bowties on snowmen. VR is real and it’s here. If you're new to VR and find the assortment of hardware confusing, don't worry, you're not the only one. Let's take a look at the full arsenal of equipment.

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First thing to know, the HTC Vive we used is technically the "Pre" model, a pre-release unit before the final consumer version debuts Feb 29th (same day the Vive is available for preorder). The HTC Vive will arrive in lucky gamers’ hands come April 2016. Unlike Oculus, early Vive prototypes have not been released into customer hands, only developers and hardware manufacturers have the Vive hardware.

The latest Vive Pre that landed at CES 2016 was a big leap from the early 2015 model. Gone are the rough edges, replaced by smooth, flowing forms. Here’s the breakdown of the Vive Pre Hardware:

The Vive headset

Two Base Stations with stands

Two Motion Controllers

Hubs

Tons of cables

The package does not include a PC or headphones. Let’s break down each component:



htc-vive-vr-hands-on-review-17.jpg VR Headset

The goggles are the core of the VR system, providing both the visuals and the brains to tie the controllers and base stations together with the PC. This includes accelerometers and gyroscopes to track your movements. The headset takes the information gathered from the controllers and base stations and sends it back to the PC.

Inside the headset is an incredibly crisp and clear 2160x1600 display (a single 1080x1200 display per eye).

You’re probably asking what’s up with all those weird divots. They’re motion tracking photosensors and, while they could be hidden behind the front cover, Vive has decided to leave them exposed and make it part of the product identity. Of course this could change by the time the Vive is released.

What is the Vive like to wear? My first time with the Vive Pre was at the CES 2016 gadget madness. Basically, I slammed the Vive on my head, popped on the headphones, grabbed the sticks and went to war. I should have taken a bit more time adjusting the headset instead of immediately fighting zombies. Combined with the cords and weight, wearing the Vive was disorienting by the end of the 15 minute demo.

htc-vive-vr-hands-on-review-20.jpg The second time with the Vive, I planned ahead accordingly. So rather than just throwing it on, I took a moment to get the straps prepared. If you’ve ever worn ski or scuba goggles, the experience is very similar -- adjust straps, try it on, repeat as necessary.

Once the straps were adjusted correctly, the Vive is surprisingly comfortable. I was concerned about the heft of the hardware. After all, the Vive is not a small device. But in the real world, I didn’t notice any issues with the weight. Maybe I was too engrossed in the game to notice.

Additionally, the foam around the eyes and nose was pretty comfy. It seems like the Vive team has spent some serious time making sure the goggles are wearable for all day play.

Forward Facing Camera

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I didn’t get a chance to try the new Vive forward-facing camera seen towards the bottom of the headset. The camera allows you to see a ghosted image of your room and objects in the room around you. The camera compliments Vive's Chaperone tech that create a virtual grid of your very real room inside VR. If you walk forward, you'll see the limits of your room so you don't smash into a wall. Chaperone with the forward camera is the Vive’s killer feature over the Oculus. And while it might seem like a small detail, the Vive's augmented reality allows you to take a drink or use your keyboard without taking off the goggles.



htc-vive-vr-hands-on-review-18.jpg Eye Adjustments

On the right side of the goggles resides a tiny knob for adjusting the two fresnel lenses inside the headset. The knob only moves the lenses side to side, not in any corrective way like binoculars.

While the knob was useful, I needed some more time really dialing it in. I’d like the knob to be even firmer to prevent movement after I’ve found the sweet spot. There's also an adjustment inside the headset to move the lenses closer or farther away from your peepers.

Glasses?

Probably not, contacts are the best bet unless HTC figures out a way to compensate for poor vision through the combination of lenses and VR software.



htc-vive-vr-hands-on-review-22.jpg Base Stations

These black boxes, officially called Vive Base Stations with Lighthouse Technology, contain the lasers that sweep the entire room. If you touch the box while they’re powered on, you’ll feel the boxes vibrating. The vibration is the powered lasers rapidly scanning the room, constantly keeping track of your movements.

Updated and Corrected for Clarity: The Pre base stations have three ports (see below); USB, sync and 12v power. There's an additional power button and threaded mount as well as Bluetooth LE inside the base station. The stations must be plugged into the wall to work. For initial setup, the base stations communicate with each other and the PC wirelessly, though developer versions used a sync cable. Additionally, the base stations have USB for updating firmware and potentially other features. The base stations operate wirelessly and "passively" in that all the location calculations are done by the PC through the headset, not in the base stations themselves. During gameplay, the base stations perform laser sweeps over the area 60 times per second. The Headset and controllers pick up the laser sweeps via the photosensors and send the info to the PC. The PC then calculates the delay between the multiple sensors to determine your position and provide the Vive VR magic.



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To set up the stations, you mount the black boxes on stands about six feet or so off the ground. Stands go in the corners of the room and the base stations point towards the middle. You then run the setup software and walk around the perimeter of your playing space with the controllers. The system calculates your movements and creates the virtual playground. Pretty easy.



htc-vive-vr-hands-on-review-14.jpg Vive Controllers

Here’s where I think HTC outdid themselves. These wireless controllers are some of the smartest devices around and build off of Steam’s experience with the Steam Controllers.

While the controllers look a bit strange at first, the first thing to know is the donut up top is purely for tracking, all the buttons and switches are along the main stalk.

The main button is the index figure trigger. Basically, point and shoot. It replaces the need for a mouse or any kind of input inside the game. Just aim and squeeze.

Obviously, a trigger makes shooting games immensely fun and far more engaging than the typical Xbox or Playstation controller. The way the controller is angled with the donut, you aim just like a real gun and fire. I’m sure HTC spent countless hours tweaking the angle and tracking because, in a shooting game, the Vive controller feels like the real deal.

htc-vive-vr-headset-review-1-2.jpg Aside from the trigger, the next most important button is the big, round touchpad on top. This is a Steam signature, pulled right from their Steam Controller. The touchpad functions like a laptop track pad combined with a clickable directional controller. In some games, you can swipe left or right to change weapons or options. Other times, you can click the trackpad to reload or move in different directions.

Additionally, the controllers are said to include SteamVR’s Linear Resonant Actuator that takes haptic feedback (aka controller vibration) to the next level. This means being able to simulate multiple directions and textures, rather than just a rumble. I didn’t notice the effect in my demos but it’s very possible I was too distracted by zombies eating my face.

htc-vive-vr-hands-on-review-11.jpg The controllers also have a raised menu button the trackpad and an concave button below. There’s two additional oval buttons along the middle of the controller but they’re hard to press and didn’t seem terribly ergonomic or intuitive in normal gameplay. Maybe they’ll be more functional in other games.

Overall, the controllers feel fantastic in hand, especially the trigger and trackpad. The controllers are wireless with lithium batteries good for four hours of use, no AAA batteries here, and the controllers plug into micro USB to recharge.

Headphones

You’ll notice the HTC Vive has no ear cozies. A 3.5mm jack around back allows you to plug in your stereo headphones. No need for 7.1 surround sound headsets, the included 3D audio software does a fine job convincing your brain it’s actually hearing sounds in a 3D world.

This is a pre-release version, so where does the Vive have room to grow?

Regarding the headset, I’d love to see Thunderbolt 3 adoption to reduce the bundle of cables to a single cable solution. Currently, the Vive headset has USB 3.0, HDMI and power, as well as a 3.5mm headphone pigtail hanging off the back. A single Thunderbolt 3 cable with 40 Gbps bandwidth would be a logical next step.

For gamers with glasses, Vive would be smart to sell replaceable corrective lenses to match your eye prescriptions. You’d pop out the included lenses and add your prescription glass domes. Sure, they won’t be cheap, but for some, it’ll be the only way to play.

The Oculus Rift’s Touch controllers are designed for each hand while the HTC Vive is a ambidextrous solution. The Vive controllers are comfortable and useful, but I wonder if they’d be slightly improved by making left/right models.

Pretty dang impressive. Even though this is the pre-release model, it feels like a mature piece of hardware. I'd be surprised if HTCs finds dramatic ways to improve the experience in the next few months. Expect to see some tweaks to the headset design and ergonomics, but nothing major. My only concern is inventory -- I'm hoping the HTC factories are working overtime because the Vive is going to be way more popular than anyone thinks.