HTC has today announced the first Vive Standalone virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD), specifically targeting the China market. The device will utilise Viveport as its official content platform, it was revealed at ChinaJoy 2017 today.

The Vive Standalone will offer broader audiences a more affordable, high-quality VR experience, and will expand the Vive family beyond its PC-based VR experiences. Without the requirement for an external PC or smartphone to operate, the Vive Standalone will utilise advanced features of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile VR platform designed to support built-in VR functionality and allow developers to more rapidly release compelling content.

“China is the leading mobile market in the world today, and has the momentum to lead the global VR market as well,” said Alvin W. Graylin, China Regional President of Vive, HTC. “Partnering with Qualcomm to deliver an easy to use and more affordable Vive VR system will enable us to make premium standalone VR widely accessible to the masses in China.”

“Snapdragon 835 is designed to deliver superior VR experiences without the need for wires or a separate PC,” said Hugo Swart, Senior Director, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are thrilled to work with HTC’s Vive team as they utilize our rich feature set to create exciting, new VR experiences in the first truly mobile VR headset of the Vive ecosystem.”

The press release accompanying the announcement was light on information, including any specifications for this first Vive Standalone HMD outside of the use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor. However, it was noted in communication with VRFocus that this device is not the same as that which was announced during Google’s I/O conference back in May 2017, and as such further additions to the Vive Standalone line-up should be expected to be revealed soon.

Interested VR developers may register at www.viveport.com/standalonevr-cn to apply for participation in Vive Standalone associated support programs and get early access to upcoming developer events. VRFocus will of course keep you updated with all the latest details on the Vive Standalone HMD range, including more coverage of this announcement coming later today.